Encountering dogs while riding

Thank you all for the great advice!

As suggested I think I'm going to do something about this issue that has been 35+ years in the making, swallow my pride and seek a professionals help.
Maybe after getting over this mental hurdle I'll consider interacting with friendly dogs under control, perhaps with the help of a dog trainer.

Thank you again for the kind words and advice, I look forward to one day seeing you guys…and maybe your dogs on the trails.

Sounds like a perfectly rational fear to me. It's not like he's talking about fear of shark attack or some other virtual impossibily bs. Dogs attack people all the time.

Maybe in addition to a learn to be calm therapy approach, how about an empowering learn to deal with an aggressive dog approach?

My buddy and I were once attacked out of the blue on a trail. My buddy has always owned large aggressive dogs and is very comfortable in keeping them in line. Me, not so much.

He was out front and the dog just started snarling and ran straight down the trail at him. It grabbed his hand and my buddy immediately leaned forward and shoved his arm into the dogs throat and yelled something LOUD at the dog. Dog backed right the f%ck down. Owner came down a minute later with a dismissive "oh sorry bro" and tried to walk right on by. Words were exchanged.

I highly doubt this is any way a legitmare dog handling technique, by the way. But my buddy was confident, had a game plan, and came away mostly unharmed and unshaken. I would've gotten mauled.

It was an eye opener for me.

what Hepcat said. easy to say and i've only been there once, but when push comes to shove you are the bigger meaner animal. strike first, strike hard and make the dog realize it's going down, not you. i do like most dogs though, a few should be feared and usually their owners know it and will tell you to keep back.

Most dogs recognize "down" or "no" especially when addressed sternly. Tell them to back off. You're the boss.

…..I pretty much assume people are NOT going to be okay/comfortable around dogs instead of assuming that they will be.

This.

Way too many dog owners assume that because they love their pet, everyone will. My wife was bitten badly by a dog as a child and is still very nervous around large dogs. I grew up on a farm with a lot of working dogs which were definitely not pets, and am comfortable dealing with aggressive dogs, but if I see a large dog I do not know running up to me, especially if I am with my kids, the dog may well get a boot in the face. Or just revert to Tungsten's suggestion…

I carry bear spray.

I do this. Used it only once. A Rottweiler and a German Shepherd attacked me while I was jogging around Northlands. Only used it because I was in shorts and a T-shirt, so I didn't have much covering and dealing with them in the usual manner could have resulted in me getting scarred.

Never had an issue with rider's dogs on the trail while riding; usually the dogs are really friendly.

Don't much like the packs lead around by dog walkers. Someone walks a half dozen pit bulls off leash, and sometimes one or two are a aggressive.

Walking to work when a big dog with muddy paws jumps up to kiss my face. Muddy prints all over the front of my interview suit.

I love dogs. Some of their owners are bone heads. Keep your dog off other people.

Phobias are not about logic. You cant just switch off fear.
If you ride public trails you will encounter dogs off leash.
I used to despise dog owners and there rampant ignorance over other people wishing to enjoy the great out doors.
Watching a dog take a shit squeezing out foul smelling crap right in front of me. Would i get arrested for doing the same thing?
Any dog of a herding breed loves to chase me.
I often have to ride back with the dog to the owner. Some times i get bit. The dog is not attacking me but if i had a fear of dogs I would be very upset to say the least.
I have witnessed more than once a dog running up to a stranger that is freaked out by the dog running up to them.
People will always be ignorant. Its easier than taking responsibility.

I started to get off my bike and approach the friendly dogs. Make friends with the dogs. Not the dog owners.
Now I stop constantly to pet strangers dogs!
This would be very difficult for some one who has a genuine phobia of dogs.
Unfortunately if you want to enjoy the out doors this is probably your best option.

Try to befriend cute cuddly dogs to try and change your perception of the fuzzy creatures.
All dogs want is food and love.
I cant do a damd thing for the stupid dog owners.

I'm not afraid of dogs but I can see how some people are terrified of them. For example, there is somebody on Fromme who walks a huge ass dog with a big bark on Jerry Rig regularly. More than once I've been riding down Lower Oilcan and hear barking and next thing you know said dog is crashing across through the brush towards me. It doesn't do anything and isn't agressive other than the barking, but if I had a phobia, I'd probably shit myself!

I don't mind dogs at all but I hate the owners of the snarling, snapping and misbehaved dogs that say "it's ok, he's friendly" while their dog is forcing me off the bike and onto the other side of the trail

Encountering dogs while riding
I have always had a serious fear of dogs.

locals, phobias, and I am not using this in the technical sense, are very difficult to cure. The norm is that you need to spend a lot of time and effort to achieve modest results. You will likely never lose your fear, but you can certainly reduce it and become better at managing it. Regardless, it is definitely worth the time and effort. Increasing your control over it will help you achieve a better experience and one that can include dogs. After all, dogs are not going anywhere. Neither are bad dog owners. Your riding, hiking, walking, etc. will always include encounters.

I am sorry, but all the suggestions to try to get used to dogs, or like dogs, by trying to play with cute and cuddly dogs are nonsense. Phobias are at a completely higher order than that kind of thing. Don’t go getting a therapist to ‘become better at being with dogs.’ Do it to become better at holding yourself together in the presence of dogs. I realize that that is a little subtle, but it is also crucial to any possible success. The focus should be on you keeping your integrity/inner strength such that the presence of dogs does not quickly dismantle your self-control and overly impact your experience. The focus of your efforts should be squarely on you. While your fear is manifest by dogs, the solution will inevitably lie a level deeper than that. A good therapist will guide you through this. And again, it is absolutely worth it.

You do not owe anything to dogs or their owners. In a perfect world, owners would smarten up and keep their dogs off of others unless invited first.

It's hard as a dog owner to come to the realization that maybe your dog just shouldn't be off leash in certain circumstances. Our rescue has a lot of residual baggage from her first 6 months up in D'Arcy where she was put out with a pack at 3 months, chased by people on motorcycles, and shot by kids with a pellet gun and required surgery to remove pellets….she's lovely around us, but super skeptical of almost anyone/everything, reacts to motorcycles, people who surprise her on the trail, is super untrusting of almost anyone who isn't in our tight circle. it's a chore helping her along, but we no longer ride with her off leash, and only let her off when we're out in the middle of the forest where we know people won't startle her….unfortunately it means she isn't the trail riding dog I had hoped for, and we keep her on leash almost all the time, just the way it goes sometimes, too bad more people can't realize that their off leash dogs aren't always welcome or as behaved as they think.

Props for the rescue
People of D'arcy need some
Pellets up the arse.

You do not owe anything to dogs or their owners. In a perfect world, owners would smarten up and keep their dogs off of others unless invited first.

Why can dog owners not get this? About the only thing keeping me from sending some dogs flying with a boot to the face when they come charging at me and my leashed dog is my understanding that they're just being dogs, and it's the owner that should be getting the boot.