how to protect yourself (and others) from soi dogs.

[yougivemebaby]

Just started to ride bikes again. Love riding my bicycle. My biggest fear was being run over by a truck. Luckily I have found a lot of routes to avoid the major roadways. However, a lot of dogs are very aggressively running after me and fellow bikers. Pepper spray is illegal here. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[Blackheart]

Kicking them full force in the head works.

[Fookhaht]

Error

[macksview]

electric cattle prod seems to work

[Gecko123]

loud whistle is effective

[everett kendall]

A squirt gun with amonnia.

[aussiandrew]

Ride like the wind.

[Mangkorndang]

Riding I use a small hand held canister of spray on deodorant. A dogs nose is wet and extremely sensitive. Spray downwards and allow the pursuing canines to run into the cloud. Momentarily painful to the dog without causing damage. They soon learn to detect the smell and avoid you if you regularly use the same route.

Walking I use a bloody great shovel handle which i have covered in masking tape. A large bicycle handle bar grip one end and a door stop on the ground end. (Looks like a large walking stick). Raised is usually enough to discourage however if they attack use prodding motions thrust towards them. Instinctively they will go for the stick ( kicking leg of prey animal). In extreme close quarter combat, strike hard in short sharp whacks. Don't get clever aim for the mass, the body.

Do not run unless you are an olympic champion. But back away slowly. If you run their instinct is to chase.

Avoid the temptation to use the whacker stick on the giggling or smiling local dog owner who thinks his soi dog chasing and biting the big farang is funny.

[alant]

I find it is the chase they want and to demonstrate they are boss in this area. I slow down even stop and look at them. They are no longer the top dog and cease to be aggressive. Then I cycle away slowly.

[mjnaus]

Mix some nam plik (chilly paste) with water and load this in a squirt gun. One or two squirts to the face and the dog won't bother coming close ever again.

[01322521959]

I ride a bicycle to the Train Park every day and tend to s@#$ myself, kick out madly at them and shout f off which generally does the trick.

[chicowoodduck]

I carry a size large hand gun and shoot them in the head at every chance....seems to keep the dogs and the locals away from me......:-)

[sledpull]

I like the ammonia in the squirt gun. In lieu of pepper spray use bug spray as a deterrent! Same effect!

[JLCrab]

With the one dog that used to bark and chase me on the motorbike the most, I would ride up the wrong side of the street for a while with the dog right behind me and then swerve out of the way at the last moment so that an oncoming car is headed straight for the dog. The owner of the dog saw this one time and screamed and now, for whatever the reason, the gate is now closed and the dog no longer roams the street.

[hdkane]

Prostitution is illegal as well...just use the pepper spray...geez

[F4UCorsair]

If a Smith & Wesson beats four of a kind, I'm sure it will also beat soi dogs.

Seriously, as an earlier poster suggested, a squirt bottle using either ammonia or citronella, both readily available, will keep them at bay.

Boil a few chilis in water, and charge the bottle with that, also very effective.

[bluebluewater]

K9 joke: What do you do if a dog starts humping your leg? Pick him up and give him a blow job.

[DuiDui48]

Buy a prodder on e-bay..no moore problem..

[Sean87s]

They only chase you but never bite and if you stop they will stop to and loose interest. I find it that thai dogs seems to be very afraid of long sticks for some reason. If a dog is bothering me ill just pick up a stick and raise it high and make some sounds and they will walk away. You should never run though. If a dog bites, grab their ears firmly and twist then as hard as you can. They will let go and be submissive. Hitting a agressive ticked dog wont help.

I admit. Dogs can be pretty scary in thailand. Especially stray dogs in packs on dark nights or early mornings.

[Rob13]

I carry a cheap bike pump that fits to the down tube. I can reach down and pull it out quickly and use like a club if the dogs get too close. I'v whacked a few dogs in the head with it. Works well.

[12DrinkMore]

Has anybody use an ultrasonic device as sold on Lazada for about 350 Baht?

[F4UCorsair]

How about one of those batons that extends when you swing it? The steel ball on the end would convince a mutt he's in the wrong place if he copped it on his skull.

Readily available at street markets too.

[Gecko123]

I tried the ammonia squirt bottle route for a while, but switched over to a whistle about a year ago for the following reasons:

1. When you use a squirt bottle, the ammonia odor tends to get all over your hands, riding gloves, handlebars, etc.

2. It is very difficult to hit a moving Thai dog with a stream shot from a squirt bottle while pedaling a bicycle.

3. You quickly run out of ammo. An average size bottle is only good for 2-3 good shots before the squeeze pressure becomes ineffectively low.

4. While some dog owners could care less if you spray their dog with ammonia, some resent it.

5. Family members and kids do interact with the dog. It's kind of uncool to spray something on the dog which will irritate the eyes and noses of unsuspecting pet owners and children.

6. Dogs respond to being sprayed in a wide range of ways. Some shy away, but some are antagonized and become even more aggressive. Some seem to never figure out that they've been sprayed with a chemical; they act like they've been sprayed with water. Very rarely do they completely cease their unwanted behavior.

7. The whistle is very effective. It momentarily confuses the dog, without unduly antagonizing it, long enough for you to get past them. The whistle also alerts the dog owner that the dog is bothering you, and hopefully the owner will call the dog away from you as well.

[SOTIRIOS]

....wow....to that 'joke'.....how did that get through....???

[Jedsada3]

As I live "far from the civilization", every time I have to go to the city I meet many soi dogs on the way.

I made a stick and if a dog starts barking and seems to come to me, I need only to show it and they go back.

I used pipe for electrical cables and an elastic to attach stuff on the bike.

Here are some pics of my self made "Dog Repellent Foldable Stick"

The stick unfolded ready to use:

The stick folded (3 x 25cm):

How to fix the elastic:

And the stick stored in the scooter:

Cost of the stick: less than 100 B

Time to do it: 10 min

Time to unfold it and show the dogs: 1.5 sec

[villagefarang]

Maybe the dogs in my area are different but I never seem to have a problem. I don’t really mind a dog barking and don’t go out of my way to provoke a bite by putting my foot in their mouths. I may coast along a bit with the peddle in the raised position while I talk to the dog in question. If need be I will stop and try to make friends.

I ride anywhere from 50 to 100 km and I am old so I am not worried about my split-times and don’t mind slowing down if that is what is required. I have never hurt a dog and never been bitten.

[NoshowJones]

Forget what is legal and what is not, your first priority is to yourself and keeping yourself safe.

[NoshowJones]

Kicking them full force in the head works.

Does it?? as soon as one foot leaves the ground you are off balance and vulnerable.

[NoshowJones]

A squirt gun with amonnia.

That sounds good, but how much of a range will it have?

[Moonsterk]

A squirt gun with amonnia.

That could blind them, try vinegar instead. Right in the snout should stop them and make them fear you.