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Comment by Unfrozen0688 | Hacker News Reader

You have stray dogs where you live or what? Cant say cycling has affected my views on dogs.

Lots of stray dogs around here in south of Spain. Also when I used to be a 12y old cycling in rural france that was pretty much the same, I was always prepared for a sprint whenever I would reach a farm.

In a sense it probably made me stronger but I can't say I build a friendship and a mutual sense of confidence with dogs.

I wonder what makes them hunt cyclists and some cars that pass by.

Instincts? Wolves hunt animals much larger than themselves for a living, they run after, nibble their ankles and wait for them to make a mistake and then they go in.

My dogs bark at people on bike/motorcycles/scooters. I think they code as a big animal to them. Once we get up close and it's clear that it's a person on a machine they stop barking.

As a counter point to hunting, my dog seems to be afraid of almost anything on wheels. Even a skateboard without rider is a hard nope, and will send her tail tucked behind me.

She's a 90 lbs Mastiff/St Bernard/Lab cross. It's not like she's worried about being crushed or eaten. She could probably eat me.

Or maybe she doesn't realize she's big. I don't know.

Some breeds have a higher prey drive than others.

But many bad behaviours are pretty easy to train out of most dogs (eg barking at passer-bys). Dogs are easy to train. Too many lazy owners blame their "nature" or "that's just how they are" as if they can't do anything.

Perhaps this is in order https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velo-dog

Well I don't want them any harm either. I understand all this is a big misunderstanding as they probably feel I am a danger to them.

> For the more humane, there were cartridges loaded with cayenne pepper or dust,

Could probably go for pepper spray nowadays.

ah okay thats not a thing here in Sweden.

So its not cycling then its a stray dog thing :)

I've been bitten by off leash dogs in California. They often give chase and try to attack your legs or bike wheels causing a crash.

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