Mary Allen
Your dog turns into a raging comrade as soon as he spots a cyclist?
If your dog reacts aggressively to cyclists, this is not only extremely stressful for him, uncomfortable or even embarrassing for you, it is also frightening for the cyclist and it can lead to nasty accidents.
In this article you will find out how you can teach your dog that cyclists do not have to be chased, what the 2 causes of this behavior are and how you can solve the problem.
In a nutshell: your dog reacts aggressively to cyclists
Dogs that have a hunting instinct show this especially with cyclists and joggers. Anything that moves quickly can trigger a hunting instinct.
If you lead your dog in these situations and it cannot live out its will, it can happen that it mutates into a wild, barking beast on the leash.
In addition, the view of the cyclists should also be taken into account with this problem.
If you are followed by a barking dog on the bike, this is not very funny and many people are also afraid.
It is not uncommon for accidents to occur in such situations, in which people and animals can be involved. Of course, we want to avoid this.
That’s why it’s now time to act!
Why does a dog react aggressively to cyclists?
There are two triggers that will cause your dog to react aggressively to cyclists:
Fear
Especially insecure dogs are often frightened by cyclists, as they approach silently and relatively quickly from behind and then react aggressively.
Your dog is startled and the only correct solution according to his perception is: self-protection by attacking.
Hunting instinct
The hunting instinct is a genetically fixed behavior. If your dog is chasing some object, it is not about killing that object.
While chasing, your dog’s brain releases the happiness hormone endorphin. This endorphin release causes your dog to associate chasing with feelings of happiness.
Your dog will thus develop into a happy hormone – a junkie who will get his dose of endorphin again and again by hunting.
What to do so that the dog no longer reacts aggressively to cyclists?
In order to find out why your dog reacts aggressively to cyclists, it is often enough to observe the situation closely.
Watch your dog How does he react before the confrontation?
When the cyclist comes into view?
When do you notice a change in your dog’s posture?
This is a very important point: when does he look and when does he begin to fixate?
At what point does your dog become aggressive?
Repeat these observations several times until you are absolutely sure.
After these observations, you will know which of the two problems to start with.
My tip: invest time in the observation
Especially the point just before your dog “transitions aggression”. If you can learn to read your dog before he gets started, it will be much easier to redirect afterward. Good timing is half the battle here.
Your dog acts out of fear
The simplest tip here is, keep your dog on the safe side. This means on the side where nothing can happen to him and you stand as a “protection” between the dog and the cyclist.
Try to offer your dog security through consistent, structured leadership.
If your dog knows that he can rely on you 100% in any situation, he will not attack cyclists, since you take care of everything.
Your dog lives out its hunting instinct
IMPORTANT: a dog with a strong hunting instinct belongs on a leash to protect itself and its surroundings.
Guess it’s time for some anti-hunt training then.
I now have a special treat for you!
The ideal emergency solution
No matter which two solutions you work out, your dog must not fall back into the old pattern during training!
I advise you to use a simple trick:
You have now learned to read your dog and know exactly when the point is just before the freaking out?
You can now use this wonderfully as a distraction!
React quickly, and draw his attention to you. If the cyclist has passed, your dog is welcome to notice this. BUT: you’re going to have a party afterward! YOU have more endorphin drugs than hunting!
Conclusion
Does your dog react aggressively to cyclists? This situation is not fun for you, your dog, and the cyclist, and a lot can happen.
To prevent worse, you can start training as soon as you know the causes.
Was the article too brief for you and would you like more information and further training plans on this problem? Then treat yourself to our dog bible. In it, this problem is analyzed in more depth and you get step-by-step training instructions in your hand.