# @scotti_moody on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CVX3vb2ASU7
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70169-scotti-moody-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3fa97c224d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-10-23T13:34:21.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** scotti_moody (@scotti_moody) — https://gondola.cc/scotti_moody

## Caption

DOGS! 😩 A lot of women (and probably men, too) in our gravel community are timid to ride alone because this is such a real issue in Arkansas. Swipe ⬅️ to see @rebeccarusch in a similar pickle on her @arhighcountryrace  back in 2019, although she looks much more composed than me 😆 

I had an incident several years ago where a dog swiped my front wheel, (I crashed), then it attacked me while I was on the ground! The threat is there, and this was one of my biggest concerns racing solo this year…(in addition to the strange men). 

I had a method that worked really well for me personally. In my front @apidura snack pouch (swipe again ⬅️), I kept a full 25 oz water bottle stashed at my fingertips almost the entire race. I only drank from it if I was out of water in my hydration bladder. 

When I’d see or hear an aggressive dog, I’d first talk kindly to it to let it know I’m human. I think sometimes they confuse the shape of us + our bike and don’t really know. This would actually stop some dogs from pursuing. 

But the more aggressive chasers and heel biters were many on this trip. For them, I would grab my defense  weapon (water bottle), pick up my speed, and wait until they got very close. When they were within 4-5 feet of me, I doused them with a strong spray of water 💦 right in the face. 

This worked! It gave me enough time to ride off. One dog on the whole route circled back for a second round 🥊 , so I splashed it a second time even closer to my heels and rode off to the sound of it sneezing and wheezing behind me. 

You have to let them get close, so that’s a little disconcerting, but this method worked really well for me! 💦 🐕 

Photo 1, 3: @kaicaddy 
Photo 2: @coreyrichproductions

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 719
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## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kai Caddy | @kaicaddy | https://gondola.cc/kaicaddy | Photographer |

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