In preparing for this trip I have been quite organised. I have prepared lots of plans – routes (check), accommodation (check), bag packing list (check). In fact I thought I had everything covered until yesterday! Whilst reading the Ohio Bike free newsletter when we stopped on the trail at London I was disturbed to find out I’d overlooked a plan – we need a dog plan. This is not to be confused with the other dog plan that Mike has been hatching – to get a dog as soon as the poor old cat goes to the scratching post in the sky – but rather a plan to deal with aggressive dogs we meet on our ride. So far we have not needed this plan but the Ohio Bike newspaper assured us we need ‘something to squirt at the dog, something to make a loud noise (they suggested a siren canister), something to best the dog off with and most important a cell phone (or mobile as we would say) to call for assistance’. Being the USA there was a large section of advice on all the evidence you need to collect to be able to make your legal claim against the dogs owner and also a section on federal legislation letting you know when it’s appropriate to kill said attacking dog (in self-defence obviously) without being prosecuted. We have been lucky so far only to have met friendly dogs (including the lovely Gemma who belongs to Brooke and Melissa in Columbus) but in case that changes I am now developing a ‘dog plan’ which largely involves pedalling a lot faster than the dog!