dogs....do you slow down for them?

[vickster]

ouch

Yep...two operations, arthritis, cartilage tears, that knee is behaving mostly though now...the other on the other hand, not so much but I'm ignoring it until after RL

This is why you have to be patient on shared paths

 

[Simontm]

Yep...two operations, arthritis, cartilage tears, that knee is behaving mostly though now...the other on the other hand, not so much but I'm ignoring it until after RL

This is why you have to be patient on shared paths

Nah, fix a scythe to the wheel and CHHHHAAAARRRGGGEEEE And to think the UCI are worried about the dangers of discs tut

 

[KneesUp]

Nah, fix a scythe to the wheel and CHHHHAAAARRRGGGEEEE

I'm the same - I hate dogs. Smell at one end*, noise,slobber and teeth at the other, and wiry hair and bad attitude in-between.

I can see their use on a farm, but as something you'd voluntarily want to share your home with - let alone spend time and money looking after I just don't get it. And that's before we get on to picking up it's doings.

*actually they tend to stink all over.

 

[Simontm]

I'm the same - I hate dogs. Smell at one end*, noise,slobber and teeth at the other, and wiry hair and bad attitude in-between.

I can see their use on a farm, but as something you'd voluntarily want to share your home with - let alone spend time and money looking after I just don't get it. And that's before we get on to picking up it's doings.

*actually they tend to stink all over.

Ahem, I actually like dogs, grew up with them but you're right about the smells!!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I'm the same - I hate cyclists. Weaving in and out of traffic at one end*, effing and jeffing and making rude gestures at me in my car at the other, all stupid clothes and bad attitude in-between.

I can see their use on a path, but as something you'd voluntarily want to share your road with - let alone spend road tax looking after I just don't get it. And that's before we get on to red light jumping.

*actually they tend to get in my way all over.

 

[Wafer]

When I'm cycling along the canal I slow down to a speed at which I can stop quickly if needed as I pass dogs, fishermen, people walking, other cyclists or anything on the path which takes up some space and might move.

When I'm walking the dog along the canal, if I notice a cyclist coming by, I grab hold of his harness and hold him to one side as the cyclist goes past.

No reason both parties can't take a bit of extra care when using shared routes like that.

 

[Fubar]

Not sure if it's been mentioned (don't have time to read through 3 pages!) but you need to watch out for extending leads, which sometimes can be difficult to see until close up - personally I always slow for dogs as they are unpredictable.

 

[Fab Foodie]

.... personally I always slow for dogs .

I have to speed up for mine ... he could top nearly 40mph on the flat!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX9fFIxVVcU

 

[Mandragora]

I'm just slow, full stop, but of course do my bit to avoid dogs, walkers etc, and take sensible precautions.

As I cycle mostly on country lanes (where farm dogs are the critters to avoid), the hazards can be a little different. Though I did take every step possible to avoid it, I did once encounter a hen diving unpredictably out of a farm gateway and leaping suicidally towards my front wheel at the very last moment. I managed to avoid her going under the wheel, though my pedal caught her as we passed each other, I'm afraid. I don't know about the hen, but I almost laid an egg myself that day.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

As with others, anything unpredictable on the shared path I slow for, I'll drop gears to allow me to speed away if need be, but will slow to walking pace or below it until I'm confortable that I'm safe. This is one reason I avoid shared paths as much as possible on my commute.

Is it really 'irresponsible' to let your dog wander about on a shared path?

Kind of, depends on the dog, if it's 'boisterous' then definitely, not everyone likes dogs and letting it scare people with its actions (even if you think they are harmless or cute) is hardly responsible.

Although, I did pass a horse who almost threw its rider off. And I did slow down for it.

Apparently the thing to do around horses is to make a noise as you are coming up on them (nothing overly startling I'd imagine) as a prey animal they don't like being surprised by quiet things sneaking up on them so just slowing down isn't always the best choice.

I have to say some of the comments on here would only need "car" substituted for "bike" and "bike" for "dog" and they'd fit right in to the daily mail website's comments section.

I'd always presumed they'd be anti bike. Do they really say "if you are coming up on a bike in your car the best thing to do is slow down and be careful around it. Stop if it becomes necessary. You might not like them, but they deserve some respect as a more vulnerable road user." I may have to re-evaluate my take on them.

 

[Mo1959]

Apparently the thing to do around horses is to make a noise as you are coming up on them (nothing overly startling I'd imagine) as a prey animal they don't like being surprised by quiet things sneaking up on them so just slowing down isn't always the best choice.

Came up behind one on the roads this morning. Used to own one so I know they can be easily spooked. I just usually call out a cheery "Hello. OK to come past?" Lets horse and rider know you are there.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Came up behind one on the roads this morning. Used to own one so I know they can be easily spooked. I just usually call out a cheery "Hello. OK to come past?" Lets horse and rider know you are there.

It was the only useful thing to come out of the 'treat bicycles like horses' advert fiasco.

 

[crazyjoe101]

I slow dow for peds so that I can stop in time if they move in front of me, I slow down even more for dogs because they show me no respect as a cyclist so I like to kick them as I go past to let them know they shouldn't be on the towpath slowing me down.

 

[TreeHuggery]

Have to say that as dog owner too - I always make Little Moo sit down and wait, if we're out and there are runners, cyclists or horse riders around - but I have to know that they're there to do that - so I guess the question for me is, does everyone ring their bell if they're approaching dog owners from behind (so to speak!)

 

[ColinJ]

Even if a rider couldn't care less about the welfare of dogs/children/sheep/ferrets/geese/squirrels/rabbits/(insert name of unpredictable living creature of significant size here) he/she should slow down anyway when passing them, for self-preservation!