Leads are for dogs!

[Little yellow Brompton]

I use a shared path twice a day, every day, and never have problems with dogs. So either the dog owners of Newcastle upon Tyne are exceptionally good, or I'm just better at using shared facilities than you are.

Or the council cleans up the turds, or the routes don't include areas that are "safe" to let poochikins run around , safe of course for poochikins, safety of anyone else is not a factor, or maybe there are more dog wardens in Newcastle , maybe you cycle faster so the owners are worried about their little worm carriers safety and so look out for them when you are about , or possibly because they see you twice a day they think you are a " friend" and take more care around you? Lots of possibilities , but what I do know is that my office window overlooks NCN04 and I see day after day the same behaviour that I encounter , dog owners ,who , because their little doggywoggy isn't going to get run over by a car will just let the animal do what it wants .

 

[Hip Priest]

No, it's mainly because I take care around others. The cyclists I see who have difficulties with dogs are usually the very same cyclists who blast past pedestrians with about two inches of clearance. Selfish buggers, basically.

If I want to ride as fast as I want and be unimpeded by dogs and pedestrians, I go on the road.

 

[Svendo]

Responsible owners (like me) have proper control of their dogs. And collect all their turds.
Legally this is a good summary. So where a path or track is part of a road, a lead is legally required (also I believe on canal towpaths, but this could vary depending on the original specific act of parliament). Where a path or track is away from the road, it's not legally required in itself, although it could be the only way for some dogs to not be dangerously out of control. Sustrans usually have on their 'Walkers if you are walking with a dog, please keep it on a lead at all times' leaflets. Where there is livestock dogs need to be under 'close control', usually meaning on a lead ( but not necessarily).

I must confess Daisy isn't always on her lead on towpaths or shared paths, but she is old and wise enough to not try to get run over and stay out of the way. She isn't bothered about chasing cyclists, unless she's out with my partner then she might think they're me and shiff them a bit!

 

[Brandane]

What would you do if it were a small child in the way, just kick it in the head and scream abuse at it's mother ?

If the small child was intent on causing me harm, and if I thought it had a set of teeth capable of ripping into my leg and causing me a nasty injury, then yes; it would get a kick in the head. It's mother would get a few choice words too.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I hold onto my bicycle with both hands, so it can't run out in front of dogs even if it wants to.

All responsible bicycle owners should keep fairly close control of their beloved bike and should behave responsibly when taking them out.

 

[Cush]

On the end to end I went down a steep slope with a sharp bend in it at the bottom. A cute little thing was sitting in the middle of the road as I approached the bend, so I slowed down and went to the right of him/her and as I did so three other muts came rushing out of an open gate in front of a very pretty house, teeth bared and jaws frothing (or so it seemed) I increased speed but with loaded panniers I swerved and nearly came off, got to the next corner, looked back and there was all four of them standing in the middle of the road. I turned round turned the air blue and the four just trotted in to the open gate. It took a few miles for the nerves to settle down.

 

[Svendo]

I once had to escort a Lady walking her dogs past the open gates of this house to the main road. She'd had them run out, bark and chase her off on her way out on her walk. I came across her on the right side of the road looking stuck and confused. I used the bike as a mobile 'gate' and talked her across. TBH the dogs were really doing the run up and bark thing, but she was terrified. Mostly it was giving her the confidence. Her dog didn't seem bothered about it all at all.

 

[lulubel]

I love dogs, but owners who can't keep their dogs under control in public places really p1ss me off.

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

No, it's mainly because I take care around others. The cyclists I see who have difficulties with dogs are usually the very same cyclists who blast past pedestrians with about two inches of clearance. Selfish buggers, basically.

If I want to ride as fast as I want and be unimpeded by dogs and pedestrians, I go on the road.

This must be a useful technique, maybe we could all learn from it, how exactly does taking care around others stop these others letting their dogs crap wherever they want to ? As for blasting past, Strava for yesterday says, 10 miles 1Hr 20 minutes , not exactly "blasting" is it? Have you now finished trying to make excuses for the antisocial habits of urban dog owners or have you a new holier than thou blanket that you want to wrap yourself in?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I agree that it is the owners that should be responsible for their dogs but the fact remains that it is the dog that does the biting!

yeah but if you were left hooked on the road its the car bit that that actually hits you, that doesn't mean the driver has no controlling input into the event.

 

[gavintc]

I use a shared path twice a day, every day, and never have problems with dogs. So either the dog owners of Newcastle upon Tyne are exceptionally good, or I'm just better at using shared facilities than you are.

A very helpful statement. I am sure your perfection is the reason. The rest of us have who use dual use paths have to contend with the extender lead problem.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Maybe you missed the point, or perhaps I wasn't clear in my text? Yesterday, I'm bimbling , no hurry, turd dispenser on lead, on left of path , wrinkly on left of path, wrinkly sees me, steps back across path unreeling lead, whilst turd dispenser moves forward, turd dispenser being the 6inch high urban rat model means lead hits front wheel (16inch) just at the top and dissapears under the mudguard and I push the lead maybe another 6 inches forward. So, how fast do you think I was going, and how different do you think it would be if I had said "Excuse me"? You are free to find a post of mine where I have excused a cyclist for ignoring the HC, but whilst you are doing that you could consider that there is a far simpler, realistic way of avoiding confrontations with dogs than to force the innocent party to stop , that way, is for the owner of the dog to keep it on a short lead. Simple, cheap, easy ( for everyone in the world, bar the dog owner) and allows the rest of the world to continue their lives without having to work around the turd dispenser. It would also have the double benefit of forcing the dog owner to stand next to the dog whilst it's laying it's turd , rather than walking off and trying to pretend that they haven't seen it. Feel free to come up with a reason why any dog owner can't be bothered to do this, there are over 10,000,000 dogs in the UK, and there must be at least 9,000,000 reasons why their particular little poochikins is special and doesn't need to be under control.

or maybe they were replying to the OP of the thread, not the person that has hijacked it with their clear anti dog prejudice and seems to think they're suddenly the only point of focus for everyone else?

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

. I think many dog owners don't put the effort in that it takes. They want the benefits but not the work. They may well seriously underestimate what it takes (as we did) then not be willing to adjust to make it work.

.

Just about sums it up, people pick dogs on their looks or size , buying a Jack Russell because the have a small flat, forgetting or not knowing or caring that it's a breed that was bred for aggression , or a collie not knowing that it needs about 15 miles of excercise a day , they try to short circuit the amount of excercise needed (>2hrs a day) by them walking and letting the dog run ,( trading their time and energy against the problems that their animal may cause the rest of the population) rather than them and the dog walking for 2 hrs.
I have lost count of the number of owners I have seen driving their dogs to sports fields , armed with the ball thrower( More distance for the dog to run, less effort for the owner) when the dog has a crap ( on the sports field) it's 20+yrds away and the owner " can't find it" so leaves it, and if the dog decides to take an interest in anything else ( Cyclist, another dog , toddler, crisp packet...) it's too far away and too excited to take any attention of the minimal training that the owner has bothered to invest in. FENTON!!! FENTON!!! FOR CHRIST'S SAKE ... FEEEENTTOOOONNNN! Sound familiar?

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

or maybe they were replying to the OP of the thread, not the person that has hijacked it with their clear anti dog prejudice and seems to think they're suddenly the only point of focus for everyone else?

Possibly, maybe then they should learn to use the quote facility to reduce confusion?

 

[Matthew_T]

I was on my way back from the club ride today on my own (dropped by the bunch). I was on the coastal path when I noticed a woman and a dog ahead of me. I called out with plenty of time and the woman grabbed the dogs collar.
However, immediately after I had passed her (with a "thank you") she then let the dog go. It them promptly pursued me (it was a little floppy eared thing) slightly catching me up (I was only doing about 15mph).
So I sped up to about 21 to lose it.

BTW I didnt pass the woman at 15, I passed her at about 10 as she was fully aware of my presence.

I dont mind little dogs yapping and chasing me, but I hate big dogs. However, here in NW we dont really have any proper BIG dogs. Most of the ones I see are little buggars which are never on a lead.