Severed an extendable dog lead yesterday....

[annedonnelly]

I always have visions of the lead becoming tangled in my wheel & the dog spinning over and over as I ride along...

I HATE riding between an animal and its owner

 

[HMS_Dave]

Ive had dogs all my life and ive never had one of these extendable leads. In most cases they encourage bad behaviour right from the outset, this does a dog no good at all... Also, not everybody likes dogs, i get that. Why let them roam in the public spaces as if everybody does?

 

[Ridgeway]

We met a Springer Spaniel this morning that had a human on the end of it's tow rope, he seemed to be in another part of the forest he was so far away.....

Our dogs are either A) on a lead, B) in their trailer or C) off the lead and to be honest they are rarely on a lead at all. The fella this morning tried reeling in his catch, it looked liked something off River Monsters as he pumped away trying to gather his dog in, i just trundled by on the bike with both of our woofers running behind.

I tend to think that most owners with extendable dog leads cannot control their dog and think that giving Fido some freedom on a long lead is a good compromise. I also tend to find that it's mainly these dogs that are an issue with other dogs in terms of aggression and behavioural problems.

 

[Will Spin]

I nearly came to grief due to one of these dreaded dog leads. Coming down hill so travelling quite fast on a public road, there's a car parked in a layby on the left and a woman standing talking to the driver with her back to the road, so no problem I could see, except as I got closer noticed to my horror the dog lead stretched right across the road at about axle height, no sign of dog to give me a warning, turns out the animal is ferreting about in the undergrowth on the opposite site of the road, screech to a halt with dog lead wrapped around the front wheel. Dog owner seemed to think this hilarious, I rapidly corrected her on this matter.

 

[Ridgeway]

I nearly came to grief due to one of these dreaded dog leads. Coming down hill so travelling quite fast on a public road, there's a car parked in a layby on the left and a woman standing talking to the driver with her back to the road, so no problem I could see, except as I got closer noticed to my horror the dog lead stretched right across the road at about axle height, no sign of dog to give me a warning, turns out the animal is ferreting about in the undergrowth on the opposite site of the road, screech to a halt with dog lead wrapped around the front wheel. Dog owner seemed to think this hilarious, I rapidly corrected her on this matter.

Wow that was close !

It reminds me that last year whilst going down a small hill on a minor road i nearly came a cropper in a similar way. A farmer had left some string tied across the road that he had been using to guide his cattle in, it was about head height and quite invisible when travelling at 25-30kmh..... no idea how it had stayed there and hadn't been ripped out by a car but as it was early morning and seems i was the first one through the road. Fortunately it wasn't tied on too well but it did wake me up

 

[Johnno260]

I hate those extendable dog leads, when I was a school kid a dog ran in front of a friend who tried to avoid it, he now has a steel plate in his upper jaw.

 

[Brooks]

I've had a couple of dogs in my time but I've never had one of those extendable leads. In truth they are not leads at all as your not in control of the dog.
I walk friends dogs when they go for weekend breaks and holidays, and you can tell the dogs spend most of their time on extendable leads as they never walk to heel, I feel i have to train them to walk in control.
There's a few shared paths in parks near me and all I can say is it's full of lazy dog owners with these blasted leads.

 

[Smudge]

I've even had problems with these leads when i've been on foot and i've had to tell the dumb fukk owner i want to get past. I'd never have one of these for my dog, he's either on a short lead, or off the lead altogether.

 

[taximan]

I must hold up my hand to having used one of these long leads and feel that they do have their place. I often go rambling on the North York Moors and found that they gave my dog a little more freedom than he would otherwise enjoy on a short lead while at the same time, preventing him from taking off after various different critters. I fully agree that more public areas are not places where these leads should be allowed and I have almost fallen foul of them on a number of occasions while cycling.

 

[matticus]

I tend to think that most owners with extendable dog leads cannot control their dog and think that giving Fido some freedom on a long lead is a good compromise. I also tend to find that it's mainly these dogs that are an issue with other dogs in terms of aggression and behavioural problems.

Yes I think that's right. (I grew up with dogs in the house.)

I'd add that it's probably more a case that they havn't TRIED to control their dogs off the lead.

 

[recumbentpanda]

Riding a local converted railway path recently, in pre lockdown times. I was approaching what is basically a cross roads where two access points to the track are opposite each other. Standing in the middle was a person absorbed in their phone, apparently oblivious to the activities of their small dog on an extendible lead. I slowed, sensing difficulties ahead. Sure enough small dog starts to explore the ‘bollard garden’ which defends the access point on my left, (the one I was planning to take), with predictable results. I slow to a stop. ‘This is going to get interesting’ I mused, ‘and I’m staying well out of it!’

One of the nice things about recumbents, is that wherever you go, when you get there, you have brought your own deck chair. I relaxed and waited developments.

First a family on bikes arrive from the left, and contemplate the obstruction that the small, and by now rather puzzled dog, has created. They are baffled. Then a couple of pedestrians arrive from the right, seeking to exit left. They attempt to gain the attention of still oblivious phone person. This takes them quite some time. Meanwhile bike family are trying to prevent their smaller children from joining the dog in playing cats cradle with his lead among the bollards. Phone person eventually condescends to acknowledge the efforts of all to arouse them from the virtual world, finally notices what dog has been doing, and falls about laughing. Everybody else looks less amused.

Phone person makes a long drawn out hamfisted business of disentangling dog, and everybody nods Britishly at one another and proceed on their various ways. Phone person goes back to phone again. Neglected dog starts wandering about again. I decide I have had enough of a sit down, and turn round to take a different route . . .

 

[Vantage]

35+ years cycling and I've had but one incident with a dog. Wasn't the owners fault either as it was on a short leash and she was pulling the furry bugger back. It just leapt forward in front of me. I was doing maybe 5mph to pass it safely and locked the front wheel while braking. No contact between us.
Dunno wtf anyone else is doing on their rides.

 

[Arjimlad]

We had to stop & wait as a "professional dog walker" lady with about six dogs all on the extendable trip wires blocked a footpath on the Malverns the other day. The assorted handbag accessories were skittling around all over the trail and creating a serious obstacle. They certainly are a problem on shared paths, but as others said earlier you're not safe from them even on the road.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I've had 2 incidences in the last week with moronic dog owner, first last week going up a bridleway, saw the guy in front with a large long haired German Shepherd, it turned & saw me made a move to come but the guy said something & it turned away. I passed them both & then turn left picking up another to cross the field, I was about 50 yards away when the GS came at me full tilt, I stopped & glared & screamed at it, it stopped in it's tracks, turned around & ran back to it's owner, not sure if it was playing or being serious but it should be allowed loose it not trained.

Second one was yesterday on a country road which leads to a dead end, I was coming from the dead end, I was walking with my dog, 2 women were coming the other way (possibly mother & daughter) they had 2 black & tan dogs with them, quite small, terriers size, no idea if they are a breed or not. When they got to about 50 yards both dogs came running at me & the dog, barking, growling, heckles up, I moved between them & my dog, she's 12 & doesn't like hassle from other dogs, I then shouted at the dogs to get away at which point they stopped looked confused & proceeded to then give us a wide berth. As the women got to me I said that if they couldn't control their dogs they should be on a lead, at which point they opened the venom glands, how dare I shout at their dogs, it's up to them whether they are on leads or not, piss off you horrible man etc etc.

 

[fossyant]

. Im amazed at the moment to see so many people on bikes are on the paths dodging round walkers ,dogs pushchairs etc when the roads are so quiet. Im guessing they are not usually cyclist .If they cant cope with the tiny amount of traffic now they will be in for a shock when some form of normality is resumed.

Hardened roadie here, but after a life changing injury at the hands of a motorist, I don't ride on roads - 3 road bikes hung up in the garage for 4 years - I never thought it would change me, but the state I was in after the accident, never again. It's not great now as plenty of speeding drivers about. Nearly got me last week crossing a main road from the trails, driver doing almost double the speed limit.