randallr

This was a new one for me, and as all my past crashes, quite educational. I'm riding my bike through a park with soccer fields in the morning on my way to church. This is not an off-leash park, it's a soccer park, but some folk were there with their dogs off leash. I thought nothing of it, then this black lab (or something like that) goes running out from behind a bush, straight across my path about 4 feet in front of me, I slam into it and am down hard. Turned out my injuries are all just road rash, thankfully, but I never factored in a dog as something that would instantly appear in my path as an obstacle. The big irony was that I had diverted from my regular, on-street path with the cars, thinking that this back way would be safer.

DanBraden

Oooooh! Dog Thread!

Wildwood 

DanBraden

Seriously though, this SH@T is irresponsible pet owner behavior!!!
I mean WTH??? Yes your dog is sooo well behaved and wouldn't hurt a fly and blah..blah..blah..

I'm sorry (not sorry) that we all aren't as enamored with your pupper as you are.

In Austin this crap is rampant. I've been lucky but only just. I've heard of folks out for a jog on the trail only to be bitten by the "most gentless, sweetess, cutess, shmoopy, poopy fluffer pupper" you ever did see who was what? You guessed it, off leash...

But what can I do? It must be terribly difficult to enforce "leash laws" (HA!) around here.

EDIT::"You're" Danbraden? REALLY? jfc...

wolfchild

If this happened to me I would of gone into berserker rage, I just hate stupid dog owners who fail to take responsibility for their dogs. Report them to police and get hem charged.

TimothyH

A few years ago a dog on one of our regular routes was killed when it ran in front of a cyclist and was struck.

The owner tried to sue the cyclist but didn't get very far.


-Tim-

prathmann

Got a new bike that way a number of years ago. I was riding behind another cyclist in town when a dog came running out from a yard headed for the lead cyclist's rear wheel. I veered to the right and braked planning to pass behind the dog but at the last instant it saw me coming and stopped directly in my path and I hit it broadside and went flying over the bars. The owner was right there and very apologetic. I was about to say that everything was ok since I only had some minor road rash but then I glanced at my bike. The combination of hard braking and the impact had buckled the top and down tubes of the 531 steel frame. I submitted a claim based on an equivalent current bike from a local shop and got a check from the dog owner's home insurance. BTW, the dog was a bit winded for about an hour but was then back to normal.

Stormy Archer

In San Francisco, it's a status symbol to have your dog well trained enough to let it roam off leash all the time.

Steeljag

SylvainG

A MUP I use on my daily commute is within a park where dogs are allowed to be unleashed but some twits think because dogs can roam free in the park, they can do too on the MUP! Often, they'll unleash their dogs while still on the MUP. Some people...

phughes

I would almost, almost, prefer a dog to be unleashed on a MUP than have an idiot dog owner with one of those extension leashes completely crossing the path like a clothesline.

jamesdak 

Grade 3 separation of my AC joint, bruised lung, damage to the joint of my thumb and road rash from the same thing in Feb. My thumb is still messed up. No excuse for the dog owners.

Wileyrat

Had it happen to me once. I was going slow, testing a repair out in front of my girlfriends house when a dog came after me, and knocked me down.

I got up and chased the dog down the street, and he kept his distance after that. I should've found out who owned him and made them by me a new RD.

Also happened on my mtn bike, but that's another story.

spinnaker

I would rather have a do off leash than on one of those super long retractable leashes. I don't know how many times I have seen the master on one side of the trail and the dog on the other. So now you not only have a dog out of the owner's control ut you have a damn leash blocking the path.

spinnaker

Opps! I didm't see this when I posted and almost word for word. Spooky.

Colnago Mixte

I gotta ask, was the dog wearing a helmet?

****.

I flipped over a good-sized Dalmation once that was chasing me. In hindsight, I was partially to blame because I was trying to shoo the dog away. Somehow his body went under my front wheel and I did a flip over the bars. Like the OP, I was not hurt. Since then, I have had better luck holding my line and ignoring dogs that chase, but if they get aggressive enough, all bets are off, and . . . (this is roughly the point where these type of threads tend to get locked around here).

randallr

Wow, Jamesdak, sorry to hear you're still recovering. Guess I got away very well. Oh, and Wildwood, dunno about the dog, took a while to pick myself up.

jamesdak 

No worries been back to my normal daily rides for months now. It's just an annoyance now more than anything. Well, other than the bone sticking out of the top of my shoulder and then out of the base of my thumb, LOL!

JohnDThompson 

A couple years ago, a local college professor was killed when an off-leash dog on the MUP where he was riding caused him to crash.

indyfabz

I have said it before and I will say it again: Dogs should be a sticky.

****

bicyclridr4life

I hope you got the dog owner's information and sue for medical expenses and damages.
There is no excuse for letting a dog run loose like that.
I'm glad you weren't hurt worse or killed.

randallr

Oh, there's nothing to sue about - road rash, and my bike just had a brake lever I needed to easily re-align. The owner did finally start hesitantly walking over to me after I got up, asked if I was ok, said, "Yes" (tho I still wasn't sure about bones, know now there's all intact) I asked, "Whose dog was that?" "Mine" "Do you see now what the deal is with leashes?" "Yah" I was pleased because I didn't raise my voice.

50PlusCycling

Stuff happens. I've been in dog-related accidents before, I've also gotten some road rash and bruises in the process, but never bothered with calling the police or making a report. Dogs will be dogs, kids will be kids, and people will be people, so long as whoever caused the situation is appropriately sorry, that's enough for me.

SClaraPokeman

A few years ago I was approaching a crosswalk on Mercer Island WA down a grade at about 23 mph and noticed two people crossing. No problem going around them, but their dog suddenly emerged from some bushes and I barely missed it while shouting behind me "control you dog".

I complained in a Nextdoor thread that was about dogs in public places that I was almost injured due their negligence and was dismayed to see a lot of people telling me that it was my problem I was afraid because the dog was like, with them, (I should have been clarivoyant and known this) and under voice command.

I'm sorry to hear about another poster getting a grade 3 shoulder a/c separation after a colliding with a dog on a path. I have the same thing from hitting a deer--which while a bummer is something I can accept a lot easier than being hurt because of someone's self centered attitude. Personally I have a lot to lose and try to avoid behaviors that may lead to me getting sued--don't have a dog, but I wouldn't let it go near where it wasn't supposed to be if I did. Some people just don't give a darn.

I really don't like bike paths much for many reasons. Always glad to get off them.

Stormsedge

I was attacked and bit last year by an off leash animal with the owner watching. Called animal control. I keep the numbers for the sheriff and animal control in my phone and pepper spray at hand. TN state code requires dogs to be contained/leashed...if they step onto a public area, road, etc off a leash, the owner is in violation (unless the dog is guarding livestock). It pays to know your area laws, not that it stops a dog or makes an owner responsible. There remain 2 "problem" dogs on my training routes...to date, the best way I've found to avoid them is to ride between 8 and 11AM ( not an option for many) when the owners are at work and have them locked up...I rarely ride on weekends anymore. ((I've sprayed one of the aforementioned problem dogs three times...he's determined to be sure))