Witterings

There have been a few threads on this lately .. all of which have been closed down.

I've just read through all 5 pages of the last one which I hadn't read previously as I'd been away on holiday but had bookmarked.

I was very vocal in one of the other threads and coming across as a dog lover which I totally am .... BUT ... a couple of posts in one of the threads had some links to videos of dogs chasing cyclists as they went down the road which I must admit ... whilst they weren't that horrendous still shocked me because in the UK it really wouldn't happen and maybe why I took such a defensive stance in favour of dogs prior to seeing them.

I do think there are some situations when cyclists are totally irresponsible how they ride down MUP's ... people can and do walk their dogs down there off lead and you can easily go round a bend and one come out of the bushes ... that said it could just as easily be a toddler and an impact with either is not good news so in my opinion anyone cycling down a MUP ... and the fact there can be dogs and children off leash you should ride an a way appropriate to the surroundings and some cyclists just don't ... thinking they own everything.

However ,,, cycling down a road and a dog comes out and chases you ....... TOTALLY unacceptable .. if that really happens a lot in the US you guys need to seriously petition to have it outlawed and heavy fines for the owners in the 1st instance if they let it happen and as a dog lover whilst I hate to say it ... but if it's continually reported against the same person / owner and they fail to act .... the dog removed and either re-homed if it's not a vicious dog or destroyed if it is.

As a previous dog owner .... even walking in areas she didn't have to be on a lead and pedestrians are the priority (footpaths where there aren't meant to be cyclists but they still use it) I would always try and call my dog to heel and grab her collar ... as much as anything I wouldn't have wanted her to get hurt if a cyclist came past even when I didn't have to.

That said they're dogs .... and even well trained ones don't come back instantly and their behavior, whilst some will be better than others can never be relied upon 100% ..... and if you are in an area they're allowed off lead why should you have to protect them from people cycling irresponsibly .... much the same as you shouldn't have to if you were walking a small child.

In many of the previous threads there's often been an underlying ... get pepper spray / the Uzi out ... but whatever that redneck gung ho attitude is ... it still only deals with the immediate symptom and not the cause ..... surely you should all be petitioning together to get far harsher penalties imposed against irresponsible dog owners and those that do cause a threat ... dealing with the cause rather than symptom.

I think if you're cycling on a road you should be able to without any threat from a dog what so ever ... much the same as a person driving a car shouldn't have to worry about dogs running out under their wheels.

How about making this a positive rather than negative thread about dogs / cyclists and what's responsible / irresponsible on both sides and maybe try and use it to find a resolution and hopefully a positive outcome ... rather than going for each other like viscous dogs

Thought I'd post a picture of our beautiful girl who unfortunately left us a couple of years ago and I still dearly miss ... she always said she loved cyclists ... but she could never eat a whole one

dylandewandel

I don't know anyone who would care that much about being chased, to take it that far; unless I hit a dog and/or destroy an expensive carbon frame or components (both of which already have extensive legal options, as far as your own protection/pursuing prosecution) chances are I'm going to keep riding and let it be part of the experience. Way too much time, effort and tax payer money to even entertain such an idea. If the 'owner' can't teach or take responsibility for their dog, then they'll be at the mercy of the cyclist; end of story.

toast3d

Generally, it is illegal, though local laws do vary. People do it anyway. Generally the kind of person who lets their dog roam free is not a pleasant person to deal with. Add that to a heavy anti-cyclist bias in the legal system, as well as from the general public, and a heavy often irrational pro-dog bias, and I don't blame any cyclist for not wanting to involve the authorities and be portrayed and treated as the bad guy.

DanBraden

Yeah, I think it goes mailmen (postmen?), cyclists and cats when it comes to dogs, so... Good Luck with all that!

Cycling irresponislibly around unleashed dogs is the problem? I mean, maybe the you guys have bigger problems than dogs (literally)...

Rambler Killed By Cows

I'm not recommending going overboard with the uzis and pepper spray, but it sucks to have to worry about dogs when you're riding...

Weakbikr

I'm a dog lover also, however some of the places I ride are rural country roads. We dont have bike paths around here, most roads dont have a bike lane either. Some places have leash laws but aren't enforced properly unless of course some type of attack or accident happens. Only then is the owner subject to any type of fine or punishment. So for me I'll take my spray and hope I never have to use it. So far I haven't. We've been briefly chased from time to time but so far luckily no accidents. My father in law was not so lucky several years back. Had a large dog run out attacked his bike and threw him over the bars resulting in a broken collar bone. Oh and no charges were filed against the owner...

hillyman

I kind of match this up with all the gravel bike threads too. Where I come from the more rural you go the more likely to find loose dogs. I've had some of worse experiences with chasing dogs on gravel roads. But also some of my best rides on gravel roads. Does seem to be getting better over the years on less chasing dogs. I'm getting too old to work on my sprinting skills outrunning Fido.

toast3d

Well then maybe you should stop chasing the dogs!

I'm only teasing, of course. You did leave yourself open to it by the way you worded that sentence.

pandes

Loving this thread

TimothyH

Lumping people who advocate shooting dogs with those who advocate pepper spray isn't fair.

Beating, shooting and stabbing dogs is cruel. Pepper spray is an effective, safe and humane way to deal with dogs - it does no permanent harm and wears off completely in a few hours.

Pepper spray has been recommended to me by county animal control officers and is hardly redneck. I'd go so far as to say it is the most progressive solution.

To equate someone carrying pepper spray with someone carrying a machine gun is just not fair.


-Tim-

pandes

Indeed, very interesting thread

xrayzebra 

Maybe carry a pepper steak? Yeah, you just toss the steak at the dog.

We have something different in the US of A, called "litigation." If dog bites to cyclists was a really common thing, there would arise a whole new class of cyclists who ride in areas where there are loose dogs, just hoping to get bitten so they could sue the owner.

(Just a little levity folks, just joking.)

Nermal

Swell, but you can't sue a dog. So you get mauled and the owner is going to rush up and say "Yes, that's my little (160lb) doggy woggy".

Gresp15C

I've been in the UK and in Europe several times. Most Americans are surprised by the behavior of dogs when we visit Europe. Your dogs (and presumably their owners) tend to be much better trained than in the states. I saw plenty of dogs off-leash, but none of them chased me or jumped on me. I think in Europe, the attitude is that dog safety stems from training and control, whereas in the US, we expect to rely on physical restraint of the dog.

Litespud

TOTALLY unacceptable .. if that really happens a lot in the US you guys need to seriously petition to have it outlawed and heavy fines for the owners in the 1st instance if they let it happen and as a dog lover whilst I hate to say it

Problem there is (i) no-one listens to cyclists in the US - to most of the population (especially in rural areas where you'll usually find loose dogs), cyclists are flamboyantly-colored pencil-neck freaks who shouldn't be on the dang road anyway, and (ii) most places already have laws against uncontrolled dogs - it doesn't make a difference. I've lived and cycled in large east coast cities, where I almost never encountered a loose dog, and in deep southern states where dog chases were almost routine. But the only people who cared about Fido being loose were cyclists (Fido doesn't chase trucks), and no-one gave a crap about cyclists, except to yell at them as they drove past.

avole

Once again, as has been said on so many threads, cyclists have to realise that 99% of the time dogs are NOT a threat. When and if they chase, and again, it's a small percentage that do, it's about boredom and territory, NOT about wanting to attack and savage a cyclist. Frankly you are more likely to be chased and attacked by a human than a dog, That said, a dog suddenly running out can cause shock, plus panic, not to mention a dangerous swerve to avoid and therefore possible accident.

The dog owners are, of course responsible, and are the root cause of the problem, and it is they that should be dealt with, and until the wider community accepts this, the problem isn't going to go away.

Pepper spray is frankly inhumane and should be banned.

Witterings, you should have thought by posting another contentious thread, and your purpose is quite obvious. You also should accept the "threat" comes from the owner, not the animal.

dedhed

Yep,never happens in the UK.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news...n-out-13260440

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...ngham-36477038

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...ansea-14885516

canklecat

Dog thread.

Don't kid yourself. There is no fresh perspective on dogs and two-wheelers. There is no "other" dog thread. There is only one, split up among zillions of fragments, all purporting to be some new perspective on dogs and bikes. And they all turn out the same.

avole

Agreed. It's a bit of a troll thread.

Witterings

Not sue what it is with you but irrespective of whether someone's for or against dogs you seem to be able to pick a fight whichever side of the fence they're on .... seems like you're here more for an argument than anything else.

You don't even read what someone's actually written which is obvious from your reply.

FBOATSB

arf

Colnago Mixte

These threads all make me want to move to Europe, if I could only afford it. Everything's better in EUROPE. Even the dogs are nicer and better-educated. Many have jobs and pay taxes (lots of taxes) so that the owners don't even have to work!

livedarklions

Just thought I'd post the dog's view of this issue:
"GRRRR, ruff, woof, ruff, arfff, grrr, ruff, arf, boof boof boof, arf, roooof, yip, yip, yip! "As far as this topic goes, it's time for it to play dead.

indyfabz

****

avole

Frankly, your prose is ... hard to ... read But, why would I bother struggling through a born-again dog person who has started what seems another troll thread which says absolutely nothing new?

By the way, had you read my posts on other threads, you would see that my stance has never changed from that summarised in my post, you know, the one you quoted. Also, I don't wish to be harsh, but you must have known the responses you were likely to get when you posted the thread, you reap what you sew and all that.

FBOATSB

If you had any idea what "boof boof boof" means in dog, you would not dare posting that on BF®. Very anti cyclist.