Cycling UK Forum

Take some comfort from the fact that Darwinian principles have more or less killed off this tendency in urban mutts.

thirdcrank wrote:Take some comfort from the fact that Darwinian principles have more or less killed off this tendency in urban mutts.

Evolution is not so fast, they are still dogs underneath, just like people are..

'A dags a dag fur a' that'
-Burnspoeth

For a great number of, particularly older, people a dog is their only companionship. The vast majority of domesticated dogs are harmless and the majority of owners are responsible - you only tend to hear about the very few of either which are not.

Yesterday, on a walk, I thought for a moment I was going to have to carry a fully grown weimaraner across a small stream on wobbly stepping stones. The lady owner had crossed with her two smaller dogs, which had to be coaxed, but the larger dog remained nervously on the far bank for several minutes. But eventually it plucked up the courage to wade through six inches depth of chilly water.

Here's a link to an old post of mine, where I used my bike as a shield until I was saved by the Royal Mail

viewtopic.php?p=91194#p91194
I think this is where that one used to live. Note the two sets of gates.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.75437 ... 384!8i8192

Anybody who's a whizz with streetview may know how to bring up earlier versions of that view showing the sign which used to be displayed on those gates: DOGS BITE FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER, or something to that effect. I'm glad they never bit me, but that sign would have been priceless evidence.

Cyril Haearn wrote:

Oldjohnw wrote:I will state the ultimate heresy: I am not a dog lover in any way. There is nothing about them which I find attractive. I avoid them at all cost.

I am not afraid of them. I just cannot stand them.

Some people dislike cats. Others, children. For me it's dogs.

Dogs are/were useful working animals, you are lucky you can avoid them
I rather dislike cats, not sure what they are for, I do not feel a need to explain

Are there really people who dislike children? I really love children

Yes, but how do the dogs, cats and children feel about you? I find that such beasts (especially beastly children) can be a good litmus test for the adult humans.

In some ways I feel sorry for those who can't get out of themselves (or over themselves) enough to appreciate the nature, behaviours and perspectives of different beasts. You don't know what pleasures you're missing, eh? It can't be good to be locked inside the human hubristics unable to get out. No.

Here's a book for 'ee to read, full of alternative perspectives based on consideration of the beasts:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silence-Animal ... of+animals

Cugel, part collie now.

pwa wrote:

mjr wrote:Hit them with the water bottle if they get too close and keep on riding away. If off the bike, keep it between you and them and hit them with it if they get too close.

Dogs should never be off the lead on a highway or bridleway. Impound any that are. I don't care how much control their handler thinks they have: it's not immediately visible like a lead.

I kind of agree about requiring leads on confined "highways" in a loose sense that takes in cycle tracks of whatever legal status, though I'm not sure I would apply it to legal "bridleways" where they are simply legal lines across a common with no definite path on the ground and just close cropped grass either side. We have a few like that not far from here. But I think I agree with the gist of what you are saying.

Should the horses be on leads too then?

Personally I'd put the humans on leads, with both a policeman and a judge at the other end. Most humans I come across are irresponsible and dangerous to everything else, including themselves.

Cugel

Cyril Haearn wrote:

Oldjohnw wrote:I will state the ultimate heresy: I am not a dog lover in any way. There is nothing about them which I find attractive. I avoid them at all cost.

I am not afraid of them. I just cannot stand them.

Some people dislike cats. Others, children. For me it's dogs.

Dogs are/were useful working animals, you are lucky you can avoid them
I rather dislike cats, not sure what they are for, I do not feel a need to explain

Are there really people who dislike children? I really love children

I can't manage a whole one!

But yes there are people who hate children as with anything. Personally i'm ambivalent towards dogs, cats, horses etc - most of the time they pick up on my disinterest and ignore me.

When I have had a dog issue, shouting at it has generally worked quite well. The other thing to remember is that a dog can't bite and bark at the same time, be very cautious of quiet dogs! And pedalling fast can be counterproductive, terriers especially are attracted to your whirling legs, its where they nip at cows and other livestock and to them you are just a 2 legged beast with extra bits!

Overall, my recent experience is that there are more snappy dogs than I used to encounter.

They chase sheep, everyone knows that, right? Any dog may chase sheep, even if it has never seen one before, right?

Maybe dogs over 10 kg could be restricted, little dogs are so cute

I used to have a lot of dog incidents perhaps 30 years ago. Mainly farm dogs. Now very few when walking or cycling in the UK. Have things changed?

geocycle wrote:I used to have a lot of dog incidents perhaps 30 years ago. Mainly farm dogs. Now very few when walking or cycling in the UK. Have things changed?

Decline of traditional agriculture, rise of factory farming

Cyril Haearn wrote:They chase sheep, everyone knows that, right? Any dog may chase sheep, even if it has never seen one before, right?

Maybe dogs over 10 kg could be restricted, little dogs are so cute

Humans murder the sheep en masse, after torturing them for a while via a long journey in a crowded wagon followed by 24 hours incarceration in a pen next to the screams of the killing sheds.

Little humans are quite cute, it's true. They still eat the lamb chops, mind.

Cugel

Over the years I've tried to believe that dogs mean me no harm, but (even when I'm not on the bike) they must know I cycle..... and I'm convinced they don't like bicycles - maybe it's a noise we emit? On entering a customer's house last January I was asked "are you ok with dogs?" to which I replied "only if they don't try to bite me" to which the lady said "they may spring up, but that's all" and opened an internal door (I was in the hall) and a small dog came towards me - I lowered the back of my hand so it could smell it (I've been told this is a good approach) and it came close and all was well. A much larger dog then came out, bounded towards me, leapt up and aimed its paws at my shoulders.... as I fell back it got its jaws around my lower leg to prevent me falling and cracking my head against the wall! The owner was quite shocked "it's never done that before! I'm very sorry".
The apology was accepted - I don't think he was "serious" otherwise he'd have drawn blood, but it was unnerving. The thing I find strange is that dog owners always have this compulsion to introduce their dogs to whoever may or may not be interested - If I did that with my bike they would (doubtless) think it very strange And to be Frank it would be

Cyril Haearn wrote:They chase sheep, everyone knows that, right? Any dog may chase sheep, even if it has never seen one before, right?

Maybe dogs over 10 kg could be restricted, little dogs are so cute

They certainly have a chasing instinct even if they sometimes intend no harm to whatever they are chasing. Some dogs, without training, will bite when they catch their target, others won't.

Friends of mine with huge gardens (acres) rent out fields around their former farm house and they have a super-energetic springer spaniel. When he was a pup he had to be supervised very closely when off the lead because he would try to chase sheep in one of the neighbouring fields given half a chance. But training has turned him into a model citizen. The sheep know him now and he knows them, and basically they just ignore each other. The dog also shares the garden with ducks, geese and cats, none of which he bothers. The same dog with a can't-be-bothered owner would have remained a nuisance. It is the owner that determines the outcome.