"My dog may chase you, but he's friendly" today's ride

[MikeF]

I was cycling and just about to go down a shared use path when a man walking his dog on a lead was also approaching the path along a footway at right angles to my direction and shouted something. He was a short distance away. I thought it might be someone who recognised me so I looked and probably said "What?". He repeated the above, which took me by surprise and I replied "Well. I don't want that !" and continued cycling. I was probably 50 yards or more away before he and his dog would have reached the path and as far as I know the dog didn't chase me.

The path is heavily used and often there are many dog walkers and I usually manage to negotiate the route without major annoyances or hassle.

What really annoyed me was that this chap thought it was quite OK for his dog to chase cyclists because it was friendly and oblivious to the fact it was dangerous. The dog was on the lead as it was walked along the footway presumably because it was a problem off the lead, but on this path he appeared to think it was quite OK to be out of control.

[pwa]

I have an amusing story involving our own dog, a one year old whippet. She is lovely and harmless, but she loves to chase. So when, on a long walk in some forestry a few weeks ago, we heard a cycle bell ringing to warn us of approaching traffic, I walked over to my dog (off the lead because we were out in the sticks where she can roam free) and slid my hand behind her collar. Then we waited as a string of friendly MTBers went past on their long descent. Several "hellos" and "thanks", and all that, so all was well. I remarked to my wife that the dog, still learning, hadn't pulled at all and had stayed calm as the cyclists went past.

The last of the cyclists was well past us, and maybe 100metres down the track and moving quickly away from us so (and this was my mistake) I let go of the collar. A whippet accelerates to 30mph in very little time, and that is what she did. She thought it was a game. But I was lucky. When I called her she slowed, turned, and came back, and was rewarded with lots of praise for coming back. This is one of those "learning curves" that people talk about.

Even a friendly dog is a trip hazard, so you have to be careful when you encounter folk on bikes. I know my dog may chase you, so I do something about it.

[Carlton green]

Before responding I should declare that I have a dog and it is not my first dog. I’m not oblivious to the problems that dogs can cause but on the other hand they can and do usually bring happiness too.

Shared use spaces are just that: you share the space rather than take what you want and you try to understand the perspective of others in that space. Of course such a concept doesn’t come easy and interpretations vary. As a cyclist I give way to others who are weaker and / or more vulnerable than myself and that does extend to dogs and even cats. I’m also aware that dogs love to chase each other and anything passing - it seems to be part of their DNA. So, as a cyclist, it’s very easy to present great temptation, to a dog, to chase; many literally can’t help themselves so the pragmatic thing to do is act accordingly (sympathetically). Note that some cyclist love to chase other cyclists too ... part of their DNA?

Interpretations of shared spaces and what’s possible vary. For the dog walker an enclosed walkway can be seen as a safe place for a dog to walk by him or her self and it is the cyclist who introduces the hazard by tempting the dog or necessitating its restriction to a lead (limiting freedoms of the dog and owner). There are no easy answers, but when you can manage to do so - which is usually hard to do and rarely automatic - then it’s best to try and see someone else’s perspective (too) before trying to impose your own.

[Jdsk]

The law is also relevant:

"Controlling your dog in public":
https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public

Overview

It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, such as:
in a public place
in a private place, for example a neighbour’s house or garden
in the owner’s home

The law applies to all dogs.

Some types of dogs are banned.

Out of control
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:
injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them

Jonathan (I wish we had a dog)

[Carlton green]

Well, yes, The Law is always there however if tempers flare and someone ends up injured one might wish that a bit more pragmatism had been used. A successful prosecution is unlikely - we all know that already - and exchanges of adversarial comments and blows is generally a bad idea ... being right won’t make prison or hospital any more pleasant.

[Tompsk]

... it is the cyclist who introduces the hazard by tempting the dog ...

Are you saying it is the cyclist fault if the dog becomes out of control just because they are cycling along the same path? I can see if they were pulling some meat behind them they could be blamed, but not otherwise.

[simonineaston]

My frequent tours of northern France were dotted with exciting encounters with the farm dogs. They almost always came in pairs - a canine twist on Good cop, Bad cop... I got used to approaching farm gates and making preparations for the welcome committee. A lot of times I was chased along the lane by Bad cop - Good cop often couldn't be bothered. A couple of times Bad cop maintained entusiasm for the chase for what seemed liked hundreds of yards - or meters. I doubt these days I have the puff to engage in such shenanigans. Perhaps I should keep a sausage or two at the ready.

[Nearholmer]

Are you saying it is the cyclist fault if the dog becomes out of control just because they are cycling along the same path

I read Carlton to be saying no more than “use your common sense, and share nicely”.

Where I live, we have vast mileages of shared-use paths, and mostly everyone shares nicely, in fact very rarely not, but you do have to have your wits about you because, like it or lump it, not all dogs are under perfect control, and some are attached to their owners by immensely long invisible cords. If you spent all day arguing the toss with dog owners about it, you’d never get anywhere.

Cycling well within split-second braking capability, and a good loud bell are essentials, and it’s important to bear in mind that pedestrians have equal rights with cyclists; there isn’t a heirarchy.

[mjr]

it’s important to bear in mind that pedestrians have equal rights with cyclists; there isn’t a heirarchy.

Oh yes there is.

I'd still slap a dog that chased me. But I'm friendly(!)

[Jdsk]

Perhaps I should keep a sausage or two at the ready.

The first edition of Richard's Bicycle Book mentioned some alternatives...

Jonathan

[fastpedaller]

I was chased (repeatedly) by a dog, which was chronicled on her a while ago .... probably 4 years ago?
Cutting a long story short, the local Police Constable thought it was ok, as he'd seen the dog and it seemed to be the friendly one amongst the 5 in the household. The owners seemed very nice, and even suggested I could drop in for a cuppa the reassure myself! My observation that a dog chasing me when I'm going 20MPH on the bike and struggling to get away fell on deaf ears. It chased me a week later, after the 'concerned' owners had agreed to keep it under control, only this time 1 mile from where it lived.
It hasn't chased since.
This may (or may not) be connected to my final statement to the officer "where the dog chased me meant it had passed the farm - maybe I'll have a word with the Farmer, after all he's allowed to shoot it if it worries his sheep!"
I'm not suggesting the dog's been shot (I hope that's not the case), but I shouldn't have had to resort to making that statement - the police shouldn't have been so dismissive.
What would have happened if I'd subsequently been driving my car and he's run out in front of me and died - they'd have caused me of deliberately killing it?
I like dogs, but they need to be controlled.

[Barrowman]

Out of control dogs are a flaming nuiscance. And as retired Police Officer I can't believe more wasn't done about the miscreant mentioned.
But to lighten the mood a funny dog story.
Riding out to view a local road race, travelling on a remarkably straight road with many other groups in sight. Jack Russell lurking on a slightly elevated front lawn , having great fun launching itself at every one of the passing cyclists ankles .
Our group happened to have me on my Trike . Jack Russel went for the ankle ,clearly not realising there was a wheel in his path , and ended up doing a brisk turn on the wheel. Then dissapeared into the back garden at some speed, and didn't re appear.
Nearly caused a serious accident, everyone who saw it was killing themselves laughing at the spectacle.
Not sure if it cured him of the habit.

[Carlton green]

Are you saying it is the cyclist fault if the dog becomes out of control just because they are cycling along the same path

I read Carlton to be saying no more than “use your common sense, and share nicely”.

Yes, that’s the general idea, ‘use common sense, and share nicely’.

[Tiggertoo]

Dogs should always be kept on a - short - lead when on a shared path, it's pretty stupid to do otherwise. Please look back on the other thread about people getting stupider.

In any case, isn't it the law that all dogs should be kept on leads in public? We really can't rage about drivers not keeping to the law (mobile phone use, etc.) and do otherwise ourselves in other circumstances.

[Nearholmer]

In any case, isn't it the law that all dogs should be kept on leads in public?

‘Under control’, rather than ‘on a lead’.

Some dogs are obedient enough to go without a lead, many aren’t, and being both a dog-owner and a cyclist, living where there are vast mileages of shared use paths, I know well that the owner needs to exercise judgement/caution about which circumstances their dog can be trusted in, and which not. The long, invisible leads can actually pose as many problems as dogs off leads TBH.

To say that dogs “always” need to be on a short lead on a shared-use path is, IMO, needlessly categorical. I ride past dogs that are under control with no lead, or a long lead, day-in-day-out, and most owners are sensible about it all. But, once in a while things don’t go so well and a dog does a crazy.

Oddly enough, I’ve never actually heard of anyone locally being knocked off their bike by a dog, but one guy in the cycling club was hit full-on by a deer which leapt out from the undergrowth in the wood ……. That wasn’t on a lead.