Advice on approaching dogs while cycling anyone?

[BertR00t]

am i right in thinking that as bikes arent classed as "motor vehicles" they arent subject to speeding regulations?

Don't know to be honest but have often wondered this when undertaking vehicles.

 

[cyfa2809]

WOW. Yeah i often get err :? cut up by dogs. Often when the owner calls it, it then gets in the way as i have already anticipated its movements before!

i always go slow but there are a couple places where i get cut up by the dogs or the owners OR both :evil: (standing in a group having a chat while paying no attention what so ever to your dog)
And in a public park, arent dogs supposed to be on leads in public parks? (the one i used to go through was, strange that a non dog owner see's the signs but not the dog owners)

Is there a nicer way to deal with the dogs?
As i said, i go slow
But kicking them? I think that would take a little pre emption/timing :?

So as the OP really

 

[lumos2000]

ive never had a problem with dogs as i always slow down and say hello if they take an intrest in me, though im always baffled by owners who insist on walking on the bike path when they have the whole park to play in :roll:

 

[Neil]

I said to the owner that some people could find that intimidating. To which I received a 5 minute lecture on how I would not find it intimidating if I was a "Dog Person". (I of course comented that I had a border collie for 18 years).

This is the problem with many dog owners- that attitude, that it's other peoples' problem that they're not in control of their dogs.

People should be free to be dog lovers, or ambivalent to dogs, to disliking dogs, and not have to embrace other peoples' enthusiasm, in order not to be hassled by them.

thanks for the replies so far.

i also would never kick a dog unless it went for me.

however, dogs consistently scare my 4 year old son when we are out and about (walking) and their owners think nothing of it.

imagine if they had knocked me off my bike and i was injured (dogs would have been squashed at this point). i would have been onto the police immediately.

i actually saw a dog collide with a cyclist at speed a while back (a labrador), luckily the cyclist managed to keep control and stop safely (the dog came from nowhere out of some bushes from the side and he had no chance of seeing it). the owner had the front to have a particularly aggresive rant at the cyclist (a 70 odd year old man) who subsequently cycled off (as it looked like he would get a beating).

I completely agree with that, and there will be times for people when their only reaction is to be pre-emptive in order to fend off dogs.

People can talk about understanding them, and knowing how to deal with them, but the general public shouldn't have to - the owners should be in control. After all, won't somebody, anybody, please think of the chiilllddrren.

I'm fed up with dog lovers who can't control their animals.

Me too.

And I say all that as a dog owner. I'm often fed up with people who think everybody else should just embrace their choices.

In fairness, there are times when that includes cyclists, but I'm with you both on the cavalier attitude some dog owners display - it's totally ruff.

 

[Tad]

Stop, make agressive eye contact with the dog, bark furiously then swear like a trooper at the owner. Then pedal off leaving the halfwitted owner to deal with a hyperactive dog. If they can't keep their dogs calm on the road then they shouldn't be out there.

As a modified view of the greenrabbit principle, if they get close enough land a well amied toe on the owner.

I had a dog run out on in front of me on a club road ride, the inevitable happened and the owner had the nerve to have a go at us for hitting the dog. In no uncertain terms I told her what I thought of her, her fat ar$e and her *&^%*£" dog and reminded her that if we were a car she'd be carrying the &^£$%*" mut home in a sack. She took exception to this and started to cry.

 

[cyfa2809]

Haha thats harsh you bully you!

I thought that, barking at the dog. Make out your the alpha bike rider and you wont take no stick, at least not his stick.

But im no dog behaviour expert

 

[Russell]

I said to the owner that some people could find that intimidating. To which I received a 5 minute lecture on how I would not find it intimidating if I was a "Dog Person".

Carry a gun.

Next time, point it at their head whilst you give them a 5 minute lecture about how they wouldn't find it intimidating if they were a 'gun' person.

 

[Neil]

Haha thats harsh you bully you!

His bark is worse than his bite.

Sorry, I humbly apologise, they made me type that.

 

[cyfa2809]

The dog people you mean?

 

[Neil]

The dog people you mean?

Ye(l)p