One year old springer spaniel. OK to take her round Thetford with the children, or not? Will probably go quite slowly and gently.

Yeah or nay?

Personally, I don’t think it’s right. How are you going to keep it under control if you’re riding a bike and trying to look after your kids?

What if it shits everywhere?

Whit if there’s some fast lads trying to beat a top time on the trails, and your dog runs out in front of them and they collide with it?

Too many risks.

Yep, I would.

Working Cocker (plus kids too) and he’s ridden with me for years, including most of Glentress and Innerleithen. Never had a problem.

Whit if there’s some fast lads trying to beat a top time on the trails, and your dog runs out in front of them and they collide with it?

They should watch what they are doing, no different running into a dog than one of your kids.

Yep – as she is young you do need to be careful and not do too much else she’ll damage herself.

Do you not have the Internet ?
18 months and older for extended exercise.
You and your kids might be going slow, pup will not be.

Nay.

I’ve nearly crashed more than once after having dogs run right in front of me at a trail centre. Then there’s the shit of course.

Working Cocker (plus kids too) and he’s ridden with me for years, including most of Glentress and Innerleithen. Never had a problem.

You’ve never had a problem – who cares about other people though eh? 😉

You’ve never had a problem – who cares about other people though eh?

I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you’d priority over me 🙄

I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you’d priority over me

It’s not about me having priority over you, it’s about having a dog that’s not under your control running around on trails built for biking (and do you think you are picking up all of it’s turds?) – it’s just irresponsible.

Typical of the sense of entitlement of many dog owners though.

I’ve got a 3 year old working cocker spaniel, very fit & capable little dog, but no way I’d take her to a trail centre with me.
If it was a really quite ride with very few other people (local bridleways etc.) then I might consider it, but otherwise ‘it’s a no from me’

If it was a really quite ride with very few other people (local bridleways etc.) then I might consider it, but otherwise ‘it’s a no from me’

Good to see it’s not all dog owners though.

One year old springer spaniel. OK to take her round Thetford with the children, or not? Will probably go quite slowly and gently.

Yeah or nay?

On a lead? I would take it really easy, if it’s the pups first time running with a bike then 10mins at the most.

18 months and older for extended exercise. You and your kids might be going slow, pup will not be.

Our vet said 12months, she is barely trotting at kids bike pace.

Also in the not at a trail centre camp but take mine out locally quite often and have done from 6 months- built up distance but never much over an hour even now they are 5 years old- most important is to take it easy on downhills and don’t race too hard on flats- they usually beat me uphill 😳

Always had dogs and love having them around but think it’s a bit selfish to take them to a trail centre. Country walks bridle ways by all means but I wouldn’t take one to a purpose built mtb trail. That would smack of self interest and viewing my desires as more worthy than those of others.

i say no you have enough trouble watching the kids let alone a young dog, asking for trouble if you ask me lol

I take my dog (doberman,5yrs) out on a ride nearly every day,between 4 and 15 miles,he loves it.
however,I keep him on a lead,tied to my waist,on a halti collar,so he can’t pull me over,or run any where I don’t want him to.
I stop so he can drink every few miles (loads of lakes,a river and canals)
I certainly wouldn’t take him to a trail center,same as I wouldn’t ride my bike through a dog training class…..
cheeky/wild trails are fair game.

the springer should be fine, but they will go until they drop to keep up so I would agree with the go steady.

With the other comments….I dont take the dog to a trail centre. I would hate it if he was hit and hurt / rider hurt. Quiet local rides only really, I dont think its fair on all concerned when busy

My springer comes out with me pretty much every ride. We’ve just been out for 5 hours today with plenty of doggy breaks (3rd ride this week ) and had an ice cream together down in Cheddar 😀

Trail centre – as i’ve said before NO. I don’t want to risk someone crashing trying to avoid her and I don’t want someone going full belt and hitting her.

We did have an unfortunate accident today when she was a bit tired and I think a kid freaked her out a bit and she suddenly decided to go the other side of a signpost to me while on the lead….Only damage to me and the bike though fortunately. On bridleways she is off the lead. Safer for both of us and when I knows I am faster she pulls over to the side and lets me through like the perfect riding partner 🙂

Just came back.

We met two other cyclists in the car park, and apart from that no-one. They were a bit surprised I wasn’t coming with them tbh, as normally I would go out with them….

Picked up the poo (in a bag obviously).

Took it quite gently, and had several stops for water. She was on the lead until we got beyond the car park. We were out for just over an hour.

Despite the doom-mongers, it was fine and we all had a great time. The sky didn’t fall in, though it did get a bit dark towards the end.

I took a 26″ HT; I imagine if I’d been on a 650b it would all have been far more awesomer 🙂

What if it shits everywhere?

Everywhere?

That would be an awful lot of shit.

Reilly the Springer x Lab loves coming out with me. Been to several trailcenters, weeekday mornings when there aren’t many others about. Never had a problem as he’s always either just in front or just behind me. He rails berms better than I do. Start them slowly with lots of breaks and gradually up the distance. Always take plenty of water and a folding bowl.
Luckily for me and him the haterz seem not to actually ride where/when I do as pretty much everyone we’ve met has had at the very least a smile for him, often a pat or scratch of the head and positive comments.

It is bird nesting season Mar to August 1st and these sites are vunerable to distrurbance by dogs not under close control, especially threatened ground nesting species such as yellowhammer, lapwing, skylark and others.

No from me too, just them for a walk instead.

mrelectric – Member

It is bird nesting season Mar to August 1st and these sites are vunerable to distrurbance by dogs not under close control, especially threatened ground nesting species such as yellowhammer, lapwing, skylark and others.

if dog owners are prepared to toilet their animals on playing fields and public parks do you really think they GAF about ground nesting birds when they take to the footpaths

It is bird nesting season Mar to August 1st and these sites are vunerable to distrurbance by dogs not under close control, especially threatened ground nesting species such as yellowhammer, lapwing, skylark and others.

If I’d seen any signs up about this she’d have been on her lead (which is what we did round some National Trust land we visited a few weeks back). There are some grazing sheep which we steered clear of, but I saw nothing else.

She didn’t find any eggs or birds, though she did find some tasty looking pine cones.

if dog owners are prepared to toilet their animals on playing fields and public parks do you really think they GAF about ground nesting birds when they take to the footpaths

It’s just as well no-one generalizes about cyclists in this lazy fashion or they all would have had their bikes removed and crushed by now….

It’s just as well no-one generalizes about cyclists in this lazy fashion or they all would have had their bikes removed and crushed by now….

you don’t take your dog onto playing fields or the local parks… ever?

In my experience many dog owners do actually GAF, but like everyone, don’t always know of the issues.

what about all those pesky fox, badger, squirrel, bird, bat, rabbit owners who let their animals poo and wee all over parks and sports fields….oh wait they are wild animals and that’s what happens in the real world.

Someone used to complain behind our backs about our dog using the shared garden at my flat for it toilet (we cleaned up after it of course, as well as any cat and fox poo). Before we got the dog I could count the number or times other people (out of 11 flats) used the garden a year on two hands. Having the dog meant we stopped finding random people looking round the back during the day and night and we no longer had foxes leaving their horrible blacky sticky poo all over the place.

Now when I pop back to the flat I see that the foxes have returned and I hope they sit in some on the one time a year they use the garden (that we used to look after too along with the nice animal loving couple upstairs).

PS I never take my dog onto dedicated sports fields or playgrounds. But public parks with temporary pitches etc are fair game as it’s there for everyone and I clean up my dogs mess just as I expect families to clean up their crisp packets and drinks bottles…

Some say yes, some say no, if your dog is under control then it’s probably better than half the f wits out there on the trails.

If it’s BW’s then so long as it’s good with sheep/rabbits etc then no worries just be prepared to put it on a lead for sections with young animals.

Trail centres try it mid week

The people who moan about dogs on trails probably moan about a hell of a lot of other things so are probably best off ignored. My hound just glues herself to my back wheel when I’m riding. If she takes a carp, she goes well off trail.

Depends on what riding you do, and the type of dog.

I had the best trained dog ever, hound cross. Ran with the bike to the wheel everywhere.
Took him downhilling once.
It broke his spirit.
And I mean..after that he just gave up, would’nt even try to keep up.

You gotta respect, horses for coarses.

I have ridden mainly swinley for 3 years with my jack/corgi cross and he loves it especially the berms, can manage 15-18km, is nearly always in front of me or directly behind chasing, yes he does poop in the woods but so do everyone esles dogs, foxes deer squirrels badgers etc and he’s naver pooped on a trail, if he poops anywhere near a fire road it gets cleaned up, has never caused anyone to come off their bikes or got in the way of anyone, i always keep an eye out for oncoming riders and warn them. I havent taken him up to the new trails yet as i feel it is too busy now.
your springer will be much more obedient than my terrier and also able to go further(longer legs :))so dont worry about ridng with her, just get on with it and train her to stay close to you.

Always take plenty of water and a folding bowl.

my boy would never drink (apart from muddy puddles) until one hot day he gave in and now happily drinks from a water bottle when we go out, me squirting of course

what about all those pesky fox, badger, squirrel, bird, bat, rabbit owners who let their animals poo and wee all over parks and sports fields….oh wait they are wild animals and that’s what happens in the real world.

you forgot the insects in your couldn’t GAF rant on why I’m going to carry on doing what I have justified to me

PS I never take my dog onto dedicated sports fields or playgrounds. But public parks with temporary pitches etc are fair game as it’s there for everyone and I clean up my dogs mess just as I expect families to clean up their crisp packets and drinks bottles…

thanks for using public space aimed at giving children somewhere to play as a place to toilet your dog and hence turn it into a biohazard

How many parks are infected with Toxocara eggs?
Random soil surveys have found that the majority of parks throughout the UK are infected with Toxocara eggs in various stages of development

http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/dogwardens/foul-subject/

My hound just glues herself to my back wheel when I’m riding. If she takes a carp, she goes well off trail.

I’ll remember not to stray from the path whilst your dog is fishing 😉

I’ve never heard a dog owner admit that their dog:

Worries sheep
Shits on paths and it doesn’t get cleared up
Attacks people
Runs at/in front of people on bikes
Is not under their control (or often anywhere near them)

And yet……

10 miles on tues with my collie. 7 miles last night. Probably another ten tonight.

He gets upset if the bike gets to go out and he doesn’t.

I’ve never heard a dog owner admit that their dog:

Worries sheep
Shits on paths and it doesn’t get cleared up
Attacks people
Runs at/in front of people on bikes
Is not under their control (or often anywhere near them)

And yet……

Same can be said of parents etc. most are responsible, some are not. That goes for people too. I’ve had more issues on trails form inconsiderate areswipes on bikes than I ever have from dogs.

If you can keep your dog under control then fine. But not at busy times or trails. Dogs don’t just run down the trail they zig zag in and out of the undergrowth, especially when it is a steep bermy bit as it is quicker to run straight down. I almost ran a terrier over and had a nasty crash on the fastest bit of the FOD track because some numpty had his dog running all over the place behind him and it decided to jump out on me, which he would have been completely oblivious to.

As trails get busy only a matter of time till there is a serious incident with dead dog and broken rider.

How many parks are infected with Toxocara eggs?
Random soil surveys have found that the majority of parks throughout the UK are infected with Toxocara eggs in various stages of development

Of course dogs are the only carriers of Toxocara in the UK aren’t they? And I’m sure you have figures which show that the <100 cases of occular toxocariasis are attributable to dog poo in parks where children are supervised by adults as opposed to cat poo in gardens where children are often unsupervised?

You know what kids are capable of, you know what dogs are capable. Do you really need to put it to the public vote…

Edit: Agree with this

I don’t agree with dogs on trails at trail centres, but elsewhere live and let live

No – you need to first train the dog to be used to running with you and the bike, and having other bikes around, and as you say the dog is young and inexperienced.

Once you are confident in the dog then it is a different matter, but a baptism at a trail centre is asking for trouble.