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I'm a dog owner, I take my dog on walks where bikes are used and I make an effort to keep him under control,especially when bikes are going past, which is a challenge.
I have been on 3 rides this year and have had incidents with trail dogs.
2 occasions where I've been at a trail center on MTB only trails, to find a dog running at me, causing me stop, nearly coming off, and ruining a downhill I've just spent all my energy climbing up to the top. On the third,once again at a trail centre the dog had been abandoned by its owner, miles from any where, in sub zero temperatures, the dog was limping, and not in a good place. I took the dog back to the car park to find the owner having a brew in the cafe. I had to coax the dog back along fire tracks ruing the ride, that I had to drive for hours to get to.
I don't blame the dogs but the owners.
Dogs are unpredictable.... Even the most highly trained have their moments.
When you are riding your bike, do you know what your dog is up to behind you?
my dog is pooing into a bag then throwing it into a tree.
Yep
Wouldn't ever take him to a 'trail' centre though.
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OP am I allowed to take my dog with me out on my local natural trails or would you like me to stop doing that?
Dogs in trail centres has been done to death.
I know what my dog is up to. I don't bugger off and leave him. 12km/h speed so that he doesn't overdo it and we have a great time. No trail centres mind as we ride from the door.
Dogs in trail centers - no thankyou
Dogs in local woods - no problem
OP am I allowed to take my dog with me out on my local natural trails or would you like me to stop doing that?
there are plenty of restrictions that can operate that mean that you should stop doing that, I imagine though you conform to the norm for dog owners from the way you phrase your question 😉
FIFYDogs in local woods - [s]no problem[/s] [b]don't stray from the path if you don't like dog eggs[/b]
which category do you fit into?
I've no problem at all with a well trained trail hound following his owner about so long as they're exactly that - well trained. In fact, that goes for both the dog and the owner. So long as the dog isn't getting in anyone else's way or shitting on the trail, go for it.
there are plenty of restrictions that can operate that mean that you should stop doing that, I imagine though you conform to the norm for dog owners from the way you phrase your question
First part doesn't make any sense and as for the second what is this 'norm' you are assuming I conform to?
First part doesn't make any sense
dogs are banned from parts of the countryside or restricted to being kept on a lead. These restrictions can be seasonal or all year round.
what is this 'norm' you are assuming I conform to?
the usual high level of respect for others and the countryside flora and fauna
Which category are you?
Proud to pick up - happy to be seen carrying dog waste, will pick up in all locations and take it home if no bins are available
It is the right thing to do - will pick up in public places but will seek to dispose of the waste as soon as it is practical; often embarrassed to be seen carrying bagged waste
I have done my job - if there is no bin available will leave the bagged waste to be dealt with by others
Only if I have to - will only pick up in the presence of other people - likely to discard when no one is looking
Disengaged - will not pick up in any situation even if they are aware of the environmental consequences of their actions
Why stop there. Do you want to accuse me of leaving my dogs shit in farmers fields and on footpaths or hanging it in bags on trees while you are at it? Or how about he regular mauling of the faces of children we meet or slaughtering newborn lambs that we enjoy on a weekly basis, especially in spring time?
You ride a mountain bike, therefore I am going to assume you ride on footpaths, ride 'cheeky trails' away from bridleways, 'trash' the countryside making trails and jumps, drop litter, be rude and abusive to other countryside users, throw your inner tubes into trees, leave your Co2 canisters on the trail, park your car blocking access to my field despite it being obviously needed, damage footpath stiles lumping your bike over them, leave gates open that were closed.....etc etc etc
I bet you drive a car too...now where do I start there?
In response to your edit: I always pick up and if there is no bin I take it home with me. As can be contested by the many people who point and laugh at the bag of dog shit hanging off my tow bar when have been somewhere that doesnt have any poo bins. I also try to always buy biodegradable poo bags unless I can't avoid it.
If you bothered to look up my posts before insulting me you would see I can't stnd people who don't clean up after their dogs and do not believe they should have one if they are not prepared to clean up after it.
Satisfied?
Oh and I even make sure I have the means to transport my dogs poo when I am out on my bike and plan my rides to pass poo bins near the start of the ride so I can dispose of "early poos" and clear room for the smaller poos later in the ride that will inevitably come when a dog is running lots.
I also take a litter bag out with me and pick up litter dropped by walkers, school kids and mountain bikers as it annoys me and is a danger to livestock and I would hope that other people pick up any litter they drop of they pass through my fields were my sheep are.
* tumbleweed*
Hear we go again 🙄 for the record I'm a dog lover and owner, but for gods sake take your dogs for walks, runs, rides whatever but not at trail centres !!! Is that to hard to understand ???
Is it exceptable to run them over at trail centres?
People who mtb nowadays with a 'traildog' are thecultimately bike fashion victim. I used to do it years ago on quiet trails away from trail centres.
Is it a problem at trail centres though? (I dont visit em often so dont know)
Actually, I think this time we may have got past the 1 month barrier before this resurfaced.
Some people who own dogs are knobs. Some dogs are knobs. Some mtbers are knobs. Combinations of these may cause irritation to other people.
Or; life sucks, get a helmet....
"oh sorry, he's not vicious he just doesn't like bicycles"
"then why is he off the lead on a cycle path"
"because he's trained"
cue owner desperately trying to catch dog as he runs, snarling and barking after a cyclist who passes us while we exchange views
I have no problem people being lazy and taking their dogs out with their bike instead of walking with them, apart from at trail centres which are purpose built for biking only, not dog walking.
Proud to pick up - happy to be seen carrying dog waste, will pick up in all locations and take it home if no bins are availableIt is the right thing to do - will pick up in public places but will seek to dispose of the waste as soon as it is practical; often embarrassed to be seen carrying bagged waste
I have done my job - if there is no bin available will leave the bagged waste to be dealt with by others
Only if I have to - will only pick up in the presence of other people - likely to discard when no one is looking
Disengaged - will not pick up in any situation even if they are aware of the environmental consequences of their actions
You missed:
Sociopath - you don't care. In fact, you enjoy the touch of warm dog faeces and relish the chance to dangle it prominently from a tree. Sometime you even try and get your dog to go just after a hidden bend on a down slope so that folk will slip in it.
apart from at trail centres which are purpose built for biking only, not dog walking.
Tricky one this... I suspect most trail centres were just errr, trails a decade or so ago with very few if any bikes to be seen..
I know our local trail centre was a family spot popular with kids and dog walkers.. It's still very much a family orientated destination with a couple of playparks and many walking trails criss-crossing the bike trails..
You're bound to get a few dogs out and about in the woods no?
If you're really seriously concerned with getting away from people, dogs, kids, ex-golfers, enduro doods or whatever, then make the effort and get out somewhere remote
People have issues with dogs - hence all the threads.
Dog owners on here must be:
A- Saints
B- Liars.
C -Statistically unrepresentative.
Like drivers, I've never met a dog owner who classes themselves as less than excellent.
I think the problem is that most town people aren't really any good 'outside' anymore.. unless they've got toilets/bins and wifi etc they dont seem to be able to cope...
and the poo in bags hanging around I just don't get...
I love dogs and would love to say they should be a happy mix with cyclists on the trails. Have had plenty of rides where others have brought their mutts along and had no incidents.
Although. I must say I once had the displeasure of being rerouted off the red route at mabie quite a few years ago whilst some works were being carried out. They basically made you ride quite a section of the footpaths (Dog walking routes) before you got out onto the trails. I have never been so disgusted in supposedly 'outdoor' people in my life. It absolutely reeked of dog shizzle. I mean, flies, putrid decaying crap and having to watch where I was riding.
As I said, I love dogs but I now class dog owners in the same category as smokers (My family are all smokers). They somehow convince themselves that what they are doing doesn't have any effect on others to the point that they will argue black is white to win an argument.
We have a local woods which is popular with kids to go for a walk with their parents. We have a local tarn where its perfect for a family stroll. Guess what? Both stink of dog crap.
apart from at trail centres which are purpose built for biking only, not dog walking.
as Yunki, but also bike trails may be built for biking, but anyone on foot has a right to roam through FC land, upon which many bike trails are built. just because there's a picture of a bike at the trail head, and a no entry sign at the other end, doesn't mean you can ride round that blind bend at ten tenths if you can't stop within the distance you can see.
if i'm voluntarily repairing a trail you ride regularly, and have my dog with me, are you going to get the hump?
Dog owner here and sometimes take them with me, I wouldn't take them to a trail centre as I think it'd be too busy for them but out and about in the countryside they come with me as we rarely encounter other bikes and often not another soul full stop.
Re. the dogs crapping in the woods, yep, couldn't care less.
They were around long before MTBers decided the countryside belonged to them....and to be honest you expect animals to poop in the woods, it's what they do!
Pavements etc are a different matter and I clean up if they mess at the beach, in town, my garden etc...
I do wonder what the typical town dwelling, middle class MTBer expects of the countryside these days!?
As we all know, it only takes a few irresponsible dog owners to affect and tar all dog owners.
With that in mind, I agree with some of littlestHobo's sentiment - a good proportion of dog owners now seem to not care about poo being left lying around and dog potentially causing a nuisance to others (and I too have nearly come a cropper at a trail centre end of last year because someones 'trail hound' was running all over the trails chasing passers bikes while they had a break).
However, I think it is the dog owning community that needs to sort this one out, not us grumpy ones with prejudiced views. 😉
Last week, I was riding the W2 at Afan with some mates. On a very fast part of 'Windy Point' a nice lady had stopped her pannier-laden bike to have some fun with her [b]three[/b] dogs which were leaping around oblivious to the danger of bikes hurtling towards them.
Her bike, which was helpfully left leaning against the banking and partially in the trail, was pointing 'up', against the direction of travel.
What can we conclude from this? Nothing.
But I do hate dogs, though. They stink.
[i]OP am I allowed to take my dog with me out on my local natural trails or would you like me to stop doing that?[/i]
As long as your dog is on a lead, you can do what you like with it.
I resent dog owners who fail to respect other users of trails and paths, because they want to let their dogs roam free. I fully understand that's what you want, and who wouldn't, but here's the thing...I don't want to try to make the decision about what your dog may or may not do. By NOT have your dog under the control that a lead offers, you are in fact abdicating YOUR responsibilities to me, and I don't know the dog, I don't know whether it will try to bite me, that (for instance) it's just a dog that loves barking and that's not a precursor to some other behaviour, but you do. So, do the responsible thing and put it on a lead.
Thanks
As we all know, it only takes a few irresponsible dog owners to affect and tar all dog owners.
However, I think it is the dog owning community that needs to sort this one out, not us grumpy ones with prejudiced views
That's a joke right? It seems quite clear that the "dog owning community" seems content to blame the mythical "few irresponsible owners" and do nothing. Ban the flea-ridden, tuurd laying mutts from public places.
Last time I went to Llandegla, there was a bloke lying by the side of the trail, swearing about this dog who'd knocked him off. His advice was 'give the bloody thing a good kicking' which I didn't, I assumed it was just frustration venting, as he wasn't really hurt, (I asked). I did wonder where the owner was though, so I asked the next bloke who was stopped a couple of hundred yards further on, assuming it might be his.
'Yeah, It's always doing that. I've no clue why he insists on bringing it' 😯 😀
Del - if i'm voluntarily repairing a trail you ride regularly, and have my dog with me, are you going to get the hump?
Depends on the quality of your repair! 😉
What's being said? Am I allowed to ride with my dog or not?
Cos I'm going to do [b][u]exactly[/u][/b] what STW says.
As I said, I love dogs but I now class dog owners in the same category as smokers (My family are all smokers). They somehow convince themselves that what they are doing doesn't have any effect on others to the point that they will argue black is white to win an argument.
+100
Amen to that.
Del - if i'm voluntarily repairing a trail you ride regularly, and have my dog with me, are you going to get the hump?
Are we talking double, table top or pump here? 😉
I love riding my bike.
I love it when my dog runs with me.
Both our lives are too short to worry about what others having less fun than me think.
Andy
That's a joke right? It seems quite clear that the "dog owning community" seems content to blame the mythical "few irresponsible owners" and do nothing. Ban the flea-ridden, tuurd laying mutts from public places.
There in lies the issue. Most of the dog owning community seem to refuse to admit there is a (growing) issue and how many (irresponsible) dog owners there are out there, and that resentment is growing about dogs and fouling, as they take it a personal slant on their dog ownership.
I have no problem in well behaved dogs under the control of their owners.
I have seen in trail centres (cyb springs to mind) dogs wandering alone coming the wrong way on a blind bend on singletrack as their owner rode too quick and lost their dog. I have also seen a lot of dog mess in the middle of my path.
My mate got attacked by a dog for no apparent reason. When he decided to fend the dog off the owner lost it and attacked my mate. A strange thing to do as there was six of us and him (plus dog).
I'm sure it's nice to ride with pooch but if you can't control it or clean up after it either leave the bloody thing at home or take it for a walk.
Yes, I have owned dogs for over twenty years and respect other who might be affected by their actions.
[quote=andyv ]Both our lives are too short to worry about [s]what others having less fun than me think.[/s] whether my selfishness results in other people having less fun
The fact that some dog owner on here think that because they're in the countryside that their dog shitting somewhere on public trail is acceptable, "because thats what they do" is missing the point.
If it was EXCLUSIVELY a dog walkers trail fine. But the majority of paths in forests are for all users. Therefore consideration should be shown to all.
perhaps I should start curling hefty logs out in the middle of the trail, "because thats what I do"?
A good friend of mine got a nice bite on his ankle last weekend because someone couldn't control their dog either. Then ****ed off pretty damn quick before they could face up to their responsibilities.
I had to stop my ride to scrape a huge dog turn off my front tyre this weekend, otherwise I'd be eating shit the moment I picked any speed.
All this bollocks about riding cheeky trails being comparable is utter nonsense.
I take my dog out often on my local hills, I wouldn't take him to a trail centre though because that would be pretty stupid. He's never had anyone off, attacked anyone or shat on the trail although he did bark at a horse in Peaslake and ate someones flapjack the bastard so I had to replace it.
Some of the comments on this thread are really pretty ignnorant but irresponsible owners are letting the side down a fair bit.
I periodically will take my dog around my local trail centre but only if we hit it before 06:30 AM as there is unlikely to be anyone else about. I pick up his poo and have a plastic tub in my camelback for putting the baggie wrapped crap into so it doesn't require me leaving it anywhere other than the proper bin.
When you all burn me at the stake can I ask you add some hickory chips to the fire so it smells nice?