UPDATE: CLASSIFIEDS section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
A loose dog jumping into the trail from a hidden position is entirely down to whoever is supposed to have control of that dog... blaming the rider in this situation (or even going off on one about riders in general) just isn't on, in my opinion.
I don't think anyone has said anything contrary to that?
There was some suggestion that any dog isn't under control unless its on a lead, which clearly just not true. There are times when it is, there are times like when me and doggo get approached by off lead dogs where under control is me having her come to middle and holding her collar firmly because she will defend herself. And other times where under control is me knowing she will come back or lie down at a distance reliably enough for the space available.
In exactly the same way as any other user of a road, path whatever has control depending on a number of factors, speed, conditions whats going on around then etc.
And other times where under control is me knowing she will come back or lie down at a distance reliably enough for the space available.
That's an interesting thought. IME owners call their dog so that it crosses under my front wheel; I'd rather they left the dog alone (or laid it down), we'll sort ourselves out, thanks 😎
Dogs or no dogs, the main 'issue' with Peds on shared use paths is they usually (IME) have buds in and are oblivious to everything around them so I treat them as if made of Gelignite... Two Peds are equally dangerous as, in a bid to make way, they usually just swap sides right in front of you...
What is really curious is, Peds usually behave as if they've been electrocuted in an effort to jump out of the way of an approaching bicycle. These are the same people who will then get in their cars and try and kill you. Curious int it?
There was some suggestion that any dog isn't under control unless its on a lead, which clearly just not true.
Anybody that thinks they have complete control of an animal they don't have physical control of is at best very optimistic. I don't share that optimism but sadly, I do share the risk it represents...
Anybody that thinks they have complete control of an animal they don't have physical control of is at best very optimistic.
I heard a thump as I passed a dog walker on the seafront earlier in the year. He was on the grass about 5m to my left. His dog had seen me and decided he wanted to ride my bike so pulled his owner off his feet via the lead. I thought it was quite amusing but I'm not so sure that the dog owner thought the same.
His dog had seen me and decided he wanted to ride my bike so pulled his owner off his feet via the lead.
On our local shared path I was not so lucky as the dog was off its lead, the middle aged couple whose animal it was took absolutely no notice as it took off along the path barking at me and chasing me trying to lurch at the wheels/pedals/my legs (?) til I shouted at them to get their @@@%%%**** dog under control.
Maybe everyone should be aware of others on shared use paths? The pedestrian shouldn't be at all surprised by being passed because...shared use path.
I don't think I - or anyone else - has suggested otherwise, but I'd argue that just as motorised vehicles on the road need to be cognisant that cyclist and pedestrians are highly vulnerable, cyclists in shared-use spaces, should be similarly mindful of the relative vulnerability of other users if you're moving considerably faster. My experience is that what feels like a a reasonable margin when you're riding a bike can seem unpleasantly close when you're walking. But basically people need to look out for each other and sometimes that means accepting that not everyone is as switched on as you might like them to be.
What is really curious is, Peds usually behave as if they've been electrocuted in an effort to jump out of the way of an approaching bicycle. These are the same people who will then get in their cars and try and kill you. Curious int it?
If people are throwing themselves out of your way, them you're probably riding too fast. The thing about these being 'the same people who will then get in their cars and try and kill you' is made up nonsense to suit your narrative, though maybe cyclists riding too fast doesn't do a lot for the image of people riding bikes generally.
What is really curious is, Peds usually behave as if they've been electrocuted in an effort to jump out of the way of an approaching bicycle. These are the same people who will then get in their cars and try and kill you. Curious int it?
If people are throwing themselves out of your way, them you're probably riding too fast. The thing about these being 'the same people who will then get in their cars and try and kill you' is made up nonsense to suit your narrative, though maybe cyclists riding too fast doesn't do a lot for the image of people riding bikes generally.
Oh, OK. You must introduce yourself next time you're around when this happens. Dint realise you were there. We could have had a nice chat 🙃
If you think everyone else is the problem you realise... Its probably you right?
If people are throwing themselves out of your way, them you're probably riding too fast
TBF I think we've all encountered peds who on hearing a bell, or "Hello", or any variation will immediately leap to side of the path in the style of soldiers reacting to a grenade tossed at them. It's not that uncommon. Or my other favourite is the group of (often elderly) walkers on seeing you coming up behind them will shout "BIKE, EVERYONE, THERE'S A BIKE COMING " at the top of their voices in a way that suggests they expect cyclists to be welding edged weapons.
TBF I think we've all encountered peds who on hearing a bell, or "Hello", or any variation will immediately leap to side of the path in the style of soldiers reacting to a grenade tossed at them.
I figure it's sometimes because they've had negative encounters with bikes in the past. Or just one of those things. But yeah.
Or my other favourite is the group of (often elderly) walkers on seeing you coming up behind them will shout "BIKE, EVERYONE, THERE'S A BIKE COMING " at the top of their voices in a way that suggests they expect cyclists to be welding edged weapons.
Oh yes, many a time, the sheer panic in their voices, even though I've slowed to a pedestrian crawl and give em a smile and as I pass by say 'lovely day' or some such!
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/crashed-into-an-out-of-control-dog-what-next/paged/6/
Bin dun.
I was knocked off my bike by an out of control dog on a shared use path back in 2023. The repercussions were serious - a concussion that I only got over in Spring 2025 mentally, and I've never recovered the fitness I had before the accident.
I sued the dog owner and won. It took a long time to get to that stage (longer than the recovery even) but not because there were arguments about liability. The owner refused to engage with my solicitor (Cycle Law Scotland, who were great). As soon as it looked like going to court he caved immediately, sent it to his pet insurance who didn't contest it. Total cost was about £30,000 for his insurance (of which I saw about a quarter - the rest was sucked up by medical assessment fees, lawyers fees and the cost of having a private investigator investigate the dog owner to make sure they could afford compensation if they didn't refer the case to their insurer).
My solicitor was very clear - in Scotland at least this is a strict liability offence, and the dog owner is liable unless they can prove negligence on the part of the cyclist. Dog off lead and out of control in a public space, vs a cyclist going slowly (verified by Strava) - no contest. No negligence on your part to prove.
It's a shame so many public spaces are now effectively occupied by dog owners when they're the minority. I can't use the path I was on when the accident happened - there are too many loose dogs and too much danger. I use an A road instead. Of course dogs should be on a lead in these spaces - unless you have a telepathic link to your animal you don't know how it will react. Just because it hasn't done something before won't mean it won't do it in future and it's people's wellbeing you're playing with, just so your dog can run around wherever it pleases. It's also worth remembering that dogs are less important than people, so your dog should be in a position to make other path users change their behaviour.
You will need to get details from the owner to get to the stage I got to - address as well as phone and email. A top tip I'd give is say "can I have your details in case there are any vet bills" - you've not accepted liability, they think you're doing it for them but in reality you can then just pass those details to the solicitor and they can take the bastards down.
Beautifully put Luke.
Let's change the circumstances and apply the same behaviour and other requirements of the highway code, if you were driving a car, van or 40 tonne truck...
- no control of the vehicle, by your own admission, no hands on the steering
- drinking - and in doing so, undoubtedly not paying full attention to the surroundings or potential hazards. You really can't say you're giving the route your fullest attention when you're stuffing a drink bottle or Camelbak nozzle in front of your mush).
Then you knock down a kid who's run into the road suddenly chasing a ball.
Do you reckon it's the kid's fault for smashing your indicator with his now brain-damaged head ?
Let's change the circumstances and apply the same behaviour and other requirements of the highway code, if you were driving a car, van or 40 tonne truck...
- no control of the vehicle, by your own admission, no hands on the steering
- drinking - and in doing so, undoubtedly not paying full attention to the surroundings or potential hazards. You really can't say you're giving the route your fullest attention when you're stuffing a drink bottle or Camelbak nozzle in front of your mush).
Then you knock down a kid who's run into the road suddenly chasing a ball.
Do you reckon it's the kid's fault for smashing your indicator with his now brain-damaged head ?
Why, he wasn't driving a hgv he was slowly riding a bike on a shared use path when hit by a dog, htaf is that equivalent to the scenario you have obviously just pulled out of your arse?
Let's change the circumstances and apply the same behaviour and other requirements of the highway code, if you were driving a car, van or 40 tonne truck...
- no control of the vehicle, by your own admission, no hands on the steering
- drinking - and in doing so, undoubtedly not paying full attention to the surroundings or potential hazards. You really can't say you're giving the route your fullest attention when you're stuffing a drink bottle or Camelbak nozzle in front of your mush).
Then you knock down a kid who's run into the road suddenly chasing a ball.
Do you reckon it's the kid's fault for smashing your indicator with his now brain-damaged head ?
I'm not even sure I want to give a reply to such utter bollox...
I was riding a bike you turnip, not driving a truck.
The rest of your post is such utter rubbish that I can only assume you're trying to troll us. Please don't.
My solicitor was very clear - in Scotland at least this is a strict liability offence, and the dog owner is liable unless they can prove negligence on the part of the cyclist. Dog off lead and out of control in a public space, vs a cyclist going slowly (verified by Strava) - no contest. No negligence on your part to prove.
That's a big improvement on the legal situation in England and Wales. Another advantage of Scots Law together with Freedom to Roam and Abolition of Feudal Tenure.
Let's change the circumstances and apply the same behaviour and other requirements of the highway code, if you were driving a car, van or 40 tonne truck...
- no control of the vehicle, by your own admission, no hands on the steering
- drinking - and in doing so, undoubtedly not paying full attention to the surroundings or potential hazards. You really can't say you're giving the route your fullest attention when you're stuffing a drink bottle or Camelbak nozzle in front of your mush).
Then you knock down a kid who's run into the road suddenly chasing a ball.
Do you reckon it's the kid's fault for smashing your indicator with his now brain-damaged head ?
Let's change the circumstances and apply the same behaviour and other requirements, if you were flying a Boeing 747 and an alien invasion happened to fly across your airspace, but Bruce Willis wasn't available because his vest was being washed, and you upset the hostess trolley in 1st Class would you feel guilty for being so irresponsible. Why not?
Let's change the circumstances and apply the same behaviour and other requirements of the highway code, if you were driving a car, van or 40 tonne truck...
- no control of the vehicle, by your own admission, no hands on the steering
- drinking - and in doing so, undoubtedly not paying full attention to the surroundings or potential hazards. You really can't say you're giving the route your fullest attention when you're stuffing a drink bottle or Camelbak nozzle in front of your mush).
Then you knock down a kid who's run into the road suddenly chasing a ball.
Do you reckon it's the kid's fault for smashing your indicator with his now brain-damaged head ?
Lets not change the circumstances to some that are utterly irrelevant to try and win internet points using critical injuries to kids.
Firstly, you failed to read OP. Where does it say "No hands on steering"
Secondly, no control of the vehicle is just bollocks. Control was still very much maintained by the left hand which a competent rider can use to both steer and brake
Thirdly, most of us can chug on a bottle while paying full attention to the path/trail/road ahead. It's not hard.
Finally, and this one is important, a dog weighing more than the bike hitting the front wheel without notice is going to be hard to correct regardless.
Shirley the outcome is the same as if a previously well behaved dog has been taken for walks off the leash for months and randomly bites bites someone some distance from the walker, the walker of the dog is liable.
It's entirely reasonable to take a swig of your bidon on a shared pathway, if all you can see on the path ahead is a single bloke ~25m away and you have no idea there's a loose dog in the bushes to the side.
Especially when the dog should be on a short lead when being walked on a shared path.
As far as I'm concerned, this scenario as described by OP, is a slam dunk dog walker liable.
