So said the cheery woman at the side of a bridleway as I slowly cycled past her on the way home tonight

Followed by an equally cheery “well in that case it should be on a lead then” from me

What follows is sad and predictable

The black snuffling dog approx 30m ahead of her turns round and looks at me then runs towards me barking
When we meet it does indeed jump up and “go for me”
I unclip and give it a gentle SIDI tap to show it Im not a dog person
The harmless bundle of love doesnt get the message so it gets another whack to definitely show it Im not a dog person

Please note the dog is indeed in no uncertain terms going for me not playing, not that its totally relevant – if its jumping at me, barking and showing its teeth I dont care if its play or not

The dog whimpers
Abuse follows from down the trail for hurting the hound

To be honest I feel sorry for the dog
If its a risk to cyclists, or anybody at all, she shouldnt be putting it in a position where it may get harmed

That is all

Had another dog attack mine in the park last week.

The owner apologised and explained it didn’t like other dogs.

**** knows why they let if off the lead in a park full of other dogs 🙄

I had a run in yesterday, some guy with 4 dogs, all terrier cross type things with a deadly combination of pack mentality and little dog syndrome.

They were very good at keeping just out of reach of the boot which I assume means they harass passers by on a regular basis, the lovable little rogues.

Poor dog – stupid owner

“Be careful he’ll probably go for you” – As you say – should be on a lead.

Given that dogs can be destroyed etc for this sort of behaviour means it shows the owner cares very little.

Kick the owner next time 😉

I once chased a small yappy dog back into its garden barking at it. It didn’t like that. 8)

It’s amazing how many people think cycle lines are for anything other than riding on.

I was riding home on the Liverpool loop line last year when an otherwise harmless labrador lumbered across my path. I missed it but spooked it. The owner hurled a bunch of expletives at me, but was taken aback when I dared reply “Get your dog on a lead mate!”

That said, I find most owners are considerate and call their dogs to them when they see I cyclist coming.

I had a young couple out with their dogs two staffies on my commute route, both wre off the lead and trotting towards me.
The first one was muzzled but the other wasn’t as I got closer they all saw me and the owners began to call them back, to no avail.
I thaught here we go but the one that was muzzled just ignored me and passed but the other barked at me, but the couple just laughed and said oh don’t worry about her just kick her in the head.
It’s true some dog owners are just dicks.

I agree I once had a dog run about 100 yds to attack my very elderly half blind old mutt. Still the distance gave me plenty of time to teach it a lesson whilst the owner came over and happily explained it was always like that when it saw anyone.
Why do people let these dogs off the lead if they know they attack?

… oh yeah, this is why I used to like the old racers with a long pump under the top tube: unclip, extend and swipe!

Do you look like a Deer?

Not just dog owners though is it. I was cycling on a bridlepath yesterday and someone on horseback pointed at the ground and said “you know this part is the bridlepath?” to which I replied “yeah but it isn’t just for horses though is it!” They didnt reply which was a shame because I’m still waiting for an opportunity to say “oh do get off your high horse” to a horse rider….

A few years ago, two of us riding thrugh the woods passed a woman, her young son (I guess) and dog. The dog went for the feet of the rider in front of me just as I passed the woman, so I said something along the lines of ‘If he bites me, he’ll get my foot in his face’, and carried on riding. The woman shouted something like ‘Then you’ll get my foot in your face’.

Of course at this point we both stopped riding and turned back, the woman must have realised that she is pretty much alone in the woods with two slightly irate cyclists. I advised her quite calmly that dogs should be under control in all circumstances. She replied that the dog WAS under control. At this point, said dog is still attempting to bite my mate, who isn’t even riding. I think we just both rode away shaking our heads at the stupidity.

In Golden Acre Park in Leeds a few weeks ago with the kids and a picnic. A large dog comes over at which point my 5 year old daughter panics – she really doesn’t like dogs. In the panic the dog takes my butties wrapped in clingfilm and runs off with them.. I am livid and start at the owner with a torrent off words (refrain from swearing though). My wife is telling me to calm down thinking i’m going to end up in a fight. At some point I mention his dog not been on a lead. His response suggests it’s our fault for having food about and his dog can’t help it.
All I can hope is that the clingfilm ruined his dogs guts.

Once had a puppy try to bite my ankle, but got hold of the velcro strap on my shoe. Little blighter held on even as my foot was going round and round on the pedal. Eventually he let go when he realised he was some distance from his owner.

Makes me chuckle every time I think of it.

Two dogs rounded on me & trapped me against a wall on a bridleway that passes through a farm nr Rugeley a good few years ago, & I’m still here…

No but seriously though, they were just farm dogs but I’ll tell you I was crapping myself. We can all proclaim how we’d man-handle these beasts, snapping spines & necks like Rambo, but trust me its bloody unnerving when it actually happens. I had to shout for help & in the end the wankstain farmer appeared & called them off. I could hear him laughing as I rode away. I shudder to think what they would have done to a child.

I had similar while cycling along a path in the local park. Went to stop to let lady and small terrier walk past me. Didn’t quite catch what she said the first time – thought I was going to get an earful for riding on the path, but no . . . “don’t stop or he’ll go for you” was what she said. I hope he’s kept on a lead when there are kiddies cycling there.

Two dogs rounded on me & trapped me against a wall on a bridleway that passes through a farm nr Rugeley a good few years ago, & I’m still here…

I shudder to think what they would have done to a child.

I’m stating the obvious here – thats exactly why you should have informed the authorities. If these dogs were on a public right of way, they should not be terrorising passers by. They may have already bitten people before.

I do like these threads 😆

I guess I’m just lucky as i never seem to have these sorts of encounters with dogs or their owners 🙄 😉

I’m only surprised no one has popped up and threatened vengeance to anyone who harms a hair on a cuddly doggykins like the staunch moggie defenders…

No point kicking the dog, kick the owner, after all it’s their responsibility to keep the dog under control. 😉

I ran into a the same rottweiler twice – consecutively – on my favourite training slog – in a field by charvil – both times as soon as I crossed into the field ( bridleway ) the dog clocked me and legged the 100m odd to me and bit my leg – this happened twice – and he would bite my legs whilst im trying to pedal away – even on approach I wasnt heading for him – he just saw me and went for me. I KNOW – IF a rottweiler wanted to harm me it could – but the bites still hurt. Ive stopped riding that trail. Not worth the risk, I dont want rough play to get too rough. The owners ( not, ahem, toffs by any stretch if you know what I mean…. ) did call it but whats the point if its so far away and already bolted at someone….. That dog is going to seriously harm someone someday.

I ride home past some horse fields. The road is a dead end, which I enter from a cyclepath at said dead end.
In the last couple of weeks there has been someone leaving their car almost blocking the road whilst they attend to their horses and leave their 3 dogs roaming all over the place. Without fail the dogs all run straight at me barking then turn and chase me up the road. This has happened 4-5 times now. Next time I’m gonna risk it, get off the bike, grab a dog and chuck it back in the unattended car, then rip into the owners. I think I shall be spoiling my manners, sadly……

What piss** me off the most is why do dogs owners ALWAYS says “it’s okay it won’t bite” it’s boll****! I’m terrified of dogs (having had a bag experience years ago) a dog will ALWAYS bite if encourage enough/kicked/abused etc and there’s no point saying to someoen that’s shite scared “it won’t bite” … no it won’t especially once I’ve kicked it in the mouth and it loses it’s teeth!!!!
Not many dog owners are considerate .. unfortunately I haven’t seen many!

If I got bitten twice by a rottweiler and you know who the owner is I’d be looking to report that! dangerous dog, get it destroyed!

What I never understand is why it seems to be a point of honour for dog honours not to actually grab hold of yapping Fido when I cycle past. Maybe rather than just telling the dog to stay, and it usually not doing, they could grab it by the collar and remove all doubt in everyone’s mind!

Whenever I go out on a cycle ride, I take a small flock of sheep (and associated lambs) and a snub-nosed uzi with me.

If a dog ever comes running over to me, yapping and barking and acting a bit daft, I shoot it on the spot and inform its owner that it was worrying my sheep. They dont have a leg to stand on

on Sunday my 18month old son was nearly run down by a cyclist (my son was holding my hand so not running off somewhere), i then watched him further down the track where he nearly ran over a dog (which was on a lead) some cyclists are complete ****.

balance addressed

I came across a dog walker on the ‘DOG’ on Sunday – and the trial was very busy … – I told him that he was on a dedicated bike trail and he, the dog and worst of all the sporting person in all of this would get hurt…. He muttered something so I definately told him in no uncertain circumstances that he was a total f&&&ing idiot… I am a dog owner (well the Mrs is) – you simply do not do things like this.

Munqe-chick

– Yeah i know – Id have liked to have say something – but I didnt want to get off my bike. Thing should have a muzzle – just didnt want to let go of my leg….. I bet its still running around – accident waiting to happen.

reminds me of Bernard Righton. (@3:35)

So, viv, have you reported this dog yet?
You have a legal responsibility to. It could be a small child’s face, next time…

cheap chilli powder

We had a dog like most of those featuring in this thread. Basically would go for anything that she didn’t like the look of – children, bikes and (particularly) other dogs.

There was one place we would let her off the lead – middle of a park, where you could see for about 200m in all directions. Rest of the time it’s lead before she goes out and stays on until she’s back in the house. Only time we ever had a problem was when the buckle on her lead snapped as she lunged at her nemesis Westie. Wrestling a 35kg German Shepherd to the ground isn’t as easy as you’d think, especially when she’s on a mission. You can see why the Polis use them.

In short, if you can’t trust the dog, it should stay on the lead.

Our Collie used to lunge at cyclists when we took him out for a walk.
He was rescued by us at 6 yrs old and had not been treated in a way a collie should be i.e. tied up in the middle of someones back garden while the local kids rode their bikes round and round him winding him up cos he just wanted to play with them but they were just out of reach and hence thought that was acceptable behaviour when seeing someone on a bike to jump up at them.
We used to walk him round the roads on a short lead as he could be unpredictable off a lead if someone cycled through the park. However, by putting time and effort in to desensetise him & correct his behaviour he is now able to be trusted off lead around cyclists (obviously not walking around the roads) to the point where he is able to come along with me when i go out on my bike. I do however always pull over and grab his coller if there is another cyclist coming (nice open trails so easy to see them coming).
In short its down to the owners how the dog turns out and it always saddens me that so many have an inability to train a dog and/or keep it under control. However it also saddens me that some many cyclists behave like complete tos*ers towards other users of the countryside by thinking that in some way they have more rights to use bridleways and paths than walkers(inc dog owners), horse riders, other cyclists etc etc. Its all about give and take but some people of all interests think that there activity takes priority over everyone else.

Just be considerate to others and do/treat others as you would want to be treated yourself and we will all get along just fine 8)

Rude boy – If your being serious – no. What am I supposed to say? Oi Gov A Rottweiler in charvil? If I ran into the owners id say something, but now I have found better sans chien trails….. Dogs in general are not too bad really – and a few are a nuisance – but this one just plays too rough, is not controlled and its breed amplifies these short comings…..

Accidents waiting to happen…… meh….

Chase –

the dog takes my butties wrapped in clingfilm and runs off with them.

Trust me, that dog is a professional buttie thief, it would have no problem with cling film. 😉
Our dog just wanders up looking cute, then pounces on the food and runs off. We have her on a lead when we know there are picnics about, but sometimes she gets a lucky break. 😳

Was chased by some terrier effort a while back in the lakes gave it two pushes with the foot, couple of rear wheel lock ups a shout… none of it worked. So while it took a 2 second break from eating my foot i saw my opportunity and punted the little bastid right up the arse.

Dog lovers, chill out, it was some nice soft brambles over the wall.

i was walking my dog the other day, all good lovely little dog path and all when some bloody great single speeder came charging up the hill, no sign of suspension forks, no geared riders with them. The bugger practically crushed the dog! think it was one of those 29er jobs, finally ages behind some huffing old guy on a full susser arrived and got the feisty one under control. Very apologetic and all but still, not nice.

viv, would you at least let local riders know which bridleway ?

email offroad@readingctc.co.uk so that somebody can do something about it.

Viv – is that Charvil, reading? I’m just down the road in Twyford. PM me if you fancy hooking for a ride one night?