Dogs at trail centres

Should they be banned. Not always the brightest animals and can get in the way.

sounds like some riders too…

Mine loves a good run out, plus I rarely get overtaken. Llandogla is his fave

Yes they should be banned as they always get in the way…

I’m a dog owner too…. 😀

yes. i like dogs, just not at trail centers.

no they should not be allowed, along with walkers, go make use of the extensive RoW network, I like my trail center trees not decorated with little bags of shite!

I mean No! not yes. typing fail.

Thats not me BTW. I think dogs are cool, well as cool as their owners. (my dog folows me round on a ride no probs :D)
Don’t take him round trail centres though, too many riders don’t know WTF they’re doing

Trolling? 2/10

it’s a trail centre, specifically tailored for you to ride trails. Should a dog be there? No.

Selfish owner if it is there in my opinion.

Not another trolling spoil sport.

Should be banned, its the one place you’d expect a sensible dog owner to avoid but there were a couple at Cwm carn on Saturday that seemed delibrately awkward.

Last thing you’d want, at a trail centre, is to be barreling down some bit of track, and some dog jumping out on you. Could be very nasty for both rider and dog.

Worse, when the dog jumps out from behind a tree and shouts BOOOOO!!!. Fecker, scares me.

I usually carry a handgun with me, if any get in my way I shoot them

Not really a troll. My mate was nearly taken out by a dog at a trail centre and then this weekend there were two running around and getting in the way at Glentress. You wouldn’t expect to see walkers, horses or motorbikes on them. Is the dog owner liable if I knack myself running into one?

probably but you need to ID them to do anything, usually they leg it to the car park if the dog causes an issue

I ride with my dogs regularly but never at trail centres.

Dog dirt in bags in trees, what the hell is that about???

since when was the countryside just for mountain bikers, there is a lot of arse hole mtber go down to gt with out a dog you should ban them first (minority of arse holes)

Came across a couple riding at Whinlatter with their dog,the dog got in my way on one of the switchbacks much to the owners amusement!
As much as i like dogs,trail centres are not the place for them!

Mines bl**dy good when on the trails and can give most riders a run for thier money on technical stuff
No fear + loves being out in all weathers perfect trail mate.
Thumbs up from me

so what about a family day out, mum goes for a walk with the dog, younger brother moches arround in dark woodland listening to cradle of filth on his ipod, me and dad go off for a ride.

its even called follow the dog FFS

I’m more bothered by nichesters struggling to get their latest super wide bar’d, rigid bike through a tight switchback and over a rock garden. Come on, if i’m buzzing your rar tire maybe you should considder the green route on your overhyped motorcycle bar’d hybird?

Roundwheels. I recognise all the words in the second part of your sentence. It’s the order that confuses me.

Oh, and dogs at trail centres? A resounding no.

Bridleways, footpaths, ROWs? As long as they are under control and the owners clean up after them, oh yes.

Well behaved dogs are fine at trail centres. There’s a guy with a beautiful border collie I’ve seen a few times at Glentress and it basically follows his wheel like a tag-along on the downs and runs up off-trail on the ups, well impressive.

Sadly, not all are well behaved and really only the very best behaved dogs should be out on a weekend at Glentress.

There was a clown with a husky type thing a couple of weeks ago that he had no control over – he should have been shot and the dog rehomed. It was straightlining the hairpin climbs, stopping in the middle of the trail and waiting for it’s ignorant owner to catch up, causing everyone else to go round it. And repeat every hairpin. “Just ride at it” he said, except it’s not you that gets bitten when the dog gets angry, and not you that gets a bike into your side.

I love all dogs but detest ignorant dog owners. If your dog has behavioural issues you need to manage it not let it lark around and annoy other people and dogs.

a useful rule of thumb is that the dogs IQ is usually higher than the owners

As long as the dog is under control i see no problem with them being at trail centres.

After all theres been many a time when ive been out walking the dog when a biker has come hurtling down a general path in the woods. Dont really want to stop them from cyling there though.

As long as the owner is responsbible then it should be fine.

This a difficult one. I love my dog and he’s good as gold round our local trails. But, like I say, I leave him with someone else when visiting cwmcarn (my local trail centre) I am VERY wary of segragating bits of countryside solely for the use of one section of user though. It can only lead to conflict and ultimately someone(and usually everyone somehow) is going to lose out. Don’t get me wrong I love nothing more than riding at the ragged edge and trail centres provide an opportunity to fully do that, however is a dog running about more of a hazzard than an unexpected boulder on the trail, or a previously not, but now washed out bit? Only the most “hardcore” dog owners would venture to the trails mentioned above, I dunno do they deserve the respect we seem to demand.

No, for the reasons that rudeboy gives. Some of the descents are fast, with little time to react, i don’t want to be finding some Rover stood where I want to be

Some of the descents are fast, with little time to react,

Fair point. I am often astonished by my (admittedly thick as sh1t,) dogs reaction times though! – certainly alot better than those of a fallen tree in the way etc.
No view either way on this one, it’s a dilemma for me 😐
End of the day though, and I wouldn’t deny either their right to be there, I got to say I’ve had more problems with crap riders in front of me than I’ve had with dogs at cwmcarn.

I own up, I used to take my old border terrier round the FTd, in fact she came round with me on the official opening, ‘but I waited till everyone else had gone in front’! She could outrun most bikers and knew how to stand to the side when she stopped, she learnt over many years of riding with me and was very bike aware and never got in the way.

But I do agree that dogs that aren’t under control should not be anywhere near the trail centres, because it can cause conflict and eventually as has been said above segregation could be bad for our sport.

shot on sight imo then aim for the owner.

yeah, just like golf courses.

NO.

Its a recipe for disaster. Imagine: your barrelling down the DH run at Cwmcarn, come over a blind jump you know well, safe in the knowledge that nothing is coming the other way & nobody is going to be hanging out on the downside of a jump (cos its **** dangerous) & whoops whose in your landing zone but Shep who gets taken out by 190+ lbs of rider & bike going over 30mph..

End result: not good, a seriously injured (perhaps dead much loved companion). A biker who will probably have a trip to the local A&E at the very least. Not too mention the associated legal fallout that would come from such an accident.

Its a very selfish person who thinks that outcome is a risk worth taking.

If you do want to go ride with your dog – do it somewhere ELSE, not on bike specific trails. Whats wrong with using a bridleway WHEN you know that other users are at least 1/2 expecting something else around the corner.

I dont want to have to be thinking about the possibility of somebodies mutt being around the corner the next time Im flying down Whites Level!

ps I love dogs – have lived, loved & buried 5. And still counting..

As long as the dog’s wearing body armour and a full face helmet, I’m sure it will fit in just fine.

Absolutely not.

trail centres with proper waymarked trails are designed specifically to keep walkers and riders apart and this includes pet dogs.

By taking your dog you are being selfish

I dont want to have to be thinking about the possibility of somebodies mutt being around the corner the next time Im flying down Whites Level!

How about walkers, deer, people pushing bikes back up to have another go, etc.. Why do people delude themselves that the trail will be clear?

Ban trail centres 😉

What is the legal standpoint? I believe there are no by-laws prohibiting dogs, pedestrians and horses from MTB trails. However, I only care when sycophantic morality from armchair experts kick in.

Wheres TJ ?

FWIW I take my dog around all trail centres, never use a lead or do a recall and hang his poo bag up outside the cafe on a tree. If I bother clearing it up at all.