Dogs at Trail Centres

Isn’t it a bit selfish? I’ve had a few near misses over the last couple of weeks at Llandegla with errant dogs running under my wheels. The issues seems to be worse of a Wednesday evening when I guess people are combining a blast around Llandegla with their obligation to walk the dog. I’m not on about the shared access trails, I acknowledge that these are shared between cyclists, walkers, people with dogs etc.. and your speed should reflect that. I’m talking about the bike specific red and black trails where people are riding with their dogs off the lead with absolutely no consideration for other trail users.

Both last night and last Wednesday I had very near misses where a dog has shot out in front of my wheel and I have had to take evasive action to avoid hitting the thing, both occasions could have resulted in nasty injuries, to the dog and more importantly to me. Both occasions I was met with a casual “sorry mate”. If I was unable to avoid hitting your dog, and ended up riding into it and hurting it, I wonder if the same casual “sorry mate” would be deemed a satisfactory response on my part.

I don’t think dogs should be allowed on bike specific trails, especially ones where the owner knows cyclists will be carrying decent speed. Its irresponsible and selfish. Either leave your dog at home or if you need to ride with it do so somewhere more appropriate.

Never been to a trail centre, but I wouldn’t have thought it a good idea to exercise your hound on dedicated bike trails and more than you would take your dog for a walk on the hard shoulder of the motorway.

Its putting both unsuspecting riders and the dogs in positions of unnecessary risk.

And before dog owners start harping about riders being able to stop in appropriate distances, these are dedicated bike trails. Sure you don’t go steaming round blind bends, but you shouldn’t have to ride at a snails pace to avoid hitting a piano (or other random object) that somehow ended up in the middle of the trail.

Some people are just selfish though aren’t they.

you aren’t going to persuade them to stop, you can persuade Tilhill to remove permission when you sue them when the inevitable accident happens and the dog owner does the responsible thing and scarpers before you can get their details

Dogs shouldn’t be at Trail Centres

Is that what you meant?

and here we go again. Good luck everyone.

patriotpro – Member
Dogs shouldn’t be at Trail Centres
Is that what you meant?

Tried amending to Riding with dogs at Trail Centres – Irresponsible? but missed the cut!

Couldn’t you have just done a search for some of the goodness knows how many other threads on this subject, and tagged your opinion onto one of those?

and here we go again. Good luck everyone.

Has it been done recently, or frequently? I don’t recall seeing a thread and searched. Apologies if I am going over old ground.

There’s no such thing as a dedicated bike trail, it’s a track through a forest that you’ve kindly been given permission to ride on.
Who police’s it anyway?
They have the same rights as you to be on it.

OP: http://bit.ly/13GQXUy

I’m a dog owner & it really p1sses me off when I see someone dragging a dog around the trails because they’re too lazy to give the dog a proper walk……

Thanks everyone pointing out this has been done before, a year ago. Let me go and start a thread on something original like wheel size.

Personally, wouldn’t do it at a trail centre. My dog is a bit errant, he gets a sniff of squirrel and he’s off, so it would be a nuisance for me to have to be worrying where he is all the time and not enjoying my ride – if it’s a nuisance for me, chances are it would be for others too.

I do ride with him on my local canal and in the park, but those are shared pathways, they are not places people generally go to do “proper” MTB-ing.

Yep regular topic. Bloody dangerous. Last thread I provoked on it was the swinley one where I nearly squished a dog. Selfish dog owners who endanger their pet and you will be along shortly saying it is your problem as you arent riding at a speed you can safely stop at when a random furry object moving quickly darts out in front of you. Usually there are also so stupid posts about likening dogs to small children as well which is complele bollox as they behave differently. Think that sums up the next 100 posts

Edit. Btw I love dogs just not at a trail centre!

just to check that my assumption is correct – next time, could it be a dog’s face ?

Well I reckon its judgement thing, stainburn middle of the week, fine. Dalby @ weekend, hell no. All of that also depends on the dog, breed, training and other stuff. I have a dog, but he doesn’t go riding, I didn’t think to train him in time, though his temptrament would prob be good, and my nearest trail has main road running through the middle of it – not ideal. He does go trail building though, and has a keen eye for a black option when on a trail walk.

There’s definitely one more recent than a year ago.

#won’t someone please think of the puppies?

A dog is for life,not just for trail centres………..

What about at Follow The Dog in Cannock Chase, shirley thats OK?

I’m a dog owner & it really p1sses me off when I see someone dragging a dog around the trails because they’re too lazy to give the dog a proper walk……

not entirely sure I get your logic…

if there is any.

Has it been a month already?
Waaah waaaah waaaah. Something/body has inconvenienced me in some way, must bleat about it on STW to reaffirm my belief that I am more important than other people. How dare they do things that may annoy me? Don’t they know who I am?!

My dog has decided he doesn’t like coming to trailcentres with me anymore as my 26″ wheels are embarrasing him. He runs just ahead of me so he doesn’t have to look at them.

Manual over the beast and ‘big ring’ it?

not entirely sure I get your logic…

if there is any.

Dogs like to sniff around & meet other dogs.Not much chance of that tearing along behind it’s owner on their bike is there….

#won’t someone please think of the puppies?

I often find myself thinking about puppies.

Oh, sorry. Wrong use of the word there.

Dogs like to sniff around & meet other dogs.Not much chance of that tearing along behind it’s owner on their bike is there….

So I shouldn’t walk my dog where there aren’t other dogs then either?

Usually there are also so stupid posts about likening dogs to small children as well which is complele bollox as they behave differently.

They do indeed behave differently. My dog comes back when I call him.

I’ve no problem, just so long as the dog isn’t riding a better bike than me.

I’ve no problem, just so long as the dog isn’t riding a bike better than me.

ftfy 😉

😀

Unfortunately there have been a couple of viral vids of amazing trail dogs charging down bike trails an unwavering 4 feet from the rear wheel of their owner.

Most dogs will not do this.

Some dogs were bred specifically to Hunt !
Some of the hounds lead in the pack and the horses followed the hounds, Border Terriers, Patterdale Terriers were bred to follow the horse at the back of the pack if the fox went to ground,

If you think dogs arent up to it i personally think your very much mistaken, and to use an old cliche, its not the dogs fault if it doesent do as its told, sure they are bike specific areas but really who gives a **** ?

Unfortunately there have been a couple of viral vids of amazing trail dogs charging down bike trails an unwavering 4 feet from the rear wheel of their owner.

like this?

This sort of thing is a likely by-product of people starting to consider a dog as a riding accessory. There’s been threads on here about ‘What Trail Dog?’ for example.

It’s a dog, not the latest dropper seatpost or other spurious must-have of this week/month!

We just need a wheel size thread for today’s full house.

To get a line on my card I need a “what tyre for the alps” and a thread about a fooball player…

Personaly they’d don’t bother me.

But I’m the kind of person who thinks live and let live, so I can also accept that some people are ill equiped to deal with other people and and the wider world. Sometimes this manifests as not being able to deal wth there being animals on their bike trail.

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/countrysidecode/keepdogs.aspx

dog=lead, everyone else is happy.

So I shouldn’t walk my dog where there aren’t other dogs then either?

& tape his nose up so he can’t sniff anything as well………

I ride with my dog around Degla once a week, I’m not lazy.

To clarify mind, I only take him in the day and mid week. Go up the fire road and ride the old blue and avoid the trails as much as possible. He’s always under control and we stay clear of other riders.

Wouldn’t take him when it’s busy no matter how well behaved he is.

He’s also a Trail Pixie and gives his personnel time for free to help maintain your trail Center, so he’s earned his trip round once a week, how many can say that.

So we’re not allowed on Footpaths, BW’s we have to give way to everyone and on bike dedicated trails we’re now expected to watch out for dogs, just in case.
Seems to me that there’s little point in having dedicated trail centres based on that logic.
I suppose some dog owners would take spot for a wander along the WRC tracks during a race, because they can?

I suppose some dog owners would take spot for a wander along the WRC tracks during a race, because they can?

Trail center =/= closed course, what if it was a kid on a ballance bike following dad rather than a dog?

Having said that WRC stages aren’t generaly closed course either.