MTB Hazards : Dogs

Does anybody understand the mentality of dogs when they see an MTB ?
Their default behaviour seems to be dither and then stop right in my path…
Other noted behaviours are
1) Chasing and yapping at heals (usualy jack russels)
2) Sitting down, not giving a sh1t (collies sometimes)
3) Half noticeing me, but somehow it does not register so the threat of running into my path is implicit in this behaviour. (most of them, most of the time)

Comments….

I think they are usually wondering why you are on a footpath……..

Comment? This thread will degenerate into a flamathon shortly

Dogs should be under control at all times. Its badly trained dogs and stupid owners that cause issues.

Just run them over they soon learn (best avoid the bigger ones with short legs unless you have a 160mm FS bike) 🙂

Dogs brains are the size of a pea but their hearts are bigger and offer more love than a whole packet of peas.

Roughly agree with TJ apart from to add if you aren’t riding in control (ie: cannot stop) then you are causing more of a nuisance than any dog could.

Also to add that TJ broadcasts in every thread about dogs his ignorance about them, as no dog is 100% in control as they aren’t machines and have free will and impulses.

richc: I doubt whether dogs have any conception of footpath, bridlepath, rupp boats or whatever. I am talking about bridlepaths or even bike tracks anyhow.
Anybody an expert on dog behaviour like Barbara Woodhouse?
I don’t recall getting dog trouble when out running cross countr…

Dogs should be under control at all times. Its badly trained dogs and stupid owners that cause issues.

2 out of the 4 things the OP mentions aren’t exactly a dog out of control! And the first one (dithering and then stopping in his path) ain’t exactly a problem either when you’ve slowed to walking pace.

Here we go again… 😥

Nickquinn293 sorry – post edited.

I am trying to learn!

Nickquinn293:
Yeah that’s the scenario. I have slowed right down to a walking pace but still the dog sits right in the blimmin way !!
LOL :/

I was joking, they seem to dither just incase you are going to do something interesting (like drop food).

Mine isn’t interested in Bikes, however he is interested in hunting squirrels, so he might/will ignore you, which could mean that you have to go around him, however that’s what your handlebars are for.

You wouldn’t ram a walker/runner/tree/car just because its in your path, so I am not sure why some people think its OK to ram a dog.

i find the biggest problem when riding is dogs trying to bite my face off, its worse if i’m racing through a kids school or playgroup… a)the kids are pretty slow to get out my way and b)if the kids have been eating lunch there’s a big chance one might have jam on its face, thus attracting the dog to rip a kids face off.

the second biggest problem is dogs are never as impressed with my awesome skidding skills as the girls down the estate are (terriers seem pretty interested in wheelies though).

It could be a childs face next time

the op is asking what is going on in the mind of a dog when a MTB approaches.

I imagine alot of the ones who just sit in the path are trying to play chicken with you, if you bale out they when and they walk off barking and wuffing and generally beging very pleased with themselves.

In future just make sure they dont win, they you can ride off happy in the knowledge your the big beast and they might think twice about playing chicken again.

Well no matter how much you love your dog ramming a child is far more likely to have legal implications.
Besides, children are usually kept under control, and their parents understand that not everybody thinks that they are wonderful 🙂

It could be Phil’s face next time 😉

PS also how can a dog not understand the concept of a path. If they were clever enough to think sood running around after deer all day Im just going stand about and wait till that human geezer feeds me, their clever enough to understand paths no excuses.

Trees and cars are more solid than dogs.

That is a good point, however I would like add the following facts:

Dogs can apply a bite pressure of 320lb enough to penetrate sheet steel)
Dogs run at speeds from 16 to 31 miles per hour.
Dogs reflexes are typically three times faster than a humans.

Might be worth considering before you attack a dog.

Squirrels just run for cover faaast!
They squeek when run over!!
As do rats….

It could be a dogs face next time

They’re probably thinking ‘i wonder if he has a spare sausage in his pocket’
Or ‘MEMEMEMEWANNAPLAYWANNAPLAYWANNAPLAY’
Or ‘GRRRR!!!COMEONTHEN!!!GRRRR!!!’
Or ‘this bum smells nice’ ‘mmmmmmmm’
Who knows, but the place would be poorer without em,

Dogs can apply a bite pressure of 320lb enough to penetrate sheet steel)

Never mind dogs, it’s swans you’ve got to watch out for. They can break a man’s arm. That’s true, that is.

I was chased for about 200 metres by a dog on a cycle track. When it caught up I would accelerate off again.
When it caught up I would accelerate off again.
When it caught up I would accelerate off again.
When it caught up I would accelerate off again.
Dog was looking pretty knackered by this time… then the cycle path merged into a main road …..
I can still remember it’s owner belatedly yelling ‘barny ! barny ! barniiieeee!!’
Funny as ****.

Ramming a dog?

I would recommend cycling away a fast as you’re little legs can go…most dog owners would have a pretty good attempt at beating the crap out of you.

Some with more success than others probably.

Joking aside if you lured my dog onto a main road for a laugh, you would be looking for your teeth for quite a while, and screw the consequences.

If your dog is so badly behaved as to chase a mountainbike…………………

you sound like a lovely chap easyrider, what a ****.

Think I left my teeth in the jar besides my bed!!

Besides CS Gas cannisters …. 🙂

What Simon was describing sounded more like leading a dog onto a road, rather than being chased by a dog.

Some animals are more trusting than others, and don’t really understand that some people would like to see them hurt/killed some for fun.

I’m afraid I’m with richc on this, and for that reason I’m out of here cos it’s not going to end well

scu98rkr – Member
PS also how can a dog not understand the concept of a path.

One of my dogs understands the concept of a path as ‘a place to have a poo but only if there are enough people watching to make this berk really embarassed’. I just love picking poo up with an audience…..

And as far as standing in front of bikes, they just do it to be annoying.

If you intentionally hurt or lure a dog into danger you run the risk of getting into an physical altercation with the owner.

Dogs are part of peoples families…some would react in the same way if you hurt their child.

I’m not saying that not having your dog under control is ok…but if you hurt or endanger the dog and you end up on the floor counting your teeth then maybe you should have cycled away faster!

Pah, leading a dog on to a road.
I led a swan in to the river once. That’ll teach it’s owner to keep it under control.

No accounting for dogs, IdleJon, cos mine has never crapped on the path. She just seemed to know to go where the bears go.

I led a horse to water…………….

easyrider – Member

Think I left my teeth in the jar besides my bed!!

Strange you definitely had your own teeth when I saw you out out riding a few weeks ago, that is if you are the same Simon Burgess who lives in Bristol.

Before I trained our Dog to recognise bikes; she just wouldn’t see them. Dogs been out for a walk with a friend, I’ve seen them and headed for them on my bike.

Shouting the dogs name as I’m riding, the daft dog circles the bike looking for where my voice is…. It was almost like Ed was right, Dogs can’t look up. Since then I’ve trained her to recognise bikes. 😕

It could be a faceless dog next time.

I would have let it chase me onto the main road…if my pet croc hadn’t eaten it all up first!
Well dogs are so intelligent they know about paths and things eh.