Dog walkers in the Devon area of Teignbridge District Council will soon risk on-the-spot fines of £100 if they use leads longer than one metre near cycle paths.
The new rule is part of a public space protection order (PSPO) which will come into force from April and cover some areas next to highways and cycling infrastructure.
Owners who walk their dogs on leads longer than a metre can be fined £100, or face prosecution, with maximum fines reaching £1,000.
The rule does not apply for parks and beaches but is an extension of the Teignbridge District Council PSPO, first introduced in 2019 to tackle irresponsible dog ownership.
The council has pledged to improve signage to communicate the changes to members of the public before it comes into effect in the spring.
Dog walkers will also be required to pick up faeces in public places, carry sufficient poo bags, avoid certain beaches during the summer months, and avoid exclusion areas, such as children’s play parks.
Councillor Alistair Dewhirst welcomed the extension of the order, saying: “I think it has worked well so far and we want it to continue.”
In 2017, a London cyclist wrote to Mayor Sadiq Khan after suffering slashes to his face, back and clothes due to an “almost invisible” dog lead stretched across a path in Blackheath.
Robert Perkins and the dog’s owner were injured by the leash, which he did not see as it was “so thin it was almost invisible and it was so long”.
“I am likely not the first cyclist that has been involved in such an incident, and fear I will not be the last,” Perkins warned at the time.
“While I realise that the green spaces must be shared by many users, my understanding is that dog owners are legally obliged to keep their dogs under control at all times in public – something which is effectively impossible with the use of these types of leads.”
In 2015, a man knocked off his bike by an out-of-control dog on a retractable lead won a £65,000 payout from the animal’s owner after it leapt into his path while he was training for a Coast to Coast event.
Anthony Steele was riding in a ten-rider group and rang his bell to warn a group of pedestrians moments before the dog leapt into his path, causing the cyclist to crash and fracturing his skull.
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
95 thoughts on “Cyclists’ safety highlighted as dog walkers face fines for using long leads near cycle paths”
Hooray!
Hooray!
“Dog walkers will also be
“Dog walkers will also be required to pick up faeces in public places”
As opposed to now where they’re permitted to leave it just lying around?
If that’s the case I’ll make
If that’s the case I’ll make sure I have a C**P on the footpath every time I go out
Sorry – It’s tasteless, but I could not resist it!
Cycloid wrote:
How do you know your excrement is tasteless?
TheBillder wrote:
Well, it’s funny you should ask…
Bucks Cycle Cammer wrote:
Ridiculously, in some cases they can: on agricultural land, woodland, rural common land, marshland, moors and heaths there is no obligation to clean up, even if your dog drops its load right in the middle of the footpath.
In my local park they have
In my local park they have dog poo bag dispensers. They thought it would solve the problem. But they are now empty and it didn’t stop the faeces being left on the pavement. When there were bags they would be tied up and throw into the bushes.
About time too – or is it?
About time too – or is it?
Are walkers with dogs on long leads selfish, entitled antisocial morons, or maybe they just don’t understand the problem they are causing?
When I go out for a bike ride have to watch out for and take action to avoid dogs on long leads all the time.
Maybe the dog walker has an encounter with a cyclist on one in fifty walks
No matter what, it’s a problem that needs sorting.
EDIT PS
Is a walker with a dog a single unit? And if so are they above or below cyclists in the new Highway Code hierarchy?
Next on my list is people on narrow paths wearing earphones who don’t hear warnings
Cycloid wrote:
I get the problem, but you always have to consider that pedestrians may have hearing issues even if they’re not wearing headphones. If they don’t respond to noises, then it’s best to slow down to their speed and wait until there is room to pass. Alternatively carry a long stick so you can prod them.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Good idea – to cause the most confusion use a long white stick (and wear dark glasses).
hawkinspeter wrote:
?
wycombewheeler wrote:
Is that Lance Armstrong?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Remco Evenepoel.
chrisonatrike wrote:
Isn’t it the new Team PikeExchange kit?
wycombewheeler wrote:
Cyclists; knights of the road.
As a cyclist and proud collie
As a cyclist and proud collie owner I have come to loath extendable leads. I agree with everything written so far but add you can tell any errant dog on an extender lead’s owner it’s bad for the dog. It can’t feel when the owner needs to control it for whatever reason. Either the dog is on a short lead or it’s off lead in the woods etc where it won’t cause a problem and return when called. I know, I know, loose dogs can be a pain but at least you can avoid them and not worry about a lead. By the way I’m a postie and had more experience than most people of aggressive dogs.
This is and has been a
This is and has been a problem for many years, so it’s good that some authorities are addressing it. The law is that a dog must be under control in a public place, and the HC rules are clear; dogs must be kept on a short lead in public, especially in spaces shared with cyclists.
Personally, I’ve never understood why some people use these dangerous extending leads, so could some dog owner explain please?
I’ll have a go. We have a dog
I’ll have a go. We have a dog that loves people but is scared by other dogs. The fear triggers an unpredictable reactive response which is sometimes the fight part of fight or flight. No idea what made him like this but we’ve been unable to fix it. So when we walk him, he has to stay on a lead. An extending lead gives him a degree of freedom to do doggy things but we can keep him under control and to heel on a shortened lead if required. Hope that helps.
Podc wrote:
No – doesn’t help at all.
What you’re actually saying is that you have the illusion of control but the reality is that you don’t.
Ditch the lead!
What? If we see other dogs
What? If we see other dogs about we can retract the lead and divert. If a dog approaches I can retract the lead. It then becomes a normal lead.
Podc wrote:
Is the reel-in spring-loaded? That I’d love to see!
zzzzzZZzzzzzzzzzzZZZzzzzzzzzzzZZzzzzz-wroah!
Podc wrote:
the lead can only be retracted if the dog allows it, the spring will not overcome the dog pulling, so are you saying you can pull the dog back to heel using the thin wire of the lead, not the handle?
Or do you have a wind in spool with a winch, like a fishing reel?
Illusion of control, a dog on a 10m leed is not under control, if you can call the dog and t will come back every time to allow the leed to be retracted, then you can call the dog back and fit a leed. If you can’t call the dog back (sounds like it) the dog is not under control.
wycombewheeler wrote:
When I’ve used a retractable lead (many years ago), there was a button on the handle that locks the cable, so you can lock the cable, yank the dog towards you, unlock the cable so it winds in a bit, rinse and repeat.
But yes, the ideal is a short 1m lead and a dog trained well enough to be let loose in parks etc.
You lock the lead and pull it
You lock the lead and pull it. Have you never used one? Takes about 3 or 4 seconds from full extension which is about 5m to dog with me. Lead is rarely at full extension anyway as there are usually other dogs about.
There is a lot of looking for issues going on here when there really isn’t much to see. Sorry I tried to help originally.
Podc wrote:
The thing is you’re not helping – you’re simply perpetuating the same old talk that other dog users say on the issue, blindly ignoring the problem.
It may ‘only’ be 3 or 4 seconds but that is 3 or 4 seconds too long to get the dog under control when it is supposed to be under control at all times. On the Redways here in Milton Keynes those leads are everywhere – I can have come around a corner and be well out of your way in 3-4 seconds. I’m more than happy to share a path with you and I will take care but it extends both ways.
Imagine this scenario: cyclist comes downhill, around bend and is confronted with a dog walker one side of the path with doggy 5 meters away on the other side of the path – no way can you retract the lead in time for cyclist to pass safely. Now imagine that the same scenario repeats itself every few hundred yards!
You can’t be quick enough, I
You can’t be quick enough, I had one for my collie a few years it was slow but 3/42 wide and a greenish colour, why can’t the manufacturers make them colourful, like RED and YELLOW?
nordog wrote:
I agree, we should have hi-vis dogs.
chrisonatrike wrote:
And helmets.
But should the helmets have
But should the helmets have helmets? I’ll have to put my thinking cat on for that one.
eburtthebike wrote:
And day running lights
Jimwill wrote:
And helmets.
— eburtthebike And day running lights— chrisonatrike
Careful what you wish for – it’ll be lasers next on the modern gun dog.
Different breeds of dogs have
Different breeds of dogs have different instincts. A Lab or Retriever is very trainable – why do you think that Guide Dogs use these breeds (though they still selectively breed for trainability).
If you have a Terrier, their chase instincts are very strong and they also aren’t always very bright, a Hound is funda – SQUIRREL! – mentally a hunting dog, and will have string hunting instincts.
Then in a park with lots of dogs, there are problems with how dogs interact. Although actually my theory is that dogs behave better with each other off the lead (on the lead they are more nervous as they feel constrained and are therefore more likely to be aggressive to defend themselves) the reality is other dogs smell very interesting and – squirrel! – are very tempting even for a trained dog.
Then of course, plenty of owners are incompetent and don’t realise they are 75% of the problem. As someone who has trained a couple of Guide Dog puppies, I am happy that I understand how dogs work generally, but we still had one, who went on to be successul, who would sometimes go alpha off the lead and refuse to respond to commands – for a good 20 minutes of trying to outthink the b*****d. As soon as you could put a hand on his collar, he would be as good as gold.
So, extentendable leeds are great for allowing a dog to have some freedom where you – SQUIRREL! – haven’t got a space with too many temptations.
IanMSpencer wrote:
That’s more a cat thing in my experience.
Have to say I’ve never had a
Have to say I’ve never had a stupid terrier. Bossy, opinionated, independent and strong willed most certainly but stupid? Absolutely not. All of mine have made my border collies look thick. They’re very easy to train if you know how and can be incredibly loyal. Even breeds like patterdales who are hard wired to hunt are very intelligent and trainable. They just choose not to recall. Terriers are like marmite ?
So they don’t have to walk
So they don’t have to walk far and with luck, the dog goes under the bush or hedge to do its poo dump as with these ball throwing plastic things they can be lethal or they leave the old broken ball in/on the field and pathway plus the poo bag. I am a cyclist and a dog owner walker, I keep her on the short lead for her poo dumps bag it (if not in the forest) carry it to the nearest bin and if there is a large area for her to run then let her go.
I have a dog but don’t use a
I have a dog but don’t use a long lead. Yes, dogs are supposed to be under control in a public space. But bear in mind also that most UK parks require cyclists to give people and pets priority. If you were to run into an off lead dog while cycling in a park, there’s a good chance that you’d be considered at fault.
OldRidgeback wrote:
if an out of control dog runs into my bike, I’m not at fault.
nosferatu1001 wrote:
That depends on how fast you’re going. A lot of public parks have signs suggesting suitable speeds for cyclists. And they may also point out that pedestrians and animals have priority. And while a dog may walk back onto the pathway, if the cyclist is heading at speed then the onus is very much on the cylist to brake hard. As a cyclist in a park, you should be riding considerately and looking for those hazards, such as children and pets. That’s what I do when I cycle through parks.
OldRidgeback wrote:
That depends on how fast you’re going. A lot of public parks have signs suggesting suitable speeds for cyclists. And they may also point out that pedestrians and animals have priority. And while a dog may walk back onto the pathway, if the cyclist is heading at speed then the onus is very much on the cylist to brake hard. As a cyclist in a park, you should be riding considerately and looking for those hazards, such as children and pets. That’s what I do when I cycle through parks.— OldRidgeback
not everyone cycles through parks. You are fixated on parks as if they’re the only place dog owners don’t have their pets under control.
and no, it doesn’t matter. If a dog, active, hits, still active, my bike, I’m not at fault. It’s not me hitting the dog, it’s the dog hitting me.
nosferatu1001 wrote:
I’m talking about parks specifically because that’s where I walk my dog. These are shared spaces. Bylaws are posted on most parks. The ones round my way do say quite clearly that cyclists have to be considerate of other park users and moderate speeds accordingly.
I’m a BC coach as it happens. I’ve had issues when training novice riders of Strava focussed riders coming up fast behind and overtaking us calling ‘On your right’ as they zoom past very closely, not that a novice rider concentrating on staying upright would have any idea what the person was talking about.
And when jogging last week, I had a close pass at speed by someone on an MTB also in the park.
I’m talking about parks because this is where I do see a lot of inconsiderate cycling.
Most dog owners keep their dogs on the lead when walking along pavements, and I tend to keep my dog away from those who don’t as that often signals something else entirely.
I’m not saying “don’t
I’m not saying “don’t moderate speeds”. I’m not talking about whizzing up behind peds, yelling bike right
im saying: if your dog is not under control, and despite me taking reasonable steps (objectively so,,using the “man on the Clapham omnibus” test) the dog hits my bike, I’m not at fault. As a dog owner, as soon as your dog is not under control, you are taking a risk that your dog does something not conducive to its own health.
being considerate does not mean “I have to take such extreme avoiding measures that I put myself at undue risk due to your failure to control your dog”.
I’ve used them for older dogs
I’ve used them for older dogs. I had one who went completely deaf aged 9 but I had trained him to hand signals as a youngster so it wasn’t really an issue. As he got older as often happens with dogs they go backwards. Not senile just a return to their naughty puppy days. I used the extending lead to allow him some freedom whilst keeping him safe. He had a condition that caused his back legs to weaken and followed my other dogs getting himself stuck down a steep bank. I didn’t let it happen twice. My next oldie had a thing for small children and had a remarkable turn of speed if he spotted one. All he wanted was cuddles but understandably parents could be a little traumatised by a strange dog charging up to their child. As he aged he went from 100% recall to looking at me then doing what he liked almost overnight and I preferred not to take chances. The extending lead I have is a tape rather than a cord. I think its 3 metres but it’s a while since I bought it. They’re usually based on weight of the dog and the cord type tend to be more for smaller breeds. Personally I specifically looked for the tape style. Having a deaf dog made me very vigilant about people so I was always aware of others approaching. In spite of having breeds that are notorious for chasing none of mine have ever done it. I put in a lot of training and chasing cyclists, runners, traffic, children, pushchairs and anything else that moves is simply not allowed. Both of my dogs have breed traits that some might see as “issues” but I’ve always worked with their natural behaviour rather than trying to suppress it. I have never had a near miss with a pedestrian or cyclist on a shared trail whilst using an extending lead.
I do think far too many people rely on extending leads for their dogs because they simply have no control and no inclination to put in the training needed. They make a half assed attempt and when it doesn’t work in five minutes they give up. Extending leads are a quick fix for them. A lot also have a sense of entitlement and seem to think everyone else should accommodate them. Extending leads can be dangerous. The brakes often fail and people are very complacent with their use. They should be illegal along roads, I’ve seen far too many near misses with cars. I’ve also had aggressive dogs charge at mine to attack because the extending lead allowed it whilst the owners blamed me for being there ? ?♀️?♀️
Bouncetastic wrote:
Any chance you could condense your diatribe into a sentence or two so that I could be bothered to read it?
I think it’s the right
I think it’s the right decision. There seems to be a new trend for dog walkers to buy extendable leads which are just a thin wire and completely invisible until you ride into it.
I really don’t understand dog
I really don’t understand dog walkers at times. I’ve been forced off my bike a few times by uncontrolled dogs – on or off long leads – and most times there’s been no reaction at all from the owner(s). They often don’t even look up. They took no notice of bells etc, even walking towards me, to at least get their dog under control. I don’t want to injure a dog so I end up stopped or swerving, the latter means I’ve been off my bike more than once from hitting a root – wooden edge etc.
it’s getting to the point on my 29er I’m just not going to stop. If I hit a dog that shoukd have been under control, to not come off my bike and get no apology or even acknowledgement from the owner? fine.
In shared spaces everybody
In shared spaces everybody has to take greater care. When I’m riding round my local park, I always slow down when there are kids or dogs about because they’re unpredictable.
I’m a dog owner too and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had close passes by riders concentrating on their Strava performance. I don’t use a long lead but it is a public park and dogs are allowed to be off lead.
In fact, I was nearly hit while jogging with my usual running partner by one loon who didn’t see fit to slow down, despite the fact that there was a mob of kids on the path and that we had to run on the grass. He missed me by a few cm and gave no warning either.
If a cyclist hit my dog I’d be seriously angry and I’d expect the cyclist to pay vet bills as the signs in the park are quite clear that cyclists have to give people and pets priority. Just so you know, vet bills can be very expensive. You might want to think about slowing down.
If your dog isn’t under
If your dog isn’t under control, in a public place, your idea on who is liable for consequential losses might come as quite a surprise.
You managed to miss the point by a country mile. Paying zero attention to what your dog is doing in a public park isn’t the fault of the cyclist. Failing to pay attention when a cyclist attempts to get your attention so you can control your dog, isn’t the fault of the cyclist.
I absolutely take care. I’m just not going to put myself at risk to avoid dogs when the owner couldn’t give a rats ass about their safety.
The definition of whether or
The definition of whether or not a dog is under control is rather opaque. But if my dog is trotting along a path in the park off lead and a cyclist comes up at speed and strikes him, then it’s clearly not the dog that’s at fault. That’s my point which you seem to be ignoring deliberately. There are a lot of strava chasers in my park and they’re inconsiderate. I’ve had to haul him out of the way of people riding at speed a couple of times recently because the riders haven’t seen fit to back off and slow down when there are people and animals on the path. The fast riders are the problem, not the people and animal trotting along the paths. It’s that simple.
My dog is used to cyclists and doesn’t chase because we’re a family of cyclists and he’s used to skateboards too, as one of my son’s is a skater also.
I look after my dog and I watch what he’s doing, but sometimes he might be over here mooching with another dog or checking out the smells by a tree over there. I pick up his dog mess and I take spare bags and inevitably pick up mess left by others (three on this morning’s run as it happens) and nor do I use or like long leads. But if you think everyone is watching their animal like a hawk 100% of the time then you’re frankly being unrealistic.
The UK’s parks are shared spaces and everyone in them has to be considerate of everyone else. If you can’t recognise that and continue to talk about hitting dogs, then maybe you need to consider your behaviour as you’re making it sound like you’re the problem here, not the dogs you’re complaining about. If you’re riding at speed in a public park then you’re a danger to everyone else.
If you really want to train and ride flat out, go to a velodrome.
OldRidgeback wrote:
Control is not opaque – simply, no dog is ever under control unless they are on a short lead. Even the police dogs are kept on a lead and I’ll wager they are more highly trained than most. You most certainly cannot guarantee that if your dog is off it’s lead it will come to heel on command at all times, no matter how well trained it is.
Parks are one shared use space but there are plenty of others where you are obligated to keep your animal under control at all times and as in my scenario I posted yesterday, the cyclist doesn’t have to be going at speed for an uncontrolled dog to be a problem.
Gimpl wrote:
READ THIS:
The UK’s parks are shared spaces and everyone in them has to be considerate of everyone else.
OldRidgeback wrote:
Read what and why?
At no point have I
At no point have I
– said I’m going flat out
– said I’m in a park
under control isn’t “hard” to define. If it’s off lead it’s not under control. This has been tested previously. Thus, in a shared space, where you let your animal off lead and therefore not in control , you are now taking a risk and share some or all responsibility if that risk crystallises. Blunt fact here.
I never said your scenario was what happens and is what I have issue with. I’ve even used zig zagging as an answer as oblivious dog owners fail to pay any attention to the world around them while they have a chat, or are in their phones world, just letting their pet run *out of control*. In that instance, if I take suitable care over my riding, and your not under control dog hits my bike, you are at fault as the owner, and you will be paying for repairs, compensation for injury, etc.
What im saying, and you seem to ignore, is that I’ve put myself at risk, and injured myself, to avoid out of control dogs. I’ve gone over my handlebars because I swerved to avoid a dog running round a corner and zig zagging every time I tried to avoid them safely back into my path. As I was there, on the ground and in clear pain, the oblivious owner
just
walked
past.
so no, I’m not the bloody problem. Are all dogs and dog owners at fault? No. Are all cyclists at fault? Again, no. Yet you gave an absolute – that “fast cyclists” are the problem. Nope. Inconsiderate people are the prob,em.
nosferatu1001 wrote:
READ THIS:
The UK’s parks are shared spaces and everyone in them has to be considerate of everyone else.
READ THIS:
READ THIS:
I’m not just talking about parks. I’ve said this more than once.
“Dog walkers will also be
“Dog walkers will also be required to pick up faeces in public places…..”
Everybody’s?
eburtthebike wrote:
Just some, so if their dog doesn’t do any business they will have to find some.
Always a shame when an
Always a shame when an enjoyable pastime becomes a chore.
I wonder if dog walker forums
I wonder if dog walker forums have articles about cyclists whizzing past too fast and too close and frightening dogs? I used to regularly walk my dog on an old railway line which was shared by ramblers, dog walkers, cyclists and riders. Without doubt the most rude, obnoxious and entitled users were cyclists. Everyone had to get out of the way when a cyclist came through. A few rang a bell, some others bellowed “get to the side” but many just whizzed past at high speed, quite frightening when they come up behind you without any warning. I hasten to add not all cyclists behaved this way, but then might I commit heresy and say maybe not all dog walkers (or even motorists) are devils incarnate. A little give and take and co-operation often goes a long way to smooth out life’s problems. However if you go about with a chip on your shoulder about what a victim you are then you often produce a self fulfilling prophecy.
Do you dear person walk on
Do you dear person walk on the right-hand side of the old railway track facing nearside oncoming runners, cyclists leaving the offside of the pathway clear or do you walk two/three breast all the time and with the near cyclist coming up behind you on the left-hand side of the pathway so blind to other close cyclist and do you walk the same on all roads with much faster traffic?
.
And your point is?
.
.
And your point is?
.
Older and sadder wrote:
There’s often some tension between different groups about how recreational facilities are used. And unfortunately people can be idiots. However the giant dog in the room is the fact that so much of our “getting from one place to another” facilities e.g. road space is effectively devoted to cars. That forces everyone else onto spaces which are inadequate or have to serve contradictory ends (e.g. dog walking, kids hanging out and efficient cycling).
Fantastic post, amazing the
Fantastic post
Hello Garage. Another name
Hello Garage. Another name change?
mdavidford wrote:
Good heavens it is, isn’t it? He was clearly suspended a short while back, does he think changing his name without actually opening a new account will allow him to get away with more? What’s that we’ve had so far then, Nigel Garage, Nigel Garrage, TT Danger, Youallarecyberbullies, Garage at Large and now Lance Strongarm, any others? I remember somebody theorised that he changes his name because some users are employing software that can block out specific commenters but he can skirt round that by changing his name. That would mean he is like a badly behaved toddler desperately waving the nastier portions of his anatomy at the company or soiling the carpet in order to get attention, it doesn’t matter if the attention is vilification and contempt as long as he gets some sort of recognition of his paltry little existence; as such, it seems pretty believable that this is what he’s up to.
A lot of these comments read
A lot of these comments read a bit like those after articles in the Daily Mail about cyclists.
PRSboy wrote:
I was thinking the same. Yes, dog walkers should keep their pets under control, but also in a shared space you have to be prepared to yield your priority, go a bit slower and make allowances for the errors of others.
Rather like the tolerance, care and basic decency that some of us patiently and endlessly encourage from the mouth breathers that infest every local news facebook story even tangentially linked to cyclists.
“Shared space”… Part of the
“Shared space”… Part of the problem is giving the lion’s share of the streetscape to cars, moving or static. Then everyone else ends up fighting over scraps.
PRSboy wrote:
Thank god someone else said this. I was half expecting pages of ill informed rant where “leads” had been substituted for “helmets and hi-viz”.
Typical council knee jerk response to a minor problem. “Something must be done and this is that something”
PRSboy wrote:
I don’t think so. DM articles about cyclists are riddled with inaccuracies, misinformation, fake news, and complete ignorance of the law. All the comments here seem to be reasonably accurate.
Exactly – I think it’s easy
Exactly – I think it’s easy to say the two are comparable; we are after all calling out a ‘minority’ whom we need to share space with. The principle difference as I see it are that usually (red light jumping aside), cyclists are following the correct guidance/regulations whereas those extendable leads mean that dog owners aren’t.
I think also it will very much depend on your experience of shared use space. Here in MK we have miles of shared use Redways so we see it a lot more.
Redways are super dangerous
Redways are super dangerous in the early morning. You can encounter dogs on leads where it’s right across the redway, dogs not on leads that want to run across, icy corners, pedestrians with headphones on moving across the path, drunk pedestrains, broken glass. I used to use the redways to cross the grid (bridge or underpass) and then use the internal roads to move inside the grid. Redways are great, but only really for leisure cycling or walking, or robots!
You’re missing the point – it
You’re missing the point – it’s still about the “othering” of an out group. Think of long leads and RLJ’ing
Secret_squirrel wrote:
But nobody is calling dog owners scum, vermin or lead louts, or demanding that they have insurance and pay dog tax like the DM readers do to cyclists.
I’m a dog walker, a hill
I’m a dog walker, a hill walker, a cyclist and a car driver to name but a few of my activities and see the good and bad in people from several view points. There are, unfortunately, bigots in all four camps. I just try not to be one.
If you can’t beat ’em join
If you can’t beat ’em join ’em #1
It’ actually illegal to
It’ actually illegal to control a dog from a bike. These devices should no longer be for sale in the UK.
bike.brain wrote:
Citation needed.
There may be circumstances where riding with a dog amounts to riding “on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road” as per the Road Traffic Act, but that’s not the same as it being universally illegal.
Edited to add: And if we’re going to start banning things from sale that can be used to break the law, let’s start with cars capable of more than 70mph please.
Only time I ever walked my
Only time I ever walked my dog while I rode was an interesting experience and very sharp learning curve.
We were up in the woods around where I am, and he was having the time of his life trotting alongside me.
I didn’t have one of these spring-loaded gadets as I wanted to see if he would behave himself before parting with the cash.
Anyho, he was on an extending lead, the handle of which was firmly attached to me with a lanyard as his recall was crap, and he didn’t like other dogs ..
So there we were, faithful dog totting alongside bike riding owner, enjoying the peace and tranqulity of the woods.
Then … he decides that he doesn’t want to run anymore, and sat down.
Extending lead did what extending leads do, and so it was a few seconds before the change in motion registered.
He was a collie / rotweiller cross, and weighed in around 40 or 50 kilos …
I hit the ground like the 100kg sack of spuds that I am. The dog, bless him, got up and came wandering over to me, laying there on my back – winded but pretty much ok – liked my face and looked at me as if to say “That’ll teach ya”.
I never combiened the two activites again, and I cringe everytime I see others doing it.
I thought it was illegal, however I can’t find anything that says in that it is – other than Section 68 of the HWC.
If you can’t beat ’em join
If you can’t beat ’em join ’em #2
On my local shared tracks,
On my local shared tracks, the problems I see are usually dogs on a long lead, or worse, dogs which are off the lead but not under control: I approach slowly and sound my bell, the dog runs around almost getting caught in my wheels as it tries to bite me whilst the owner tries to call the dog which completely ignores them.
The other problem which is just as dangerous is people walking with sound deadening headphones on. It doesn’t matter how many times I ring my bell and shout, they ain’t never gonna hear me. Couple this with them walking towards me in the centre of the path with headphones on, staring at the phone and completely oblivious to everything else around them. Even when I am passing people and call out my usual friendly greeting, I get nothing in return. Are they just rude, or can they not hear me talking to them due to the headphones. If it’s the latter, then they are a danger to themselves and others too.
Some time ago I got a nice
Some time ago I got a nice new Audax machine from my bike vs dog altercation, on a mixed footpath*, when an uncontrolled dog ran under me (bent 2 tubes of a 531C frame and also the forks) – luckily the dog survived and I suffered only bruising and scrapes. This sort of thing isn’t going to be helped by planners that will continue to mix the two and I’m also calling out the likes of Sustrans (I assume it’s them) who think that sending bikes down well established dog walking routes isn’t going to cause problems. Case in point: NCN Route 28 outside of Bovey Tracey, slap bang centre of Teignbridge District Council’s area of authority (see above). It’s not fair on either party.
*the type where a nice solid line protects the walkers from the cyclists – much like those white lines that protects cyclists from cars.
Retractable leads should be
Retractable leads should be banned from sale, they do t give any control. I see so many dogs on them with no recall that are allowed to jump up on people and run wherever they want while the human doesn’t pay any attention
Really? How many have you
Really? How many have you used? Feels like a “HiViz” comment to me.
That sounds like human error
That sounds like human error to me. Like any other lead, it’s just a bit of string, with a dog at one end and a fallible human at the other end.
But…Boris said, yesterday..
But…Boris said, yesterday…”we don’t need legislation to compel people to act considerately towards others” (may be slightly paraphrasing)
That’s alright, then, I can sleep easier, now…
belugabob wrote:
If Boris said it, it must be true*.
*Contains several tons of irony.
belugabob wrote:
Off topic but clearly that’s why so many government MPs felt Owen Patterson was unfairly treated. After all who legislates for the legislators? Obviously it doesn’t make sense to make strict rules about what they can and cannot do, or enforce them. We will just have to trust our elected representatives not to engage in graft.
As a keen dog owner myself…
As a keen dog owner myself…
Captain Badger wrote:
Is that as in “One of them terriers tried to come in my sett and I totally owned him”?
“Shared use path” … “shared
“Shared use path” … “shared space” … “shared tracks” …
So I think we can see most of the issue. Environments where people feel they can walk or would prefer to walk (possibly with a dog) and cycle are not sufficient – certainly not for both. Some of those have suggested segregation (paint) but even where that is used it’s not helping. There’s the whole “cycling is essentially a recreational activity / for children” idea too.
Can’t remember the exact quote but Terry Pratchett had a line about “What does people eating pigs’ ears and trotters tell you? Someone else is pinching the pig.”
So mostly that plus a “people are arseholes and will do chaingangs in parks or let their dogs run at people / crap everywhere” which I’d file under “needs local enforcement”.
We’ve still not heard from the dog riders though?
I’m a cyclist and a dog owner
I’m a cyclist and a dog owner.
When walking my dog, I liken being passed too fast and too close by a cyclist with little or no warning to being close passed by a car driver on the road.
Where ever there’s a dog on a shared path there should be an owner and, taking into account the new hierarchy of road users, The Highway Code now says that cyclists should give way to pedestrians. I always slow down whenever there’s a pedestrian and go even slower where there’s also children or a dog involved whether on a lead or not.
I frequently exercise my dog on a shared use path by the canal and there are signs that say that cyclist should give way to pedestrians. I find the main danger is cyclists coming up from behind too fast without using a bell or giving any type of warning. We need time to recall the dog. Given enough warning my dog will come to me and sit while a cyclist passes by.
Dogs need exercise and proper exercise involves the dog being on a long lead or preferably off lead. Properly exercised dogs are generally better behaved. When dogs aren’t exercised properly they can become prone to bad or obsessive behaviour. A dog is not going to get proper exercise on a one metre lead.
Another consideration is that
Another consideration is that a dog walk is not only physical exercise but also mental stimulation. Dogs like to investigate their environment through sight and, in particular, smell and they can’t do that as readily on a one metre lead. A flexi lead gives them more freedom to explore whilst still being near to their human.
If you’re keen on people
If you’re keen on people obeying the highway code and also frequently exercise your dog on a shared use path then rule 56 may be of interest to you.
“Dogs. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.”
Good luck with that & getting
Good luck with that & getting it enforced. I ride through half a dozen different council areas in Melbourne, all of them require dogs to be on leads, fixed length leads with a maximum length of 1.5m. Not one of the councils ever does anything about the fur-babies’ owners god given right to let their dogs wizz about on the end of 5m extenda fishing lines or run around off lead because “my dog’s fine”
ajft wrote:
It’s very unlikely to be enforced, as we all know the police in Melbourne are far too busy stopping cyclists without helmets. But if you are injured by a dog/owner with one of those leads, they might prosecute them, and you could sue them for lots.