# I hit a dog yesterday



## Spoked Wheels (31 Jul 2007)

Yesterday, a dog came out of nowhere straight at me, I managed to slow down and swirve a little to the left but it was not enough 

I apologised to the owner and he did not say a word, just looked at the dog and left 

Should I have done anything else?


Rick


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## Rhythm Thief (31 Jul 2007)

It's difficult to know what else you could have done without knowing more about the circumstances. Were you on the road, and was the dog under control? It might have been that the dog owner should have apologised to you.


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## laurence (31 Jul 2007)

yeah, you should have got off and kicked it. 

L


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## Spoked Wheels (31 Jul 2007)

Well, the dog came out from behind some bushes and saw me but still walked straight at me.

The good thing is that the dog seemed to be ok  but the owner did not look too happy with me....


Rick


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## Smokin Joe (31 Jul 2007)

That's one back for me, then.

I got bitten by one of those loopy farm collies today, luckily it did not break the skin. It happened about an hour after a pigeon crapped on my shoulder, splashing shoot over my neck, jersey, shorts and leg.

Being a true cyclist, I used my clean hanky to wipe the frame clean before pulling a leaf from the bank and wiping my neck. The rest waited till I got home.


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## yenrod (31 Jul 2007)

Yeah should have, the owners responsible for the dog !


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## Bigtallfatbloke (31 Jul 2007)

...well My view fwiw is that it all depends on where it happened...dogs have rights as well. Case in point would be the MTBr's at the park we walk out mut in...they are leathal, rude and in the wrong place.


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## Keith Oates (31 Jul 2007)

If you're not hurt, the dog not hurt and the bike not damaged, then you're very lucky and I wouldn't worry about it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## gavintc (1 Aug 2007)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> ......dogs have rights as well.



The problem with society today; dogs have rights but do not understand their responsibilities.


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## Fab Foodie (1 Aug 2007)

RRSODL said:


> Well, the dog came out from behind some bushes and saw me but still walked straight at me.
> 
> The good thing is that the dog seemed to be ok  but the owner did not look too happy with me....
> 
> ...



Should have kicked the owner...

Sure the dog wasn't enacting his favourite moment from the 2007 TDF? There were an awful lot of mutts with a death wish.


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## Arch (1 Aug 2007)

I think, to be honest, that sounds like the best outcome all round. You weren't hurt, the dog was presumably Ok, the owner probably knew he could be held responsible, and took the easy way out by skulking off...

Not ideal, because the dog ought to have been under control, but sometimes it just isn't worth the aggro of pursuing a point...

With a bit of luck, the dog has learned about bikes now, and next time, won't get so close...


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## ajevans (1 Aug 2007)

It's quite fashionable to hit a dog this year!

If the dog seemed alright, i don't think there is a problem.


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## Alcdrew (1 Aug 2007)

Next time bunny hop over the dog!!

As for the dog has probably learnt a lesson about bikes, I dout it. It probably thinks they are violent and should be attacked first. So watch out, the dog will have its revenge.


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## Blonde (1 Aug 2007)

Sometimes owners don't hear the bike - the dog might, but it's up to the owner to control the dog. If you can see a dog slow down and make a noise, or shout hello to attract the attention of the owner so they can get the dog under control before you go past. Obviously, as in this case, if you can't see the dog till it's nearly in your wheels there's not a lot you can do, except brake to slow down. Dogs are unpredicable, (and silly) like any animal, so if you did all you could, it's just one of those things. You slowed down before striking it, so there's a good chance of it (and you!) not being injured.

My parents dog needs to knock breakable things off tables with her tail, bump into something (the door) and chase the paper boy on his bike at least 120 times before she learns not to do it again, so don't bank on it being any more sensible next time!


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## Arch (1 Aug 2007)

Blonde said:


> Dogs are unpredicable, (and silly) like any animal



Well, strictly speaking, perhaps not usually 'silly'. 'Silly', to me, implies knowing better. However bright a dog is, it has the intelligence of a smallish child. It takes them time to learn a thing, and they don't employ reason to learn like adults do. An adult running out in front of a bike is silly - a small child doing it would be down to inexperience and lack of hazard perception...

Sorry, that's OT a bit, but it's like when people say horses are stupid. They're not stupid, they are using their IQ to its natural limit, and within hardwired natural instincts...

Good point about calling out. I'll often say "hello, dog!" (or horse, or cow or whatever) - partly to alert the animal to the fact that I'm a human being, and partly to warn the person in charge. Also, I'm daffy enough to talk to animals...


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## Blonde (1 Aug 2007)

Well I suppose I meant they seem a bit daft to us. There's no reason a dog would know not to run in front of a bike, of course, unless it's owner has taught it not to or it has learnt from previous experience - like with an infant human; they have to learn not to do it. My parents dog doesn't seem to have that kind of learning ability though - or at least it's rather selective. Oddly, she learns very quickly if it has anything to do with food or how to open the fridge door...


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## bonj2 (1 Aug 2007)

When I was doing my paper round when I was about 14 I once totalled a dog. It ran out from a remote farm and my front wheel completely missed it but it got run over by my back wheel, at full speed aswell as I didn't brake 'cos I thought I could pass the trajectory in which it was running before it got there, but it was running quite fast. I have no idea whether or not it lived, but I shouted 'that thing should be locked up!' into the farm and rode off quickly, fortunately I was on relief cover so it wasn't my round and I could make sure i didn't do that one again.


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## andy_wrx (1 Aug 2007)

I thought you were about 14 Bonj ?


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## bonj2 (1 Aug 2007)

dog being run over in the TdF:


one thing I wondered: is that a slow-motion film? Because if not he doesn't appear to be going that fast! I would have thought he could have stopped or swerved if he was only going that speed, but the way in which his front wheel seemed to buckle made me think perhaps it was slowed down and that was in fact a high-speed crash? If so does anybody have a link to the correct speed version, or can speed it up on their pc with video editor or something?

And why was it allowed on the course/to cross the course in the first place? This would never be allowed to happen in formula 1, comical though it would inevitably be.





andy_wrx said:


> I thought you were about 14 Bonj ?



Funny aren't you.


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## domtyler (1 Aug 2007)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> ...well My view fwiw is that it all depends on where it happened...dogs have rights as well. Case in point would be the MTBr's at the park we walk out mut in...they are leathal, rude and in the wrong place.



That's just silly. Animals don't have rights, humans do. Also parks are for humans not dogs.

That said, the rider should have been going slower to begin with if he was in the vicinity of dogs on the loose out of respect and for his own safety.


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## Maz (1 Aug 2007)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> ...they are leathal, rude and in the wrong place.


That's dogs for you.


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## andy_wrx (1 Aug 2007)

domtyler said:


> Animals don't have rights, humans do.


Animals have some rights, but I agree with you they have less than people
- however I'll say that this is a wrong state of affairs !



domtyler said:


> Also parks are for humans not dogs.


Rot ! Parks are for people : both those without dogs and those with dogs - but it's incumbent on them to keep those dogs under control and not let them foul where it would bother anyone.
Certain areas, like children's play areas may not allow dogs, but not the whole park.


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## Paulus (1 Aug 2007)

Arn't all dogs supposed to be on a lead in all public places?


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## Lardyboy (1 Aug 2007)

bonj said:


> dog being run over in the TdF:
> 
> 
> one thing I wondered: is that a slow-motion film? Because if not he doesn't appear to be going that fast! I would have thought he could have stopped or swerved if he was only going that speed, but the way in which his front wheel seemed to buckle made me think perhaps it was slowed down and that was in fact a high-speed crash? If so does anybody have a link to the correct speed version, or can speed it up on their pc with video editor or something?




The wheel buckled because it's not meant to take a load in that direction i.e. it was turned 90 degrees to dead straight.

The owner looked very sheepish though.


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## HJ (1 Aug 2007)

Paulus said:


> Arn't all dogs supposed to be on a lead in all public places?



No they are supposed to be under control, a dog can be under control when off the lead, but sadly many owners don't understand that. I was passing a dog one time when the own called it, the stupid mutt turned and tried to walk trough my front wheel. It didn't half give out a yelp, poor thing. If owner would only learn to keep their dogs under control and out of harms way it would greatly help.


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## gavintc (1 Aug 2007)

andy_wrx said:


> Animals have some rights, but I agree with you they have less than people
> - however I'll say that this is a wrong state of affairs !
> 
> 
> ...



However, most owners view parks as dog toilets and I concur that dogs should be banned from parks. Why should a dog be allowed to run free, leaving its horrid little deposits everywhere?


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## longers (1 Aug 2007)

gavintc said:


> However, most owners view parks as dog toilets and I concur that dogs should be banned from parks. Why should a dog be allowed to run free, leaving its horrid little deposits everywhere?



It's never the dog's fault. 

It's all down to the owner and whether they are a responsible guardian for the animal. All the dog does is what comes naturally - I've never seen a dog thats been trained to pick up after itself - the owner should pick up after the dog. I really think that if you need training to pick up after a dog you haven't got the intelligence or sense of moral responsibilty to look after an animal.

I actually met a bloke the other week who thought it should be the councils job to clean up after his dog! 

In regard to the original post - you can rest easy, no harm done.


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## longers (1 Aug 2007)

P.S. My dog is allegedly intelligent and is easily trained and capable of learning but still has a death wish with bikes. When we're out and I'm on my bike she's great and never gets in the way but has no idea about not getting in front of other peoples bikes.


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## HJ (1 Aug 2007)

longers said:


> P.S. My dog is allegedly intelligent and is easily trained and capable of learning but still has a death wish with bikes. When we're out and I'm on my bike she's great and never gets in the way but has no idea about not getting in front of other peoples bikes.



Try using the command SIT, if it told to sit and does so in good time there should no problem in passing it. If your dog won't sit on command then keep it on a lead. Simple.


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## Noodley (1 Aug 2007)

Jesus H Christ - this thread has become the Barbara Woodhouse school of cycling etiquette for dogs!


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## longers (1 Aug 2007)

Hairy Jock said:


> Try using the command SIT, if it told to sit and does so in good time there should no problem in passing it. If your dog won't sit on command then keep it on a lead. Simple.



Funnily enough that's exactly what I do.
She sits and waits but is thinking about knocking them off.


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## HJ (1 Aug 2007)

Noodley said:


> Jesus H Christ - this thread has become the Barbara Woodhouse school of cycling etiquette for dogs!



Somebodies got to do it...


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## fossyant (1 Aug 2007)

They are pretty robust animals - seen a few hit by cars and they bounced off and carried on - just lucky you weren't a car then - the owner was lucky you weren't hurt.

Two incidents spring to mind with dogs - One... a large group of us were climbing Long Hill into Buxton, we were on the lower slopes coming out of Whaley Bridge, when a Jack Russel thing ran out at about 15 of us - bikes everywhere - was quite funny really as we all tried to either avoid the dog or getting bitten. Thank goodness there were no cars about, we were all over the place.

The other was climbing Birtles Hill near Monks Heath in Cheshire, a group of us neared the top when a large dog started chasing us along it's property, but we knew it was open at the end...... it was a case of fight or flight - one mate turned round, but I was too far so I pedaled...... I have never ever done 30 mph in a 42 x 19 before (or there abouts) and hope never have to do that again..... I still look out for the blasted thing even now (although though it's probably dead by now)... 

Oh what fun ?


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## Arch (2 Aug 2007)

When I was about 12 I rode into (it ran out in front of me from a garden) a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Result: me and bike tangled up on floor, dog looking down at us with daft expression, blinking a bit... Like hitting a brick wall!

That was the owner's fault, the mother of the family couldn't control it, and it just ran out to play with the kids outside in the street. It was one of those big dogs owned by a short stout little man, possibly with adequacy issues.


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## trustysteed (2 Aug 2007)

Arch said:


> It was one of those big dogs owned by a short stout little man, possibly with adequacy issues.



you don't sound bitter!


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## wafflycat (2 Aug 2007)

Legally, a dog owner *is* responsible for damage caused by his/her dog (England & Wales, dunno about Scotland). Example - if a dog runs out into the road and you happen to be driving and said dog hits car - the dog owner is liable for any damage to the car. It's why it's a reportable incident. So if you happen to be cycling along the road/cycle path and a dog runs out into your path and you haven't managed to avoid it - the dog owner is legally liable for any damage sustained to you and your bike.

Yesterday I almost had a run-in with a dog. I was cycling along a road and in the middle of it was a woman *barely holding on to* a huge alsatian. The dog was barking and growling at anything and everything. The dog lunged for me and the woman just about managed to hold on to the dog and stop it getting me. I'd have had no qualms about involving the police if I had been bitten. Thing was, just around the corner, at a ford, were some kids playing with a couple of young labradors. Entirely differently behaved dogs. So I had a word with the kids & the adults with them, to tell them about the less than well-controlled alsatian just round the corner. The adults appreciated the heads-up.


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## alecstilleyedye (2 Aug 2007)

fossyant said:


> They are pretty robust animals - seen a few hit by cars and they bounced off and carried on - just lucky you weren't a car then - the owner was lucky you weren't hurt.
> 
> Two incidents spring to mind with dogs - One... a large group of us were climbing Long Hill into Buxton, we were on the lower slopes coming out of Whaley Bridge, when a Jack Russel thing ran out at about 15 of us - bikes everywhere - was quite funny really as we all tried to either avoid the dog or getting bitten. Thank goodness there were no cars about, we were all over the place.
> 
> ...



i've never climbed birtles hill at that speed either


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## ledley (2 Aug 2007)

wafflycat said:


> Legally, a dog owner *is* responsible for damage caused by his/her dog (England & Wales, dunno about Scotland).



Thats really good to know as i've had a few very close shaves recently & had run ins with dog owners after their dog has chased my bike when i've been riding.

I've always stood my ground if it was down to their lack of control over their dog & its good to know i'm right to do so.

Dont know if anyone on here rides around Victoria park in east London where most of my dog incidents have occured but the squirrels there have a death wish too.


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## HJ (2 Aug 2007)

ledley said:


> Dont know if anyone on here rides around Victoria park in east London where most of my dog incidents have occured but the squirrels there have a death wish too.



You mean like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/29172942/ and this http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/76039319/?


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## ledley (7 Aug 2007)

Woah yeah exactly like that. They have an urge to dart through your wheel for some reason.

Had it happen a few times now & the best thing to do is to steer towards them so they run the other way from you.


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## Big Bren (7 Aug 2007)

I hit a dog last night too, right in the mush with the end of my trainer, quite on purpose.

I was out for a run and the owner was 'walking' the dog on one of those leads that extends to about 8 miles; stand on the doorstep, unleash the lead and your dog gets a walk with no effort or exertion required by the owner - super! Not so super though, is that as the lead gets longer, you relinquish more and more control of your dangerous animal.

Anywho, the dog went for my ankle as I ran past so I hoofed it in the gob to disabuse it of any notions of biting me. Owner and dog were both suitably miffed, as would I have been had it managed to sink its gnashers into my sweet man-flesh. Similarly, had I been a small child who, by virtue of being a short-arse, presented my face as a viable target, things could have been much nastier.

Conclusion - I am a cruel bastage, but my ankles are intact. I can live with that.

Bren


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## Spoked Wheels (7 Aug 2007)

I rather enjoyed reading your post Big Bren 

Rick


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## asterix (7 Aug 2007)

It ain't the dogs, it's their owners..

My avatar is a dog I met in the Pyrennees near a mountain top. Apparently they use them to look after flocks of sheep which they can do without supervison. When I encountered it, it was ensuring that the last sheep of the flock crossed the road with the rest of the bunch.

It was far too clever to chase cyclists!


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## Big Bren (7 Aug 2007)

asterix said:


> It ain't the dogs, it's their owners..



Nope, it was definitely a dog.

Having said that, had the vest-sporting owner had a go at my ankles, he'd have got a kick in the mush aswell.

Bren


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## asterix (7 Aug 2007)

Big Bren;34905][quote name= said:


> It ain't the dogs, it's their owners..



Nope, it was definitely a dog.

Having said that, had the vest-sporting owner had a go at my ankles, he'd have got a kick in the mush aswell.

Bren[/QUOTE]

Nothing to do with choice of lead after all, then?


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## goo_mason (8 Aug 2007)

Hairy Jock;31263][quote name= said:


> Arn't all dogs supposed to be on a lead in all public places?



No they are supposed to be under control, a dog can be under control when off the lead, but sadly many owners don't understand that. I was passing a dog one time when the own called it, the stupid mutt turned and tried to walk trough my front wheel. It didn't half give out a yelp, poor thing. If owner would only learn to keep their dogs under control and out of harms way it would greatly help.[/QUOTE]

Same thing happened to me - saw owner and two dogs ahead, rang bell and slowed down. Owner and one dog move to the left of the path, other dog stands off the path on the right. Just as I'm level with them, the woman calls on the dog on the other side of the path to 'come here !', at which point it runs right in front of me and I have to make a sudden stop. Thankfully I was only at walking speed at the time so the dog wasn't touched.

Of course, it was then MY fault and I was subjected to a torrent of abuse.

I'd been looking forward ever since to meeting the woman again, so I can ring my bell for about 20 secs beforehand and ask her if that was "adequate advance warning this time", just to get my own back


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## Arch (8 Aug 2007)

On the plus side in that owner one side/dog the other situation, I have encountered owners smart enough for them to be able to shout "Stay there!" instead of "Come here!", which is always gratefully acknowledged.


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## goo_mason (8 Aug 2007)

Indeed, Arch.

Thankfully I've never really had many problems with dogs and their owners on the paths. The usual encounters with them are all smiles and thank-yous from both sides - I think they get their fair share of unthinking cyclists who tear past them with no warning, so the fact that I let them know I'm approaching seems to go down well.

(I nearly said 'never really had many issues' but given what domtyler seems to think of me in another thread, that would be the wrong word to use  )


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## Road Fiddler (14 Aug 2007)

Were you on the road, cycle lane? By law you are supposed to report any RTIs with dogs to the police, I would have been inclined to do this as the owner may have been prosecuted for not controlling the dog properly.


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## HLaB (14 Aug 2007)

Are dogs supposed to be on a lead on a shared use path? A while back I was cycling along an old railway path when I saw somebody walking along swinging a lead slowed I slowed down; on queue a dog comes rushing out of the bushes and stops in front of my bike beside the bloke. As I was expecting it, it was no problem. I laughed and said to the bloke that was almost a close one. He then proceeded to start blaming me, it was my fault?


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## asterix (15 Aug 2007)

It sounds as if you slowed to an appropriate speed, so that was the right move. The dog owner sounds a bit over sensitive about such encounters.


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## snorri (15 Aug 2007)

HLaB said:


> Are dogs supposed to be on a lead on a shared use path?
> He then proceeded to start blaming me, it was my fault?



I don't think there is a requirement for dogs to be on a lead, but they should be "under control", a grey area if ever there was one.
Yes, in the dog owners eyes it was your fault for just being there.


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## longers (15 Aug 2007)

On a shared use path (ie the Trans Pennine Trail) I thought that walkers had right of way. As the dog is walking does this mean it should have right of way too? This doesn't stop me from taking every possible precaution with my dog to give way to cyclists, and when I'm cycling along there I'm very courteous to walkers and their dogs. Ramblers are worse than dogs


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