Sad about last two rides.....

[steve mercier]

Also for the record most shared walkways state that the pedestrian does indeed have the right of way.

That is a more of a courtesy code than a right of way. Here there is a 90 hectare forest that is criss- crossed with multi- use trails , most of which are off - leash trails and horse trails.The code is that dogs yield to horses and cyclists yield to all. I try to stick to the on- leash trails and slow down and be cool when passing but many many dog walkers ignore the on- leash rules. In this case the courtesy code has been broken so for me it reverts to the law of the jungle.

 

[steve mercier]

Thank you, I doubt very much the lady learned anything judging by her comment as I narrowly escaped. I gave her plenty of time to secure her dogs which is very sad she was unable to do so. I pray she learned because I can only imagine the consequences of a child riding by or the mailman. I don't understand the justification pet owners feel when their pets behave aggressively and then blame the victim. Why do guard dog (this incident was not a guard dog) owners think their guard dog is the nicest sweetest dog and wouldn't hurt anyone when the dog has clearly displayed its ability to protect? If I could have rode a different way I would have.....but riding by was my only option. If I had a can of mace I would have unloaded the whole thing on the dog. Maybe I should get some?

Here only dog spray is allowed. You cannot use bear spray or mace (thankfully there is no such thing as a permit to carry a concealed weapon). I would not even use the dog spray until the thing actully sinks it teeth in, but I like the thought of having some kind of a fighting chance against a powerful large -jawed dog. Let me tell you the pain of their bite is greater than one would imagine and lasts for weeks.

 

[Alaskan]

As a dog owner and lover I can honestly say that poorly behaved dogs are almost always the result of owners who are either negligent or clueless. The negligent owners produce bad behavior by abuse and by encouraging aggression. Their dogs become fearful, confused, don't know their role and become anxious. The clueless owners produce bad behavior through confusion and insecurity. These people think they are being "nice" to their dogs but they are really not doing them any favors. Their dogs also become fearful, confused, don;t know their role and become anxious. Dogs are inherently social animals who need to be taught the rules and have them enforced with consistency. They are not furry humans and their owners need to learn about how to communicate with them and what their social needs are.

Our 2year old Weimaraner, Sitka

 

[CSH]

and … some stupid people are also jerks! It seems like you encountered a couple of them.

DON'T even get me started........................ !@#$%

 

[6zfshdb]

Thank you, I doubt very much the lady learned anything judging by her comment as I narrowly escaped. I gave her plenty of time to secure her dogs which is very sad she was unable to do so. I pray she learned because I can only imagine the consequences of a child riding by or the mailman. I don't understand the justification pet owners feel when their pets behave aggressively and then blame the victim. Why do guard dog (this incident was not a guard dog) owners think their guard dog is the nicest sweetest dog and wouldn't hurt anyone when the dog has clearly displayed its ability to protect? If I could have rode a different way I would have.....but riding by was my only option. If I had a can of mace I would have unloaded the whole thing on the dog. Maybe I should get some?

Eventually, aggressive dog owners learn the hard way in court. An expensive lawsuit is the best way I know to get dog owners to train their pets or keep them off the streets. Unfortunately, this doesn't help you much if you're the one who gets hurt.

 

[DDBB]

I think we can all agree that it's not the dogs fault in these situations. The responsibility rests squarely on the owners shoulders so if you do carry pepper spray or mace, it would make sense to spray the dog owner and not the dog.. Just a little spritz

 

[Alaskan]

I think we can all agree that it's not the dogs fault in these situations. The responsibility rests squarely on the owners shoulders so if you do carry pepper spray or mace, it would make sense to spray the dog owner and not the dog.. Just a little spritz

You seem to be quite fond of making provocative and I assume facetious comments on a pretty regular basis. Given how inadequate on line forums are for communicating nuance, sarcasm and humor, may I suggest adding a winking smile emoticon just to send a clear signal of your humorous intent. I fear too many read your posts and think you really mean it, especially considering that this forum is so international and English is not the first language of many herein.

 

[Marci jo]

Good point Alaskan. That’s the problem with written text. There’s no tone of voice or other nonverbals to indicate a joking manner.

 

[CSH]

Did You Hear The One About ?
"Two Cyclists and a Dog walk into a Bar....................... "

 

[DDBB]

I thought my sarcasm was pretty obvious. pepper spraying a vicious dog's owner would be the last thing anyone would want to do but yes, I should add a wink after posts like that

 

[Cowlitz]

Or carry dog treats. The way to a Lab's heart is via the mouth and tummy. And yes, there are mean Labs out there. They are strong dogs, made that way so they can pack a goose back to you. My old guy, found, carried and placed a nice deer head on the steps one time. I was not pleased but he was.

I walk, with my dog, each day. There is a dog that I call Cujo that would run up and growl and froth and bark. She is held back by an invisible fence. I started carrying dog treats, and much to my dog's disappointment, would throw them over for Cujo to eat. Cujo loves treats. Cujo does not bark at us anymore, even when I do not have treats.

Milk Bone makes a teeny tiny sized dog biscuit. I believe the box has a picture of a Chihuahua (kitty dog) on it. They are easy to carry and only 5 calories each. The latter is important as Labs often have weight problems.

Or, if you want to be really bad, carry an old tennis ball and throw it. If the dog is a normal Lab, it'll go after the ball. This is beginning to sound like fun, but I'm a dog person. SQUIRREL!

 

[Bobsiii]

Found a new MUT annoyance Sunday morning as I headed out for a slow easy cruise day. Met a group of about 50 runners going the other way, shouldn't be a problem except they felt a need to run 3-4 abreast gabbing away, inattentive and not yielding ROW. My biggest problem was that the edge of the path on my outside was a slightly elevated (3-4") concrete slab and immediately beyond that some shrubs, rocks and the river. Of course they were strung out, running in clots. I ended up stopping twice.

Riding bikes, jogging, walking dogs - I'm not sure if people are ruder in groups or alone.

 

[Alaskan]

Found a new MUT annoyance Sunday morning as I headed out for a slow easy cruise day. Met a group of about 50 runners going the other way, shouldn't be a problem except they felt a need to run 3-4 abreast gabbing away, inattentive and not yielding ROW. My biggest problem was that the edge of the path on my outside was a slightly elevated (3-4") concrete slab and immediately beyond that some shrubs, rocks and the river. Of course they were strung out, running in clots. I ended up stopping twice.

Riding bikes, jogging, walking dogs - I'm not sure if people are ruder in groups or alone.

People are way more rude with groups than solo. In groups they are too busy chatting, attending to non-verbal communication, with corresponding reduced awareness of surroundings.

 

[TaraBara]

Or carry dog treats. The way to a Lab's heart is via the mouth and tummy. And yes, there are mean Labs out there. They are strong dogs, made that way so they can pack a goose back to you. My old guy, found, carried and placed a nice deer head on the steps one time. I was not pleased but he was.

I walk, with my dog, each day. There is a dog that I call Cujo that would run up and growl and froth and bark. She is held back by an invisible fence. I started carrying dog treats, and much to my dog's disappointment, would throw them over for Cujo to eat. Cujo loves treats. Cujo does not bark at us anymore, even when I do not have treats.

Milk Bone makes a teeny tiny sized dog biscuit. I believe the box has a picture of a Chihuahua (kitty dog) on it. They are easy to carry and only 5 calories each. The latter is important as Labs often have weight problems.

Or, if you want to be really bad, carry an old tennis ball and throw it. If the dog is a normal Lab, it'll go after the ball. This is beginning to sound like fun, but I'm a dog person. SQUIRREL!

I may give that a try next time.... But honestly in the situation I was in I would just throw the treats on the ground and pedal by as swiftly and possible. The dog was the scariest dog I've ever seen and the lady was literally on the ground being dragged. She knew it was coming too.... She saw me approaching long before I arrived to pass and was preparing the dogs. I love dogs and this was a tough dog to love.

 

[6zfshdb]

Or carry dog treats. The way to a Lab's heart is via the mouth and tummy. And yes, there are mean Labs out there. They are strong dogs, made that way so they can pack a goose back to you. My old guy, found, carried and placed a nice deer head on the steps one time. I was not pleased but he was.

I walk, with my dog, each day. There is a dog that I call Cujo that would run up and growl and froth and bark. She is held back by an invisible fence. I started carrying dog treats, and much to my dog's disappointment, would throw them over for Cujo to eat. Cujo loves treats. Cujo does not bark at us anymore, even when I do not have treats.

Milk Bone makes a teeny tiny sized dog biscuit. I believe the box has a picture of a Chihuahua (kitty dog) on it. They are easy to carry and only 5 calories each. The latter is important as Labs often have weight problems.

Or, if you want to be really bad, carry an old tennis ball and throw it. If the dog is a normal Lab, it'll go after the ball. This is beginning to sound like fun, but I'm a dog person. SQUIRREL!

I love dogs but when I started my working career as telephone repairman, I quickly learned to have a healthy respect for them. The dog treat method was used my me and most other repairmen. It worked most of the time for unfriendly dogs but the truly viscous ones would rather have a piece of me than a dog treat.

 

[TaraBara]

Also for the record most shared walkways state that the pedestrian does indeed have the right of way.

You are correct pedestrians do have the right of way which is why I slowed to my almost stop. I would have stopped if need be.....but that guy was a turd. He yelled at me for obeying South Dakota law which states I am to inform him of my presence by telling him "On your left" Most people recognize we are sharing space on a trail and happily accommodate one another. At least in my perfect dream world. LOL Again.....in my perfect dream world where people are nice to one another and all dogs are sweet. Sigh.....back to daydreaming.

 

[DDBB]

Just be careful of the spandex roadies, I've read they are a tough crowd and like to beat people up

 

[TaraBara]

Just be careful of the spandex roadies, I've read they are a tough crowd and like to beat people up

LOL...I'm way more concerned about the vicious dogs than the speed pedalers. I had a dream my hubby got a giant tattoo on the back of his leg that said "CHEWY"

 

[AHicks]

You are correct pedestrians do have the right of way which is why I slowed to my almost stop. I would have stopped if need be.....but that guy was a turd. He yelled at me for obeying South Dakota law which states I am to inform him of my presence by telling him "On your left" Most people recognize we are sharing space on a trail and happily accommodate one another. At least in my perfect dream world. LOL Again.....in my perfect dream world where people are nice to one another and all dogs are sweet. Sigh.....back to daydreaming.

This turd is likely the same guy that holds left lane traffic up on multi lane highways, seemingly on purpose. cuz he's going "fast enough".

 

[DaveMatthews]

This turd is likely the same guy that holds left lane traffic up on multi lane highways, seemingly on purpose. cuz he's going "fast enough".

Oh gawd... my pet peeve!