to think you shouldn't be walking your dog on a cycle path

[Justforlaughs]

if he gets freaked out by bikes and cyclists? I got knocked off my bike recently by a large dog who flew at me as I was cycling along a cycle path. (Note that I was on a nice flat cycle path because I am NOT a good cyclist and didn't want to cause an obstruction to cars or cycle on the pavement). I wasn't going fast not fit enough and this owner did say "sorry" but qualified it by saying that her dog hates biles and cyclists and always jumps up at them. AIBU to think that you don't then take it for a long walk along a popular cycle path (or at the very least that you keep it on a lead)?

[Bubblemoon]

YANBU. The large dog who flew at you was BU and its owner was BVU.

[choceyes]

YANBU ofcourse.

[ImperialStateKnickers]

She should certainly have had it on a lead if it was a cycle path and she knows it doesn't like bikes.

I use a cycle path fairly regularly to walk dogs, but I don't take bouncers along it.

One thing, if you can see a person walking dogs off lead with her back to you up ahead, worth giving her a ting on the bell, so she's got a chance to get them on the lead. Cycles are very quiet and I've lost count of the times I've jumped out of my skin when one's shot past from behind me!

[Beamur]

This is why I don't walk my dog on the canal...if her dogs jumps up at cyclists, ideally she should walk it somewhere the dog would be happier, or keep it on a short lead so it can't be a nuisance.
YANBU

[StanleyLambchop]

Of Course YANBU. If they knew he would react that way then they should not be near cyclists! I once had a dog get into a snarling , yappy rage as I lifted my sleeping baby out of my car at a supermarket. The owner rather snootily told me the dog did not like babies, as if it was all my fault for setting him off !!

[starfishmummy]

Yanbu.

I do agree with imperial about ringing the bell when you see someone with their back to you (anyone, not just dog walkers). I use a path which is supposed to be walkers one side and cyclists the other - with clear markings- and am fed up of cyclists nearly running me over from behind as they are on the wrong side.

[boomting]

YANBU.

As a cyclist and former dog owner (dogs died, would love another but not remotely practical ATM), I'm yet to work out why people think that dogs that don't like bicycles + bicycle paths + no lead is going to = anything other than disaster.

I had a rather large dog block my way on the towpath the other day, snarling and wagging its tail simultaneously. Thus followed a Benny Hill-style scene where the owner chased it around me, trying to catch the thing. I've also been chased by a dog (it rather reminded me of the Fenton video - I was even never to a deer park at the time) and the only reason that I didn't get my ankles bitten was that I was going down a ruddy great big hill at the time.

It's not difficult really - you know your own dogs foibles, so you work around that. I had a dog that lost all patience with puppies in his old age and tended to snap (never bite - he had no teeth anyway - just snap), so I kept him away from pups on walks.