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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not have my dogs on leads in the woods?

34 replies

mymumdom · 07/08/2011 19:05

We are lucky enough to have 700 acres of woods near us and they are perfect for walking the dogs off lead. There is a 'beach' and children's playground in the middle, so I tend to stick around the edges as my dogs seldom stick to the paths and go crashing in and out of the woods on either side and I don't want them frightening small kids.
I'm not alone, there are a lot of dog walkers that use these woods.
Over the last few days I've had run ins with people on bikes. Not families out for a ride, but men or boys on bikes, going hell for leather on the paths. You don't get much warning before they suddenly appear, and one of them came around the corner to find the dogs standing in the middle of the path looking at him. He managed to avoid them but fell off his bike and grazed himself badly.
I apologised but he was really pissed of and extremely rude, and said I should have the dogs on leads.
TBH I can't see that that would have helped, they would be more likely on the path on the lead than off. I'm sorry he hurt himself but it's not an off road track, a lot of people use it and he could have hurt a person.
Then today another bloke came pedalling fast through a local park. I didn't have time to get the leads on the dogs before The Lurcher ran out in front of him while playing with our old dog, and I got sworn at again.
The dogs aren't that interested in bikes, they don't chase them or anything, and I know the cyclists have as much right as me to be there, but surely they need to slow down and look around them a little too?

OP posts:
worraliberty · 07/08/2011 19:07

Of course they need to slow down...it could have been a small child standing on the path.

vjg13 · 07/08/2011 19:09

YANBU the blokes on bikes were being inconsiderate and you had as much right to be there. I regularly walk with my kids and dogs down a footpath clearly marked with a no bikes sign and regularly have to jump to one side.

4madboys · 07/08/2011 19:10

not unreasonable at all (as long as your dogs come to you when called, but thats a whole other debate)

the cyclists were unreasonble for not taking due care and attention they could have ridden into a person, child, elderly whatever, not good and not safe or sensible.

GlitterySkulls · 07/08/2011 19:11

yanbu, the cyclists were totally out of order.

Birdsgottafly · 07/08/2011 19:13

I thought that this was going to be about your dogs bothering an organised activity by a play group, such as a bug hunt.

No YANBU, you are doing your best to keep the dogs out of the way of DC's. They should not be riding at that speed, as others have said they could injure a DC.

If they haven't had time to see the dogs, they wouldn't see a fallen branch, so could be knocked off their bikes and killed.

DogsBestFriend · 07/08/2011 19:15

YANBU.

Rather than apologise when the idiot fell off, I'd have laughed and told him that he was damn lucky he hadn't touched my dogs or he'd have been nursing more than a graze.

addictediam · 07/08/2011 19:15

I was all ready to say yabu, as after being attacked when i was young am terrified of them. But after reading you are considerate of others and they have no more rights to be riding than anyone else

Yanbu, they are, they shouldn't be riding so fast they have to swerve on a public track.

nowadoubledee · 07/08/2011 19:18

Fallen branch..hillarious...I hope the 'dads' on singletrack are reading this, they do dip into mumsnet for a nose every now and again.

Mountain bike(s/ers) can hop over fallen branches as they would expect them to be on a track, unlike a dog which is meant to be on a lead. I think YABU.

bananasplitz · 07/08/2011 19:20

why should your dog be on a lead

the countryside is for everyone. He is out of order riding so fast around blind bends

DogsBestFriend · 07/08/2011 19:21

nowadoubledee, nowhere in the thread does the OP say that there is any sign or legislation requiring her dogs to be on a lead in these particular woods.

And not all cyclists are proficient enough to hop over a fallen branch despite being able to pick up a speed.

JustFiveMinutesHAHAHA · 07/08/2011 19:22

YANBU & they were! (and I'm a cyclist ..and dog lover, but that's by the by.)

It is not a cycle track it's a multi use area - everyone needs to be considerate.

I agree with DBF (as always - though she wont recognise me in this 'name').

Nowadoubledee - why should the dogs be on a lead? What if it had been a small child? Should they be on leads as well?

inoutshakeitallabout · 07/08/2011 19:22

yabu

just as you use the woods with your dogs off a lead, they should be able to ride as they wish

both groups have the rights to use the forest

if you are bothered about your dogs getting hurt or someone else getting hurt, get them on a lead

there are many who would say it is just as irresponsible that your dogs are off lead, shitting and pissng everywhere and digging etc

live and let live - or buy your own forest and let them run off lead all day long

JustFiveMinutesHAHAHA · 07/08/2011 19:22

x-post with DBF - see we can all but write each others posts :)

JarethTheGoblinKing · 07/08/2011 19:24

Bloody idiots.

Of course you don't have to keep dogs on leads in the woods. What on earth would the cyclists do if a deer ran out on front of them?

We her this in the woods near us, they bloody fizz past as DS is pootling along on his bike, tut, swear, etc. Wankers.

MrsCampbellBlack · 07/08/2011 19:26

Just discussed this with DH wo does a lot mtb and he thinks the cyclists were out of order based on what you've said.

The countryside is indeed for all and there has to be consideration shown for all users of it be those dog-walkers, children or cyclists.

TooImmature2BDumbledore · 07/08/2011 19:30

Definitely not being unreasonable! If the cyclist couldn't stop in time not to run into things then he was being reckless and stupid. Plus, cyclists tear up muddy paths and turn them into bogs, which annoys me. The fact it was a dog is by the by. It could have been anyone.

inoutshakeitallabout · 07/08/2011 19:30

also there is a difference between off lead and out of control

Original poster
mymumdom · 07/08/2011 19:32

Thanks guys. It's interesting to see a few of you are cyclists as well. My dogs do come when called but sometimes it's safer to just leave them where they are when a fast moving cyclist is approaching; it depends whether the cyclist is going to move between me and the dogs or we are both on the same side.
If I had had my children with me, then there was a good chance that one of them could have got hurt, especially by the first cyclist.

OP posts:
JarethTheGoblinKing · 07/08/2011 19:32

Ok, Wankers is a bit harsh, but they do need to be more considerate. As many other people have said that it could have easily been a child.

If a cyclist is going so fast that thry can't stop quickly without falling off then they're going too fast.

DogsBestFriend · 07/08/2011 19:49

"if you are bothered about your dogs getting hurt or someone else getting hurt, get them on a lead"

Next time someone comes on here complaining that a dog has acted in a dangerous manner towards their child whilst they were out walking in the woods I'll tell them that if they're that bothered about their child getting hurt they should put it on reins.

Which would stop them digging, picking flowers, throwing litter, pissing in streams etc...

4madboys · 07/08/2011 19:51

i didnt mean that you should recall your dogs because of the cyclist :)

my seperate point was that on occasion we have been out in an area that sounds like you describe and two of my boys have been jumped up at/chased by dogs, ds2 was only 4 when this happened and they were BIG dogs, great danes and they were bigger than he was, two of them running around him in circles and jumping up and pawing at him, he was terrified and tried to run away and the owner was all just 'they are only playing' that as well may be, but imo if your dog is behaving around that like children and they child is upset then you should CALL your dogs off/back. as it was i was with him and shielded him as best i could, but ended up getting scratched in the process.

have also been having a picnic with friends and other kids when dogs came bounding over, tried to eat our food and slobbered all over it, again very upset toddlers and a dog owner that didnt care. we had to go and BUY more food.

i am not a dog lover, purely because i am allergic, but my family have dogs as do many friends and they are all lovely, well controlled dogs and that is fine and my kids have been able to get over their fear of dogs (after those incidents) because of these lovely dogs.

dogs dont have to be on leads and that is fine as long as they will come back when called imo.

the cyclists were not riding safely and were being unreasonable imo.

unpa1dcar3r · 07/08/2011 19:51

They were probably embarrassed for falling off their bikes haha, their ego's got a dent is all. Stupid prats.
My pups are off lead more than on (where I live there's so much opportunity and they're bouncy springer pups so need it) if someone flew into them like that I'd go freaking mental at them. Could've been a child or elderly person.
Maybe next time they'll slow down a bit.

DizzyKipper · 07/08/2011 19:52

You should point out that your 'dog' could have been a 'child', and that it is pretty wreckless and dangerous for them to be cycling so furiously through the woods. Be very angry when you say it too.

DogsBestFriend · 07/08/2011 19:54

See! 4madboys, you should put your kids on reins if you don't want them hurt! You should not expect the creature causing the problem to be curtailed, oh no.

EggyAllenPoe · 07/08/2011 19:55

a sensible cyclist slows down where they may be/ can see there are dogs -in order to give the owner time to get them under control - similarly with children.

going so fast round a corner that you can't stop is just dangerous. bloody idiot. YANBU.