Dog kicked at by cyclist

[SirChenjins]

I was out for our dog walking group’s regular Saturday morning walk (there’s 4 of us) on a local woodland trail that’s used mainly by walkers and dog walkers, but cyclists and horse riders also use it. The vast majority of the time it works fine, people are tolerant of each other. Our dogs are usually off lead (as many are) and we put them on eg during narrow parts of the path, or if we see an on lead dog, or cyclists are coming, etc etc.

I have been working really hard on ChenPup’s recall and he’s been brilliant. As we were walking a cyclist came tearing round a bend and made no effort to slow down so we recalled the dogs and went to get off the path. However, the speed of the cyclist spooked ChenPup and he started running beside the cyclist for some metres - I was unable to clip his lead on in time. I tried to run after him and recall but as I did that, the cyclist stopped pedalling, and as he was freewheeling pulled his leg in, aimed a big kick at my dog, shouted to me to get my dog on a lead, then carried on cycling. I managed to grab him him and fortunately the cyclist missed him, but I’ve been so nervous of having him off lead since in case it happens again. I’ve tried short bursts off lead and he’s come straight back every time, but I don’t know what to do now - keep my fingers crossed I don’t meet the same cyclist and have him off lead? Keep him on lead/long line forever more? ChenPup is 10.5kg and about 1.5 foot tall so not an imposing dog, but I completely understand it was not on for him to run beside the cyclist.

A kick from a cyclist, which is unlikely to be hard if they are balanced on a moving bike, is far less harmful to your dog than getting its head or any other part of its anatomy chopped off by getting too close to the turning spokes of the wheels. Not to mention what injuries the cyclist might have sustained if your dog had brought him off his bike.

I think you need to keep him on a lead until you can be confident of his recall. I was once riding a horse across a field with a group hack and a dog off a lead ran at the horse and the horse reared and I fell off. It was a small dog and was harassing the horse around its legs. When I had a dog, she was very food orientated and I trained her to return to me with chopped up frankfurter sausages and clicker training.

Your fault entirely I would and have done exactly the same
if you don’t have your dog under control then don’t complain about the consequences
not to mention the possibility of your uncontrolled dog bringing the cyclist off there bike and causing injury

I always put my dogs in a heel behind me (or put a lead on an unreliable one) when coming towards a bend or anywhere that I can’t see fully ahead. Once I can see far enough ahead they can be released. My general rule is if I can’t see what’s coming=lead.

In the situation you were in it would have given you more time if your dog was within grabbing distance or heeling as you went around the bend. It also makes sure you don’t meet another dog or horse rider head on and leave it too late for recall. Now he’s proved his recall isn’t 100% though I would use a long line for a while.
I would also do some bike desensitisation work so it doesn’t become a habit.

I get people's point about the potential injury to the cyclist but he wasn't behaving in a responsible manner either was he? What about the potential injury to a child or other path user who didn't get out of his way quick enough? Sounds like he was going too fast on a shared path. But ime cyclists of this type believe the have automatic priority over all others and never ever feel they should have to stop or slow down to accommodate anyone else.

I cycle on this kind of multi use pathway and I’m sorry but this is a dickhead you’ve encountered OP. Having said that I do agree that you should do some intensive work on the recall so that you know dog will always come back. Try teaching ‘leave’ or ‘off’ command maybe rather than just come here.

The thing is, his recall has been great up to that point - including with other cyclists. It was just this one in particular - who didn’t ring his bell or slow down as he came tearing round the bend without knowing if there were small children there and who had appeared to have forgotten that pedestrians have right of way on footpaths.

As other posters have suggested, it sounds like the cyclist was making a very dangerous situation safer. Doubtful any malice was intended.

The cyclist sounds like an asshole, they shouldn't be going at that speed on a shared pathway. But the dog shouldn't be chasing either so I'd keep it on a lead anywhere where it might encounter cyclists, particularly as now it might be more stressed and aggressive with them after this encounter.

Keep your dog on a lead.

This is the cyclists fault, he should be more mindful of others, if your had young children with you he could have gone into them the speed he was going. I cycle very slowly when l know l am bound to encounter other people and their dogs, l would never kick out at a dog, l stop cycling to allow owner to get hold of dog if possible, it's common courtesy, same when l used to run and younger dogs would playfully bound over, it never bothered me and on glad I'm not one of the sour faced misery guts that have to make a massive drama out of it.

Keep him on a lead .. I was out walking recently & a dog rushed up and jumped up at me .. the dog owner had the cheek to say 'you know dogs are walked here.. you shouldn't be here' . Why not keep it on a long lead so it can run around but you can recall the lead (or whatever the correct expression is) ... why does your puppy have to run freely?
I used to love walking but I am really careful where I walk now ... so many irresponsible dog owners ... and the inevitable comment 'he's only being friendly' .. believe it or not I do not want to be friends with your dog.

The safest thing for the cyclist to have done would have been to use his bell and slow down when he couldn’t see what was ahead of him round the bend - thereby giving pedestrians the right of way the have, parents of young children a chance to get them off the path and dog owners a chance to put their dogs on lead.

Bike desensitisation is a good idea, and yes - lesson learned about putting back on lead coming up to corners. I do use ‘leave it’ for bikes, squirrels, other dogs and so on

The Crocodile maybe you don't mind dogs bounding up to you but plenty of us do .. I am clearly one of the 'sour faced misery guts' that you are talking about, not everyone likes dogs.

I'm a dog owner and cyclist and I don't think dogs without recall should be off lead on a multi- use path or road.

If your dog was running alongside the bike and ignoring your instructions there is a real risk the dog and the cyclist could have both got hurt.

We have a 'greenway' - a wide path the size of a road that is used by walkers and cyclists- and I have seen too many dogs off lead run out into cyclists paths and cause crashes and injury.

How can you be sure of his recall if he is never let off the lead?

Cyclists also have a responsibility to take care. What if he had come speeding round the corner and a snall child was there? There are a lot of irresponsible lucrative clad cyclists around who think they are Kings of the road, footpath and everywhere..

Your dog, your fault, just accept it.

Personally, I think you were being considerate by calling your dogs in, and the cyclist should have reciprocated by slowing down. Tearing round corners on a shared-use path is just bloody stupid. Consideration needs to cut in all directions, with an acceptance that others (and their dogs and their toddlers) are fallible, that brakes can fail, and so on.

Possibly my view is coloured by various encounters with arrogant arsehole cyclists cycling where they shouldn't be (off footpaths in private woods, or on paths in public woods which say no bikes), and then getting shitty about our old dog, who hated bikes and would bark and run at them - a dog I didn't walk where bikes were allowed, because I didn't trust him near them.

I think you’re getting focused on if it was your fault or the cyclist and that’s leading the conversation with others. I don’t really think that matters. The potential is there for your dog to get hurt so if you can’t see far enough to get the dog on the lead. Then just clip him on. It’ll give you protection from these situations and the comfort to get over the shock of what happened as well.

I don’t like dogs bounding up to me or jumping on me either - which is why mine has been trained not to do that. I also don’t like cyclists tearing round corners and potentially running into me - a big bloke on a mountain bike doing the speed he was could have caused a serious injury. I’ve cycled that trail many times, esp when the DC were little, and would never have cycled as fast on a day when lots of people were out walking along it. Pedestrians have right of way, so you use your bell and slow down.

If you’re on a bridleway (or other track where cyclists are permitted to be) you should absolutely not have a dog off lead that is likely to obstruct a cyclist and potentially cause an accident.

As a cyclist & horse rider myself I have found myself in several potentially dangerous situations due to entitled & inconsiderate dog walkers.

Admittedly the cyclist you encountered sounds pretty rude but you were in the wrong too.

So you’re on a bridle path in the woods ? If you stick to footpaths, you won’t meet horses or bikes. There are very very few bridlepaths , so let the cyclists and riders stick to them , and it avoids the issue ?

Your dog should be on a lead.

It’s not a bridle way - it’s a footpath through woods.

If you know there are cyclists using the path or if it's a shared path your dog should be on a non-extendable lead.