Bloody labrador

[jackg]

They must get the award for the least intelligent dog.
Coming home along the single track road outside the village which is used regularly by locals for walking.
I approached a woman and her two grandchildren and a dog not on a lead.

I shouted, "Behind," which they did not hear, so I repeated myself, they heard that one and the woman and one grandchild went to the LHS and the other and the dog went to RHS.
Why do people do this? one on one side and one on the other, particularly when approached by cars.
As I came to pass the them dog decided to cross the road, I braked sharply and did not have enough time to unclick a shoe from the pedals so I fell over at about 2.1/2 MPH.
Shaken but nothing more.
The woman just looked at me, she may have said, " Are you ok?" I got up checked and carried on.

Why do these dogs have no brain, I used to take our collie and friends Lab for a walk and that one was dense beyond belief.

Just wondering for future reference, I presume the dog owner is at fault here for failure to control it?

[Audax67]

Owners of dog and kids at fault for not teaching them to keep to heel.

[661-Pete]

Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991:

3 Keeping dogs under proper control.
(1)If a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place—
(a)the owner; and
(b)if different, the person for the time being in charge of the dog,is guilty of an offence, or, if the dog while so out of control injures any person, an aggravated offence, under this subsection.

[bikerwaser]

controlling your dog in public :

https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/overview

1. Overview
It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, such as:

in a public place
in a private place, eg a neighbour’s house or garden
in the owner’s home
The law applies to all dogs.

Some types of dogs are banned.

Out of control
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them

[gaz]

Highway Code.

56

Dogs. Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

Although when I see a dog on or off the lead I tend to slow down, clip out and prepare to stop on the approach. I don't think arguing with the owner about complying with the DDA or the HC is going to achieve anything, invariably they love their dog and know that it wouldn't hurt a fly .

[maxcherry]

Off topic, but are cars supposed to drive over animals rather than avoid them as it is the safest option (less chance of hitting another car)

[ian s]

Whilst my experience was whilst running, it is possibly relevant to cycling. Running in the dark, but with streetlamps on I was approaching a person and a dog on opposite sides of the track. I was about to run between them when I suddenly realised there was the fairly thin cord of an extending dog lead between them. I managed to stop before falling headlong, but only just.

[Paulatic]

Don't get me started about extending dog leads. I'd ban them and ban anyone who uses one from keeping a dog.

[Tangled Metal]

We ride a mixed use canal towpath near us often with a toddler in a rear seat or trailer. Obviously we meet lots of dogs and owners plus children. I have to say a lot are very responsible and hold their dogs and children back out of the way. There are some who see their child or dog as having more right to be wherever it wants to be. I've actually had someone say "don't worry, he's well behaved" just before the dog decided to cross my path or jump up in front of me. Anyone who says that about their dog I slow right down to pass.

BTW I view young children as only slightly less likely to behave unpredictably. As a result when passing I'll treat young children as a similar risk as dogs off the lead. BTW I do not believe you can have sufficient control of your dog on one of those retractable leads. A good rope, leather strap or webbing strap lead attached to either a collar, harness or halti is really the only options to ensure you have full control. Even a well trained dog can have their deaf moments and really on or near roads or mixed use paths it's not worth risking your dog coming to harm or others too.

P.S. Labradors have a selective deafness characteristic. Not sure it's intelligence related just they get distracted and will focus on that and not hear owners. Not the same as the terrier who can just be stubborn but similar results I think.

[Psamathe]

When I see a cat siting on/beside the road I always tend to whistle or call out or something as I've had cats not notice me until far too late and then some will get scared and run to safety which for some will be home, which can involve crossing my path at the last minute (risk of a bike fast approaching seem overridden by the panic reaction to rush for somewhere they regard as safe).

So by calling out they have turn and see me and have time to decide what to do and where to go.

Ian

[Psamathe]

...
I shouted, "Behind," which they did not hear, so I repeated myself, they heard that one and the woman and one grandchild went to the LHS and the other and the dog went to RHS.
Why do people do this? one on one side and one on the other, particularly when approached by cars.
As I came to pass the them dog decided to cross the road
...
Just wondering for future reference, I presume the dog owner is at fault here for failure to control it?

I've has people do exactly the same on single track roads - no dogs involved. So I guess in that case it becomes a parent or adult responsibility to keep their children under control ?

Ian

[ArMoRothair]

I was on a busy shared use path recently, cycling quite slowly with my daughter on the back seat, when a tennis ball whizzed past us, thrown from behind.

As I was trying to fathom why someone would throw a tennis ball on such a busy path my sixth sense kicked in and I slowed even more just as the attack dog, [horrible, probably illegal, pitbull or similar] it was thrown for, whacked himself into my front wheel as he overtook us chasing the ball.

I've no doubt has I not slowed and braced myself the mutt would have been caught between our wheels.

[axel_knutt]

Whilst my experience was whilst running, it is possibly relevant to cycling. Running in the dark, but with streetlamps on I was approaching a person and a dog on opposite sides of the track. I was about to run between them when I suddenly realised there was the fairly thin cord of an extending dog lead between them. I managed to stop before falling headlong, but only just.

That happened to me on a motor road once. I came round a blind bend, to see a man suddenly dive headlong out into the road in front of me. Puzzled, I looked over my shoulder, and saw a dog on the far side with an extending dog lead stretched across the road like a cheese wire.

[Redvee]

Two encounters with the same retriever, the first encounter has some strong language.

[youtube]r1WA5SkJd2E[/youtube]

The second is better.

[youtube]OGTwOsJsZVA[/youtube]

[Valbrona]

They eat them China.