khain wrote:Dogs are not unpredictable - you might not be able to read their body language, but that's a different problem.
In many years of cycling I've had a "face plant" from a loose dog.
I've been pursued by dogs ranging from a Great Dane (had to get the police to deal with that as it was a regular occurrence so I suppose it was predictable )
to a Jack Russell - shouted at that and it ran back into a driveway only to reappear backed up by a Rottweiler - (I discovered I could still sprint)
I've had a playful border collie running out of a farm entrance and biting my shoes ( the farmer saw my point and I never had any problem after that.)
I've had foul abuse from owners of uncontrolled dogs who resent a request that they call off their dog.
When I was a child I was knocked over by a playful Alsation - this to the amusement of the owner.
My sister had four ridgebacks - she also had a cat which had lived amicably with the dogs for some years. One day the cat jumped down from the refrigerator and set on by the dogs and torn to pieces.
IMO no owner will know with 100% certainty what their dog will do. They are pack animals - they cannot be reasoned with and can only be controlled - something which many owners are unable or unwilling to do.
Some of us are wary of dogs with good reason.
I generally avoid shared use paths.