Repeatedly harassed by farm dogs...

[CREPELLO]

On one of my scenic routes I have to cycle (up a hill) past a farm, where the four resident sheep dogs always seem to be hanging around their farmyard, like bored youths, waiting for a cyclist to chase up the road. Now although they haven't bitten me yet, I find the experience scary and unsettles what is really the prettiest part of the ride. If anyone knows it, it's the hill road between Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Lllanarmon Dyffryn Ceriog, near Oswestry.

I wondered if there is any course of action I could take to get the farmer to have the dogs under control? Now I could try and visit the farm to talk with the farmer, but I'd find that quite intimidating. I also imagine that the farmer would take one look at me and...well, I'm an English man in his Wales and I'm in my Lycra on a leisurely ride, passing through his country. Oh, I don't know, but that's a difficult one to to imagine being successful.

Anyone had a similar experience and had to take action against the dog owner? Does it have to come to actually getting attacked before anything can be done?

[Mobius]

As the dogs are chasing you and you are fearful that you will be attacked, he is already committing an offence.

[anweledig]

I know the road but haven't had the dubious pleasure of meeting the dogs yet. Dogs are pack animals and they see you as a possible threat to 'their' territory. Strangely, they probably won't actually bite (if they did then people like the post office will refuse to deliver and the farmer is at risk of fines and having his dogs destroyed). Although it is easier said than done one approach is to get off the bike with it between you and the dogs and then shout 'home' in a confident voice. If the farmer is around point out that his dogs have forced you off the bike and if he doesn't respond reasonably then report the incident as an attack to the police station in Oswestry. You'll be doing us all a favour.

BTW that hill climb out of llanarmon is a b@gger isn't it

[spiderweb34]

On one of my scenic routes I have to cycle (up a hill) past a farm, where the four resident sheep dogs always seem to be hanging around their farmyard, like bored youths, waiting for a cyclist to chase up the road. Now although they haven't bitten me yet, I find the experience scary and unsettles what is really the prettiest part of the ride. If anyone knows it, it's the hill road between Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Lllanarmon Dyffryn Ceriog, near Oswestry.

I wondered if there is any course of action I could take to get the farmer to have the dogs under control? Now I could try and visit the farm to talk with the farmer, but I'd find that quite intimidating. I also imagine that the farmer would take one look at me and...well, I'm an English man in his Wales and I'm in my Lycra on a leisurely ride, passing through his country. Oh, I don't know, but that's a difficult one to to imagine being successful.

Anyone had a similar experience and had to take action against the dog owner? Does it have to come to actually getting attacked before anything can be done?

Do you know the name of the farm?
Try looking (probably in the business section) of the yellow pages and give the farmer a call.........

[essexman]

i used to have a summer job as a postie. There was one house where the dog would chase me down the street yapping at my heels which is quite scary on a bike.

One day he was doing it and i noticed amongst my mail on the front rack was a long poster tube. (like a 4 foot long toilet roll). I drew it out, swung down catching doggy on the nose and hey presto doggy never did it to me again.

PS if your really bothered about it, finding the address and sending a letter is very a grown up thing to do. That way youve asked nicely.

[rualexander]

As the dogs are chasing you and you are fearful that you will be attacked, he is already committing an offence.

Only once the dogs are out of the farmyard and onto the road. It is not an offence if they remain on private property I believe.

[thirdcrank]

Johnny Helms' fans will know that dogs chasing cyclists have been one of his regular subjects over the years. Many of today's riders may wonder why that should be, because being chased by a dog or dogs is not that common nowadays. Not all that long ago it was a daily experience in many areas. I suppose that natural selection has favoured mutts that stay on the path in busy urban areas, combined with dog wardens and all the rest of it. Most owners kkep their mutt contained and strays are quite rare in most areas.

Loose guard dogs at roadside farms seem to me to be a more recent thing. In general, and for very understandable reasons, farmers and their workforce get upset about loose dogs. I assume that the big increase in travelling burglars means that isolated rural buildings are very vulnerable in a way that once never happened. A couple of nasty looking prowling mutts must be an attractive deterrent. These dogs presumably ignore passing motor traffic (or face natural selection) while a passing cyclist must be tempting bait.

I've no solution to offer. Stopping and facing a single dog generally seems to work, especially if you use your bike as a shield and kick the mutt's nose if it pokes it through. I've never had to try that against several dogs and I'm not sure if it would work. I'd also be slow to rely on the law because most rural benches seem to include plenty of farmers.

[CREPELLO]

Hopefully, I can find his name are at least the farm name, then as you guys say, I think I could write a letter or maybe phone him. I'd like to know what the law says on this, although as Thirdcrank mentioned, there may be trouble getting the Police to listen, unless I was bitten.

[Manx Cat]

Ive not read anyone mention the dog warden.

Maybe the job no longer exists in teh UK. We still have them here, so unless they are an extinct species now, and perhaps they are, I would call them. Working dogs do not have to pay a licences fee, but nevertheless they are supposed to be under control and not leave the public at large in danger.

I reckon Im barking up the wrong tree here though cos no one else has mentioned them!


Mary

[braz]

Down ere in oggy land tis farmer's wives what do chase cyclists.

'Come ere, me loverley - have you seen the size o' me pasties?'

I always carry a Farmer's Wife Dazer just in case.

End to Enders beware!

regards to all, Braz.

[Cunobelin]

Down ere in oggy land tis farmer's wives what do chase cyclists.

'Come ere, me loverley - have you seen the size o' me pasties?'

I always carry a Farmer's Wife Dazer just in case.

End to Enders beware!

regards to all, Braz.

I know at least one whose efforts I would do little to avoid...... in fact I might even have to slow down to be caught!

[CREPELLO]

As the dogs are chasing you and you are fearful that you will be attacked, he is already committing an offence.

Only once the dogs are out of the farmyard and onto the road. It is not an offence if they remain on private property I believe.

What do you reckon the offence is?

[Mobius]

Only once the dogs are out of the farmyard and onto the road. It is not an offence if they remain on private property I believe.

I got the impression from the first post that the dogs had already chased him but just hadn't bitten him yet.

What do you reckon the offence is?

• Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Section 3 applies to all dogs, making it a criminal offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place. This includes instances where there is fear that an injury might occur.
Owners found guilty under either section of the Act could have their dog destroyed, face the possibility of six months in prison and/or a fine not exceeding level 5 (at present up to £5,000).

[thirdcrank]

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1991/uk ... _en_1#l1g3

That's the legislation, and I don't think there's much doubt that it would cover a loose dog chasing a cyclist on the road. (This was rather belatedly introduced to deal with the weaknesses in the 1871 act, which only allowed for applications for dogs to be kept under control or destroyed. There was also a strong belief in some quarters that a dog had to bite somebody before it was actually dangerous.)

The problem, as always is evidence. It's not just a matter of saying I was chased by a dog outside a farm called "Gwiliwch y ci" but identifying the actual mutt to the police.

[Guy951]

[quote="CREPELLO
What do you reckon the offence is?[/quote]

Highway Code Rule 56

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /DG_069853

Note that it's a "DO NOT" rather than a "You Should Not".