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Towpath Rules


RickH

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Hi

 

I now see cycling in a totaly different light. The ability to buy more beer is an overwhelmingly sensible and good reason to cycle. biggrin.png

 

Tim

Come on Tim, a boozed up car driver kills a family, a boozed up cyclist falls off or in, I had you down as a sensible bod, but all this anti cycling clap trap is making me wonder, I cycle a lot, always make my arrival known, usually by a good morning or excuse me, last resort is the bell, most dog crap depositor owners have the sense to call their obedient pets to heel, it's just a shame that they can't be quite so dilligent about moving their pets crap, it is far better (and legal) to scoop it up and chuck it into the bushes than it is to bag it in a non-degradable bag and hang it on a branch or dump it on the side of the towpath. That's probably the turd time I've made that point!

Oh, and by the way my son, who is now 25 years old still bears a huge scar on his face after an Alsation Collie cross bit his face off in a nursery when he 16 months old! 'He'd never done anything like that before' until we found he'd bitten another child a week or so earlier, while I was trying to get it put down it jumped out of a car window and bit another child. He refused to get that menace put down, until the judge confiscated his passport just before he flew to Florida.

Shame, I had a nice tasty snack prepared.............

Edited by Chop!
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How would you suggest I deal with a dog whose owner is failing to control it and it is threatening me or my family then?

 

I am loathe to do anything that might hurt it but I don't see any alternative if placing it safely out of harm's way (both mine and the dog's) is unacceptable to you.

Stand dead still. Faced with a dog that is 'threatening you', anything other than the above is likely to provoke it into doing what it is threatening.

 

I.e., faced with a dog running towards you snarling, barking and foaming at the mouth you have 3 choices.

 

a) Run away. The dog WILL chase you and you won't out run it.

 

B) Turn the tables and run at the dog. One of two things will happen. Fight or flight. It will either back down, decide it is not going to win this fight and turn away. Or it will stand and fight. The breed of dog dictates how badly you will come out of this. I garuntee you that attempting to throw a dog into the cut which is in 'fight mode' will also end very badly for you.

 

c) Your final and most sensible option is to stand still and not look directly at the dog or interact with it. You will no longer be a threat to the dog and it will more than likely terminate its attack. By doing this there is also possibility that you will find out you misunderstood the dogs intentions and it actually is bringing you a ball it wants you to throw.

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Stand dead still.<snip>

Sorry but that is just nonsense.

 

If a dog is not under the owner's control and is running towards me and my family then I will not be standing still and trusting that my kids and dogs will be doing the same.

 

I will be standing between them and the dog and then I will remove it from harm's way.

 

As I said at the start of the thread, the last time I stood still and allowed a strange dog to invade my space my dog ended up a tripod.

 

The usual course of action is, of course, to tell the owner to get his dog under control and out of my face which usually does the trick.

 

I have no intention of throwing a ball for a strange dog on the towpath either (edited to add: unless it is likely to follow the ball into the canal of course).

 

It is strange how some owners seem to think that everybody wants to play with or be licked by their animals.

 

My dogs are on leads in confined spaces, such as towpaths out of respect for other people who may not want their space invaded and I don't see why other dog owners cannot afford me, and anyone else, the same respect.

 

Edited to add: I should also say that if a dog was approaching with obviously aggressive intentions then, rather than risk the wellbeing of my children, I would unslip the leads of my dogs (bred specifically to dispatch prey much larger than them) and instruct them to get on with it while I got my kids to safety.

Edited by carlt
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It is strange how some owners seem to think that everybody wants to play with or be licked by their animals.

It's the other way round for us - we have a very cute dog that will curl her lip (we call it doing an Elvis) at anyone she doesn't know stroking her.

 

Why oh why do people think it's ok to loom over and stroke a dog they don't know? And then get offended when she snarls at them and say "all dogs like me". Sorry, my dog doesn't. You have to earn her trust.

 

I respect her for that.

 

Edited for an/and mistook

Edited by Ange
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When faced with a ferocious dog that's snarling and snapping at you it pays to keep your gob shut, showing your teeth by smiling and grinning at em in probable fright and nervousness eggs em on and gives them the impression that your snarling at them, are angry and spoiling for a fight with them. Dogs think this way because that's the way dogs think, I think, well I think so anyway I think. unsure.png

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When faced with a ferocious dog that's snarling and snapping at you it pays to keep your gob shut, showing your teeth by smiling and grinning at em in probable fright and nervousness eggs em on ....

 

Fortunately I am dentally challenged and only wear my false teeth on special occasions so am unlikely to be perceived as a threat.

It's the other way round for us - we have a very cute dog that will curl her lip (we call it doing and Elvis) at anyone she doesn't know stroking her.

Tommy, my old tripod was the same and the first thing I always said was "Please don't stroke him until he approaches you."

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Sorry but that is just nonsense.

 

If a dog is not under the owner's control and is running towards me and my family then I will not be standing still and trusting that my kids and dogs will be doing the same.

 

I will be standing between them and the dog and then I will remove it from harm's way.

 

As I said at the start of the thread, the last time I stood still and allowed a strange dog to invade my space my dog ended up a tripod.

 

The usual course of action is, of course, to tell the owner to get his dog under control and out of my face which usually does the trick.

 

I have no intention of throwing a ball for a strange dog on the towpath either (edited to add: unless it is likely to follow the ball into the canal of course).

 

It is strange how some owners seem to think that everybody wants to play with or be licked by their animals.

 

My dogs are on leads in confined spaces, such as towpaths out of respect for other people who may not want their space invaded and I don't see why other dog owners cannot afford me, and anyone else, the same respect.

 

Edited to add: I should also say that if a dog was approaching with obviously aggressive intentions then, rather than risk the wellbeing of my children, I would unslip the leads of my dogs (bred specifically to dispatch prey much larger than them) and instruct them to get on with it while I got my kids to safety.

How very strange.

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How very strange.

Really?

 

What I find strange is that I am expected to tolerate a strange animal invading my space.

 

If I came running up to you and started pawing you and licking your face I suspect you would react in a similar way.

 

Unlike your dog, though, I haven't been trotting along, sniffing shit and piss and licking my arse and balls before trying to lick your face.

 

Now tell me who is strange.

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I like dogs, I've lived with them for much of my life, but I do wish this was true. My local borough has a bylaw that says all dogs on public paths must be on a lead but it is totally ignored and unenforced.

 

The Australian National Parks have the right idea. If dogs are permitted at all, then they must be on a lead with a maximum length of 2 metres. If they are not, they are shot without warning. They don't even stop to ask where you would like the hole. Signs at the entrance tell you how many dogs were shot in the previous month.

 

It would be a brave politician to suggest that here!

 

Now that is a good idea. Isn't that an extract from the new licensing conditions for CCers?

 

It's the other way round for us - we have a very cute dog that will curl her lip (we call it doing an Elvis) at anyone she doesn't know stroking her.

 

Why oh why do people think it's ok to loom over and stroke a dog they don't know? And then get offended when she snarls at them and say "all dogs like me". Sorry, my dog doesn't. You have to earn her trust.

 

I respect her for that.

 

Edited for an/and mistook

But then Millie is an exceptional dog.
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"Why oh why do people think it's ok to loom over and stroke a dog they don't know? "

 

Slightly off topic(but that's never stopped anyone before) We were having a similar conversation in the office about how strangers think it's OK to come up and stroke peoples pets and pregnant women's bump. We had a very sweet, elderly spinster admin lady- naive beyond belief who suddenly spoke and said "well I wouldn't let anyone stroke my pussy" Everyone made a bee line for the exits before falling about laughing.

Edited by rubblequeen
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It's the other way round for us - we have a very cute dog that will curl her lip (we call it doing an Elvis) at anyone she doesn't know stroking her.

 

Why oh why do people think it's ok to loom over and stroke a dog they don't know? And then get offended when she snarls at them and say "all dogs like me". Sorry, my dog doesn't. You have to earn her trust.

 

I respect her for that.

 

Edited for an/and mistook

 

Reminds me of the old joke -

 

Man strolls up to woman with a dog on a lead and asks 'does your dog bite?'

 

'No' she answers,

 

Man leans forward and strokes dog and immediately the dog lunges and removes a sizable lump from man's hand,

 

"Flippin heck, I thought you said your dog doesn't bite' he screams.

 

'He doesn't,

 

 

 

 

that's not my dog'

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Hubby says if they are permissive paths they should be shut for one day a year.

Hubby is wrong.

 

Many permissive paths are closed for one day a year to guard against possible claims of continuous use but this by no means mandatory.

 

I hate screaming kids invading my personal space. Will it be OK if I throw them in the cut please?

The temptation to say yes is strong but sadly no, that is not allowed.

 

Then again I wouldn't remove a dog from my vicinity if all it was doing was barking annoyingly, even if I wanted to.

 

Edited to add: My children are not allowed to bother other people (or animals) and I have always said that if my kids kicked off in public like some I've seen I would stop what I was doing and remove them immediately.

 

This has yet to happen but, like with my dogs, I respect other people enough to take action if they ever chose impose themselves on other folk.

Edited by carlt
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Reminds me of the old joke -

 

Man strolls up to woman with a dog on a lead and asks 'does your dog bite?'

 

'No' she answers,

 

Man leans forward and strokes dog and immediately the dog lunges and removes a sizable lump from man's hand,

 

"Flippin heck, I thought you said your dog doesn't bite' he screams.

 

'He doesn't,

 

 

 

 

that's not my dog'

 

That's a scene of a movie with Peter Sellers.

 

Peter.

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That's a scene of a movie with Peter Sellers.

 

Peter.

Yes, it is and was so funny!

 

An ex-girlfriend of mine was walking across a zebra crossing situated on a very busy road at peak time, much to the annoyance of an impatient male driver who'd had the inconvenience of having to pause his extremely important journey simply to allow a pedestrian to cross the road.

 

Just behind her and strolling at a snail's pace, was one of those 'hush puppy' type dogs. The irate driver wound his window down and bellowed; "get your f**cking dog on a lead!" to everyone else's astonishment. My girlfriend, who had a very dry sense of humour, quickly replied; "it's not my f**cking dog!". She commented later that the face on the driver was a picture of embarrassment.

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My point is that when the dog's attention is relaxed, the human's attention is relaxed, or both, anything can happen to switch the dog's attention. If it has been taken by surprise, feels threatened, thinks it is time to play, for example, the dog stops being controlled by voice and becomes a creature of instinct again

Yes, that's a fair point but if the dog owner is incapable of focusing his or her attention on their dog then as you say, they should be on a lead. When we walk our dog along the towpath it is our duty and nobody else's to keep him under control. If I felt that he was an errant animal he would be tethered at all times.

 

Incidentally, on one occasion when he was walking along the towpath minding his own business, two Kern terriers attacked him, both of whom were on leads. As he tried to defend himself their owner kicked out at my dog! Being completely astonished at this guy's behaviour, I suggested that the next kick would be from me and directed towards him, at this point he then attempted to attack me. It was only after the sensible intervention of his wife, did I refrain from introducing both him and his vicious dogs to the bottom of the canal.

 

Your original point of suggesting that any dog owner who feels that their dog can be under complete voice control is either arrogant or complacent, went down really well with one our friends who relies upon his dog for his everyday activities, as he is blind.

 

I've never seen a cycle owner crap in a bag and hang it on a branch.:clapping:

Quite.

 

But I've seen quite a few crap when threatened by irate walkers for not having the common courtesy to slow down whilst on their speed trials.

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As the "owner" of both dogs and a child I can say that they fall into different legal categories.

For example, if your dog falls ill in the middle of the night you can call the Vet and he will come and see your dog at 3am. Not a locum vet, or a Vet "hotline" but the Vet who knows your dog and its history.

You can keep a dog in a cage, but not a child. However, many cunning parents have got round this restriction by removing the lid of the cage and re-naming it "play pen".

Dogs are allowed to foul anywhere (as long as you clean it up), while Children have to wear nappies.

If you walk up to a stranger and say "could you hold my dog for a couple of minutes?, I'm just popping into that shop" the stranger will probably say "Yeah sure, what a cute dog". If you try the same with a child the stranger will probably scream and run away from the responsibility of holding a small member of the same species - no matter how cute.

 

 

Doorman - Basset Hound by any chance? smile.png

Yes, it is and was so funny!

An ex-girlfriend of mine was walking across a zebra crossing situated on a very busy road at peak time, much to the annoyance of an impatient male driver who'd had the inconvenience of having to pause his extremely important journey simply to allow a pedestrian to cross the road.

Just behind her and strolling at a snail's pace, was one of those 'hush puppy' type dogs. The irate driver wound his window down and bellowed; "get your f**cking dog on a lead!" to everyone else's astonishment. My girlfriend, who had a very dry sense of humour, quickly replied; "it's not my f**cking dog!". She commented later that the face on the driver was a picture of embarrassment.

Edited by Morat
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Some. I have had three labs, all trained to the gun, on whistle, voice and hand commands. Unless I was in the middle of nowhere and could see there was no one around in a public space they were on the lead.

And very sensible that would be too. Controlling one Lab in public is challenging enough, but to keep three in tow is beyond me! :-)

 

 

Doorman - Basset Hound by any chance? :)

Thanks Morat,

 

For the life of me I couldn't remember that breed's name. Another brain fart due to advancing years I suspect.

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if anyone was to throw my dog in the canal they would be the next one to end up in the canal!!!!!

 

As for the reason for this reaction

1, my dog is blind so possibly hasn't realised that you are there

2' My dog cannot swim

 

1. So, you should put him on a lead in order to ensure that he doesn't accidentally end up causing a problem for himself or others.

2. So, you should put him on a lead in order to ensure that he doesn't end up in the canal having causes a problem for others.

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Yes, that's a fair point but if the dog owner is incapable of focusing his or her attention on their dog then as you say, they should be on a lead. When we walk our dog along the towpath it is our duty and nobody else's to keep him under control. If I felt that he was an errant animal he would be tethered at all times.

 

That seems eminently fair and responsible

 

Incidentally, on one occasion when he was walking along the towpath minding his own business, two Kern terriers attacked him, both of whom were on leads. As he tried to defend himself their owner kicked out at my dog! Being completely astonished at this guy's behaviour, I suggested that the next kick would be from me and directed towards him, at this point he then attempted to attack me. It was only after the sensible intervention of his wife, did I refrain from introducing both him and his vicious dogs to the bottom of the canal.

 

The world is full of twats

 

Your original point of suggesting that any dog owner who feels that their dog can be under complete voice control is either arrogant or complacent, went down really well with one our friends who relies upon his dog for his everyday activities, as he is blind.

 

Whoa hold on! Are you trying to hit me with a guilt trip?

 

Is your friend's dog a guide dog - and therefore is it not just on a lead but wearing a harness? Though it might be an unfair point on my behalf because the harness is for the dog and owner to maintain firmer contact between each other than would be allowed by a simple lead. nevertheless my point is that guide dogs, in harness, and out in public, are a long way from being on voice control alone

 

 

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Actually, hubby is right. Did I say "have to"? No, I didn't. I said "should" as in advisory.

The whole idea of shutting it for a day is to stop continuous use on a path being used only at the landowner's discretion.

It can be closed at any time of the year for any amount of time but most landowners go for Christmas Day. If they decide to do so. Entirely up to them.

The reason is to prevent people including public bodies claiming a continuous use right and then having the permitted way statemented as a public right of way. The whole issue has been muddied and confused by Blair's right to roam policy which in theory hubby is in total agreement with but would rather see the existing rights of way network fully reinstated, waymarked and utilised by all user groups ie foot, hoof and wheels.

 

Hubby is wrong.

 

Many permissive paths are closed for one day a year to guard against possible claims of continuous use but this by no means mandatory.

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