CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

today's rubbish dog-handling

(217 posts)

  1. chdot
    Admin

  2. jdanielp
    Member

    Forgot to mention an almost incident on the canal towpath earlier this week. While cycling through Wester Hailes, I spotted a lead running across the path rising from small to medium dog height in the reeds to small to average human hand height in bushes to the side of the path. When I rang my bell, someone emerged from the side path (they weren't actually in, merely behind bushes) and crossed the towpath to stand by their dog which was still busy investigating the reeds, allowing me to cycle past without becoming entangled. I'm glad I spotted the lead since there was no way that the dog handler was going to spot me given their positioning!

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. gembo
    Member

    Former lawyer dog walker goes to court to muzzle rival dog walker going radge about dogs being kept in a van?

    Do dog walkers leave some dogs in a van whilst out walking others? I guess they must?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

  5. neddie
    Member

    I've seen notices up about this in Inverleith park too, and I wondered what it was about

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

  7. wingpig
    Member

    I was heading eastish along the Restalrig path between Lochend Road and Restalrig Road, slowly and on the non-lumpy side. An untethered idiot-hound (whose owner had been slowly levering themselves off the verge near the bench) took it upon itself to follow me, running ahead and turning round to face me, repeating several times, ignoring some apparent dog fans approaching from the other direction who tried to distract it. Its person was making vague dog-wheedling noises in the distance but looked like they would only have moved very slowly even when their neurotransmitters were operating under optimal conditions. Eventually, a good loud shout right into its face temporarily discouraged it sufficiently for me to escape up the slope to Restalrig Road.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. wingpig
    Member

    Had another one like that a couple of weeks ago in the Restalrig path at the back of the allotments, with a barking dog running after me for a good couple of hundred metres.
    Had another one this morning in Lochend Park, with a small white poodley thing running after me (going quite slowly, as I had two childseats attached to the rack and it was icy), chasing me all the way from the bench at the south of the pond to almost the Marionville exit, round the corner and well out of sight of its owner (although a dog-sympathiser approaching from the football pitches appeared to be trying to speak to it too) and quite close to a road.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    Wingpig, you old dog magnet you. In richard's bicycling book the long pump comes in handy as stick to beat such brutes

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    “as stick to beat”

    That’s one interpretation.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. urchaidh
    Member

    Must be the season for it. I was chased along part of Seafield Prom by a sort of Dalmatian this evening, loud barking drowning out the distant, innefectial cries of its owner.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. gembo
    Member

    @urchaidh, sorry to hear about similar dog issues. What sort of Dalmatian was it?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. urchaidh
    Member

    It looked like a Dalmatian, but shorter and broader.
    I had decided that its chin would have been the ideal height for a quick deterrent boot, had it got any more aggressive.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Had Phoilis na h-Alba round at the house at the weekend after a run-in with an octo-hound on Craigmillar Hill. Got off the path to let the lady and her canines past, but way blocked by leads.

    Looked at the lady in an expectant way and was called 'weirdo' and 'pervert' as a Doberman off the leash started barking and snarling into my testicular region.

    Leaving the park I met the lady again and she filmed and photographed me and invited me to speak to her partner on a video call, an offer I declined.

    Thought it best to get my side of the tale told before I was accused of who knows what. Turns out the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 is of no practical use - unless the dog actually takes chunks out of you it is never used. Dog owners can frighten and intimidate people in public with impunity which is always good to know.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. neddie
    Member

    the long pump comes in handy

    Sadly, modern pumps seem to be these diddy wee things that take about 10^99 pumps to get to about 40 PSI. And useless for whacking dogs on the nose...

    I wonder if a CO2 cartridge could be modified to give an icy gas blast to the dog's nose?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    There's the dog walkers on Porty prom every day around 1pm who never have control of the dogs. There's about 3 or 4 walkers, 1 or 2 vans (parked on the prom past the "no entry" gates, of course), and about a dozen dogs.

    On more than one occasion I've been cycling past and had an out of control dog sprinting towards me, yapping furiously, resulting in some sharp braking and/or swerving.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. the canuck
    Member

    are my eyes more open or has there been an explosion in the number of dogs allowed to crap all over the path? WoL in the area around Coburg st has been like a poop-avoidance slalom the last couple of weeks.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. Nah, it's always been like that. The stench of festering dog muck in the summer along the stretch between Sandport bridge and Coalie Park (Coburg St) is vile.

    It always appears to have been carpet-bombed by our four-legged friends, whose selfishly irresponsible owners wouldn't dream of picking it up and disposing of it properly.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. wingpig
    Member

    About five leadless dogs were running around one of the paths in Inverleith Park this morning, with three people standing vaguely near them in that way which suggests they might have been the dogs' operators. Two of the dogs ran across the path at some speed and knocked over one of the people. One of the other people, kneeling beside the fallen one (sitting up) by the time I passed, appeared to be trying to explain to some of the dogs that the person who fell had a bad knee, though this demonstrates the problem with some dog owners if they think that dogs understand what bad knees are.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  20. Frenchy
    Member

    though this demonstrates the problem with some dog owners if they think that dogs understand what bad knees are.

    I'm definitely guilty of this (but not of letting out-of-control dogs run around off-lead).

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. unhurt
    Member

    I've explained a lot of things to dogs and cats. Mostly for my own benefit. Mostly.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. gembo
    Member

    Today I had two dogs walk casually in front of me on WoL path. One owner said sorry in a casual I don't really care manner. The other said nothing. Jeez, you would get some different interaction if you hit the uncontrolled mutts on a National Cycle Network Route. Fear not I am being nice after chastising woman on way to Sick Kids for driving through the Closed street

    Then I had two joggers run at me on the towpath. I stopped and they ran past. OK up to them I guess, they maybe know I am nice and will stop so they do not need to go single file and indeed can just keep chatting

    Then I had a guy illegally park up in the new bays in New St (for car club I think) and run right in front of me into the Waverley Car park. Did not look so lucky for him I was watching. I may now have rebalanced my Karma for the Sciennes stuff.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. ejstubbs
    Member

    A while back I posted (on this thread) about huge poos appearing on the tram tracks at the Haymarket tram stop. The other day I spotted the culprit. It was a guide dog - a black lab - with its human charge in tow. (Pretty definitely the same animal that had left the previously observed deposits, judging by the size, shape and colour.)

    Now, setting aside the hygiene issue for a moment, I don't think it's really a brilliant idea to be stuck on the tram tracks while your assistance animal attends to a call of nature. But I found myself completely conflicted about whether and how to raise the issue with the dog's handler. Certainly not without bringing up the issue of the unpleasant mess that the dog had made (which then poses the question of how you can reasonably ask a blind person to pick up their dog's poo).

    I think this may actually be a deficiency in the dog's training, which the handler probably can't do much about (though it does seem a bit odd that the problem seems to occur so regularly at the same location).

    Anyone got any ideas about how this situation might be sorted out? As I say, I'm equally if not more concerned about the safety aspect of it as I am about the hygiene issue.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    @ejstubbs That does seem strange. Guide dogs are, as you would expect, pretty well toilet trained. For one to be relieving itself at the same inappropriate spot frequently, there are only certain plausible explanations:

    1) It's being encouraged to by its handler
    2) It's struggling with its continence, perhaps after a train ride, which may suggest deeper health issues
    3) There's something about tram lines that makes the dog think that's a good place to go, perhaps something from training.

    https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/media/3629/3-relief-routine-advice-1.pdf

    I'm at a loss how one would sensitively go about addressing this.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. gembo
    Member

    Maybe contact the guide dog training organisation that Murun has linked to? Or Royal Blind or RNIB

    Tricky one

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    There was a guy at the Standard who had a guide dog that got the runs in the office one afternoon. It is very embarrassing for all concerned.

    Blind people are just people though and you can speak to them about ordinary stuff. Maybe offer to help?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  27. gembo
    Member

    Hopefully the person knows they are standing in the middle of a tram track?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  28. algo
    Member

    Was camping at Tantallon at the weekend - had 4 kids and was on my own. We went down to the beach to see the most beautiful sunset on Friday night - it was idyllic.

    On the way back we came over the golf course. My eldest and her friend are terrified of dogs but usually I can calm them down and owners are usually extremely sympathetic and understanding - often staying to reassure.

    On this occasion a young greyhound bounded over and started chasing the kids who scattered screaming in all directions before I could gather them up. I had my youngest on my shoulders so wasn't too nimble. The dog was (I think) wanting to play but was barking and snapping. I am not a "dog person" so I don't actually know. I eventually rounded up the kids and shouted at the owner the control her dog. I must admit I was very stressed. The owner the followed me up for a while shouting in my face (and hence if my 3 year old above) that I wasn't f'ing fit to be a parent and it was my fault. Lots of rule twos in my face while I implored her to leave us alone and stop scaring the (now hysterical) kids. "My dog wouldn't hurt anyone" - genuine question - how do I know that about a barking dog running full pelt at my kids?

    Thanks to various kind people who helped me get all 4 back safely and held the woman back. I wish I could thank them again now - I doubt I did a very good job at the time.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  29. gembo
    Member

    Sorry to hear about this @algo

    Posted 4 years ago #
  30. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    Jesus, it sounds like the dog owner shouldn't be allowed out in public. Hope you and the kids are all OK, algo.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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