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Hi All. Interested in advice/experience from people involved in MTB clubs:
Our club has a few members who like to bring their dogs on rides, which many other riders enjoy, although there are also members who would rather the dogs weren't there. What approaches/policies do people in other clubs have in relation to dogs that can best balance the needs of those for/against dogs?
FWIW we are a new club, currently with about 160 members, planning affiliation with CUK/BC shortly.
I don't need views for/against dogs, as we have plenty of those from club members already ...but interested in happy solutions/compromises that people have worked out! Thanks in advance...
Could you not have separate rides for with and without dogs or switch up each week? Can’t think of any other compromise that would please both groups.
This has potential to be a great STW thread!
In conclusion: Some people like dogs, some people don't like dogs.
I think funkmaster has the most likely solution and the fairest all round (much in the same way groups often split into fast, slow, jumpy etc). I have a mate who brings his dog on our rides sometimes, for the most part it's no problem, but getting snaked going into a fast technical section or over a drop is not a nice experience and it's also a pain when sessioning features. I think the trail dog owners should understand as it can have a big impact on the enjoyment of the ride for others, if they must ride with their dogs in a group then they're welcome to do so on specific rides or organise their own. Dog owner myself BTW, so no bias against pooches in general.
This has potential to be a great STW thread!
Haha, my thoughts exactly! This is such a touchy subject that its almost difficult to comment for fear of lighting things up but - I wouldnt join in on any ride that had Dogs involved, nor do I think its appropriate when people bring dogs to trail centres etc and expect everyone to be ok with it.
I like (some) dogs - I dont like dogs and bike riding, they are not compatible. I wouldnt be riding with that Club.
Assuming they're weekly rides and you're in a single group, alternating dogs-allowed and no dogs rides each week seems reasonable, with a strict "if your dog causes a problem, you don't bring it again" rule.
I like dogs, I have a (new) dog, but I wouldn't want dogs with me on rides unless they are sooo well trained that they stick to their owner like glue. Any dog weaving it's way round other people whilst riding is not on IMO.
I might take my dog with me in future, but only when I'm on my own on local trails, not to trail centres.
In conclusion: Some people like to ride with dogs, some people don’t like dogs running around them whilst riding.
FTFY.
On the other hand, if you're riding new trails that the dog has been to before then they will have a ruff idea of where they are going so can lead the way without the group having to paws to consider the route, or am I barking up the wrong tree?
....ooh, thats a bit ruff, get yer coat and high tail it out of here....
I'd also make it a condition of participation that ANY injury to a dog is entirely the responsibility of the owner. If thats's not acceptable then leave the dog at home. Just in case one gets accidentally ****ted by another rider, saves any arguments.
As ever with dogs how well trained they are and how responsible the owners are is the key. I've twice ridden with folk with dogs and both times they passed this test - and the collie actually made me smile it was clearly having such a good time and most importantly not bothering anyone else
As for the club. rides with dogs allowed and rides with no dogs seems the sensible option
When we go out as a family we take both dogs with us, if we have stop etc it only impacts us.
When riding with friends the dogs don't come with us.
Same as others, split rides would be the answer.
I ride with some mates who sometimes bring their dogs - not a Club, but anyway. I have no problem with said dogs in normal life but I don't enjoy riding with them around, even though I've now got used to how they usually behave.
- One like to run 5-10m ahead of you, and occasionally likes to stop, positioned right across the trail in front of you, so you have to panic brake to avoid hitting it.
- One likes to run just level with your front axle, always on the left-hand side, meaning you can't turn left without risking hitting it
- One likes to run alongside, level with your cranks, usually on the right-hand side, meaning you can't see it without taking your eyes off the trail and can't turn right without risking hitting it.
Because of all of that, I spend too much of the ride worrying that I'm going to crash into one of them and injure either the dog or myself. We can't ride as a single group because they latch on to different people, and those of us who don't want to worry about hitting a dog have to hang back and make sure they've gone with the front pack. That takes some of the enjoyment out of 'going for a ride with my mates'. It sure as hell would suck any enjoyment out of riding with a club of people that aren't necessarily my mates...
I like dogs.
And I’ve been on rides where someone brought their dog, it was well trained and caused no issues, in fact I only saw it when we were stopped.
Despite that, I’m very much against taking a dog on a group ride, due to the potential for an accident, and injury to a rider or the dog.
I don’t wanna see someone’s pet being hurt.
Neither do i want to be flung over the bars by a dog, no matter how well trained it is/the owner ‘thinks’ it is.
But it’s a free country, so if everyone in the group is ok with it I don’t see a problem.
If the club has a policy which is adhered to everything should be fine eh
i will ride with my mate and his dog - but he wouldnt ever consider bringing him along for a group ride
there must be a reason why there are not many "MTB with yer Hound" clubs
As someone who loved bringing his dog with him on rides (until he passed away), I'd say ban dogs - not safe for others in the group, not safe for the dogs.
If you bring your dog on a ride, go alone.
Either rider with dog goes at the back of the group OR they ride their own ride without the group.
I love taking my dog on trail rides and for the most part, she is well behanved and keeps up no problem. The only issues arise when dropping into a trial and she can sometimes run across the path of another rider or when we're stopped in the woods to fanny around on a feature, she is off looking for sticks and seemingly appears from nowehere. For this reason I like to ride with no more than two other riders and always stick to the back OR ride solo.
Short and sweet but here's one of Peggy & I playing on some of the features in our local woods --> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BUPgALeroSU
When I got my dog I was a solo rider and hoped she'd become an awesome trail dog. She's certainly fast enough. Unfortunately, she's an unruly f-wit who loves nothing more than going wild in the woods and knackering herself out in short order. I managed 4km before she was done last time I tried; she'd probably done about 10km at full chat at that point.
What about insurance?
I Know on club road rides every member has to have some form of 3rd party insurance. Not sure if it is a requirement for off road rides.
But as the club is organising mtb rides there could be some form of liability if a dog and rider crash, either to the owner of an injured dog, or the injured cyclist. Or the club could be held liable for organising the club rides.
I have no experience of this, so could be talking a load of rubbish. But if you are becoming affiliated to BC or CUK, they may have some rules about dogs on rides.
The only way I can see this working is have a dogs accepted ride and a no dogs ride.
If riders choose to join the dog ride, whether they have a canine or not, they accept the risk riding with dogs brings.
Personally I would never ride in a group that had dogs. I love dogs, and I know that I would not be able to enjoy riding with them because I would find myself always looking out for them. If my riding group had trail dogs I would simply have to find another group.
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yap yap yap yap yap.
F right off with yer dog.
All I want to hear on a ride is the gentle whine of my ebike motor.
why don't you ask the organisations what their thoughts are? My gut feeling is that it's not appropriate just from a consideration-of-others point of view - unless they are specifically organised as "dog friendly" rides. But CUK/BC might have a policy also?FWIW we are a new club, currently with about 160 members, planning affiliation with CUK/BC shortly.
If they are well behaved and stay away from me then I don't care if they are there or not...if they don't stay away from me then they are a risk and shouldn't be there.
Used to ride with someone who had a doberman who seemed to enjoy the rides but anything over a jog for the dog and it would bite your front wheel - didn't matter who it was, just the nearest bike and it would have a chew. Was seriously annoying (and expensive when it was your tyre and he actually burst the tyre and tube!)...this was the only thing that was a drawback to the dog, otherwise he wasn't any trouble, however, you were always guaranteed a dozen or so 'stops' on every ride when he did come along. I didn't do frequent rides with him (or the dog) so it wasn't a big issue really, but if it was my regular ride then it would have been seriously annoying.
I think you need 6 separate rides.
Acoustic bikes only
Acoustic bikes + dogs
Acoustic bikes + e-bikes
Acoustic bikes + e-bikes + dogs
E-bikes only
E-bikes + dogs
What if I buy an e-Dog from Boston Dynamics?
Then you sit on the dog and it goes offroad with you sitting on it...
But would I get the same exercise as a normal ride with my dog? Or am I able to go further and build up the exercise that way?
Anyway, I'm sure he'll be able to look after himself if I get the armoured and tooled up version. Plus no pooping!
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yap yap yap yap yap.
F right off with yer dog.
All I want to hear on a ride is the gentle whine of my ebike motor.
🤣
I put the OP's question into the AI bot. This is the result. Is that really what you want to happen? Is it?
and this is what you get if TJ shares a tandem with a dog. Come on people, be realistic
I Know on club road rides every member has to have some form of 3rd party insurance. Not sure if it is a requirement for off road rides.
Not the case with any club I've ridden with......
Last time I looked at BC insurance their definition of 3rd party was someone not in the group, so it wouldn't cover you hitting another rider anyway....
As for the club. rides with dogs allowed and rides with no dogs seems the sensible option
Who are you and where's TJ? 😀
No dogs on club rides as mentioned above what would insurance say? Is it in risk assessments. What are the procedures?
I ride with my dogs but not in groups unless it a small group of friends.
Who are you and where’s TJ?
Should the dogs be wearing helmets?
Suspiciously quiet on that one, he's obviously been abducted by aliens (again).
😎🙄
Love dogs. Trail dogs are fine when theres no other riders for them to get in the way of. On a club ride? Absolutely not.
Agree with a lot of the above in having designated "dog rides" and "non-dog rides".
I'd also agree with the sentiment of if the dogs come out it is entirely at their (owners) risk and that if Fido gets injured that on the owner and not who did the damage.
I'd also have strict guidelines about what kind of behaviour (from dog and owner) is expected with clear consequences if said expectations are not met.
I'd be more worried about being injured by a trail dog that hitting one....
I'd prepare to lose a number of members, if I were at a club that started either allowing people to bring dogs or reduced my club rides as I didn't want to ride with dogs id find a new club
I love riding with my dogs, but I’d never inflict their craziness on anyone else or a trail centre. Taking your dog out with relative strangers is pretty selfish I think.
In conclusion: Some people like dogs, some people don’t like dogs.
Luv dags, we have a few of them - but I don't want one around me while I'm out on a ride ,especially a mixed ability group ride.