Hit a dog when cycling today -- advice?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Dogs should not be off leash on a MUT. No argument.
But it could just as well have been a child.
A heavily populated MUT isn't the best place to be riding the upper end of the speed limit.
I always expect pedestrians, children and dogs to do the unexpected.

I agree. And personally, I feel way safer riding on a busy street in traffic than I have on the few scary times I've ridden on popular multi-use trails.

[Norse]

I agree. And personally, I feel way safer riding on a busy street in traffic than I have on the few scary times I've ridden on popular multi-use trails.

I absolutely agree. The only time I ride the MUTs is early spring or late fall or when the weather is crappy and there is hardly a sole out there but me. As bad and aggressive as drivers can be, clueless peds, joggers and roller bladers with ear buds, loose dogs and wandering children can be so much more dangerous.

[athena]

Thank you all so much for the comments.

There is a leash law here, I believe. Most owners seem to follow it, although I have run across some that let the leash stretch across the trail (dog on one side, owner on the other), which seemed like a dangerous situation to me.

I think I'm mad at myself about last night because usually I am one of those overly-cautious people that slows down before every intersection, around every person, etc. I think I was upset about work and focusing on that, instead of riding, which was a huge mistake. I did ride on the main road home and am trying to do that more often, but being ultra-sensitive to noise and smells, the trails are sometimes a more appealing option for me.

I also usually ride in the early morning and have started riding at night (pretty awesome), so may not be as familiar with what is a reasonable speed to travel on the trail.

[owlice]

athena, as others have pointed out, the owners should have had the dog on a leash. I'm glad you weren't hurt and that the dog apparently wasn't, either.

If this is something that will make you feel better -- if you are still feeling bad -- you might want to make a donation to an animal-related charity. (Maybe one that educates people on responsible dog ownership!) I know sometimes when I'm feeling bad about something I really couldn't help, doing something like making a small donation to something related, however tangentially, will make me feel better; I guess it's a way of making lemonade, of making something good come of whatever the bad situation is.

[MartianDestiny]

I completely agree with what the others have said (or at least, what I skimmed of it), but wanted to add my support as well.

Unless it was an off leash area the dog should have been on a leash. Regardless of leash status the dog should have been under control. Now, maybe he was, given he came when called, BUT the owners should have thought ahead on their actions of calling their dog across the MUT when a cyclist was approaching. As a dog owner in an area with "voice and sight control" (ie: no leash required) areas I know that if I exercise the Privilege of having my dog off leash I need to be extra aware for her sake and the sake of other trail users.

That said dogs (leashed or not because frequently they are on those absurd 10ft retractable things held by clueless owners and might as well be loose) and children are completely unpredictable and as a cyclist on a MUT it's best to slow way down whether they look like they are going to stay out of your way or not.

But don't beat yourself up over it. It happened and neither of you was hurt, so learn what you care to learn from it and move on.

I bike with my dog (on a leash) and I can't believe how clueless other dog owners are. My dog knows sit, stay, wait, leave it, no, come, don't pull, and generally that she is to stay on my right hand side at my pedal (I've had her 3 weeks...). Of course we have issues, but I deal with them and keep the trail safe for her and others. Meanwhile people with dogs that have ZERO social skills will let them RUN in front of my bike GROWLING at my dog! HELLO!! And of course the punishment is "don't do that sweety" in the best play voice possible... Give me a break. We know who wears the pants in that relationship and it's NOT the human, and unfortunately that's just the way most dog owners are.

My (mostly shouts) of "control your animal" are met with mostly blank stares. *sigh*