Dog situation: has it improved?

SchafStoerer

Hey all, planning a move back to Galway after 20 years in Germany. I got in to cycling here and of course couldn't do without it at home. I saw lots of threads about dogs up to a couple of years ago and am naively hoping that the situation has improved in the meantime. After many 10's of thousands of Km's here in Germany, thinking back I have only had run-ins with dogs on less than 10 occasions. Bit worried about lack of routes in the West too.

smacl

SchafStoerer wrote: »

Hey all, planning a move back to Galway after 20 years in Germany. I got in to cycling here and of course couldn't do without it at home. I saw lots of threads about dogs up to a couple of years ago and am naively hoping that the situation has improved in the meantime. After many 10's of thousands of Km's here in Germany, thinking back I have only had run-ins with dogs on less than 10 occasions. Bit worried about lack of routes in the West too.

Don't know about the West but in Dublin Wicklow Wexford area I'd have 3-4 run ins with dogs over a year of about 4k-5k cycling. One minor bite last year courtesy of a narky terrier. I'm reasonably used to dogs having a daughter who's a dog fanatic and notice they don't bother me as much as they once did purely because I'm not that bothered by them.

iwillhtfu

SchafStoerer wrote: »

Bit worried about lack of routes in the West too.

One thing the west is not short of is good cycling routes.

http://www.wildatlanticway.com/home

Not to mention the many sportives taking place over there a few of many below.

http://www.burrencyclingclub.com/tour-de-burren/

http://ringofbearacyclekenmare.com/route-info/

https://www.facebook.com/SRACcycle/ - https://www.strava.com/routes/2271484


Also on the dog situation I've not known the west or anywhere in particular to be over run with dogs. More a nuisance dog that might be on one regularly used route. Usually nothing a good squirt with a bidon won't solve.

RobertFoster

I saw a dog wearing a bandana in Howth the other day :cool: Clicked my tongue as I approached it from behind so as to not startle it, though it seemed pretty chill either way.

I don't think I've ever had any bad encounters with dogs. In (rural) Dublin/Meath/Wicklow/Kildare the most I get is a bark from a garden, or even a half-hearted chase if the dog is loose. Friendly greetings and encouragement means they lose interest in <100m.

An excited Labrador joined a club spin for a couple of km a few years ago. That was slightly chaotic fun.

cloonamnaman

I am in the West, do'nt want to say exactly where, and many people seem to regard the front road (aka the public road) as their road and an additional place for their dogs to roam free and attack passing cyclists to their hearts content and woe betide if you should disagree with this. If you are attacked (my average in 1st year was 3 per week) you will typically be regarded as the one at fault and the guards will probably back up any local if it comes to a showdown. Do'nt get me started on the awful quality of road surfaces, and that is just in comparison to the East of the country never mind proper European roads. Apart from that it's a thousand welcomes of course.

jamesd

I'm in the West too - in the country side in co Galway and in 4 years cycling think we have only been chased by a dog twice so nothing bad at all really.

pillphil

cloonamnaman wrote: »

I am in the West, do'nt want to say exactly where...

Can I hazard a guess at Cloonamna?