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Reply to Aggressive dogs
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Jim from St. Louis on 4/19/2012 5:27:38 PM:
Has anybody had to put up with aggressive dogs being a nuisance on the trail just west of Smith Creek. They are at the house across from the Riverview Boat Club.

 
Anonymous on 4/20/2012 2:20:04 PM:
Were the dogs actually aggressive? If it's the dogs I'm thinking of all they did in the past was bark.

 
Jim from St. Louis on 4/20/2012 5:44:45 PM:
Considering the dogs ran down the hill from the rear of their yard circling and barking, I'd say that is aggressive. We have seen many docile dogs along the trail. These don't fit that description. Tell my wife and grandkids they are friendly--yeah sure. They don't want to go back. Ticks me off. Unconsiderate owners keep people from using the park.

 
Craig from Crofton on 4/22/2012 4:27:04 PM:
Bark back! No kidding! Worked for me on the Northbend RT in West Va. Dog came charging in in my meanest loudest bark I let him have it! His eyes got as big as silver dollars and he ran back to his house. On the return trip he saw us and just sat there and watched us go by!

 
Jim from St. Louis on 4/22/2012 9:42:17 PM:
Interesting. Will try, but I might be alone!

 
Doganator on 4/23/2012 7:22:46 AM:
Jim,

I believe you had a comment last year about unruly dogs? Are you the attorney that wanted to sue the dog owners?
I would suggest first getting to the dogs first and distract them for the wife and grandkids to pass by. Throw some food at them, spray with a water bottle, make some noise. They are just territorial. If all else fails, talk dog to them in a dog voice.

 
Jim from St. Louis on 4/23/2012 9:41:09 AM:
Not an attorney--no previous dog posts. Not looking to sue anyone, just want to enjoy the trail with family and not ill tempered dogs. The owners have to know their dogs are chasing bikers and maybe they resent bikers and are fine with it.

 
Cathy from Jefferson City on 4/23/2012 10:40:39 AM:
In my opinion people are more important than dogs. The people that live along the trail have a right to enjoy their property, and I have a right to enjoy the trail. I don't get to leave the trail, go up to their home and interfere with their enjoyment of their property. And they should not allow their dogs to interfere with my enjoyment of the trail. I encounter dogs following/chasing me, barking and acting agressively in more than one setting: walking in my neighborhood (where there are leash laws that people ignore) and biking on the Katy Trail. Since some dogs owners do not agree with me, I try to protect myself by having a small thing of pepper spray that fits in a strap I can put on my wrist. I think you will find these at sporting goods stores in the sections for joggers. I have not used it on an animal (or person) yet, but I've had it ready a few times.

Jim, I am under the impression that DNR staff pay attention to comments on this forum. So if you post the mile marker where you encountered this dog, or more specific information than what you have put so far, they may be able to do something about it.


 
Trek on 4/23/2012 10:49:47 AM:
If I really thought it was an issue, I would contact the DNR. My responsibility to report....their responsibility to maintain the park for all.

I think all too often someone "tells someone here" that something needs done when they could cut to the chase and tell those who have the authority to take action.

In all fairness, warn other trail users here but don't just post to a public forum hoping that the grape vine will lead to action.

 
Jim from St. Louis on 4/23/2012 4:53:55 PM:
Thanks for the comments. Cathy, couldn't agree more. I have contacted DNR twice, once about 2 weeks ago and again just recently after 4 incidents. A corporal from the MO State Park Rangers followed up initially and the second time, he went with a Warren county deputy to visit the owners. No one was home at the time. Haven't had a follow up yet.

 
DSD on 4/24/2012 3:46:36 PM:
Jim,

If the authorities have not worked, Cathy is right, pepper spray or poison. Got to stand up for our government provided bike trail rights.

 
Cathy from Jefferson City on 4/24/2012 9:33:48 PM:
Ok. DSD calm down there body. Protect yourself if you need to with the pepper spray, but don't be killing them with poison. I will enjoy the trail that my tax dollars help pay for.

 
Anonymous on 4/24/2012 9:53:14 PM:
I don't know where Smith Creek is. What is the mile marker of these problem dogs? Between what towns are they located. Thanks.

 
Jim from St. Louis on 4/24/2012 10:25:43 PM:
Smith Creek is just west of the trail crossing Hwy. 94 west of Treloar. It is one of the neat old overhead iron railroad bridges. Milemarkers for the problem is between 88 and 89. Bernheimer being MM 89.

 
Anonymous on 4/25/2012 1:22:50 PM:
Were the dogs on their property or were they on the trail? If they are on their property I'll bet there isn't much that can be done about it. Anytime I've confronted a dog while cycling I've just pulled my water bottle and got ready to give it a blast. Never had to use it though since the dogs have always backed away after a few seconds. Riding with small children and being confronted with an aggressive dog would be really scary. I'd think about that pepper spray.

 
Jim from St. Louis on 4/25/2012 3:03:26 PM:
These dogs run from the yard down onto the trail circling and being aggressive. See above posts. It is an area that is now not usable to my wife or grandkids. Frightened them that much.
If they were in their yard barking, they are ignorable. These were not.

 
Trek on 4/25/2012 8:34:55 PM:
I like Halt spray...it seems to work well. I've used it several times on the Katy.

 
Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator on 4/26/2012 11:31:23 AM:
Thank you for all the posts on aggressive dogs on the trail. We take these posts seriously and have asked our park rangers to look into the reports and contact the owners. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly if you encounter aggressive dogs in the future: dawn.fredrickson@dnr.mo.gov.

 
Anonymous on 5/15/2015 10:31:49 AM:
Ok, people. But, I own a dog that is perfectly polite, off leash. In fact, bikers fly by us so fast they would like kill him and me if they hit us. I have nowhere else to walk my dog off lease other than the katy trail without having walking through tick infested woods where mountain bikers tear through trying to impress each other. Last week I was forced to walk my dog on a rarely used asphalt road. One of my two dogs was killed by a speeder. Come on. I am an old man who wants to walk the well behaved dog I have left in peace. Isn't there a two mile stretch of the trail you can concede? It's all the farther I can walk. Oh, by the way, bikers think they solely own the JC greenway too.

 
kinga on 5/16/2015 9:02:07 PM:
Any time a dog acts aggressive or runs out in front of me I just let out a monstrous roar at it. They always back off. Better to give them a scare than risk crashing or running into them on my bike.

 
Anonoh on 5/17/2015 6:51:26 AM:
Doesn't the KT require leashes for animals on the trail? Most trails its required not just for bikers, joggers, and walkers but for the animal's safety too.

 
Jim from St. Louis on 5/17/2015 7:54:31 PM:
Just wanted to add that my original post in 2012 was regarding aggressive dogs at a location that is not now and hasn't been a problem for 2+ years.

 
andy mikolay from osage beach, mo. on 8/7/2015 12:19:21 PM:
pepper spray!
I don't care what anyone says. I've been bit and I've also had some scary confrontations, not just on the KT, but in other rural areas.
PEPPER SPRAY

 
Anonoh on 8/7/2015 6:32:54 PM:
Dogs on a trail is like snakes on a plane.. blown way out of nothing. Just take a noise maker or pepper spray with you. Some areas the damn geese in the spring with their dozen young can be more annoying. Worse case throw some food at them. Works every time. Right Arky?