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Do you have different 'types' of people on your dog walking route at different times of day?

37 replies

D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 10:58

I walk my dogs at various times through the day. As a result I have noticed there tends to be certain 'types' of people at certain times of day and they all seem to have similar kinds of dogs.

Early morning: 6:30am to 8:30am seems to be pensioners time. I like these people, they all know each other and each other's dogs and always very friendly and happy to see you. A lot of them carry treats and ask if they can give my dog(s) one. They tend to have elderly JRTs or Labs. Those with the JRTs often have more than one. Their dogs are usually off lead and happily plod along behind their owners ignoring the world.

After this it's the school run mums. There seem to be two groups of school run mums. There are the middle class 'yummy mummy' types with their small, fluffy breeds. These ones are not very sociable. They seem to use Flexi leads a lot, their dogs are kept mainly on lead and aren't often seen playing.

The other group is normal mums. They tend to have mainly terriers, labs, retrievers or collies. They walk mainly off lead and all of their dogs play together. They seem to have a reasonable amount of control over their dogs. They use lots of different types of leads.

This group has a tendency to disappear when the weather is bad Hmm

Midday to Mid Afternoon is the unemployed and teenagers. They seem to prefer the stereotypical bull breeds and lurchers. Surprisingly their dogs are very well socialised and friendly with other dogs as are the people. I like to walk puppy at this time so he can chase the other lurchers. They seem to use chain leads or no leads at all and have very little control over their dogs.

After this is the school pick up group. These are mainly grandparents. They often have retired greyhounds or lurchers. A few have Yorkies, the Yorkies tend to be snappy and unsocialised and are treat like replacement children. You get puppy walkers at this time too, who likes to use the school children to socialise their pups, although this is good idea, I think.

I go to the beach at night. These are the 'proper' dog walkers, imo, they have lots of different breeds, mainly off lead, have good control over their dogs and are out in all weathers. They're very friendly but due to the size of the beach aren't often in groups, they stop and chat when they see you.

It's very interesting to watch (if you are nosey like me)

So does your park seem to have 'types' of people using it, or is it just mine?

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Inneedofbrandy · 16/10/2012 11:02

I don't have a dog, but my nan is definatly the 6;30am type, with her cocker spanial. She also has commented on the same groups as you, so you must be on to something.

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JaxTellerIsMyFriend · 16/10/2012 11:03

I walk in different places and see different people. If I walk 'locally' I see the same people and we chat. It is a mix of all the people you mention and more.

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 16/10/2012 12:28

I do the school run walks with my dog, and as he is currently being a bastard, I am one of the 'out of control dog' walkers or 'unsociable bastard' walkers, as I'm having to assume trouble and avoid other dogs. It is miserable and stressful. At weekends, we walk in different fields and rarely see anyone

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Floralnomad · 16/10/2012 13:03

Round here it's all labs , goldies and designer doodles . My scruffy terrier rescue sticks out like a sore thumb at all times of the day .

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 13:06

Aww, Chickens. It's good that you are working with him instead of ignoring the problem. I'm sure you'll have it sorted soon enough. It's lonely when you have a "bad" dog, I know from when Devil Dog used to be like that. After patient training and understanding he's now the most reliable dog I have, so don't lose heart.

If You lived near me I'd let you walk with me and Devil on lead. He'd simply ignore your dog.

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 16/10/2012 13:12

Just having a moan, DOoin :) We see the behaviourist tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it. He is currently watching the 'Wonderland: Walking With Dogs' programme with me and his head is virtually unscrewing as he listens to all the noises. We can walk in the same field as other dogs, but I have to keep him at a safe distance with a ball and I'm a bit wary in case the other dog comes flying over. I think in those circumstances he'd feel very threatened and there would be aggro.

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MothershipG · 16/10/2012 13:53

I'd say it's a bit different here...

6.30-8.00 People who work giving the dog a walk before they have to go out. Variety of dogs but with a high proportion of oldies. Walkers often very purposeful as they are on a schedule. Out in all weathers.

8.30-10.00 Post scholl drop off/SAHM walkers. Again a variety of type, but more in the small and fluffy category, a lot of young dogs, not very well trained but mostly friendly. Not always to be seen at this time in bad weather as they will schedule walks around the weather. (This is me and my crew, we don't like getting wet!)

Post 10.00 Alsorts, but we seem to get our older folk later in the day, also by mid-day the professional dog walkers are out, some of whom are better than others!

3.00pm onwards Family dogs being brought to the park with the kids, mostly good natured.

Post 4.00pm Everyone out for their evening stroll.

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stowsettler · 16/10/2012 14:41

I tend to see the same faces when I'm out around 7am before work: a guy who's either retired or nearly-retired walking his elderly Goldie - used to be 2 elderly Goldies but one was clearly recently PTS Sad.

Another guy with a mental Weimaraner who insists on annoying one of my 2 JRTs. Happily his owner just laughs when Fred shouts at him and the Weimy runs away. Nowadays we joke about which is the stupidest.

One weird guy with a lab who he puts on the lead when I get within 100 yards of him. Granted his lab appears a bit over-excitable but he ain't never going to learn how to socialise at this rate. The bloke always wants to strike up a conversation even though it's pitch black and I'm clearly not out at this ungodly hour because I want to be!

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 14:52

There's an old man in our park who is there every morning without fail. We don't walk often at that time in the middle of the night morning but since meeting him I make a point of trying to get up early at least once a week to talk to him.

He sits on the wall with a pocket full of treats for the dogs and asks everyone about their dogs. He used to have a dog but his sons made him move into sheltered accommodation and they wouldn't take his dog, so his sons rehomed it. He sits on this wall every morning hoping that one day someone will walk past with his dog and he can see her again Sad I feel so sad for him.

Sometimes I take only Devil Dog because he is the best on his lead and ask if this man would like to walk with us and he holds the lead.

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 14:56

I love the evening walkers.

I always see the older man with his lab, the husband and wife with their JRTs, the lady with her staffy, the man across the road with his bull mastiff.
Whatever the weather, we are always there at 7:30pm
BigDog would be devestated if anyone was missing.

I also love that every single one of those dogs now have a light up/flashing collar or lead as its getting dark and all you can see is 10 lights flashing!

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 14:57

d0oin that's so sad. And you are dead nice xx

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 15:03

I've recently discovered you can get into the park on a night, via the woods. I learnt this after training last week when my dogs insisted on having a late night walk as they always do when I am off work for the night.

We were hanging around the edge of the woods where it is still lit up by the street lights when were accosted by a floating, green orb, which was attached to a black dog upon closer inspection. It was quite creepy to begin with though, but then I was still getting over the shock of the 'ghost' I saw in the park on the way to training, which turned out to be just a lady all dressed in black. Why? Why would you do that to people? Standing there all shadowy and dark and ghostly in the middle of a park with no lighting at dusk?

I have found the park at night is where all the people with nutcase dogs who don't come back when they are called go to let their dogs run rampage through the park with no one to complain about them Grin

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 15:05

Yy to the nutcase dogs

LittleDog loves it. And so do I.

It made me feel slightly better about his sudden lack of recall

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 15:08

chickens LittleDog was so unbelievably confused by the wonderland program last night.
He alternated between running round the house like a loon barking or trying desperately to get behind the TV

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 15:19

My dogs all loved the park at night too. We'll definitely be going again but will take a torch next time. It was very odd last week though, we followed the green orb through the woods (which scared the shit out of me because literally all I could see was a floating green orb it was that dark.) My dogs did not have their LED collars on because I intended only to hang around the edge of the woods.

When we got into the park all you could see was flashing orbs whizzing about at high speed. It was like something from a Sci Fi film. It had never occurred to me that people would use the park at night, with it having no lights at all.

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 15:41

I find that with LittleDog it's best to have no lights, then no one can see how badly he is behaving Grin

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 16:01

It sounds like LittleDog would fit right in our park after dog. I eventually found a group of owners all huddled together around one torch, sheltering under a tree, completely fine about the fact about the fact that their dogs were running in and out of the on lead park Shock and not only that but they had run over to unknown dogs Shock

The day time walkers don't like this.

And.... this is the worst bit by far....wait for it....

Their dogs were in the stream splashing in water and mud Shock Shock Puppy thought all his Christmases had come at once Grin

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 16:04

Oh yeah, we all huddle under a shelter and ignore the fact the the dogs are running riot, and will only come back when they are good and ready and tbh no amount of calling is going to get them to leave until they are ready.

All the dogs are so friendly though.

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mistlethrush · 16/10/2012 16:13

I used to walk in a place that you didn't want to walk in after about 10.30am as the people using it went downhill abruptly... I made a good friend there and we walked our dogs round in the dark on winter mornings.

Strange thing about walking at night - I once took my parents' two collie crosses (black and black and white) out with my tan dog in the evening in the late summer - there was a moon but it was very dark. The black and white dog was easily visible for a long-distance. The black dog was also visible because she looked like a block of shadow moving around the field. My tan dog completely disappeared - you could occasionally see her slightly paler bottom! I didn't realise how good a colour lions are until I saw that!

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 16:20

Funnily it is the sandy flying whippet we lose most often, second to the bull lurcher. who is brindle, but we lose him in broad daylight too, he walks himself mainly and meets us back at the car Grin

I'd always just put it down to her being so fast but it might be her colouring. My black dogs are hard to spot, but one is tiny and the other is almost as fast the flying whippet.

DH is not happy about me walking in the park after dark because there has been four rapes there over the last two years Sad. He hasn't offered to take them for me though Hmm

I figure I am fairly safe. The attacks were early morning, not night time and I have three dogs with me, one who would physically protect me and two who would make enough noise to wake the dead, plus there are other people about.

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panicnotanymore · 16/10/2012 16:34

Oh god, I live in fear now for being judged as a type! Arghhhh

I walk at random times, avoid the rain, and have an anti social dog that I always without fail put on a lead whenever I see another dog and don't allow him to play. Obviously he will never be socialised at this rate.... I run the risk of being seen as a SAHM fair weather yummy mummy type.

Actually I am about as far from yummy as is humanly possible. Anti social dog lives with other dogs so is socialised, has training ALL the bl**dy time and lives on a small holding, so spends his entire day playing with other dogs (which is why he doesn't need to on walks..... walks are for learning stuff like lead manners and road safety). He has severe nervous aggression... if I did not put him on a lead he wouldn't play, or socialise nicely, he'd cause a wound requiring stitches on your beloved pooch.

Oh, and I avoid the rain because I am pregnant and am sick to death of catching endless colds.

Never judge Grin... you have no idea what lies beneath a stereotyped exterior.

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D0oinMeCleanin · 16/10/2012 16:46

It's mainly tongue in cheek Panic Grin

I could easily fit into all of the categories.

I have one over grown, delinquent lurcher puppy who is put on a lead every time I see dogs we don't know because he will run over to them.

One small lap dog who is never spotted out in anything other than mild and dry weather

One relatively well behaved terrier who is sometimes out doing training and so I get very huffy when people let their dogs run up to us.

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MumblingFanjoChops · 16/10/2012 18:57

D0oin I think that is very kind of you to get up just so he can have some company.We live in a small village and MumblingDog either gets walked by the river or a park nearby where we used to live, she is always too busy hunting down non-existent squirrels or chasing after DS1. But we bump into pensioners (I think we are the only people under the age of 60 in our village)if we are by the river their dogs all seem to be perfectly well behaved, ranging from labs to terriers and a range of folk if we are by our old park with most dogs being collies or old greyhounds to shar peis and beautiful rescue crossbreeds. On the weekend we go for a 3 hour walk through sheep and cattle fields, we are out in all kinds of weather, and it's on these walks that we seem to meet the all weather types. I think there is nothing better than getting dressed up in your waterproof clothes and wellington boots strolling for 3 hours and coming home to some soup and toasty bread in the wet or cold weather!!

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TantrumsAndBalloons · 16/10/2012 18:59

I prefer walking the dogs in the cold, all wrapped up. DH thinks I'm crazy but I love it.
I hope it snows, I am trying to imagine LittleDogs reaction to snow Grin

So far he hates rain, and tries to chase the wind, I wonder what he will do with snow?

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FiveHoursSleep · 16/10/2012 19:04

I haven't noticed times. People all seem to come out around 10-11am here, but there are different types of people at each park we go to.
Which park I go to depends on how sociable I'm feeling!

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