How to deal with runners who 'hold their line' and run directly at you / dog

[Twitterqueen]

Any advice? My small dog was not moving - neither was I - on a path. A 6ft+ tall heavy male runner came directly at us. Dog didn't see him (she was sniffing) and I was on the phone. I assumed he would run round us. he didn't.

He ran straight into my still stationery small dog, kicked her in the head and then ran on. I yelled at him and got the usual "Keep your dog under control." response. Regardless of the fact that he was moving and we weren't, and that he was unable to stop in time to prevent injury so he was the one out of control.

[Dieu]

Oh, how awful. Loads of runners are entitled b*stards, aren't they. And quite often bloody miserable too. Plenty of space for us all.

[Dieu]

Actually I'm wondering if perhaps he just didn't see your dog. Benefit of the doubt and all that!

[Twitterqueen]

Er no Dieu he saw her. And when he kicked her and she yelped and fell over, he just carried on regardless.

[CMOTDibbler]

If you had her on an extendable lead, then they are really hard to see them from a distance (though of course he was BU to kick her).

But I have to say that though this guy was being a dick, as a dog walker and a runner - often with my dogs - people on phones while walking their dogs is a particular bugbear of mine as they are usually not paying any attention and are often on opposite sides of the path to their dog.

[LurcioAgain]

Good god, he sounds beyond entitled, he sounds unhinged. Is your dog okay? All I can suggest is that if you see him again, you stand between him and the dog - though that's on the presumption he wouldn't kick a person, which, if he's that nuts, may not be the case.

[emummy]

I'm a runner and definitely not an entitled b*stard thanks! If there was room on the path for him to go around you then he should have, and regardless if whether you were blocking the way or not he shouldn't have kicked your dog. Do you think that was deliberate or accidental? There s indeed room for everyone, it can be awkward when you're running to change course sometimes, especially if it means going off the path onto road or an uneven surface.
Sorry this happened, please don't hate all runner - we are not all the same, just as not all dog owners are! (And I have a dog too so feel very bad for yours)

[Stillwishihadabs]

Why couldn't you move your dog ?

[NotTheSpiceOfLife]

Why should she l?

[NotTheSpiceOfLife]

Sorry, don't know where that random I came from!

[Changedtoday]

I totally agree that this bloke was 100% out of order. However while I'm here, can you please explain what you'd prefer us runners to do? in this case there is no doubt that we should run around you & your dog, just like you would round a person or child/pram. But I'm not a dog person and am not sure about dogs not on a lead, or even on. Do I need to slow down (I'm not fast anyway), or ignore the dog? Do far I've managed OK except for accidentally kicking an excitable one that ran in my path despite my best efforts to avoid (I apologised and owner reassured me it was OK), and slowing right down for a little yappy one that was trying to get me -yet again owner apologised and actually said 'did she nip you?'. Out in the fields dogs tend to ignore me.

[Mrsmorton]

Dog walkers on the phone is a pet hate of mine tbh! Especially when they're taking up the pavement oblivious to what's going on around them. Walking a dog in a public place where there are people around requires concentration, I was tripped up in a London Park by a dog that I was trying very hard to avoid but that wanted to play with me; the bloke was on the phone ineffectually waving at it.

That said, he WBU to kick your dog, totally unacceptable!

[RaspberrySwitchblade]

how far away from you was your dog?

he was a dick to kick your dog btw, but this seems to have a few logistics issues...

[Branleuse]

What a horrible man. Surely if you accidently hurt someones dog you stop and apologise and check everything is ok?

[Chrisalice]

This is a completely unacceptable and surely criminal attack if someone truly intentionally kicked a dogs HEAD????!!

At the same time as others have said there is a lot of irresponsible and thoughtless behaviour from dog owners that at best inconveniences walkers, cyclists and runners on shared paths and at worst results in injury (personal experience), and causes hostility.

There surely is a common sense etiquette to not obstruct a path, or allow a dog to even potentially dash across in front of other faster moving users... for their own safety if nothing else!

The law supports this and dog owners should be aware of the consequences for the dog should an accident occur.

However, there is no justification to intentionally kick a dog in the head.

[Chrisalice]

Not suggesting OPs dog was obstructing path! Just general rant.

[maybebabybee]

Hilarious people are insinuating the OP was in the wrong here. Can't imagine you'd be getting similar comments if you were talking about a small child rather than a dog.

Just run round the dog. How hard is it

[RaspberrySwitchblade]

it's quite difficult to run around a dog if it's on a path next to a road with a wall on the other side...

especially if the owner has their back turned, maybe on the phone and the dog is on a stretchy lead

the runner was still a dick though

[maybebabybee]

raspberry but then what would you suggest? in that case there's nowhere for the dog to go either, surely?

[RaspberrySwitchblade]

I've asked the OP to clarify how close the dog was to them, that would help me answer that one

i would make the dog sit until the runner had passed by, but yes, expect the runner to slow down too

i wouldn't be on my phone, with my dog, in a tight passing place and expect there NOT to be an incident of sorts though

and yes, i'm both runner and dog owner

[SchnitzelVonKrumm]

Not acceptable to deliberately kick the dog but you shouldn't have been obstructing the path. I needed stitches after swerving to avoid a dog that shot out in front of me (and I'm a total plodder). "Oh he's very friendly," chirruped the stupid cow who owned him.

[ChairRider4]

Have had a few run towards me and dog .Yet dog is by my side and I'm sat in large powerchair that does not jump side wards .I do find some people get blindness as in runner zone

But either way he is a twat and should not kicked dog in head if was accident he should have least stopped abs apologised

[ChairRider4]

Luckily know most the runners around here and majority are lovely and go around me

[Shriek]

i think runners and cyclists should stop or at the very least slow down!

I walk a tow path with my ddogs, and i have lost count of the numbers of times [some] runners expect to just tear past nearly hurling people into the canal, and there might be a huddle of ddogs and people talking together, etc. All situations are not so simple and your runner cannot expect to just barge through!!

When did the rules change? Walkers and ddogs walk around each other with an amicable greeting [mostly] so why should runners/cyclists be any different? because they are running/cycling so everyone else must get out the way.

Hate to use the word runner/cyclists, as it isn't all, but there is definitely an increase in numbers that will behave this way correlating with an increase in speed! (in my anecdotal experience).

Its pretty awful that someone would be so foccussed on running as to not even see a ddog to the point of kicking it out the way! .. and then not stopping to show some bloody remorse! - thats not a 'runner' thats just an arsehole so far as i can see.

[FuckyNell]

Wow I use an extendable lead and am often on the phone. If I see a runner then I would pull my dog in. But I must say I'm not looking around much because of said phone. Plus, I'm not generally thinking "oh I must look out for runners or any one else who I may offend"

Imo these threads just get people annoyed and become more likely to go out with their dog/run spoiling for a fight! Or is that just me

[IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou]

He was a twat, but generally if I'm running and I see you in the distance I'll move to the other side a few hundred meters away & then stick to it, otherwise it ends up in a strange sort of tango.

And I'll generally hold the line when approaching dogs, but slow down as the most likely scenario (from experience) is that the minute I dodge, the dog does too & ends up underfoot - my theory is, that if I'm coming at it, it knows to get out of the way. If it doesn't I just stop & jog on the spot until the owner shifts it.

On the other hand, if I'm walking mine, I'll get hold of him as they approach to stop him doddering into their way.