What should I have done?

[BlueBar]

I was out running with a friend yesterday. We did 20 miles, so the pace was slow.

On a normal width path, there was a woman with a dog walking towards us. Dog was on a lead and there was plenty of room, but we went to single file to make sure they could pass easily.

At the last minute, the dog, despite the lead darted right in front of me and I stood on it, poor thing really yelped. I think I got it's paw, so it could have been worse for both dog and me. I'd have been furious if it had tripped me and I'd hurt myself.

Dog owner seems to think it was all my fault....?

I don't see what else you could have done. The dog owner probably should have shortened the lead as you were passing each other.

Dog owners responsibility to bring the dog closer. You guys stood single file to give them room, not your fault the dog came at you.

Yes I’m a dog owner and if I come closer to people, I shorten the lead. She sounds ridiculous. You were not in the wrong.

I make my dog sit as we go past runners or cyclists because he is a knob.

When I’m running I tend to stop/walk if I go past a dog partly because I’ve had a dog try to chase me and partly because mine is a knob so I assume all are.

Dog owner at fault. I now nearly always stop when running for dogs because so many dog owners don't shorten leads or call their dogs to heel. I've been hurt a few times tripping over dogs.

Definitely dog(owner)s fault, not yours.

I tend to give dogs a wide berth when running etc because I know they can be a pain in the arse (dogs have a habit of getting in the way and being excitable/wanting to get involved when humans are moving fast), but a non dog owner wouldn't know this. It is ultimately the responsibility of the dog owner to anticipate this and keep their animal (plus humans near it) safe.