Shouted at by dog owner

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I was out for a walk in the local woods first thing today and walked past a woman who was stood on the path on her phone and her large German shepherd type dog who was standing next to her, not a lead. The path is quite narrow - as I approached the dog came up to me so I moved away from it, off the path. It was muddy and I slipped slightly, at which point the dog went mental and started jumping and barking at me. Owner grabbed it. I said "your dog needs to be on a lead if it's going to react to people that way". She said "she's usually fine, you must have scared her". I said I hadn't done anything, just moved away from the dog. Owner then starts yelling that I shouldn't be out in a "dog walking spot" if I don't like dogs.

I haven't got a problem with dogs but I don't particularly like having large dogs coming up to me and barking at me. I'm only glad my 3 year old wasn't with me. Surely I wasn't in the wrong?!

No, you weren’t. She was embarrassed (rightly). Forget about it.

I was quite shaken!

She was presumably one of those people who thinks attack is the best form of defence.

It is worth knowing the legal position so you can quote that - 'I am legally entitled to walk here, you are legally required to have your dog under control at all times.'

She was an idiot and totally out of order. You were absolutely right. (said by a dog owner/lover). Stupid dog owners like that give everyone a bad name.

I cant see how I could possibly have "scared" the dog, I'm 5ft tall and I was moving away from it. I wonder if it was because I slipped.

Of course that could have scared the dog. Unpredictable movements can be scary for all animals.

However it's absolutely not your fault or your problem and the owner should have apologised rather than criticise you. She needs to have her dog on a lead if it reacts like that.

It's not about your height. It's a fast unpredictable movement to a dog.

The dog may have been reactive/nervous/scared, but what happens is her responsibility as it is her dog.

In future you may wish to stop and ask people to move their dog before passing, but owners should be in control of their dogs.

Unless it's an official dog walking spot, then SIBU. If it's just generic outdoor space then she can shove it.

I love dogs. Dogs should be on leaders. I have no problem with jumpy dogs when I come into their environment. But just like people need to tailor their behaviour in public, so do dogs.

If the dog gets scared that easy then it should have been on a lead.

Then it should have been on a lead.

Sorry but if the dog is that jumpy that it's going to react like that to what must be pretty common occurrence in a muddy spot (someone slipping) then there's no way it hasn't happened before.

And no its not a specific dog walking park, they're woods for anyone to walk in.

WHO SHOULD BE A LEAD IF THEY ARE NERVOUS!

On a narrow path with someone approaching, she should have had it under control, such as holding the dog’s collar until you had passed (or put dog on lead).

As I’m the one with the dog, I usually step back for the walker to pass, not expect the walker to avoid me.

Um obviously. I hope you said that to them, since there's not a lot I can do to change it 🤣
If you're nervous around dogs it probably a good idea that you learn more about their body language, since as you've already seen, not every dog owner will behave as you'd like

Owner didn't even see me coming, didn't know I was there til her dog lost the plot, she was engrossed in her phone.

I'm not "nervous" around dogs. Anyone would have been nervous of a large German shepherd jumping at them and barking.

Yep am also a dog owner and say the same, she was an idiot! Probably embarrassed by the dogs unexpected behaviour and caught out as she wasn't watching what was happening. But that's no excuse for shouting at you.

I love dogs but am fully aware they are animals and therefore never completely predictable. Sometimes the oddest thing can spook them. My friends dog hates the rustle of plastic bags and another one hates anyone wearing a hat!

How can anyone defend this owner's behaviour? My dog is nervous, he hates sudden movements, so he's on a lead at all times it's not complicated is it?! As a dog owner it's down to me to know the law about dog behaviour and to keep my dog under control. Not least to protect him. But OP you did nothing wrong, owner was a dick and as you say thank god you didn't have a child or a child made sudden movements around the dog.

She should have had the dog on a lead if she's going to take a phone call and have her attention diverted. German Shepherds can be a bit aloof and protective of their owners, so any sudden movements would have made them more nervous than normal.

YANBU. I have a GSD. She is a soft lump but has big pointy teeth and I can quite understand that she may appear scary to some people. I am aware of this and keep her to the side of the path if anyone needs to pass.

That woman is an idiot.

She should have apologised.

She was not on the job. Instead of being engrossed in her phone she should have been alert to your approach, let her dog know all was well, and been ready to grab / calm her dog.

Yes, the dog probably was startled but you are allowed to slip in muddy woods, especially when forced off the path by woman probably ‘working from home‘ in the woods.

She was embarrassed and like her dog reacted.

I wouldn't generally find a German shepherd scary at all - this particular one was only scary because she was jumping at me and barking.

Normally I love dogs, and have no problem with them, but last year we were out for a walk and two large Dobermans appeared from nowhere, off lead and started running fast straight at us. I was scared, no sign of the owner for ages. The dogs were not friendly.

I hate the implications that if a dog goes for you it's because you're nervous around dogs. I walk through these woods daily and encounter dogs all the time. I'm not nervous of them.