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?!

It doesn’t matter if you are nervous.
Its still up to the owner to ensure their dog is behaving.

Anyone who is telling you it is somehow your fault ‘because you’re nervous’ is deflecting.

There is a real ugliness about some people.
To me, a normal reaction if you see someone slip is to ask are you ok -and obviously apologise for the barking dog.

Then she should be paying more attention!

One of the joys of dog walking is to stuff your phone in your pocket and enjoy being outside in the fresh air, especially in a wood.

It’s worth alerting the owner to your presence in similar situations- she should have been alert, but wasn’t- so she can do what’s necessary with the dog. Reassure it, move it out of the way, whatever. It’s not your fault.

I did apologise to the owner of a GSD after I scared it. I’d been sat on a low wall in the dark waiting for a bus. I stood up suddenly as the dog was passing and it reacted badly- but it was leashed and the owner was able to keep hold of it. Anyway, it only barked and lunged, wasn’t actually going for me.

Don't see how I could have done that without inadvertently frightening her skittish dog.

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

Her dog clearly thinks much the same way.

Well I’d have coughed or sung out good morning from a slight distance. Like I prefer cyclists to do when they approach from behind.

To be fair your lurch as you slipped is far more likely to alarm a dog by looking like an attack than calling ‘morning!’, as you approach.

The dog owner was wrong as I said- I’m just making suggestions to avoid further unpleasant experiences. You can’t ensure all dog owners are paying attention at all times. You can make sure you don’t surprise anyone.

Yeah, you are completely right.
Unfortunately, being right has very little practical value - there are no repercussion for bad dog owners.

I just think her dog should have been on a lead, end of story. If it had been there would have been no issue. What if a child had run past and startled it?

Owner needs to get off her phone and concentrate on keeping her reactive dog under control.

If a dog is ‘usually fine’ off lead but then barks and jumps at people when it gets scared…. It needs to be on a lead

Yes it was because you slipped. My dog would have barked but he’s only little and on a lead. Jumping and barking doesn’t mean a dog is going to attack but I’d be terrified too! If a dog really wants to attack it’ll do it silently, or it will at least be snarling and showing its teeth. Get a k9 defence spray.

I have a German Shepherd, she would never be off the lead on a path like this for this exact reason. Not your fault in the slightest. It’s people like this that give dog owners a bad name.

Yes that breed is actually quite nervous and protective, so weird sudden movements will make them react

Then the knobhead owner would have a go at you for taking a child into the "dog walking area", and future idiot dog owners will be deeply unhelpful about your dog-phobic child and blame you for making the child scared not realising that it's a normal emotional reaction to unwanted approaches by poorly controlled dogs.

Voice of experience unfortunately.

At least the DCs weren't with me a couple of months ago when I was jumped at and scratched by a dog that decided that it didn't like me walking slowly. Idiot owner just grabbed pathetically for their aggravated dog single handedly while keeping going on their phone call 🙄