... to avoid walking in countryside because I'm scared of cows and dogs?

[LilacWine7]

(NC to protect identity as this is embarrassing!)

I have a fear of dogs, I'm fine with them on leads but i hate it when people let them off leads. In fields and woods they seem to run at me out of nowhere, sometimes on narrow path, and owners look bewildered if i ask them to control their dogs. I just don't like being jumped, sniffed at or approached esp if dog is big. AIBU to shout 'please control your dog' when one comes at me? Owners seem to take offence.
Recently I was walking in fells with friend and we stopped outside farm at dusk to check map (standing in a lane) when 3 sheepdogs raced out of farm gates and surrounded us, barking and snarling with teeth bared and hackles raised. We were terrified! We shouted for help but no-one came so we sidled along fence until we got away from farm and dogs didn't follow us after a certain point (this was after about 10 mins standing still as to move in any direction we had to make dogs move out of way). I kept thinking they were going to attack us. My friend was scared too and she's normally good with dogs.

I'm also scared of cows or entering any field of cattle in case they charge or in case there's a bull hidden amongst them. If I see cows i won't go in and if I don't see cows I keep next to fence ready to climb over if I see one. When I was a child I remember getting cornered by bullocks and having a panic attack. My dad (who used to work on a farm) says carry a big stick and wave it at them if they approach, or hit them with it if they get aggressive. He says the same works with dogs.

I haven't walked on farmland since last year, when I fell out with DH because I wouldn't cross a field with cattle and made him walk back the same way. We used to walk in fells instead (no cows) but now I'm scared of another incident with farm-dogs! He thinks I'm 'being ridiculous' and says cows and dogs are harmless. What do you think... AIBU? How do I get over this fear?

My dog absolutely loves people ( especially teenage boys for some reason!) and will run up tail wagging and tongue lolling. He will if permitted then turn round, back into you and sit on your foot. I watch to see if people look nervous and call him back if they do. But I wish some people would educate themselves a bit about dogs and reading the signals, most dogs are harmless. I can't call my dog back every time I see someone in the distance in case they are scared/ phobic. But obviously I will if they let me know. If I call him back all the time it will look like he is dangerous! I only let him off in woods/ countryside not parks. Last weekend in the woods I noticed a whole family cowering amongst the trees until we had gone past. That's pretty extreme and those children are going to grow up petrified of dogs! I have only had a dog for the last 4 years and before this educated my 3 DC so they were cautious but not scared of dogs. My dog is a spaniel btw so not threatening looking iyswim. I am sympathetic to those who are scared but it's quite hard to get it right every time. As other pps have said. Shouting that you are scared would be a good idea then owners can call their dog back.

ShebaRabbit Are you thinking of supplementing to fatten them up quickly? It's not their lives, though, it's usually the month before slaughter. As far as I know it does happen in the UK, it's not illegal so chances are some farmers do it.

And! Dog walkers are most at risk of cow related injury apparently ( I read this somewhere so it must be true!) so that evens it all up

the livestock in large countries is less visable. You can probably fit three UK farms into one American cattle ranch, maybe more but the herd sizes are often not proportionally bigger.

That's going to depend on where in the US you are, and maybe on what they intend to do with the cows. I know from personal experience that there are herds of cows (generally black and white cows, I think these are dairy cows) in Maryland, California, and Pennsylvania. They're not on huge ranches, at least not within a reasonable drive of the cities, which is where I saw them. They do have huge cattle ranches in Colorado (and I imagine in other more sparsely populated states in the middle of the country). The cows I saw in Colorado were kind of an orangish-brown colour, they might have been beef cattle. I could understand why you wouldn't want to have huge numbers of cows ranging over a huge area if you had to milk them on a regular basis.

I wouldn't be impressed to see a randomer walking though our fields and waving a stick at our livestock simply because they are scared. Likewise if anyone tried to hit one of our collies I'd be none too impressed. The collies were only protecting the farm. Ours do the same but we do have massive signs saying 'Private Road' a mile from the house. Cows aren't harmless either. The can be very nosey and very protective if they have calves. I don't go down the fields with cows in unless I have one of the dogs with me. You'd probably be best to avoid open countryside and stick to walking on roads between fields if your scared of cows. As for your fear of dogs, I agree with PPs that you need to phrase your feelings better when talking to dog walkers.

Sadly not tomatodizzy, most cattle in the US are indoors for most of their lives, its easier for the farmers to manage them

I agree about asking them to call the dog back as you are nervous, rather than saying control the dog, many dog walkers would feel the friendly dog was sufficiently under control on a country walk if it was nearby. Or if you prefer say you have a bad leg and are worried the dog might hurt you if it knocks you.

YANBU. If cows and dogs scare you, the countryside is not the place for you. I have a needle-phobia, I avoid tattoo parlours and dentists.

Some people are being a bit funny about this, many footpaths run through fields and farmers are entitled to keep cows in those fields, and people are entitled to walk on the footpaths. Just use common sense and be careful.

I love cows they have beautiful big eyes and make me laugh by licking their noses.

okay

Just putting my case why you shouldn't be scared of them! They are very nice creatures and look peaceful standing under trees.

Cows in calf are dangerous - a friend of mine was gored by a herd while running (not through the herd). He sustained life threatening injuries. Do not underestimate them.

The barking dogs - were you near Lantern Pike? There is a bridleway through there known as Barking Dog Farm path, because of the dogs up there. I have stopped running that way because of them.

I am not good at recognising if a dog is going to bite or lick me so I assume it is going to bite. I try not to get between the dog and it's owner and am ready to take action if needs be. What a dog owner sees as a friendly wouldn't harm a kitten lick and sniff feels to me as a slobbering rabid beast. They may be a friendly dog, but I don't know that.

Walkers are killed every year in this country by cows, so it's not silly to be wary of them.

People are run over all the time by cars but we don't normally fear crossing the road. Its just sensible to know what you are doing in the countryside, if you like country walking, and be fairly careful.

Funny to read this tonight as I walked down the canal towpath this afternoon pram pushing as you do. I was flabbergasted by the number of dogs off leads hurtling towards me and my pram. Dobermans and German Shepherds who, I'm sure to their owners are lovely dogs but scared the life out of me, especially with my baby in her pram. Not good.

I lived with a fear of dogs for a long time. I would recommend getting it treated. My life is very different now! I had one session with a woman who offered hypnosis, but she didn't use hypnosis, she used a face tapping system that I don't know the name of. Work arounds like getting into arguments with dog owners are just no substitute for the ability to remain calm in the presence of dogs IMO.

Just reading some other posts, lavender you should get that treated too, your poor teeth!

Cars are more predictable than cows - generally they car remains on a trajectory at a fairly constant speed or the time it takes to cross the road.

"Just sound like a farmer" (from a pp)

So, all you need to do is listen to R4 and the Archers. Say things like "Away now Daisy"

unescorted that's only because you are used to cars, more than cows. Most cows are gentle and will move away from you. That's how you herd them.

Fortunately ILikeItTo I have a friend who is a dental nurse. She comes round and checks my teeth every so often and they're fine. It also makes me super conscientious about brushing and flossing!

live not always. I have been chased more than once. I have a friend who had a lung punctured, ruptured spleen, broken pelvis and crushed ribs. He was saved from death by rolling under a gorse bush. Another friend had a leg broken - as he was leaping over the fence to get out of harms way. On all occasions steps were taken to avoid antagonising the herds - no dogs, walking along fence lines, not walking through the herds.

They are not always gentle and should be treated with respect. It is foolish not to.

I climbed Glastonbury Tor once with my XH. on the way down there were cows on the path. I cried all the way down.

cows, though. they plot. when their hoofs evolve to be able to cross cattle grids we are fucked.

mark my words.