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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People walking their dogs early in the morning

191 replies

SinceWhenDid · 23/04/2018 06:39

All winter in the dark and cold I've been walking my dogs in the woods close by. All winter I met ONE person (plus some creepy, silent, hooded figure - I didn't go down that path again)

Now it's light in the mornings I meet so many people. I feel they didn't put the hard slog in over the winter so they shouldn't be allowed to spoil my solitude and enjoyment of these beautiful mornings...

Of course I know it is unreasonable to feel this way really Blush

OP posts:
GoofyIsACow · 23/04/2018 08:13

I feel the same about Aldi, I shopped there when it was all pallets, unusual products with unusual names and people sneered at you for shopping there... no i have to put up with chatters and fucking packet readers... get out!

Ohmydayslove · 23/04/2018 08:14

I can’t see us walking on a cold dark winter morning though. Both me and the dog would be petrified by ourselves in the woods. Seriously you lot are brave and hard core. I think that’s the nub. You are attracted to ‘hard’ dogs and they to you.

Us other lazy summer walkers have dogs to suit us Grin

TheHodgeoftheHedge · 23/04/2018 08:17

Hahahaha I'm so with you on this!

pigsDOfly · 23/04/2018 08:17

How on earth do you know they are 'fair weather' dog walkers.

My dog walking regime completely changes from summer to winter because my dog can't take the heat in the summer and will bark if I take her out in the dark in the winter.

So our day time walks have to stop during very hot weather and our evening walks have to stop in the winter.

Doesn't mean she's not walked regularly every day whatever the weather.

fourpawswhite · 23/04/2018 08:18

Grin I was thinking exactly this last week.

I take my dogs to work and one of our walks is round a small park area in the town. 5 days a week, all year round we trundle round, twice a day, in snow, rain and hail. This year I had to climb a snow drift to get into the park then skate over the ice. I never see a soul.

Last week the sun was shining and the park was FULL. People like eating lunch and Icecreams, dogs everywhere. One of my dogs was so startled she barked at one. I think she believes it to be her garden. Fair weather park stealers.

pinkhorse · 23/04/2018 08:21

I'm like this about the bike shelter at work. I bike every single day the whole year round. Now it's summer all the fairweather cyclists are out and I struggle to find a space in the bike shed Hmm

PerfectlyDone · 23/04/2018 08:27

YANBU Grin

I have a 'solitary' dog walk and a 'sociable' one.
I love the lonely one at any time of day and get most put out if there is ONE other person/dog there Grin

onefootinthegrave · 23/04/2018 08:39

Positively PERF is the reason why I prefer my cats to people with this:

And last, but not least, people! You couples out for a nice walk, giving me dirty looks because you don’t like dogs, tough shit, I’m staying on the path, because I don’t have fucking paws and don’t want to move over, onto the mucky grass. even though I was running across it with the dogs five minutes ago

No I won’t take my dogs off the beach, because you/your children are afraid off them! I will happily keep them away from you, because I don’t want my walk ruined by your over dramatic flapping about, as if your child is about to be carried off by a miniature Daschound

A classic example of someone who gives dog owners a bad name!

HappydaysArehere · 23/04/2018 08:46

Most dogs are intelligent enough to determine the best time to go for a walk. They tell their owners when they want to go. So have a word with the dogs and don’t blame the owners. The owners are being taken for a walk, not the other way around.

Quimby · 23/04/2018 08:49

Bit of a sidetrack, I’m not a fair weather dog walker I promise, but for everyone mentioning badly behaved dogs earlier I was wondering if you had any tips.
My 9mt old terrier cross has started barking and pulling at the leash any time he sees another dog weighing about 50 yards.

It’s never aggressive, he just wants to play with every dog he sees. He then obviously gets anxious that he can’t get to them.
I have one to one training starting next week but was hoping someone might have some tips for me in the meantime.

LittleCreature · 23/04/2018 08:51

I completely agree with you. I slog it out all year round, rain or shine. Winter walks in complete darkness wearing a head torch. As soon as Spring comes a long, every man and his dog are out. I feel irrationally annoyed to. THIS IS MY TRAIL.

Although, on my route one man had the audacity to ask me to change my route to avoid the spot where he meditates as the dogs 'put him off'. He is only there about once a month. He got short shrift on that one.

PositivelyPERF · 23/04/2018 08:59

Ohmydayslove Oh I don’t have a problem with most dogs, just their owners and children. Children that either run away screaming from the big vicious Yorkie 🙄 or run screaming towards said Yorkie, in order to grab it. Feck away off to your parents and leave me and my dogs alone. grumble grumble grumble

PositivelyPERF · 23/04/2018 09:02

A classic example of someone who gives dog owners a bad name! boo hoo. 😢

Milliepede · 23/04/2018 09:03

Don't have a dog but I hate the bastard that interrupts MY sunrise over the sea when I have put in the all year round, all weather slog. Many a time I have felt like the only person on Earth and along YOU come and ruin it. Arsehole.

VickieCherry · 23/04/2018 09:03

I feel like this about cyclists too 😆 All winter I've been cycling in everything except snow and driving rain. This morning I got to the racks and they're full already! I missed my train having to go to the secret other spaces. Not sure what I'll do when people discover them too... get up earlier? Grr.

LittleCreature · 23/04/2018 09:04

Its been deserted all winter and suddenly I'm turning one way to avoid an oncoming dog, only to meet another coming in the opposite direction. I keep having to hide in hedges and behind cars with my dog in a headlock, the neighbours won't appreciate her screeching alerts.

One of mine is exactly the same, she is a rescue with fear aggression.
Getting much better with training but I have had my moments. I must be the only person who enjoys walking in near typhoon conditions because no one else is about. I see torrential rain and rejoice. The darker, the colder the better. The amount of times I have climbed into ditches, crossed roads, pulled myself and dogs into the bushes to avoid Armageddon is ridiculous.

FitzChivalry · 23/04/2018 09:06

Ohmydays - didn't say anything about long walks

Gilead · 23/04/2018 09:06

My dog is walked daily but 1) Not always by me. 2)I have Raynauds so in winter I have to wait until it's warmed up a bit. 3)I worry I may bump into ex so make sure it's light when I go out.
We've all got our reasons for doing things the way we do them.

LARLARLAND · 23/04/2018 09:06

I walk on the beach with ddog all year round except for Summer when it's packed with people.

Twoweekcruise · 23/04/2018 09:08

I feel the same. I love walking my dog in complete silence with my thoughts etc, hate meeting people and spoiling my solitude. My mum came across a hooded figure on her dog walk, years ago, mum is far from an athletic type but sprinted all the way home, it scared the shit out of her!

MissDollyMix · 23/04/2018 09:17

Ha! I'm so antisocial. I actually prefer walking my dog in the rain so I know there won't be other people out. I always feel a bit narked if there's someone walking in front of us. I feel like they've stolen my walk! Grin

MadisonAvenue · 23/04/2018 09:17

YANBU!! This drives me crazy!

I'm out by 6.30 every morning to walk my boy through the woods and on the common behind our house for an hour, torch in hand for half of the year. We've rarely seen anyone over the Winter months but now the fair weather walkers are out. My boy is a quiet fella, he rarely barks, but he's given an annoying Boxer, which we've started seeing in the last couple of weeks, a real earful this morning.

I also take him at the same time at weekends to avoid the weekend walkers. Those whose poorly trained dogs are couped up in a house all week and allowed off lead on a Saturday or Sunday by owners who can't control them.

MadisonAvenue · 23/04/2018 09:18

MissDollyMix there was a man walking ahead of us the other morning and I walked along muttering "fuck off, just fuck off" under my breathe.

Achafi · 23/04/2018 09:22

Quimby it's a tough age because dogs can get a bit teenager like at that age but I found that distraction worked. So if I saw a dog then I would have e a game ready which was more interesting for my curre t dog it's a ball. So instead of wanting to play with the dog he wants to play with me. For sine dogs treats work for some it might be a tug toy. Good luck with the training so worth it.

GrimSqueaker · 23/04/2018 09:23

I don't dog walk in the dark so my walk times vary massively - black dog and finding the buggers again in the dark is interesting, I don't like dog poo picking by torchlight and I've been followed walking the dog before by a guy who then hid in the bushes waiting for me to return (I took another route back which came behind where he was and uphill so I could see him there waiting) so I stick to daylight hours. More daylight in the summer so I might well be out earlier or later.