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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU dog owners?

59 replies

bertiesgal · 17/08/2018 14:38

I’m afraid of dogs. Not hysterically so but I don’t like it when large dogs approach me/jump on me/bark at me.

I’ve taken up jogging which I’m really enjoying.

I use a local park which is popular with dog owners as well as everyone else.

Today I had 4 large dogs jump on me and bark while trying to complete my run. It was unpleasant, I had to stop as they were chasing me and the owners were miles away.

Once I can cope with but repeated and with different dogs was just a bit miserable.

I don’t know where to go to run in peace.

What is the etiquette among decent dog owners? Is it fair to let them jump on strangers? Is that normal? Is there anything I can do to stop it?

I don’t make eye contact and I just run in a straight line but they seem to think I’m playing a game.

Lots of responsible dog owners seem to be able to keep their dogs back either verbally or remain close enough to bring them to heel so I know it can be done.

I’ve never had a dog so genuinely worried that I’m being unreasonable but it’s bloody miserable!

AIBU to expect to run without enormous dogs jumping on me?

OP posts:
Laiste · 17/08/2018 14:42

You're not being unreasonable to expect to run in peace but sadly you're going to be disappointed.

Loads and loads of dogs are off lead these days with no recall. It's a complete PITA.

Is there a running tack near you? Can you go out v.v. early? Or late?

FlyingElbows · 17/08/2018 14:42

As far I'm concerned it should be law that all dogs (apart from active service dogs) are on a lead in public and we should have designated, fenced dog exercise areas where they can be off-lead. I say that as a life long dog owner. Nobody should be subjected to unwanted attention from an off-lead dog.

Tutlefru · 17/08/2018 14:43

YANBU. My dog can be jumpy, she's still young but I still keep her close and on a short lead when people are near us.

HelpmeobiMN · 17/08/2018 14:43

YANBU - I love dogs and yet I hate it when they come bounding up to me when I’m running. It’s alarming and annoying. Responsible owners keep their dogs close and have reliable recall, but lots of owners sadly don’t do this.

Not sure what the solution is but I share your pain!

OrcinusOrca · 17/08/2018 14:44

YANBU that is not OK.

Sadly I find that people tend to follow suit and if a couple of owners with badly behaved dogs let them behave like that, others think it's the norm and don't sort their's out either.

I have dogs (two big ones) and I would be mortified if they jumped at a runner. If I see anyone in the distance and they're offlead I call them back and put them on lead. One of mine is young and curious so a bit unreliable and my older is a cheeky sod and will push his luck sometimes so I don't chance it. Neither of them would be jumping up mind, just rushing over trying to say hello (which I still don't allow because a lot of people don't like dogs).

Laiste · 17/08/2018 14:44

I agree flying. And i was until recently an enormous dog owner.

Laiste · 17/08/2018 14:45

Perhaps rather i should have said 'owner of an enormous dog' Grin

Nikephorus · 17/08/2018 14:48

Bear in mind that if a dog sees you running in its direction it may think you're running towards it to play and that's why it comes along & jumps up. Not excusing it, just explaining it. Your best bet in that case is to keep running (but not away from the owner if the dog follows or they'll never get the dog back!) or turn away if you have stopped. Don't interact with the dog and it will get bored quickly.
I keep my dog close by and distracted on the rare occasion a non-dog walker is around (though now she's going deaf it's hard to get her attention in a hurry if someone appears from nowhere).

BlueBug45 · 17/08/2018 14:51

Running early or late won't avoid dogs with irresponsible owners I'm afraid, as dog owners walk them early or late.

However I've found there are less irresponsible dog owners of you go on runs very early, so the dogs off their leads will ignore you or in the worse cases follow you but never jump on you.

CloudCaptain · 17/08/2018 14:52

I had this happen with a small friendly dog last night. Running along a country track through a field of cows no less, see a lady looking into the long grass, then a small dog flies out and jumps up at me. I stop and firmly say get down and she starts telling me off! Said I was encouraging the dog by talking to it. She tells me to carry on, so off I run, and of course the dog chases me. I stop again and she tells me off. Bemused by her incompetence, I suggest she puts a lead on the dog. I was half tempted to run off through the hers of cows and see what happened (only kidding). Very bemused by why she had a dog with no training in a field of cows and why it appeared to be my fault she had no control.
No idea what you can do OP. Generally if you keep walking toward jumpy dogs it puts them off balance. But it's not nice have dirty paws all over you.

rightknockered · 17/08/2018 14:53

YANBU. I would call my dog back if I saw someone running and put her on a leash for the rest of the walk. But I run myself so understand the problem. A good way of dealing with it for now is to just turn your back quickly and stop for a few seconds, they'll soon get distracted by something else.

Bananarama12 · 17/08/2018 14:53

I have a prolific bike and runner chaser. She always goes on the lead.

ultrareal · 17/08/2018 14:56

Come back to a walk and walk past the dog. Dogs will interpret running as either playing or attacking and you're much more likely to get jumped/nipped. I'm a runner and dog owner and always walk past dogs when out running. (Saying that I also try very hard not to let me dog bother random people when out too as I know some are nervous and don't like it)

pigsDOfly · 17/08/2018 15:02

Of course you shouldn't have to put up with untrained dogs behaving badly around you.

Don't have any advice except possibly shouting to the owner to call their dog off and put it on a lead.

Unfortunately, as in every other walk of life, there are quite a number of unreasonable dog owners. I was told off once by a man for playing with my dog with her ball. Apparently I shouldn't bring a ball to the park because his dog would just keep trying to steal it from my dog and he was getting fed up with having to get the ball off his dog.

sallywinter · 17/08/2018 15:04

I've been chased by a dog whilst walking, yapping jumping up on the backs of my legs. It was a German Pinscher (sp?) I think. The owner was elderly and on the opposite side of the field. Also a cow field. It didn't leave until I was close to the gate, but then continued to run up and down between me and the owner until I was out of sight. It was obvious that the owner wasn't getting anywhere fast should something have happened, he didn't even call it back.

AnExcellentUsername · 17/08/2018 15:05

Oooh, made it in time for the weekly dog thread.

Nesssie · 17/08/2018 15:15

Not another one.... Everyone knows its not acceptable for dogs to run up to strangers, unfortunately some dog owners are irresponsible and it happens. But just think how many dog owners there are and the small proportion of them that let their dogs run amok.

Please don't tar us all with the same brush and don't make my dog (who has never run off/run up to anyone, preferring to just amble along sniffing) be confined to a lead.

There are not many secure off lead areas for dogs (especially in the UK) and the American dog parks are known for encouraging bad interactions between dogs.

missyB1 · 17/08/2018 15:17

You beat me to it AnExcellentUsername

MrsMozart · 17/08/2018 15:20

Nope. If any of my dogs jumped on you then you'd be flattened, and I'd be bloody annoyed with the dog and back to training sessions.

OP you should be able to run in peace.

vampirethriller · 17/08/2018 17:24

I have a little dog and she's always on the lead because she's deaf and I can't call her back unless she's looking at me for hand signals. Lately there are so many young or badly trained dogs running up to us off the lead and their owners either ignore it's happening or ask if mine is nasty because she's not allowed off.
We got mobbed by five big dogs the other morning and the woman with them stopped to have a go about mine not getting enough exercise!

runningkeenster · 17/08/2018 17:29

As far I'm concerned it should be law that all dogs (apart from active service dogs) are on a lead in public and we should have designated, fenced dog exercise areas where they can be off-lead

This.

Sadly they just seem to know when you are nervous, too. An acquaintance was bitten by a dog when out running. A few months later we were out for a run and there was a dog off-lead in the distance. I said to one of the group, "uh oh, I bet it goes for "bittenfriend"". And it did! Didn't bite him but ran up to him and worried him. And the owner was a rude git. We reported him to the dog warden.

LutherGravy · 17/08/2018 17:31

That's truly shit op. I've been running for years and there are loads of dogs round here but I can count on the finger of one hand the times a dog has jumped up at me. Clearly then, it's perfectly possible for dogs and runners to exist together harmoniously. You have just lucked out in your area as dog owners there are clearly arseholes! I wish I could suggest something. I'm nervous around dogs too and if I was constantly jumped up at it would really put me off.

keyboardkate · 17/08/2018 17:33

There is a big park at the back of our house. Beautifully laid out with walking/cycling tracks and lots of green space. Very well maintained too thankfully.

It is turning into a nightmare now though with dogs off the lead. I love doggies but I don't have one myself, and I am honestly scared of them when they hurtle towards me at great speed! Nightmare.

I don't know what the solution is, but there seem to be more dogs with rights than human rights now!!

LutherGravy · 17/08/2018 17:33

Oh I should add that the dogs I encounter are always off lead so there shouldn't be any need for all dogs to be on lead at all times. They just need decent training .

Confusedbeetle · 17/08/2018 17:33

This must be awful. I would advise you to stop running if a dog is approaching you. If it continues to come near you stop still and turn your back on the dog and ignore it until it ceases or the owner approaches. It may be worth asking the owner to keep in on the lead but there are some ignorant owners, unfortunately running will make the dog excited to chase