To think if you don’t like dogs, don’t walk this route?

[YippeeKayakOtherBuckets]

I’ve just been told off, aggressively, for having my dogs off lead.

We walk to school down a woodland path that is used by literally dozens of dog walkers, I counted fifteen other dog owners just on this walk, the vast majority off lead. There is nowhere on the length of the path that can’t be easily reached by a faster route, the path runs a winding way alongside a quiet road with a wide path.

Anyway, dogs, joggers and the odd cyclist all usually use the route along with pedestrians and it’s generally accepted that you’ll meet several dogs on the way. This woman, who I’ve not seen before, got right in my face and said ‘put your dogs on a lead, I don’t like dogs’.

I’m terrible at confrontation so just apologised and moved on.

But it’s really rattled me. Am I being unreasonable? One of mine is a bouncy 4month old lab, he’s well trained and doesn’t approach people or dogs unless I let him, but he is, as I say, bouncy and large so that might be why she picked on me and not the other dozen people she must have passed.

If I see her again (and have the nerve) wibu to suggest that she walks the other way round?

YANBU

Your dog didn’t approach her in anyway so I don’t think you’re unreasonable

I had an issue back in the summer. I was walking my dog on the clearly sign posted, tiny portion of our local beach that dogs are allowed on.

He was off lead, chasing in and out of the sea, totally ignoring other people and dogs and having a fine old time when a woman approached me and started shouting at me for having my dog off lead, dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach, etc, etc.

Less than a quarter of this particular 2 mile long beach allows dogs, sod off to the dog-free bit if you don’t like them

It's not illegal to have your dog off lead unless local bye laws require it. You should always have your dog under control, which means that they walk to heel when you ask them to and have excellent recall. You did nothing wrong OP.

Is there a sign warning people and this is some sort of dog park, or has it just been overtaken by dog walkers?

Because unless it's a dog park yabu.

But @Nessie so often these do interfere with me, running up, getting under my feet as I run, jumping up. I realise that 99% of them are harmless but I don't want it, I don't invite it, I don't like it. Don't assume all dogs are as well behaved as yours.

But honestly, if you don’t like dogs this is the wrong route to take. It’s probably the wrong village to live in tbf

Oh dear. I could see both sides until I read this.

Santaclarita all these stories are irrelevant to the situation. I have a big issue with some horse owners locally (I am a horse owner too), I don’t go telling my stories that have nothing to do with what the op might ask.
There was a thread about fireworks the other day that got hijacked about dog mess, I find the way that some people shoe horn their hatred of dogs in to any situation really odd.

Its absolutely ridiculous to suggest that dogs always be on the lead, you wouldn’t not take your horse on to the road because of the inconvenience it causes other people or not box up because it holds traffic up.

I love my dogs but I don't think I'd have let them run around off lead, at 4 months, on a woodland path that is obviously busy at that time of the morning. They'd have been a nuisance. Maybe for now you could leave puppy at home while you do the school run and take him out to a more open and less busy place later in the morning.

BitOutOfPractice But @Nessie so often these do interfere with me, running up, getting under my feet as I run, jumping up. I realise that 99% of them are harmless but I don't want it, I don't invite it, I don't like it. Don't assume all dogs are as well behaved as yours.

Then those dogs and owners are in the wrong, but its so frustrating to be blamed for other peoples badly behaved dogs, and have our dogs penalised. Trust me, us responsible dog owners hate the irresponsible ones more than anyone, as they give us such a bad name.

Cyclists and runners interfere with my life, our nearest hill is used as a training route. No one has priority over someone else and that’s just life. We all do things that annoy other people, in the op situation, she was doing nothing wrong.

Although the OP is BU for suggesting the woman walks elsewhere.

The woman was U for blaming the OP, but they both have the right to be there. It would be sensible for someone with such an obvious fear of dogs to maybe not frequent that place if it is an 'unofficial' dog walking area but its still each dog owners responsibility to ensure their dogs are under control.

joystir59 "You should always have your dog under control, which means that they walk to heel when you ask them to and have excellent recall"

The trouble is, 999 times out of every 1,000 encounters I have with off-lead dogs when out walking, the dogs are not under control and totally ignore their owners! They just bound around annoying everyone else, jumping up on everyone, planting muddy paws on clothes, running around the legs of people who are trying to walk and who are minding their own business and doing nothing whatsoever to encourage the dog!

I don't think I have ever, in over 40 years of countryside walking, seen a dog 'walking to heel' off the lead on a public footpath or bridleway!

Shitlandpony I was giving examples to prove how animals are unpredictable and can be dangerous. And also why she should keep her dog on a lead. You can't be 100% sure the dog will return to you, no matter how well trained it is. It's an animal, it will react to situations where it feels scared or threatened.

There are always people who love a good old moan about dogs, OP. If your dog was no where near her, then she can get stuffed. I walk a few dogs at a time, around some great parks near me. There are fields of wild grass that have ‘footpaths’ cut through them. The council does this by simply cutting the grass short, so people can walk comfortably. The vast majority of dog walkers use the grass paths, so the dogs can have a good run and we stay off the mainly pedestrian solid paths. The solid paths go around the park, leading to the duck pond, playground, adventure playground, football and netball pitches and cafe. Loads of seats and a few picnic tables.

You’ll still get some wanker that complains that you’ve got your dog of lead, as they try to dodge the lumps, bumps and dips on the grass path, with their bikes or prams. Just fuck off! We’ve voluntarily kept away from the more pedestrianised areas and use the fields even when they’re mucky, but as soon as they dry up, some wanker will decide they want to walk amongst the 20 or 30 dogs that are romping through the fields. No wonder I prefer dogs to humans.

I don't like dogs and find there are many footpaths/scenic areas etc that I can't go to, as I know there will be dogs off the lead. Threads like this always have dog owners saying 'but MY dog is perfectly trained/doesn't approach anyone else' etc etc. While that may be true for a small minority, the fact is that the other people don't know this and therefore expect the usual jumping up, slobbering, crotch sniffing, or at worst being nipped/bitten. Thus it's always like a guessing game and horrible for those who are anxious/have been bitten/nervous children etc. I really don't see why this is hard to fathom. Humans have more rights regarding public places, surely?

Some people may have fear of dogs but that doesn't mean that they should use some other path to walk. A public area is a public area. It's open to everyone and should remain so.

You apologised instead of having a confrontation and that was an adult thing to do. Now it's time to move on.

she shouldnt have marched up to you for no reason but-my mum was petrified of dogs she just had to see one to panic and anyone off a lead freaked her out

you cant expect people not to walk along a public footpath

my sisin law recently brought her dogs round on a lead my neighbour for some reason let her dog run right up to them and my sis shouted one of mine is not good with other dogs whilst holding him back-my neighbour just smiled and her dog came right up to sis dog which growled and snarled my dh had to grab the neighbours dog and hand it back to her

some people are just so ignorant

I would put my dog on a lead and walk next to the woman just to annoy her people are stupid you or your dog done NOTHING wrong

Yes Nessie I can imagine it is annoying to be blamed for bad dog owners. But not as annoying as having to curtail where I go because of them. For the record I'm not scared as such, but I am wary of dogs I don't know (quite rightly I think) and have been tripped up by a dog while running and I really don't want that happening again. I don't see why I should have to risk a broken arm because of dog owners "right" to let their dogs run off lead

Santaclarita dogs should not be kept on leads. Anymore than your horse should be kept in one field because horses are unpredictable. It’s amazing how many people only see their point of view.

Horses can be a real pain on the roads, I hold up cars when I am towing. That’s life, I secretly hate leisure cyclists and runners who interfere with my commute, I keep that to myself and don’t crash on a thread and pour my heart out about that.

Because it’s irrational and selfish of me, I cause just as much annoyance to other people. The trouble is that some people think that their jog or horse or cycle is more important than a responsible dog owner.

YABU to expect people to avoid public places if they don't like dogs. Very few routes could be guarenteed to be dog free.

You're not unreasonable to be miffed if she has been critical for no good reason and it is just a case of a young skitish dog minding his own business.

Unfortunately there are too many poorly trained/ controlled dogs whose owners end up tarnishing dogs in general. I was jumped up at yesterday as I walked past a dog; in this instance I didn't object as the dog was on a sensible length of lead and the owner was surprised and appologetic that he'd done it. I have firmly asked a dog to be put on a lead after it jumped up for a THIRD time (in very muddy conditions); apparently I was scaring it by telling it to get down I dreaded seeing that one in the distance as the owner never had control, thank goodness she's changed her routines now.

I enjoy walking the local woods for many reasons, but don't want mud and slob up my thighs and coat from other dogs. My DCs are gradually emerging from a fear of "friendly" dogs because they had too many bounding up to them and in their faces when they were little, and so many owners were blasé not realising that their dog is calling distress and removing it quickly. They are jumpy around fast dogs because they have a reasonable fear of being jumped up at from experience. Fortunately they can now approach calm dogs and ask politely if they can pet it, but it's taken years to get to this stage.

A well behaved dog is a joy, but there are too many rubbish owners ruining public spaces for everyone else including other dog walkers (I'm not accusing OP of being one)

But not as annoying as having to curtail where I go because of them I get where you are coming from, but on the other hand, we should have to curtail where we go because of you? As long as neither of us are interfering with each other, its fine.

As for those saying that 999/1000 dogs misbehave, its only because you don't notice the off lead dogs that are behaving!

YANBU

We get the same here. There is a smallish park area which is crammed with dog walkers. Almost all of the dogs are well-behaved - the ones that aren't are leashed.

Many parents walk their children to school through the park. There is never a problem, except that there are two women who immediately start shrieking "Get those dogs on ahead" etc - they get their children hysterical and it over-excites younger dogs. (These women are not together).

They could just as easily walk to the school along the path parallel to the park - but choose not to.

They aren't doing their own kids any favours, teaching them that dogs are monsters, and it doesn't make for good park-sharing relations. I honestly don't know why they use that route when the other is just as quick and is virtually dog free, and also any dogs on the path are on leash because it is next to a road..

Many of the owners can't walk their dogs at other times because they have other commitments eg work, for others of us, it is a good way to socialise our dogs - young pups come out with us and learn how to behave with other animals and people. They are also less likely to bother anyone they see because they stay with the dogs rather than running up to anyone.

I have every sympathy with people who are scared of dogs - it must be awful - but if I was scared of something I'd either avoid it or try to overcome my fear. My dogs don't go up to anyone, even in a friendly way, without my permission - it's safer all round and means no-one can pinch them! I can honestly say that there is only one dog int he group that makes a pest of herself, and her owners keep her leashed so that she can't jump up.

We all have to use the park, and all have equal rights to it - that means that dog-owners and their pets are equally entitled to use it. Personally, I just ignore them, and suggest you do the same.

Trust me Nessie I notice them all because I am nervous!

Nessie I think we might have a problem between us though because we are both reasonable people who see other people's POV and don't want to inconvenience other people or curtail their freedoms. So you train your dogs beautifully and respect other park users. I realise that most dogs are fine and accept they need exercise too and coexist with them as best as I can. This is how most of real life is but doesn't make a great MN barney does it?

I think it's good manners to call your dog to your side when approaching other people. Lots of people are frightened of large dogs and a lab bouncing ahead of you can be quite intimidating. Strangers don't know he's well trained. I've had plenty of dogs bounce up to me, snuffle my shopping bags, a few have jumped up. I like dogs but I get nervous when there's one bouncing around away from it's owner on a public path.

No need to leash him, just keep him to heel until you're away from other people using the path, and call him back when someone approaches.