To have jogged past dogs from behind??

[cmac76]

I know the topic of dogs/walkers/joggers is covered a lot on here but in this instance I'm wondering if I should have behaved differently so would appreciate opinions especially from other dog owners.

I have just come back from a jog in a nature reserve which is very popular with lots of people - dog owners, joggers, walkers, families etc. I was approaching a woman who was walking in the same direction as me (so I was jogging behind her) and she had 3 dogs off leads - one really large dog and 2 smaller ones. As I was approaching she moved over to one side to let me pass so I assumed all was fine and carried on past her. As I got further on I could hear her shouting so I turned around and could see all the dogs chasing me! I stopped still and all 3 surrounded me barking up at me so I couldn't move.

She carried on shouting but none of them came back to her so I asked her could she please put them on the lead and this is where she kicked off at me shouting that I should never run behind 'a pack of dogs' and 'would I run behind a horse?' I was very wtf at this point and unfortunately did raise my voice back which I do regret as it escalated and of course the dogs probably picked up on this and carried on barking at me. I pointed out how they are not horses, how I should be allowed to go out for a jog in a public place and how her dogs were not well trained if they couldn't be recalled - she got so irate at me and started to get quite close and in my face shouting that they were well trained and not dangerous as they were literally still barking at me and I couldn't move. She also yelled at me, "who the fuck do I think I am...do I think I own the fucking place"

Eventually she put their leads on and I carried on but felt I had to warn some mums coming in the other direction who had toddlers running loose as they were about to cross paths with her.

So Aibu for jogging behind dogs? Should I stop?? I know I was being unreasonable for getting into a shouting match with her but she was so irate from the moment I asked her to put her dogs on the lead. Am I making a mountain out if a molehill? They didn't actually bite me - just barked at me but I felt scared especially as there were 3 of them.

[trendingsomewhere]

I am a runner - with a dog - and I run with / walk my dog off lead.
Ddog is not perfect, but she would never chase or intimidate anyone, otherwise she would be muzzled / on lead (she's quite small and fluffy so not a chance anyone would be scared apart from some small children) but I have owned larger dog before and I treat ddog the same as I would have treated them.

100% this women's dogs have done this before and she shouted at you because as has been said, some people believe attack is the best form of defence.

I would just forget it, you were in the right.
It's quite unusual for dog owners to be this bad and especially to have 3 dogs, so hopefully you won't encounter her again.

[adaline]

It was your fault. Your dog was too far away/out of sight and you failed to control her. If the person she tripped had been hurt, the local constabulary would have held you responsible.

No. It's the runners fault for not watching where she was going and tripping over the dog! Not everything is the fault of the dog - humans can be to blame too

[Zeldasmagicwand]

The dogs should be on a lead in a place frequented by the public, full stop.
It's irrelevant whether they have good recall.
Children are likely to run up to them and you need to be able to control the dog and grab it easily, if necessary.

If I got surrounded by free ranging barking dogs when minding my own business a few swift kicks would have been metered out.

[OrchidInTheRain]

It's not generally a good idea to run up behind a dog on a lead as the previous poster said. But off lead? No, her dogs should be under control.

She knew you were coming and so should have put the dogs on leads if she thought they were going to react.

[adaline]

If I got surrounded by free ranging barking dogs when minding my own business a few swift kicks would have been metered out.

And what do you think that would achieve, exactly?

All you would do is hurt them, teach them that strangers are something to fear, and make them more prone to aggressive behaviours in the future.

If a dog is running around you, the best thing is to stand still, fold your arms and avoid eye contact.

[Emptyspacex]

3 dogs off the lead is a lot for one women to handle. They should of been on the lead or taken out seperately.
I sometimes struggle with one dog off or on the lead.
Try not to let it get to you. Continue your jogs as you were. Hopefully dog owner will learn from this.

[Toucan123]

You should "never run behind a pack of dogs"? So if I'm out for a run and I see dogs in front of me I have to stop running? What a load of bollocks. She is batshit.

[SugarPlumLairy2]

YANBU

Dog owners like that really piss me off😡
I have a large dog. She is nervous and doesn’t like people approaching her or moving suddenly etc. Guess what.. it’s MY “problem” not everyone else’s. We adjust OUR behaviour so she can walk safely which means I’m alert, she’s on lead, we avoid popular jogging paths etc.

Her dogs were not controlled and, worse, would have picked up on her anger/aggression. That could’ve turned nasty.

Take care, I’m so sorry that some dog owners spoil it for the rest of us.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

@PenelopeFlintstone Do you think that was your fault for not being aware of your surroundings and failing to control your dog or the jogger's fault for not announcing herself? I hope you muzzle your dog now in case it has a 'fright' again.

Well, it wasn't my fault because I wasn't there but I would say that it would be hard to completely aware of what is behind you if it doesn't make any noise at all.
My DH also got a big shock as the dog had never done anything like that. I think the jogger could've given them a wider berth or made a noise. My DH was very apologetic. The jogger said she shouldn't have been so close. The dog is a popular breed but known for being a bit bitey sometimes. The dog only gave a warning nip, thank goodness and didn't do any damage.
We moved to a rural area quite soon after but that dog was always muzzled at the vets for uncomfortable ear inspections, just in case.

[LakieLady]

they are trained to behave and wait at the edge of the path when I ask them so people can pass.

Mine too. They sit patiently, in the knowledge that a biscuit is coming their way.

They even did it when we encountered the hunt one Boxing Day: sat beautifully at the side of the birdleway while the hounds and what felt like about 100 horses trotted past. The master or one of the officials (I think - bringing up the rear, red coat, very well turned out - but I'm not up on that sort of thing) made a point of complimenting me for their excellent behaviour.

[LaLoba]

She was probably within about 5 metres of me and was perfectly under control, as evidenced by the fact that she turned back and came to me the minute I called her. I couldn't have reasonably foreseen that a runner, who I didn't know was behind me, was about to overtake and run towards my running dog.

Your dog is considered out of control in uk law if she injures someone. Mistakes happen, we all make them, but you need to be aware of your responsibilities for your dog’s sake.

[yabadabadontdoit]

Children should be on a lead in a place frequented by the public, full stop.
It's irrelevant whether they have good recall.
Dogs are likely to run up to them and you need to be able to control the child and grab it easily, if necessary.

If I got surrounded by free ranging screeching children when minding my own business a few swift kicks would have been metered out

Nope, it doesn’t work that way round either Zelda How about
The dogs should be under control in a place frequented by the public, full stop.
They should have good recall.
Children should never run up to them, and you need to be able to control both children and dogs and grab them easily, if necessary.

If I got surrounded by free ranging screeching children or barking dogs whilst minding my own business I would remain calm and wait for the parent/ owner to control them. I would NEVER kick an animal or child.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

IfIHadAPenny - and, as I said, the dog was on a lead but the jogger came very, very close. It happened in a flash.

[ShinyGiratina]

As a runner, I slow down and keep as wide of dogs as I can. I don't know which dogs are poorly controlled, which ones are trip hazards and which have stupid owners (although there are a few locals I recognise through experience...) It is the owner's responsibility to control their dogs and this one has failed in her duties which is an offence. I can do what I can to modify my actions and reasonably not provoke a dog, but ultimately the owner knows the dog and has a legal responsibility to it.

If your dog is not very sociable and reliably trained, you can use a lead, go to quieter places and go at quieter times.

Most issues I've had with dogs have been when walking slowly (with or without children) rather than running.

[Enwi]

It sounds like she didn’t have her dogs under control, which in itself is unacceptable regardless of what you did.
However, I do think YABU to run up behind 3 dogs and not make yourself known. Even a ‘good morning’ would have given the lady less of a fright and given her a chance to put her dogs on a lead.
My dog has great recall, and has never displayed any signs of aggression, but actually if someone ran past me and spooked me I wouldn’t be wholly surprised if he barked at them. Dogs are very attentive to their owners feelings, and if the owner felt scared then that’s signifying for her dogs to feel the same way.
I’ve had a cyclist go past me before without declaring himself and that half scared me to death too.

[cmac76]

enwi - she knew I was coming as she moved to one side to let me past so I don't think I 'spooked' her.

[Maryfloppins]

Runner and dog owner here .
She was being unreasonable . A dog owner should control their dogs at all times , if they cannot then they should be on a lead . If my dog had bitten a runner whilst out they would now be muzzled . It is not the job of the general public to bow down to my dog , he is a dog .

[beachandcocktails]

I'm a runner and a dog owner. YANBU. If I'm out running and I see a dog, I do just be a bit cautious as I know some dogs do get a bit spooked/overexcited by someone running. But the responsibility is on the dog owner to have control of their dog. They should have been on a lead, they were out of control because they weren't on one - that's her fault, not yours.

[jollygoose]

Agree with other posters she was totally unreasonable. Ive told this before but last year I was walking in a park with dh when an excited dog on an extended lead got under my feet and tripped me up. I was just righting myself and expecting an apology from the walker when she rounded on me and demanded arent you going to apologise to the dog? Totally batshit and I`m a dog lover.

[bingoitsadingo]

I think as long as you leave a bit of space, it's fine. Every owner has a responsibility to control their animals, dog or horse. So you should give them a suitable amount of space, enough that they can't kick/bite/jump at you, but it's the dog owners responsibility to stop their dog chasing after you. And if a horse gets scared by you running near it, that's the riders responsibility to deal with.

[NameChange789435]

I'm a runner and I run in the local Common with my dog and have worked really really hard on his recall so that we can run together. I come across most of the issues talked about every week!

The "recall? what recall?" (just runs about completely oblivious to owner who shouts and blows whistle to no effect)
The "last minute lunger" (looks perfectly fine until you're about 1 metre away and then suddenly lunges at either me or my dog)
The "Savannah stalker" (lies down like a lion in the middle of the path and stares at us completely motionless, scares the shit out of us as we try to decide if it's friendly or not! Often then becomes a "lunger"!)
The "don't mind me" (sudden change of direction and bolts right in front of your feet)
And my personal favourite the "no it's friendly!" (as it pins my dog to the floor and then jumps all over me looking for treats in my pockets)

I like dogs and most dog owners are nice. Mostly they apologise if their dogs do something unpleasant and I usually smile back and we part ways cheerfully enough. I enjoy interacting with other people on our runs and my dog loves meeting new dogs. A bit of courtesy on both sides counts for a lot.

You'll always get the odd arsehole unfortunately. The woman was unreasonable and hostile, I probably would have shouted back too. Try not to let it bother you, you won't be the first or the last run in she has!

[WhenOneDoorClosesAnotherOpens]

I regularly walk my large dog in one of these type places, but he is always on a lead. You and a classroom full of children could have happily jogged past us and he would not have chased anyone or paid much attention at all tbh.

Her dogs sound out of control and they most likely should not have been off lead. In saying that, I've come across a few people who have multiple dogs off lead and they tend to think it's ok for their dogs to behave inappropriately and no one else should mind. It's to the point I avoid certain areas locally where I know this is a problem (spots frequented by unhindged people with multiple 'problem' dogs kept off lead).

[NewNameGuy]

YANBU. I think she kicked off because she didn't have any control of her dogs and was embarrassed

[WomensRightsAreContraversial]

Oh good, the mumsnet posters who don't understand and categorically don't want to learn basic animal behaviour are out in force again, advising dangerous things to do around animals. Fkn brilliant.

OP I'm really sorry you had that experience. She was an utter dick.

Taking a wider detour around them and calling out in advance is your best strategy in general. I'm sorry to say that it sounds like her and her dogs will be difficult whatever you do.

Kicking a dog is likely to get you bitten, FYI

If a runner came up close behind me and my dog, my dog would likely be scared of the sudden and fast appearance of a human and run from you. That's not a problem for me because she'd be on a lead, but as I'm trying to build her confidence I'd really appreciate it if you gave us some space and called up ahead so I (and she) were alerted to your presence and I could take the opportunity to train her that you're nothing to worry about. I'm partially deaf, for the ignorant poster who thinks I should be aware of somebody coming into mine and my dog's space. My attention is on my dog and my surroundings including behind, but it would be very easy for a runner to appear in the time that my focus is on my dog, training her something specific. I have a better chance of hearing a clear friendly call ahead than I do footsteps. Again, if the runner passes us wide that's helpful too.

[Slappadabass]

Not your fault that she can't control her dogs. Mine doesn't behave off his lead, so he doesn't go off it, it's as simple as that. Not your problem.