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.

[Gonetoget]

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

I hate these kind of threads, it just dredges up all the animal haters that would have all animals caged up 24 /7.

No doubt there are some shitty dog owners, but they by no means are they representative of the majority and of course you're not BU. No one could reasonably justify her behaviour, but did you really need us to validate that for you.

[RhinoskinhaveI]

She was clearly in the wrong, that's why she was so very defensive!
There are a lot of bad dog owners who spoil it for the good ones ☹️ I wish there was some way to improve the situation

[LakieLady]

Anybody who has their dog off lead when they don't have instant recall is quite frankly a dick.

But how can you train a dog to have good, distraction-proof recall unless you let them off the lead first?

I train basic recall from the moment I get a puppy, starting off in the house, then the garden. But sooner or later, you have to try it, test it and reinforce it in an environment you can't control.

[MQv2]

Dog owner - she's an idiot

Jogger - she's an idiot

[DishingOutDone]

Of course YANBU, and I am a little bit suspicious why you would think you might have been unreasonable? Its a bit of a goady thread TBH.

Of course any dog might be startled, and once a dog is onto a chase that's it, there is no recall in the world that would get it back. As someone said earlier in the thread doesn't matter how well trained the dog is, or even sometimes if it is on a lead, accidents will happen. But having 3 dogs off leash who like to chase/are liable to be freaked out is asking for trouble. She knew it, you know it now, she was a dick.

[RhinoskinhaveI]

I don't think we should have to bend to accommodate the needs of dogs and dog owners, they should adapt to human society not vice-a-versa
all dogs in public places should be on leads, maybe special dog parks where you can train your dog but the rest of the shouldn't have to be inconvenienced by other people's pets

[cmac76]

@gonetoget I knew this dog owner was being unreasonable in how she spoke to me / got angry but I genuinely wondered if she had a point and perhaps I should have stopped and walked past? This thread has actually been useful to me in that I will now call ahead when I go for a run and see dogs up ahead. It hadn't crossed my mind to do that.

[curious86]

Your in your own right to run, we have a nature reserve that we take our dog to and it states that dogs can be off the lead but must be under control and called back. She needs to teach her dogs to come back when she calls and cannot tell you if you can run from behind or not.
I also understand why you would of shouted, with dogs barking at you and her shouting I think I would of ended up doing the same

[RhinoskinhaveI]

I think there's too much dog one-upmanship these days .....it's not enough to have one dog you have to have a whole pack of dogs in order to be considered a 'doggy person' 🙄
Then you have the dog walkers dominating and spoiling all the open places with their gaggle of mutts roaming about barking at people and getting in the way

[Thetruth02]

I find the compassion to running behind a horse hilarious - a dog isn’t going to kick you is it!

You’re completely in the right. My only caveat being that I walk my dog, on a lead on a road which seems to be a Mecca for joggers. If you do run up behind my bumbling little dog give me some inclination that you’re there - heavy breathing will do it... unlike the man who just came upon me, dog shot out the way, man tripped over lead.

[LakieLady]

This thread has actually been useful to me in that I will now call ahead when I go for a run and see dogs up ahead. It hadn't crossed my mind to do that.

Thank you - dog owners will really appreciate that. In my case, that would give me the moment I need to tell the dog to sit and wait, and then you would be able to carry on and run past, without fear of a lakeland terrier tripping you up.

(Although it's academic now, as current dog is old and deaf and is always on the lead when out).

[Drabarni]

Dogs are lower down the food chain and you are more important.
Dick head woman. Not you, dog owner.
i find many to be so entitled, I'd have laughed or told her to fuck off.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

I find the compassion to running behind a horse hilarious - a dog isn’t going to kick you is it!
It might bite you on the elbow though.

[missbattenburg]

Dogs are lower down the food chain and you are more important.
...
i find many to be so entitled

The sheer hypocrisy!

[SierraBravo]

Yes, @bloodywhitecat, this is what I was going to say too. I think dogs are probably not supposed to be off-lead in most nature reserves. Surely nature reserves are places where wildlife is meant to be protected, and allowing dogs to wander around off-lead defeats the purpose somewhat?

[redchocolatebutton]

But how can you train a dog to have good, distraction-proof recall unless you let them off the lead first?

how about a fenced off secure area?

[RhinoskinhaveI]

In the Minds of many dog owners their dog is at the top of the food chain

[tabulahrasa]

“This thread has actually been useful to me in that I will now call ahead when I go for a run and see dogs up ahead. It hadn't crossed my mind to do that.”

It’s handy if people do that, in case the dog walker hasn’t spotted you...gives them a chance to recall their dog because most dogs even ones with great recall will run after someone running if they’ve not been told not to right then, because it’s fun... and yes they’ll come back when told to, but it’s just easier all round if the dog walker gets to do it beforehand.

Wouldn’t have made any difference with that woman though, she just didn’t have control over the dogs at all.

Oh and it’s totally different to horses, most dogs that chase runners do it because they instinctively like to chase or because they’re used to running people and want to join in, that’s much easier to train out of them than fear, which is why horses would spook.

[IfIHadAPenny]

I do believe it's ultimately up to the dog owner to have control of their dog (I've had dogs before) but as a runner too I sort of 'read' the dog and situation a bit.

Sometimes this means crossing the road if I see a nervous dog ahead (yellow harness), or saying 'MORNING/AFTERNOON' loudly if I think the owner hasn't seen me and generally passing dogs/owners with plenty of space. I have also stopped jogging to walk by some dogs (young dogs/bouncy dogs that I think may react) yes I care about my PB but I don't want to cause an issue if I can so easily avoid it.

Nine times out of ten owners will pull their on-lead dog to the side and this is so courteous, I always say thank you breathlessly so it's a bit of give and take when out in public.

But there's not much you can do if you're jogging along and an off-lead dog decides to chase you, and as I said up-thread the woman was batshit to then have a go at you instead of apologise.

[IfIHadAPenny]

But how can you train a dog to have good, distraction-proof recall unless you let them off the lead first?

Long-lead training is a good option.

[MsTSwift]

Makes a change from “he never does that” as Labrador jumped me and put his muddy paws on my shoulder the only answer to that moronic statement is “he just did”!

She’s a loon op

[BlingLoving]

I hate it when joggers or cyclists come up very quietly behind me because my dog is good, but it's better if I have her attention. But in this instance, she was clearly aware of you as she stepped aside. And to be quite honest, even if she WASN'T, it's still up to the dog owner to be aware and watching their dog. The few times a cyclist (mine is okay with joggers) has caught sight of a cyclist before me I've been mortified if I can't 'get her to stop quick enough. (I do like cyclists who give me a little bell if they think I haven't spotted them though!)

[marvellousnightforamooncup]

I always slow down for dogs when I'm running to get my breath back. I don't trust dogs or dog owners, too many of the "he's only playing" variety.

[adaline]

But how can you train a dog to have good, distraction-proof recall unless you let them off the lead first?

Use a long line. Absolutely no need to let an untrained dog off the lead whatsoever.

We have a beagle who likes chase the scent. So he's kept on the lead unless he's on our local beach. Because otherwise he would just run and run (and has in the past when he slipped his lead). For his safety he's on his lead.

As were were told at puppy school, being off-lead is a privilege not a right.

[littlecabbage]

I’m a dog owner. The woman was a twat.