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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have carried on running?

718 replies

OdettySpaghetti · 02/10/2021 08:06

Went for a run this morning. Ran past a couple of women with offlead dogs (cockapoo and a frenchie) which chased me as I passed them. They were not aggressive, more like running alongside me. The owners shouted of them but the dogs ignored them and carried on following me. I kept on running - before long we (me and dogs!) we’re quite a distance from the owners who were miles behind shouting and running (in a fashion) after us. I ran my usual route, off this path and into a wooded cut through, dogs still by my side. I’m getting pissed off at this point as I know I’m coming to a road and will need to stop so the owners can get their dogs. Sure enough I come to the road and stop. The dogs stop too and just start sniffing around but because we’re now close to a road I feel I have to take the dogs back before they dart across it so I head back the way I came, fuming that this has messed my run up. When the owners catch up one says “if you’d just stopped running we could have got them ages ago!” I replied that their dogs are not my responsibility to which they replied “no need to take them close to a main road though is there? Where is your common sense?” So livid now I say “get your fucking dogs under control, next time I don’t stop at the road”.

AIbU to have not wanted to mess my run up?

OP posts:
Volhhg · 02/10/2021 22:00

I wouldn't have stopped not even at the road. I wouldn't occur to me that this is helpful. think I would have kept going thinking the dogs will get bored and go back or do something else. I think I would expect them not to cross a road anyway and this would be a good way to lose them. I really don't know much about dogs and honestly I'm a bit scared of them when I'm running so just keep going and hope for the best. If a dog is off a lead then I would assume it's trained enough to go back to their owner

Leibham · 02/10/2021 22:02

@IvyM

Very well put.

RobinPenguins · 02/10/2021 22:14

@sirfredfredgeorge

I wonder why kindness is so unpopular on this thread and other threads in general lately

Kindness is keeping your dog under control, because there are people scared of dogs, dogs can't control themselves and often run off etc. It's the lack of recognition of this which the "be kind" people are missing, the complete lack of kindness started the problem.

This! It’s also worth noting that the reaction of the dog owners justified the OP’s actions. Perhaps if they’d been apologetic or shown any understanding that they were in the wrong, she might have thought “perhaps I should have just stopped earlier”. But they weren’t, were they?
Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel · 02/10/2021 22:16

YABU.

Beansprout30 · 02/10/2021 22:22

Haven’t read the whole thread but yanbu!

I was out running last week, just heading back through the woods and this woman, 3 small children and this big dog off the lead, came running straight towards me, went between my legs and almost lifted me off my feet, then jumping up at me and nipped my finger!! Woman was calling and it was completely ignoring her, i was actually very scared, I’m not a dog fan and I thought this one was going to give me a serious bite if she didn’t hurry up and get it. She was apologetic but the dog should not have been off a lead. Makes me so mad

DecadentlyDecisive · 02/10/2021 22:51

[quote Leibham]@DecadentlyDecisive so she should have kicked the dogs?[/quote]
Kicked at them, if they were pursuing her & out of control, then yes.

If she was a sheep, a farmer could shoot them Wink

DecadentlyDecisive · 02/10/2021 22:52

[quote Leibham]@NellWilsonsWhiteHair.

It did impact the dog walker today, how do you know what she might have been going through? Yet the OP couldn’t inconvenience herself for a few seconds to simply be kind and avoid the unpleasant situation that unfolded.[/quote]
You're really scraping the barrel for excuses now! Even by MN standards.... Grin

It's honestly not the OPs problem is it, the only problem here is that their dogs ran off & weren't under control.....

DecadentlyDecisive · 02/10/2021 22:55

@MancMum2000

You were all being dicks. Get over yourself OP, the world doesn’t revolve around your runs, you should have stopped.
See, this is where you're totally wrong.

If I'm out running, then yes - my world revolves around me.

Not you, not a stupid, disobedient dog - me.

Not sure why this so hard for some people to grasp - I quite simply don't care about you or your dull life Grin

Macncheeseballs · 02/10/2021 23:04

Kindness is not interrupting someone going about their business, would you do that to a car driver? Kindness is not expecting the world to bend to your dogs needs. A runner taking themselves for a run has a right to be left alone. Kindness is picking up your dog shit

Physicaljerks · 03/10/2021 00:19

Jesus christ, it's a fucking dog! Why should anyone else have to give a shit about it? You might love Mr tricky woo, but no one else has to.

Bombaloorina · 03/10/2021 01:03

@MancMum2000

You were all being dicks. Get over yourself OP, the world doesn’t revolve around your runs, you should have stopped.
WTF? Of course the OP’s world revolves around the OP.

And the world certainly doesn’t revolve around some random’s untethered dog.

Confused
Joystir59 · 03/10/2021 06:57

So,, another perspective...does kindness include expecting anyone and everyone to step quickly aside to make space for joggers who do not want to slow down or stop for anything or anyone even though they are running along public paths and byways that are used by people strolling, chatting, exercising their dogs?

Joystir59 · 03/10/2021 06:59

Joggers are so single-minded and in their own zone, they would be better off on purpose built tracks not sharing space with everyone else if they don't want to have to pay heed to anyone or anything taking place around them.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 03/10/2021 07:31

@sirfredfredgeorge

I wonder why kindness is so unpopular on this thread and other threads in general lately

Kindness is keeping your dog under control, because there are people scared of dogs, dogs can't control themselves and often run off etc. It's the lack of recognition of this which the "be kind" people are missing, the complete lack of kindness started the problem.

AND it's because a large percentage of women are sick to death of the "just be kind" shit that has been used to make us sit down, shut up, move over and let everyone else trample all over us.

We don't NEED to be kind. We CHOOSE to be kind when it suits us - these dog owners did not choose to be kind, did they? they chose to have their dogs loose, despite being unable to recall them.
So why should the OP choose to be kind to accommodate their selfishness? Why should her kindness be more in demand than theirs?

Miseryl · 03/10/2021 07:39

There are so many idiot dog owners. I nearly got attacked by one yesterday when our running because the owner wasn't strong enough to restrain it.

NellWilsonsWhiteHair · 03/10/2021 07:53

@Joystir59

So,, another perspective...does kindness include expecting anyone and everyone to step quickly aside to make space for joggers who do not want to slow down or stop for anything or anyone even though they are running along public paths and byways that are used by people strolling, chatting, exercising their dogs?
No! That would be unreasonable behaviour from the runner. Just as the dog walkers expecting the runner to stop for them is unreasonable.

It's the bit where one party expects another to put aside their convenience and enjoyment for the other that defines the unreasonable demand.

I have zero issue moving off my path, or slowing down, for other path users. Even including dogs. I draw the line at being expected to fully stop because an off-lead dog can't cope with the predictable hazard of a passing runner. The first is about compromise in a shared space, the second is about the dog owner's preferences dominating what's supposed to be a shared space.

As I've said already, I do stop for people to retrieve their chasing dogs if needed. It's annoying, and the fact that they pretty much never say please or thank you or sorry about that suggests that they think it's normal that their dog is centre of everyone's world.

hangrylady · 03/10/2021 08:12

"Not sure why this so hard for some people to grasp - I quite simply don't care about you or your dull life grin"

So if you're out running and you fall and break your ankle would you expect people to just walk past or stop and help you? I mean it's not other people's problem that you injured yourself is it? This thread is really depressing, the number of people who wouldn't do a small thing to help someone out because it slightly inconveniences them. I'm happy that I don't know anyone in real life who is such a twat, men and women included.

purplesequins · 03/10/2021 08:23

@Joystir59

Joggers are so single-minded and in their own zone, they would be better off on purpose built tracks not sharing space with everyone else if they don't want to have to pay heed to anyone or anything taking place around them.
dog owners are so single minded and in their own zone, they would be better off in a purpose built area not sharing space with everyone else if they don't want to have to pay heed to anyone or anything taking place around them.
Macncheeseballs · 03/10/2021 08:34

Quite

Reallyimeanreally2022 · 03/10/2021 08:34

@hangrylady

"Not sure why this so hard for some people to grasp - I quite simply don't care about you or your dull life grin"

So if you're out running and you fall and break your ankle would you expect people to just walk past or stop and help you? I mean it's not other people's problem that you injured yourself is it? This thread is really depressing, the number of people who wouldn't do a small thing to help someone out because it slightly inconveniences them. I'm happy that I don't know anyone in real life who is such a twat, men and women included.

But is that jogger lying on the floor with a broken ankle - chasing after you and quite possibly a biter?

It’s a daft analogy

Doje · 03/10/2021 08:42

But you did have to mess your run up!

Yes, absolutely they should have had their dogs under control. But once you realised they didn't, it would have made more sense to run them back earlier, rather then persevering with your run, and then having to take them back anyway, from further away!

Macncheeseballs · 03/10/2021 08:47

I would have carried on running and taken the dog home with me Smile

Macncheeseballs · 03/10/2021 08:49

Them I'd become a dog owner with one of those really long leads and when I was walking the dog would look at my phone all the time pretending not to notice my dog shitting and not pick it up

chocolateorangeinhaler · 03/10/2021 09:51

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Macncheeseballs · 03/10/2021 09:53

Cars aren't really a fair comparison, the car has every right to be driving on that road