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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:
YourFinestPantaloons · 02/10/2021 08:35

@sunflowerdaisies

I think you were being unreasonable all along. I'd have stopped as soon as I realised they were staying with me so the owners could get them back.
@sunflowerdaisies what and interrupted her run? Breaking that momentum can finish the run off. Which is important not to do especially if you're training
DancesWithTortoises · 02/10/2021 08:36

You should have just carried on running. The dogs could have turned on you when you stopped.

CyclingIsNotOuting · 02/10/2021 08:37

YANBU, I can’t even take my kids to the park because of dogs off lead with no recall.
My kids are scared of a dogs, partly because they keep getting jumped at and licked.

Quirrelsotherface · 02/10/2021 08:38

You were totally in the right, they were wrong but your response was a bit much.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 02/10/2021 08:39

YANBU.
As has been said, if they can't control their dogs appropriately, then they shouldn't be off-lead.
Their problem, their responsibility, their fault.

MiddleClassProblem · 02/10/2021 08:40

Also, owners who only armed with recall in these situations are doing themselves a disservice. Using commands like leave, this way, bye, tone variation etc are all extra tools that they should have. Some people don’t go beyond the basics and think that’s ok but there really are so many words and cues your dog can pick up from their owners that would let them know “ok I really shouldn’t be doing this”.

I do think you should have licenses to have a dog and got in a training course before hand that covers all aspects including behaviour and psychology. Owning a dog should be a privilege not a right.

vivainsomnia · 02/10/2021 08:40

It's, of course in principle toy are correct but this was a one off. Ruined your run, come on!

I'm a runner too and I do get a noted at off lead dogs who get right in my way and indeed, I fell once and really hurt myself. I was cursing then.

In this scenario, I would have been a bit annoyed but certainly not to the state you seem to have yourself in. 8 2oyld have just run back to the owners when it became clear they were not going to do it themselves and certainly not run up to ariad.

Chill out, running doesn't define your life and sometimes, things do get in the way!

StoatMilk · 02/10/2021 08:40

@LaurieFairyCake

"Next time I don't stop at the road" sounds horribly aggressive

You're basically saying your dogs are getting run over because my run is more important

It just sounds arsey 🤷‍♀️

No, your run shouldn't be messed up - they're twats who shouldn't have uncontrollable off-lead dogs

So yep, they're massively entitled twats

What nonsense, give over Hmm
YourFinestPantaloons · 02/10/2021 08:40

@HelloDaisy

As others have said, you could have been kind and slowed down or run back towards them so they could get their dogs.

Kindness, tolerance and decency seem to be vanishing in society sadly…

Yep, a bit like how some entitled dog owners left it to someone else to look after their dogs.

Fuck odd with this 'be kind' shit. What you mean is 'be a walkover and make other people's mistakes your problem'. But we are women right so need to bE kINd above anything, including our own enjoyment and convenience

anon12345678901 · 02/10/2021 08:40

@Ostagazuzulum

Yes they should have good recall etc but it was arsey if you not to just either run back or stop so they could grab them. Give them half a chance.
They did have half a chance. They had it to ensure their dogs without good recall were not off the lead. They're poor dog owners and the onus is not on the OP to facilitate this. OP you were not in the wrong at all. If they cannot control their dogs, they should not be off lead.
YourFinestPantaloons · 02/10/2021 08:41

@SudokuWillNotSaveYou

I’m a bit surprised the posters recommending that since we’re “decent” people, OP should have done some “kinder” solution that expects zero responsibility from the owners. So that’s it now? We’re decent, so everyone else can be an arsehole? Because it seems like about 50% of MN threads are started by people who live their lives like that and have finally realized it won’t work forever. How many OPs start or feature, “I’m terrible with confrontation,” “I’m such a people-pleaser,” “I didn’t want to cause a fuss,” “I was so flustered over (potential minor fallout from not being a doormat),” and so on. Exactly how many men do you think, when someone has been a irresponsible prat (like these dog owners) and fucked something up for them (like OP’s run), think, “Oh, well, I best make it as easy for them as possible since I’m a decent person.” So why the fuck do we have to?!
This with bells on.
SamMil · 02/10/2021 08:42

I would have stopped /run back earlier.

Lots of things aren't our responsibility, but mistakes happen and even the most well trained animals don't do exactly what we want 100% of the time, so sometimes being a nice person involves doing things that inconvenience us slightly to help others.

It's just courtesy surely. Like if someone's child runs towards a road, you would help stop them, even if it is a busy road and the parent should have been holding them.

If you want to make a point, then stop but mention (without swearing at them Confused) that the dogs should probably be on a lead if they don't have good recall. Generally making a point calmly and kindly will resonate with someone more than deliberately making things worse and then swearing at them.

YourFinestPantaloons · 02/10/2021 08:44

@CyclingIsNotOuting

YANBU, I can’t even take my kids to the park because of dogs off lead with no recall. My kids are scared of a dogs, partly because they keep getting jumped at and licked.
My DS has a fear of dogs (which so many people seem to be offended by) and honestly he's like a bloody licky/jumpy dog magnet! And if I had a Pound for every time I hear "it's ok, he's friendly" I'd have been able to take us all on holiday to the Bahamas
FOJN · 02/10/2021 08:45

I'm a dog owner and I don't think you did anything wrong.

My dog goes on a lead or is called to heel when I see or hear a runner approaching, not because he would chase them but I want him out of their way to avoid them tripping over him where both could be hurt. He is trained to come to heel and stay there, on the odd occasion where the scent of something is distracting him he goes on the lead.

They are hopeless owners trying to make you responsible for their dogs safety; that's their job.

Nellle · 02/10/2021 08:46

@DancesWithTortoises

You should have just carried on running. The dogs could have turned on you when you stopped.
Hmm
ThePlumVan · 02/10/2021 08:46

I’d have stopped and then been annoyed that I’d had to stop.

They need to control their dogs, so maybe your bolder approach and comment will sharpen them up Grin

ThirdElephant · 02/10/2021 08:46

YANBU. At all.

And as for, 'Next time I won't stop at the road,' I think that's entirely fair. You went out of your way to safeguard their dogs and they had the nerve to give you abuse over it. They should have been nothing but apologetic. Hopefully there now won't be a next time.

2much2do2littletime · 02/10/2021 08:46

I'm with @sunflowerdaisies and @HelloDaisy - while it's not your responsibility and it's annoying, I'd have stopped early on as I'd have known that it would be a quicker fix then than later. And it is the decent thing to do. I am actually shocked at comments like @YourFinestPantaloons - doing the simplest thing, which also happens to be the kindest isn't being a walkover, it's just what it is. I don't know why people need to be so all or nothing about things. Unless you are an elite athlete running a race, it's really no big deal to turn round and run back 10m to where the owners were then turn around again.

Physicaljerks · 02/10/2021 08:46

I wouldn't have stopped. Dogs roaming freely on public footpaths really pisses me off. I've often wondered who would come off worse if I did actually trip over someone's little rat dog, running under my feet, and landed on it.

vivainsomnia · 02/10/2021 08:47

They should train their dogs to have proper recall
Because everything is always completely without fail. People never ever think they have something under control when they a really don't.

Not one poster has ever had a near miss accident that they had not anticipated. Never!

Funny yet when it comes to dogs, it should always always be 100 fail proof! This wasn't even a dangerous accident if OP had not acted like so dramatically.

If you'd come across a child on their own, would you have continued to run because you couldn't possibly mess up your training!

WaltzingBetty · 02/10/2021 08:48

@vivainsomnia

They should train their dogs to have proper recall Because everything is always completely without fail. People never ever think they have something under control when they a really don't.

Not one poster has ever had a near miss accident that they had not anticipated. Never!

Funny yet when it comes to dogs, it should always always be 100 fail proof! This wasn't even a dangerous accident if OP had not acted like so dramatically.

If you'd come across a child on their own, would you have continued to run because you couldn't possibly mess up your training!

No but it's probably decent to acknowledge your failings and not blame the runner who very kindly returned your out of control dogs for not returning them sooner.
Hobnobsandbroomstick · 02/10/2021 08:50

I love dogs, but can't stand stupid owners.

I would have told them to use their own fucking common sense, and keep them on a lead if they don't have reliable recall training.

vivainsomnia · 02/10/2021 08:51

The days people are just being kind, accept we are not all perfect and we sometimes have to go out of our way to help are certainly long gone!

What a horrible society we live in that the need to be right and berate others have taken over.

You were right OP, terrible idiot owners, clearly should have known the dogs would run all the way with you, even if it be we happened before. Complete idiots and you were right to give them of a mouth full to teach them a lesson. How dare them make you stop adding 10 seconds to your run. Bastards!

Here you go, feel better now?

Squirrelblanket · 02/10/2021 08:51

You were not unreasonable.

I don't like dogs and it's one of my worst nightmares being chased by dogs while out running. (Even if they were just running alongside). I would have carried on straight home and shut the door on them. Not my problem.

OneTC · 02/10/2021 08:51

I'd have been annoyed but would have got it over and done with, looping back early on so they could grab them

No time really for misbehaving dogs but the longer it went on the more time was gonna be required to sort it out

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