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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
TractorAndHeadphones · 02/10/2021 10:36

Also to add I’m not against dogs quite the contrary. They’re not easy pets and the number of undeserving people who have them is astounding!
The more control over who can own them the better. They’re a huge commitment, not playthings. Wouldn’t suit the multibillion pound pet industry however…

MrsRobbieHart · 02/10/2021 10:37

Next time OP, bring a couple of spare dog leads with you. Grin congratulations. What will you call them?

Hotelhelp · 02/10/2021 10:37

I really don’t want to believe that there are people on here who would allow a dog to follow them into a road and potentially be injured or killed just to teach their owner a lesson.

Hoping it’s one of those things that people say they would do but in reality if it came to it they wouldn’t.

vivainsomnia · 02/10/2021 10:38

After an embarrassing chase in the woods when our terrier was barely 6 months old, I trained her to come to me and stand up at my knees whilst the runner passed by
Oh the irony! So you got it wrong once but you 5hink these owners should be judged! Who says it wasn't the first time it happened to them?

TractorAndHeadphones · 02/10/2021 10:38

@vivainsomnia

A child doesn’t run after people and scare them I had many more near misses with kids not looking where they are going than dogs.
Yes but it’s the same for kids and dogs. E.g something live being there requires you to change course.

However kids won’t cause an allergic reaction. Or trigger a phobia reaction. You can argue all you want but the fact is that loose dogs add an additional layer of danger.

purplesequins · 02/10/2021 10:39

@MrsRobbieHart

But OP did have to stop anyway. Confused so not unrealistic at all. She either stopped when the started following her, or stopped when she got to the road. She chose to stop later.
yes, op did stop because she is not a monster that wanted the dogs to get injured.

she hoped that the dogs would turn around after a few moments an return to their owners as they mostly do ime.

vivainsomnia · 02/10/2021 10:39

I really don’t want to believe that there are people on here who would allow a dog to follow them into a road and potentially be injured or killed just to teach their owner a lesson
Neither so I bit sadly they exist Confused

SmellyOldOwls · 02/10/2021 10:40

The dogs should have been on leads but you didn't have to be a dick about it.

wolfstarling · 02/10/2021 10:40

This happens all the time. If I feel the dogs are coming with me I stop and take them back straight away.

You seem a little over the top to me.

SilveredPinkPetal · 02/10/2021 10:41

Keep running, our dogs are always being attacked on their leads, by loose dogs, so keep running next time.

Locally even dog owners complain about the dog poop all over our local dog walk, the very people whose dogs are always loose, running away out of their sight, pooping.

purplesequins · 02/10/2021 10:41

@Hotelhelp

I really don’t want to believe that there are people on here who would allow a dog to follow them into a road and potentially be injured or killed just to teach their owner a lesson.

Hoping it’s one of those things that people say they would do but in reality if it came to it they wouldn’t.

I sometimes can't believe how dog owners cannot keep their dogs under close control as per the law to let things like this happen. it's not fair on the runner and the dog.
MrsSkylerWhite · 02/10/2021 10:41

vivainsomnia

After an embarrassing chase in the woods when our terrier was barely 6 months old, I trained her to come to me and stand up at my knees whilst the runner passed by
Oh the irony! So you got it wrong once but you 5hink these owners should be judged! Who says it wasn't the first time it happened to them?“

Yes, of course it was, with both dogs Grin

And yes, I do judge precisely because it happened to me and I dealt with it immediately. Never happened again.

I

Foxtailstump · 02/10/2021 10:42

Wow. I can’t believe it’s 83% YANBU. I’d have stopped running straight away and let the owners grab the dogs. It would have taken 10 seconds and saved you all a load of trouble.

Dogs sometimes run off. Can’t we be more helpful to others instead of living by selfish, perfect world rules where all dogs have perfect recall and god forbid we have to put ourselves out for 10 seconds.

(I don’t have a dog and I do go running btw)

MrsRobbieHart · 02/10/2021 10:43

yes, op did stop because she is not a monster that wanted the dogs to get injured.

she hoped that the dogs would turn around after a few moments an return to their owners as they mostly do ime.

Exactly, so my point is, she could stop. And it would have been a hell of a lot less hassle for her to stop as soon as they started following her. Oh i forgot about runners’ magic self propelled legs that the owner has now control over Hmm Grin just don’t be a dick all your lives.

TractorAndHeadphones · 02/10/2021 10:45

@Hotelhelp

I really don’t want to believe that there are people on here who would allow a dog to follow them into a road and potentially be injured or killed just to teach their owner a lesson.

Hoping it’s one of those things that people say they would do but in reality if it came to it they wouldn’t.

Well I personally can’t guarantee what my reaction would be. If I see dogs chasing after me my first instinct would be to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Might even run across road on purpose. But no way am I going to stand and wait patiently for their owners with them near me.

Perhaps my reaction is extreme but I was mauled by dogs as a child and hospitalised. If you google ‘dogs maul child’ children have even died.

Hotelhelp · 02/10/2021 10:46

Yea I totally agree with you @purplesequins! I’m definitely not one of these people that just thinks dogs are centre of the universe and they absolutely should be on leads and it is unreasonable for dog owners to think other people want anything to do with their dogs. I wholeheartedly agree … but is it still really ok to allow a dog to get hurt just to prove a point and try and teach lessons? I’m not sure it is.

TopBlogger · 02/10/2021 10:47

@Hotelhelp

I really don’t want to believe that there are people on here who would allow a dog to follow them into a road and potentially be injured or killed just to teach their owner a lesson.

Hoping it’s one of those things that people say they would do but in reality if it came to it they wouldn’t.

I really dont want to believe that there are dog owners so irresponsible and selfish that they think the world should cater for their useless ownership and stop while they sort their dogs out, rather than them having their dogs on leads and under control.

But here we are.

Hotelhelp · 02/10/2021 10:49

Mumsnet never fails to surprise does it!

pelosi · 02/10/2021 10:51

YANBU at all, OP.

But it did make me smile imagining those dogs running after you for a mile + Grin

Glad they’re ok, they probably loved the run.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 02/10/2021 10:52

@LongDissidence

I wish dog owners would actually control their dogs. I'd say about 10% of dog owners do, and the other 90% let them run all over, poo everywhere, jump all over people, chase other dogs/ animals whilst they ineffectively call the dogs back.

You're kinder than me, I'd have kept on running.

Where on earth do you live that 90% of dog owners behave like that? That can't possibly be true

I walk a lot in areas where people walk their dogs and I would go so far as to say I never see that kind of dog

ConfessionsOfAChocoholic · 02/10/2021 10:53

Maybe it's just me and I'll get in trouble for troll hunting, but it seems very coincidental that there are two threads about out of control dogs, both started early this morning and the OPs haven't returned. Titles are phrased the same way and the sentence structure/punctuation and writing style is almost identical.

Or perhaps there are just a lot of irresponsible dog owners!

MrsRobbieHart · 02/10/2021 10:54

Well I personally can’t guarantee what my reaction would be. If I see dogs chasing after me my first instinct would be to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Might even run across road on purpose. But no way am I going to stand and wait patiently for their owners with them near me.

Umm in the OPs scenario the quickest way to get rid of the dogs would have been to stop running as soon as they followed her and wait for the owners to get them. Your lack of common sense would cause you a shit tonne more stress than just stopping and waiting.

Alcemeg · 02/10/2021 10:54

Hate this sort of thing so much (especially since being bitten) that I bought one of those ultrasonic dog deterrent alarm things. No idea if it works yet, but it gives me back-up in these situations!

MrsRobbieHart · 02/10/2021 10:55

@ConfessionsOfAChocoholic

Maybe it's just me and I'll get in trouble for troll hunting, but it seems very coincidental that there are two threads about out of control dogs, both started early this morning and the OPs haven't returned. Titles are phrased the same way and the sentence structure/punctuation and writing style is almost identical.

Or perhaps there are just a lot of irresponsible dog owners!

Yeah my spider senses were tingling about this too.
labourslostlove · 02/10/2021 10:55

YABU. I agree dogs should have good recall, but I think the OP was BU to get so angry and aggressive and not to stop sooner. The owners could have been a bit more apologetic and grateful too. Of course the dogs aren't the OP's responsibility, but surely we all cut other people a bit of slack sometimes? I have certainly needed the goodwill of strangers occasionally, perhaps you have too, OP? It should be possible to explain that something's upset or annoyed you without being aggressive.