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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Woman taking her phone for a walk this morning

203 replies

SmellyToilet · 01/08/2022 09:38

Just got back from walking the dog. At one point a woman emerged with her face buried in her phone … she also had a little dog on a retractable lead wandering around behind her. I was walking behind this woman for 20 minutes and I swear to god she never once looked up from her phone in all this time. She didn’t interact with nor even look at her dog once. The dog was more interested in us than her and as it was on a retractable lead it kept walking back towards us … this woman had literally no idea that her dog was bothering a fellow dog Walker (with a reactive dog). The dog had a shit, she didn’t notice. I honestly believe that if I’d gone to the dog, unclipped it’s lead and stole it she wouldn’t have even noticed until she got home.

What’s the point??!! AIBU to have been hoping she accidentally stood in a huge pile of horse shit so she actually started to pay attention to her surroundings?

OP posts:
ChronicOverthinkr · 01/08/2022 12:05

Floofboopsnootandbork · 01/08/2022 12:03

You could’ve walked a bit faster and got ahead of her, walked a different way, held back a couple of minutes, or just told her her dog was being a bother. I don’t think YABU necessarily but really, you didn’t need to follow them closely for 20 minutes did you?

And this.

whysomanyvipers · 01/08/2022 12:14

Maybe it wasn't her dog and she was doing a favour for a friend/relative in an emergency, e.g. perhaps the owner was ill.

If you wanted to helpful, given you were walking a dog yourself, you could have shouted, 'Excuse me, do you need a bag?' to alert her to the dog shitting.

SlashBeef · 01/08/2022 12:14

I'm getting tired of owners of "reactive" dogs. They're the newbies to the gang of the eternally entitled. To be fair, the owners seem more reactive than the poor dogs.

BabyEnola · 01/08/2022 12:16

She was probably on Mumsnet 😁.

Lasagnainmyhair · 01/08/2022 12:19

SlashBeef · 01/08/2022 12:14

I'm getting tired of owners of "reactive" dogs. They're the newbies to the gang of the eternally entitled. To be fair, the owners seem more reactive than the poor dogs.

Yep, this, and I say that as the owner of a previously reactive dog. Why does everyone seem to have them now and no one bother to train them yet keep taking them out at busy dog walking times and insist on walking the same route as other dogs??

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 01/08/2022 12:19

Why the hell would you stay behind her for 20 minutes when you have a reactive dog? That’s just stupidity!

I prefer to interact with my dog on a walk so wouldn’t use a phone or headphones. He’s reactive too so needs my full attention. Certainly wouldn’t follow another dog for 20 minutes though.

Cloud16 · 01/08/2022 12:21

The dog poo is the only unreasonable bit imo.

I walk around the park when I'm dogsitting for friends while chatting on my phone or mindlessly doom scrolling. It helps me recharge and I find walking with a dog really boring - different if I have company though. I've been to the park a million times and the dog is quite happy sniffing about, I'm not missing anything. My phone and the people on the other end of it are more entertaining to me.

megletthesecond · 01/08/2022 12:21

I've spoken to dog walkers who are on their phone and not watching their dog poop. It doesn't take long for them to do one.

amymel2016 · 01/08/2022 12:22

It’s a animal not a baby 😂how much interaction do they need?!

I never judge anyone looking at their phone whilst out, either with a baby or anything else. I’ve no idea what the rest of their has been like, it might be the only 20 mins they get to relax and have some headspace. We wouldn’t have a go at someone reading the paper or a magazine.

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 01/08/2022 12:25

SlashBeef · 01/08/2022 12:14

I'm getting tired of owners of "reactive" dogs. They're the newbies to the gang of the eternally entitled. To be fair, the owners seem more reactive than the poor dogs.

We’re not all jerks I promise! We keep to remote fields and I keep a close eye at all times. If we’re walking pavements around the village I zig zag and do speedy U turns when needed. He’s not aggressive just a bit of a tosser at greeting on the lead but he’s large and loud which would look aggressive to someone with a dog coming our way! He’s more of a gent off lead but poor manners when initiating play I.e I’ll bull doze the shit out of you til you chase me so again we only play with dogs that match his personality. After 5 years of trying to train him we’ve come as far as I think we can so now we just manage him to ensure he’s not a pain in the arse to others.

lickenchugget · 01/08/2022 12:29

She absolutely needs to pick up the poo, but I’ve been on dog walks three times a day for ten years. Sometimes there’s things you need to do. Yabu to judge her for not interacting with the dog.

lickenchugget · 01/08/2022 12:29

Also no dogs should be reactive.

MsMarch · 01/08/2022 12:34

Lasagnainmyhair · 01/08/2022 12:19

Yep, this, and I say that as the owner of a previously reactive dog. Why does everyone seem to have them now and no one bother to train them yet keep taking them out at busy dog walking times and insist on walking the same route as other dogs??

Show quote history

Yes, this. A friend rescued a dog... he was 6 months when they got him. 5 years later, he's still reactive and me and my DC are not welcome anywhere near them because the dog is so difficult. It's mind blowing.

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 01/08/2022 12:36

lickenchugget · 01/08/2022 12:29

Also no dogs should be reactive.

Dumbest comment I’ve seen in MN in a while

BellePeppa · 01/08/2022 12:39

Even worse is when I see parents doing this and it’s young children, not even dogs. The amount of (usually quite young) parents who don’t acknowledge their children’s existence because they’re glued to the phone is shocking. I’d have told her the dog had pooped (and waited to check she was picking it up).

Jalisco · 01/08/2022 12:41

I'm surprised that you are surprised. I see this literally every single day. And it isn't just dog walkers either. I seems that people are entirely unable to disengage from their phones these days. I'm old-fashioned. I don't feel the need to answer or makes calls constantly no matter what else I am doing. And I don't expect people to pick up if I ring when they are doing something else. Mobile / smart phones seem to have taken over people's lives. There is something to be said for landlines - not least of which is that you can't clog up the supermarket aisle taking a call on one, or take it for a dog walk!

dogeatworld · 01/08/2022 12:42

I see this daily. It seems like such a boring walk for the dog and the owner. Surely part of the joy of owning a dog is a walk together each day, it is for me at least.

diddl · 01/08/2022 12:46

Phone addict??!!

Surely that isn't a thing.

I do think it's a shame to be out & about & glued to your phone.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 01/08/2022 12:51

Surely a quick conversation with her would have solved all.

What she does with her dog is up to her I guess - might not be what you'd do and might be wrong in your opinion but still up to her - but a quick convo about yours being reactive or a nudge that her dog had pooed would have been appropriate.

Sweatymess2022 · 01/08/2022 12:54

I also have a reactive dog, so I wouldn't be inclined to follow another dog walker around for 20 minutes to be honest...

SlouchingTowardsBethlehemAgain · 01/08/2022 12:56

I have a neighbour who walks her dog every morning on a retractable lead, always on her phone, cup of coffee and a fag - major multitasker.

RustyShackleford3 · 01/08/2022 13:29

YANBU about the poo. That really pisses me off. You should have said something to her about that.

But all this business about her being on her phone instead of interacting with her dog? Get over yourself. You have no idea what was going on. She could have been paying bills, reading an important email, looking at old Facebook pictures of someone who recently died (yep, I'm projecting with that last one).

Always call out the people who don't pick up their dog's shit. That's inexcusable. Just lay off the silly judgement about her being on her phone for the walk.

Original poster
SmellyToilet · 01/08/2022 17:16

  1. I couldn’t get past her as her dog was on a retractable lead and would have got too close to mine. I slowed down A LOT to keep a distance and used it as an opportunity to reward my dog for not reacting.

  2. I walk her where other dogs are as how the hell am I meant to train her otherwise? She’s doing brilliantly btw but it only takes one idiot with no control of their own dog to ruin her progress

  3. My dog has been in training since she was 6 months old for reactivity - I’ve travelled the width of England to get her the right training so don’t tell me I’m part of the new wave of lockdown dog owners that don’t bother to train.

  4. no I didn’t mention the poo, I was too busy training my own dog, she shouldn’t have needed to be told.

  5. she was not on a call, she was literally staring at her phone and scrolling the whole time. She nearly walked into someone at one point. There is no excuse for this lack of awareness in a public space.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 01/08/2022 17:22

If your dog is that reactive you would say "excuse me, your dogs making mine nervous, would you mind calling him over?" Surely?

Fuzzy303 · 01/08/2022 17:27

how do you know the poor woman isn't going through some horrible personal issue she is trying to sort out on the phone or take care of?

Yes she should be more aware but there's so many situations you don't know about & come across as very judgemental