Do you feel silly going for a walk by yourself without a dog?!

[C1239]

I love walking, quite like my own company, but I always feel silly going for a walk by myself! It would be much easier if I had a dog! Does anyone else feel like this or is it fine to go for a long walk by yourself?!

I have a dog. The majority of people I see are on their own, without a dog. I’ve never thought anything of it.

Before I had a dog, I walked by myself.

I’m a dog walker so out walking all day and see people without dogs all the time, never occurred to me to think it’s unusual. To be honest they usually look like they are having a much nicer time than the people trying and failing to keep their dogs under control.

Which part of the country is this?
I mostly see people walking on their own, in twos or asking groups when I go for a walk in the woods, which I tend to do quite often.
I do see some with dogs but the best place to walk are those with minimal number of dogs. I love listening to birds tweeting and water rushing, watching the scenery from up high, with a sighting or a squirrel or rabbit here and there. The latter two are not commonly occurring when there are loads of dogs.

People really can think of any reason why a woman walking alone knight feel about uncomfortable when she's not used to doing it?

You might be excellent at going for a walk but reasoning and empathy seem a but lacking 😆

Note sure which post you felt was boring, must we all be hilariously entertaining at all times?

Think on before making comments that only serve to undermine and ridicule - irony?? Maybe think before making comments that are so rude?

My daughter likes to go for long walks on her own, I know I'm being silly but I worry about her out alone (no dog either) in the hills and woods, some quite lonely places. When we go walking together I do notice the solitary female walkers and they all look very comfortable out alone. I guess they wouldn't do it if they weren't, so maybe a very selected group.

Life is far too short to feel silly doing something as normal as having a walk!!

Would never even occur to me to think this is weird! A dog is not a prerequisite for walking

I love walking on my own. Walking with other people is all right (and can be nice) but on your own you get to decide exactly where you go and when and how fast or slow. And you can stop without wondering whether anyone else wants to.

Nope I love it- lbc in my ears and I’m good to go

No. I walk alone every day. Tramped miles through woods and countryside last week in the dry bright weather. Why would anyone think anything of it?

Last week being a week day everyone else I encountered was alone too. And that wasn't many people at all.

I have a dog and often see people walking alone, I don't think anything of it.

Sometimes I probably look like I'm on my own as my dog loves going off into the deep of the woods searching for squirrels

I don’t know what you’re on about, my post isn’t directed to you

Why are our lives so constrained by feeling self conscious about perfectly normal things to do?

I never hear men say things like this.

OP, enjoy your walk. Take in the surroundings, the sky, changing views. Only a very odd person would ‘think anything’ about a woman out for a walk on her own.

I do many activities on my own that at other times I also do with friends.
Day at the beach, hill walking, cinema, theatre, camping…

No, of course not.

I’m going to say that yes, I do sometimes feel self conscious walking without my dog with me,but I have bad anxiety and I tend to feel much more confident with my dog at my side,failing that I feel better carrying something,judge me all you like but that’s me and my feelings.

God life would indeed be a stressful place to live if we worried about things like that.

I think that some people feel self-conscious walking alone in the woods and that some people negativity judge them for it is a sad sign of how separated from nature our culture has become.

I only have a dog in recent years and didn’t have a car pre dog. Walked everywhere alone. I feel alone when he’s not with me now but I’ll still walk, run, sleet about by myself happily.

No of course not!
I've never owned a dog. Never taken one for a walk.
I love going for long walks by myself.

Our old dog was really frightened if he saw anyone out walking without a dog. He’d freak out and run in the opposite direction. But he was quite daft.

Haha. Our dog (puppy) barks at people walking alone on the beach. She can't get her head around why people would be on the beach dogless. We have beach times when dogs are permitted until 10am and then children and families are permitted after that, shame that the people with kids and don't want to interact with dogs don't avoid/vacate the beach during dog times though. She forgives them quite quickly though when they give her a pat.

We've stopped her from doing it given we were dogless for many years.

OP no it's perfectly normal to walk alone without a dog!

I love walking on my own, but the only downside is other people's dogs barking at me or trying to jump on me.
I'm really appreciative when owners call their dog to heel and respect my right to walk.

No!

I can’t say I have ever been on a walk where I’ve thought “we’ll this is nice, but what I’d really like now is to pick up some dog shit and carry it around with me for a while!”

It’s perfectly normal and nice to go for walks by yourself.

I love walking in the country and woodland, but I always worry people will think I’m up to something. Having a dog removes all that thankfully.