To think that people should use their manners when I'm out walking my dog

[politenesspooch]

I've changed name for this due to the dog haters on here.

I walk my dog on lead of an early evening (he has a long off lead walk in the morning). I'm training him to walk properly by my side on a loose leash, but it's a work in progress and will take some time. He's a spaniel and very high energy, so I use lots of treats and encouragement. I've used and paid for a trainer to be able to do this correctly and I'm following her instruction and technique.

So why then do I have to contend with joggers, people on bikes and walkers coming up right behind me and my dog, spooking us both? Why don't they say "Excuse me!" because I would quite happily move to one side and make room for them?

Tonight it was a woman who exclaimed as she walked right up behind me and surprised both me and my dog and so my dog jumped towards her because he was taken by surprise?

AIBU to think people should just use some basic manners?

Where are joggers and people walking supposed to go?

So why then do I have to contend with joggers, people on bikes and walkers coming up right behind me and my dog, spooking us both? Why don't they say "Excuse me!" because I would quite happily move to one side and make room for them?

Who says excuse me every time they walk past someone with a dog? How are they supposed to know he’s excitable? Even if they did, that’s your issue, not theirs.

Yabu, it’s not up to others to adjust their behaviour for your dog

PS - I’m not a dog hater, I have dogs of my own.

You are in a public space.

With all these encounters, maybe it’s something you are doing wrong.

You can't expect the world to stop and for everyone to disappear just because you're doing a bit of dog training. People have a right to use the pavements and sounds like you're in the way.

Go and do your training on a field instead?

Is thus because you are regularly stopping due to training? If so, I would say the onus is on you to look around you before doing so.

I am not a dog hater fyi, just back from a dog walk.

Maybe wear a top with the words written on the back saying "honk your horn".

Are you walking really slow?are the paths really narrow where you live? How much width of the pavement are you occupying?

If you’re training, you’re training for your dog to be ok with normal every day encounters - like people approaching you from behind. Take it as an opportunity.

What the OP is saying is that the joggers etc aren't jogging around her but getting very close and then when they are right behaind her making a noise so that she and her dog move out of the way. She has a point. People shouldn't even be cycling on the pavement, but yet they do this.

Of course, when one person is walking and another jogging, the jogger is faster, therfore should jog around/cross the road.

If I am walking at a faster pace than a toddler and their parent I walk around.

I get what you mean OP.

These are normal encounters, nobody is doing anything rude here. It’s normal and good exposure for your dog while it’s training.

Are you for real ? I’ve owners small and big dogs as Doberman’s and I never expected anyone to tell em excuses ele for coming near me . It suggest your dog needs a lot more training as no well trained and socialised dog will get spooked by a jogger or someone on a bike .
It’s people like you who give dog owners a bad rep.

OP, with the greatest of respect, it’s not all about you and your dog and people aren’t psychic. it’s hardly the fault of walkers and cyclists that your dog isnt quite trained.

I find that 98% of dogs I pass when I run totally and completely ignore me. Therefore I don’t expect and can’t guess which 2% who leap up at me will be, as their owner insists they’re friendly (well I’m not friendly).

Unless this woman came up behind you and screamed for no reason then YABVU

On the ‘excuse me’ thing - is the path wide enough for them to overtake you? Or is it a narrow path and they are not saying ‘excuse me’ but barging past you?

I don't really understand what you're saying. If someone's walking along and I'm walking faster, and there's room for me to get past then I just walk past? Them having a dog with them wouldn't change that.

If there's no room, and I need to get past then obviously I'd say 'excuse me'.

I don't have a dog, know nothing about them. I wouldn't be able to tell you were actively training (unless you were doing something obvious like sit and stay) rather than just walking along. It wouldn't even occur to me that walking past would interrupt or affect what you were doing.

And surely someone saying 'excuse me' from behind you would be as much of a distraction as saying whatever it was that the woman said today?

Sorry, I'm probably missing something because I know nothing about dogs!

Yes if the path is a narrow one and they’re barging past then the other person IBU

When I walk or run I would never say ‘excuse me’ to someone I was passing that didn’t need to move for me.

If I'm out running, you honestly expect me to say 'excuse me' every time I pass someone. 😮I usually just run up the road beside them if they are using all of the footpath.

I'd be saying excuse me constantly. Anyway, most runners breathe quite heavily when out for a run. You should be able to hear them coming. I'm absolutely sure your ddog can.

😄

So why then do I have to contend with joggers, people on bikes and walkers coming up right behind me and my dog, spooking us both? Why don't they say "Excuse me!" because I would quite happily move to one side and make room for them?

Tonight it was a woman who exclaimed as she walked right up behind me and surprised both me and my dog and so my dog jumped towards her because he was taken by surprise?

In the first paragraph you want people to let you know when they're behind you. In the second you're complaining that the jogger let you know that she was behind you. What do you want people to do? Start shouting Beep Beep from 50 yards away?

Does your dog not hear the person coming up behind you? Maybe you should ask your vet to check his hearing.

It's unclear. If they can't get past you and you aren't aware enough to have noticed them approaching behind you, then yes obviously they will need to say 'excuse me' to get you to move (as they would whether you had a dog or not). If you mean that all pedestrians and cyclists should say 'excuse me' automatically if they are approaching from behind, just because you have a dog with you and are training it, then YABU. I have a dog and wouldn't expect that.

I think some dog walkers think that just because they are doing what responsible dog owners should (training their dog), everybody else should be grateful and aware. It's not non-dog-owners' responsibility to be aware of or facilitate your training of your dog.

I try to be hyper-aware of what's around me when walking my dog, she's over friendly with people and can be reactive with certain dogs.
I don't think it's on others to consider they might startle your dog, you need to train your dog to expect other people passing from behind
My dog is getting better but it's a slow process and the behaviour is obviously deep routed, she is a rescue.

She's also prone to give the GSD (greyhound scream of death) when startled.

A few years ago a jogger came pounding around the corner we were approaching from the opposite direction, she screamed at him and in shock he screamed at her, whilst I tried very hard not to laugh. He was lovely though, gave her a pat and apologised for scaring her.

I've got a young dog.
I don't experience any of this. I'm constantly out and training.
Take note of your surroundings.... someone coming.... move slightly to one side... treat the dog for ignoring the runner or whoever as you carry on walking. Or get the dog to sit as they run past. Then treat. Then carry on. Hand feed the dog as you walk if you feed dry food so that the dog is focusing on you and nothing else. Catch the dog being good and make a fuss.
You are on the road to having a reactive dog if you don't do something about it

I think this is unreasonable but not for the reasons you might think. I have experienced this while walking my dog and it startles me and the dog. In an ideal world, there would be a little bit of warning. After all, they are essentially creeping up on an animal (2 animals if you include me). These are the same people who would complain about being growled at / bitten (and I know they shouldnt have to worry about this while going about their business, but it is an animal). They wouldn't creep up on a horse in a field, or any other animal, so why it's OK to do it to a dog is beyond me.

However, people are stupid, self absorbed, and don't think about what they are doing. Do they need to give notice / warning? No. Would it be sensible to do so? Yes. So my unreasonable verdict is because you are expecting people to be sensible when they are inherently not so.

I have my flame proof helmet on now, so bring on the debate MN 🤪