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?

@Sistedtwister i just googled GSD what a sad little sound! Also came across a TikTok of some nob whose greyhound got stuck in the driver’s seat of her car and she films it and sort of puts her hands on him. Stop getting social clout you bellend and move the seat back, the dog was crying!

When you say ‘creep up’ what do you mean? I’m just trying to picture the scene and I just have an image of the Pink Panther 🤣

Pmsl. It's not the other people who are self absorbed here OP.

Are you not aware of your surroundings?
Got to say that there is a certain type of dog walker that seems to have no idea what is going on around them. If your dog is that reactive then surely you're spending time looking what's going on.
As for runners, we're generally not silent, if you're aware of your surroundings then you should be able to hear us coming. After all according to a certain type of poster during lockdown, we're all heavy breathing, foot stompers

I'm gonna try creeping next time I go out for a run, it's gotta be easier than actually running.

I've got dogs and people run at me and ride at me like they are daring me to leap off the path. They rarely give me enough time or space to get my dog under control before they are shouting or ringing the bell at us to move out of their way.

Tonight it was a woman who exclaimed

So did she say excuse me?

As that’s what you said you wanted.

If it’s wide enough to get around you then there’s no need to announce it.

If they have to squeeze past you or want to overtake you (especially cyclists) then they should say excuse me.

I totally get you feeling startled, so would I, but there’s really no way for someone to call out ‘excuse me’ or ‘make way’ ‘wide load’ ‘incoming’ ‘watch out’ ‘someone behind you’ LOL, without sounding aggressive and startling in itself. Usually a jogger or biker will just try to give a wide berth around you as they go past, if possible.

Not sure what the solution is. I try to stay on the far right side of whatever path I’m on so that someone (silently) overtaking me can go round me easily.

A bunch of these posts are hilarious with people cutting others off. @Poppysmom22, I’m not laughing at you, those actions are so rude and despicable, but you’ve painted a visual that’s it’s hard not to see exactly what you’re describing. I do hate rude people! I was once struck down while walking by a teen on a bicycle barreling past me on a university campus. He didn’t even bother to stop to see if I was ok.

@CakeInAJar it is an awful heart stopping sound. But as she voiced her most impressive Yell when a leaf landed on her head I can hand on heart say it does not necessarily result from significant trauma

Approach relatively quickly without much noise, like when cycling or running.

Can't beat a good bit of creeping 🤪

The reason he's afraid is because a cyclist clipped him a nice because he 'didn't want to lose his rhythm' now I've got a very scared dog with 42 teeth on the end of a piece of string I just need people to have some respect for that fact and give me time and space to make encounters positive to try to reverse the damage

Unless a dog off the lead is something like a bully xl, I'll just pass without fuss if there's room. I only say excuse me if I need to move. I don't really think about whether dogs are training or not just as I don't really think about anyone else when they're out and about minding their own business, unless they're threatening or vulnerable in some way.

That’s just walking though! Sorry but it’s ludicrous to expect people to alert you of their presence

This, exactly. It's especially not great when I have glue ear (so I can be quite deaf) and I need a bit of extra time to process things (aspergers). They don't slow down! Why can't joggers slow down a bit when passing people? I barely get enough time to tell my rather slow at times dog (he meanders, despite his young age) to move the side, never mind put him on the lead/get hold of his collar.

If you're on a shared path with cyclists your dog must be kept on a short lead by your side, and you should both keep to the left of the path.

Yeah, I do expect to be able to overtake people who are going slower than I am without saying excuse me and without a dog jumping on me. I would exclaim as well, I hate dogs jumping up at me with a passion.

I get tired of dog walkers using a long leash on walking paths. It's like a fricking trip wire. Keep it for open spaces.

They can just say "Excuse me" like I suggested in my first post? As I said, I'm quite happy to move out of the way.

But if the path is wide enough for them to pass why do they need to say excuse me?

The can't walk past as we're on a pathway and it's not wide enough for both them and me and my dog. Instead they walk right up behind me and squeeze past.

Yes, I know that was my point. Well, sort of as we were talking about cyclists and runners, not walkers, so they approach more quickly. I don't expect it. It would be a sensible thing to do when an animal is involved though.

Eh no. I will not say excuse me to dogs / dog walkers as I have as much right to walk or run on a path as anyone else.

If your dog can’t cope with being in public maybe you need to make better arrangements for him.

He can't learn to walk on a lead on a path in a field. It's a different environment. He has to be able to learn to walk close to me on a path, with traffic passing by.

He does training in the field in the mornings, both on and off lead.