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?

A vulernable woman at risk of harm is not the same as a dog with its owner.

HTH

The dog is irrelevant in this situation. I completely agree with @politenesspooch that people are rude these days. I’ve been scared half to death by joggers and cyclists who seem to derive some perverse pleasure out of scaring people, by coming up behind them.

Can you clarify the logic in that statement?

Really?

A woman walking alone at night with a man behind her is at risk of harm and therefore panic is normal.

A dog with its owner being startled in the early evening is not at risk of harm, it’s just not trained yet/properly.

The two are not the same.

Im at a little bit of a loss as to why that needs explaining TBH. Then again I value women more than dogs

I was thinking the OP needs to be listening out herself and be more aware of people around. If you’ve headphones on OP you may need to take them off to ensure you can hear people approaching.

‘Manners’? Give over OP 🙄

I don't think it's manners as much as not understanding why it's important to you. I'm not a dog person at all and have very little experience around them so this just wouldn't occur to me. I wouldn't be deliberately rude but I also probably wouldn't give you as much space as you might like.

I'm not quite sure what you mean about you valuing women more than dogs.

I was walking my dog one lunchtime and someone ran up silently behind us - I have good hearing and so does my dog - we were completely unaware of him until he jostled his way past. I shat myself and so did my dog, she went mental.

He could have easily chosen to give us more space, made some noise earlier or whatever, but was wrapped up in his own running world and not considering anyone else. Like those fuckwits that run with torches on their heads that blind everyone they encounter.

What’s so confusing? You said that “if this were a woman walking alone at night being startled by a man people would be up in arms” - it’s a stupid irrelevant comparison to make

I find it ludicrous that people should be shouting at anyone they come near otherwise. I’d be annoyed constantly being bellowed at on a peaceful walk. It’s not someone else’s fault you and your dog scare easily and it’s not for them to tiptoe around your sensitivities

You've attributed a quote to me here in words that I didn't say. I assume you have some agenda soI won't discuss further and you can fuck off.

Me too. There were two women walking their dog on a long leash on a pavement in a busy town the other week. The dog kept getting under my feet as did the leash. Really annoying.

Why are you telling me to fuck off? Did you not write this?

Some interesting takes here.
A woman walking alone at night and a man runs up behind her and she panics.
90% of comments here would be that he's a dick.
If the woman has a dog and it becomes anxious and aggressive, 90% comments would be she needs to train her dog.

Definitely met some dog walkers like the OP. We have a large playing field in front of our house, lots of space for both kids to play and dogs to be walked yet one local lady instead of walking on the 90% of the field that is unoccupied without fail always walks through wherever my ds and his friends are playing football. Doesn't matter which part of the field they play on, her and her dog walk right on through. She then had the cheek to scream at the boys when she walked her dog into the path of the ball.

How close in feet was the 'squeezing past'?

If I can get past without needing to touch someone/be at risk of touching someone then I don’t say excuse me every time.

Im afraid I also assume a dog won’t jump at me, and would not think it my fault if it did. Sounds a bit like you didn’t really get a suitable breed for your level of experience/what you’re after?

if people are barging by without saying excuse me then that is rude, dog or no dog!

Unless one is on a very crowded pavement, there's no reason at all to come up closely behind anyone, with or without a dog.

If an animal has a temperament so unreliable that it can’t cope with someone coming up behind it, you shouldn’t be walking it in public.

This is absolutely true, but the reality is that they do get walked in public. Besides, we are talking about animals, so nothing is ever 100% reliable, especially if they are startled. I know of dogs who have never shown aggression who reacted unfavourably when surprised by a cyclist.

Well you are the one breaking the law having a dog off the lead in a public place not the jogger

Dog owners are all so entitled these days.

How much was your permit to own the ruddy pavement op? I’d like to get one too 🙄

I run a lot. In London where there are a lot of people on the pavements and towpaths and parks.
These days most people have their phones out and I don't think they realise how much they weave/meander across the pavement! I am very alert whilst running, planning how I will overtake, often running into the road and I try to pick a line holding to the left especially on towpaths to follow normal traffic conventions. But honestly sometimes it's bloody difficult to get past people who aren't paying attention to anything other than their phone and not holding a straight line.
It's not practical for me to say excuse me to everyone as I run past. 80pc of people have earphones in anyway. So if I can't see a space to get past, I'll slow down and jog behind until it's practical to overtake or I'll say something like "runner on your right" if it's a tight squeeze. I don't think I can be expected to know that your dog needs notice of my arrival and I can't be saying excuse me to everyone as I'd literally be talking non stop some mornings.

If an animal has a temperament so unreliable that it can’t cope with someone coming up behind it, you shouldn’t be walking it in public

I knew someone would trot out this ineffable shite out at some point.

By this argument, a human, who is far more intelligent than a dog, able to analyse and calculate dangers should also be able to cope with someone coming up behind. If they can't handle this they shouldn't be out in public.

You paid for a trainer to work with your dog. You did not pay for exclusive use of the outdoors.

In the end, OP, your dog should be under control at all times. If you think it might jump up at someone, keep it on a lead on narrow paths.

It is your job to keep it under control in a public space, not other people's job to avoid you both.