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?

I don't get why you think this lady's actions are like me. I don't WANT my dog to interact with anyone at all* on his walks, in fact I move out of the way if I hear and see people. Aiming to walk through where people are playing football is rude. I would steer well clear with my dog.

*And yet I do get people coming up to my dog to say hi and I have to say I'm training him so it's not a good time.

Actually thinking on it

No one round here trains their dogs on the path - it's lead till the fields unless they are fully trusted

So if your excitable dog isn’t yet trained on the lead is he pulling / taking up most of the path?? Because how are people supposed to get past you?

Also how is the jogger supposed to know if he’s a “hes just being friendly, don’t mind him” excitable dog or a “keep away, he’s nervous, excitable dog”?

surely it’s up to you to react to your surroundings, not expect everyone else to guess and change their behaviour accordingly

My thoughts too. When you start walking a new pup, you keep your eyes and ears open so that you can shorten the lead when people & bikes approach to remain in control.

I've also not used treats during lead walks. It's not necessary.

This is about you and your dog OP. Not everyone else who happens to be on the pavement. Some other users will be dicks, but your job is to teach your dog to cope. Spaniels are bright. He will get it if you show him.

Yep just what I thought. I'm always amazed by the sheer volume of dog walkers who pay absolutely no attention to what's going on around them. There were four of them this morning, one who was on one side of a six ft wide pavement, dog on the other, and she had earpods in. No amount of me saying excuse me please got through to her. But no it's others who are unreasonable for not wanting to have to go into a busy road because of the dog walker's ignorance.

It's nobody else's responsibility but the dog walker's to control their dog and to do that they need to pay attention.

This self entitled post ( along with some others lately ) is much of the reason why people are fed up with dogs and their owners!

I take up 50cm of width of a path. If there is 1m spare that's abundant space to pass safely. Most paths can accommodate that if all users are aware of their surroundings, pick a side (I tend to keep left) and stick to it. If the path is too narrow for your personal space issues with too many other types of user, pick your routes accordingly.

I'll keep as wide a berth from a dog as I can. I've had far too many encounters with "friendly dogs" poorly trained nuisences When I'm running, I'm processing a lot of things, both my own spatial awareness; my path ahead, other path users, my speed. I'm also probably tired (in which case you'll hear me coming). I'm trying to analyse the people around me, are they paying attention, dogs are another whole set of layers to add in. Is it on a lead? Will the lead get longer? Is it going to approach me?
Generally people move in before I've processed that I would need to slow down and pant an "excuse me" Often saying excuse me is worse than just passing because they startle, pause and scatter, and they weren't aware of their surroundings anyway.

It's not just dog owners who take up a lot of space; couples that can't detatch and tuck in, friends walking 2 abreast across the middle of the path using up most of the width. I might be on a shared cycle route and listening out behind me (I use bone conducting earphones so I can still hear), but dog owners are abundant and naturally want to use the same type of spaces that I want to. I've been jumped on in random fields having seen no one in miles because the owners thought there would be no one else there and let their guard down.

It's harder trying to work out how a human/ dog combination will behave than just humans. I don't want to be responsible for a dog, therefore I don't have one. It's exhausting that 10% of owners lack adequate control and observation, and I'm having to work out what random animals of differing breeds and temperment may do when their clueless owners abdicate responsibility.

I do move aside as much as is reasonable, but I'm not going to constantly shout, slow, stop, or risk myself in mud or bushes when there is adequate space to pass freely.

I choose my routes where I can likely run freely according to my objectives (avoid lots of roads, narrow pavements, crowded multi-use park) and other people can also take responsibility for where they go if they have extra preferences.

It's nobody else's responsibility but the dog walker's to control their dog and to do that they need to pay attention.

Precisely this. I'm always hyper aware of what's going on around me when I'm walking dogs.

Indeed you shouldn't, and if you are on a public pavement, it's probably not the issue the OP is unhappy about. The thing that the OP is unhappy about tends to happen mainly in the park. At least, that's where I get it a lot.

I think it's good manners to give everyone space. Sometimes I jump out of my skin when a cyclist or runner zooms up behind me. Polite cyclists ting their bell and that is a huge help.
Surely, it's about having awareness - on all sides.

Cyclists at least should slow down before passing any animal. Some bikes are so quiet I get spooked myself when one suddenly whooshes past me at speed. Not all cyclists have the courtesy to ring their bell.

I think everyone needs to have a bit of courtesy.

It wasn’t ok for your dog to jump at the other person and if it happens, you have to accept it isn’t ok and apologise.

On the other hand it would have been polite of the other person to either give you enough space or say excuse me as they were passing. If you were in a narrow corridor at work and passing a colleague you would say excuse me rather than shuffle past- it is rude. I don’t see why a dog walk on a narrow path is any different.

But a lot of us don't think dinging your bell imperiously to say "get out of my way" IS polite.

A friendly hello or excuse me will do much better, in my view.

Basically any sort of path hogging is annoying. If everyone kept left (and kept themselves between their dog and anyone approaching them) there would be enough space for everyone (generally).

And if you are training your dog it's better to use a park or field rather than a narrow path (although I realise you need to get to it!)

I hate bells on bikes