The politics of dog walking

[SooooHungry]

I have two dogs. I love walking them by myself. I know that sounds antisocial, but I really enjoy being outside alone! If I see another owner I'm of course always friendly and say hi, but then I plod on on my own. I'm never happier than when it's just me and the dogs.

Anyway, nothing really prepared me for the politics of dog walking!

Theres a local WhatsApp group where dog walkers gossip and moan about others, there's owners that will shout at you and your dogs, there's owners that will intimidate, there's owners that pass judgement on everything from you aren't letting the dog off lead enough, to too much, people will shout at you and your dogs, will talk about your dogs. It's horrible! And it's like you can't do anything right!

I have fortunately found a route where I now rarely see anyone, but in the few months before I made a recent decision to simply avoid everyone completely and stick to this route, the politics was really getting to me!

AIBU to have been so surprised by this! I never knew all this gossip and politics and hidden rules about what is/is not ok etc.. was a thing!

Why can't everyone just be nice, not judge, ask questions if they r unsure of something your dog is doing etc..?

Why intimidate, gossip, form cliques, pass judgement....?

So shocked! I assumed dog people would b lovely and above all that silly gossip stuff! But maybe it's just in my village and not normal elsewhere!??

Just me then!!

Yes, possibly. I've never noticed anything like that.

I don't join local Wattsapp groups so maybe this is going on and I am not aware!

Honestly never witnessed anything like this, where on earth do you live 🤣🤣

i think it must be where you live…my local dog beat is great and so is the WhatsApp group. We all help each other out. There are some moronic dog owners of course but they’re in the minority.

The wrong place I think!!

It’s definitely not like that here.

You might be right, sounds miserable!
do they gossip about other stuff too?
this is why I prefer dogs to most people 🤣

I don't join Whatsapp groups and my life is much improved as a result. I don't really give a toss what people think about me so long as they are decent to my face.

That sounds very odd, not like that in my village at all.

I like to walk alone with my dog OP…mainly because it’s my 1-2 hours of peace and quiet a day and I can’t be bothered making conversation with anyone.
I’ve never been aware of any dog walking politics around here though….if anyone commented on my dog I’d carry on about my day and ignore them. Much I like did when my DC were little.

I also miss out on all this shit by not joining WhatsApp groups. Most people are cheery and have sociable dogs, and I am fortunate to have many choices of routes that minimise the chance of bumping into people if I so choose.

Social media is generally generally a manifestation of the PICNIC error. (Problem In Chair, Not In Computer).

Nothing like that in my small (8k people), dog-friendly town.

I must be lucky, I've met some good friends through dog walking and the 2 groups I'm on are kind and helpful. However the area I live in is generally friendly, maybe it's that?

I just talk to the ones I like and try and ignore/avoid the ones I don’t!
Similar to my dog when meeting other dogs! 😂

I live in a rural area where two footpaths meet. We have many dog walkers going passed our house each day. I also have a dog, but I’ve never experienced dog walker politics. I’ve made friends with many local people because we own dogs.
im sorry this is your experience OP.

Are you in a busy town or village? I'm in a small village and luckily we don't have anything like that. It's very dog friendly and everyone just seems to get on. You just walk past each other and say morning or stop for a quick chat. That's it.

None of that here either. I’m in a small village, no WhatsApp group thankfully. My dogs are on lead, we either say hello and walk past or stop and chat and move on. No drama at all.

Where are you?? Not like that here! No nasty gossipy WhatsApp groups, most people friendly, the odd lab owner that's not 🤣 I regularly see people who clearly love walking dog on their own and others who walk in a group. Either way doesn't matter. Each to their own and all!

If you're out walking your dog, why do you need to join a WhatsApp group?
I'm genuinely confused. 🤔

I just go to the local woods to walk our mutt. Will say hello when passing someone but that's the full extent of the interaction unless it happens to be a friend.

Think that is more whatsapp and social media in general. People always think they know best and know more. Provided you and your dogs dont bother anyone else, you do you and crack on

General etiquette is you only let your dog off lead if they have good recall, you don’t let your off lead dog approach dogs on lead.

Hehe! Thanks all!

Ok, so it seems that I just that live in a weird place! Feels like the set on midsummer murders!! Maybe the dog owners are actually cult members or something and they'll b a strange murder afoot soon!! Or maybe something else is going on!!!!

I think I'll just avoid everyone and maybe play out various scenarios in my imagination and hope nothing crazy happens in my sleepy village!!

🐶

Just leave the Whatsapp group?

Struggling to imagine anything more dull than a WhatsApp group to discuss dog walking.