Walking dogs in rural / semi-rural dog location - stranger danger - am I being paranoid?

[hmc]

I live in the countryside and whilst I can lead walk my dogs around the village it seems silly not to use the many areas of local woodland, heath and commonland for off lead walking....

Hand on heart though I have always been a bit worried about walking on my own in lonely places (some might call it paranoid) -so mostly favour one particular location which is off lead walking, but runs parallel and within sprinting distance of a main road (so I feel 'safe' there since I can be seen from the road and it has a reasonable amount of through traffic). This location is not easy to access atm as the road is being dug up

So - today walked somewhere else. I was at the summit of a hill about to walk down and a bloke was 1/4 mile away about to walk up, towards me. No dogs - which is slightly odd because it is not a pleasant walk to be doing currently due to the heavy rain - the ground is heavy going and I don't think you would do the walk for pleasure if you didn't have to! Basically it is unusual to see a none dog owner walking there at this time of year.

Well, i don't know what to make of this - perhaps he could feel me staring at him (I was) but he moved behind some 6ft gorse bushes at once point (he had to bear to his left to do this), loitered there a minute, re-emerged and then went behind them again, only to re-emerge once more.

I decided to phone a friend on my mobile as a deterrent - she answered the phone but I lost reception a few seconds later, however I kept up pretence of being on the phone. As he walked up the hill and I walked down we were separated in horizontal distance (if that makes sence) but at one point and very fleetingly, he beared left and walked towards me closing the gap. Then he seemed to change his mind and retraced his steps - perhaps he saw me on the phone?

So am I being silly - is there a perfectly rationale explanation. Anyone else who walks solo in quiet areas ever experience similar? If you do, is this sort of thing a concern for you?

I always walk my dogs in a rural area and often am alone - I have never been worried about my safety - assume my big dogs would be a deterrent or would be protective. Did the man go behind a bush for a piss? If you are feeling anxious you may assume other people are threatening.

"If you are feeling anxious you may assume other people are threatening."

I can't deny that there may be an element of that

Yes it is a concern but probably, for all your unnerving experience, one that we both are over-thinking. I'm a city girl by birth so comfortable walking through Brixton but even now after many years of living in the country am far less relaxed here. Pretty irrational when you look at it that way, especially when you consider that I've been mugged in the city but never had a problem in the country lanes and fields.

Tis one of the reasons why I always carry my mobile though (the other being in case my epi GSD should fit). Silly really as an attacker would be a fool to try and hurt a woman with one or more of my dogs in tow!

The advice from other doggy people I know is to vary your routes and timings, especially if you have a dog which is likely to be the target of theft, carry a mobile 0r two on different networks if like my area the reception range changes within the walking environment (perhaps a shriek alarm too, for your own peace of mind) but not to let the fear overtake your life.

I hope you're not too troubled by your experience and am sure that others will come along in a mo to reassure you far more than my dozy brain can today. :)

'Silly really as an attacker would be a fool to try and hurt a woman with one or more of my dogs in tow!' - I saw a woman walking three GSDs yesterday. I had forgotten how big they were. Dd2 promptly came home and told DH "Daddy I want a 'notherone doggy. One that is bigger them me so he licks my hair clean"

Op - I agree with Vall. Vary your routine and keep your eyes open, but try not to let it take over your life.

Is there any dog walking groups you could join or friends you could go walking with?

Also tips my friend was given when he was mugged - walk confidently with your head high and always in the middle of the path. Walk with long strides and make yourself look like you have purpose and know exactly where you are going. If you feel unsafe put your keys in your hand, they can make a great weapon if you need to get away.

I feel safe with my dog. He is small (tiny compared to Vall's ) but he is slighty agressive and I know if he felt threatened he would growl and attack if he felt he needed to and for a small dog he is surprisingly strong.

I feel safer with him than I have done with any other dog, and he is one if the smallest dogs I have owned/walked.

Little dog is a mere Whippet and would scare no-one but my god is she loud when she is upset.

I have walked on my own with dogs for years and years and years (not really that old) and have never experienced anything odd. Except once a flasher! which was when I was walking near a main A road.

I personally feel way more comfortable out on my own in the moors, commons or woods.

You do often see long walkers without dogs they can be bird watchers or just long distance walkers usually loners like me so a cheery wave and no more contact.

I think you possible are overthinking as Valhalla says but obviously to enjoy your walk you need to feel safe. I do know that if anyone tried to harm me they would have my dogs to answer to!

I do always carry a mobile (but ususally only use it when I find lost dogs, a really common occurence. You can always make sure that people know where you are walking and when you will be back (personally I prefer them not to know so I can have some peace and quiet!).

The further you go from civilisation I am sure the less likely you are to meet "weirdos" as I am sure they would find easier targets in busier places.

I live in the country and walk every day in very remote areas. Typically, I meet dog walkers, ramblers and cyclists. My rationale is that if a man wanted to rape, he would be more likely to hang around towns at pub kicking out time, than half way up a hill in the rain. The other advice I would give is, like Valhalla, I vary my walks, probably have about 4 different spots I go to throughout the week. Also, although I would love to listen to my iPod, I would never listen to music through headphones, as it really renders one of your senses useless. The only place I will listen to music is on the beach walks, where you can see for miles.
Do you have anyone near you who could introduce you to good walks and maybe go with you, until your confidence is raised?
I think one of my dogs would protect me, the other one is so thick, he would probably lick them to death....
I have never been in a situation where I felt uncomfortable on any of these walks. However, I do often text my dh just to let him know roughly where I am ie. which area of Downs I could be found on

I think it may just be a case of what you're used to. I've always lived in the country and I walk my dogs on my own off the beaten track without a second thought - always have. I think it helps that as I child I grew up playing in those same fields and woods and never batted an eyelid.

However, if I ever visit London, I'm terrified! I expect muggers and murderers to leap on me from every corner, because, having hardly ever been out of the country until I was an adult, I can't shake the fear that the city is a very dangerous and unpredictable place.

I would always assume my dogs would protect me, but it's probably sensible to have a mobile if you are worried.

Do you have anyone else you could walk with? There must be other local people with dogs and they might be only too happy of the company of walking together.

Oh, and if you meet anyone else, try to look confident. People without dogs aren't necessarily up to no good. My hubby runs as a hobby and trains over the fields because it's better than running on pavements. He would hate to think he was scaring anyone although he looks ridiculous in running gear so you'd know what he was up to!

hmc I'm one of those people that often goes walking on my own when staying with friends in the country. I often get into pickles and find myself covered in mud (I always pick the wrong path! I look a bit strange as I turn around in odd places as I think I'm going to get lost or walking on private land. I also often don't have a map. So I would suggest you continue to carry your mobile, leave a note at home what time you left, where you are planning to go and when you think you'll be back. Tell a friend too and call them when you get back to say you are okay. I would suggest you also carrying a gas attack alarm very noisy (better than the battery ones) they also look like CS spray which,of course, is a firearm and illegal in this country unless you are a police officer on duty. Does this help? P.S. Once in Canada I was walking and reached a very little beach in front of a huge empty lake no a sould around not even a building in the distance. I decided to have a wee behind a log with a clear view of the lovely empty lake & mountains. I squated & in full flow, suddenly a floatilla of kayaks passed very close by me, all looking at me! You are never alone in this world!!!

I am liking the advice of two different mobiles with different networks - am on contract with vodafone but I could possibly get a pay as you go with O2 as well. Also the gas attack alarm...would make me feel safer

Yes - will vary my route and time and send texts to others to check up on me, have a number of people locally I could walk with but they are not always available when I want to go iyswim? - will keep mentioning to them however.

I am a city girl by upbringing and an 'immigrant' to the countryside so perhaps there is something in that!

Will do the walk tall and confident thing

I'm curious - how do you guys know your dogs will protect you? I have a Bernese Mountain Dog who is very big but extraordinarily gentle - am not sure that she wouldn't just run off with her tail between her legs....

Finally - don't you think that fella's behaviour was a wee bit erratic?

...and thanks for the advice everyone x

That must have been creepy, but I would second what the others said, I actually feel safer in remote locations as people are unlikely to hang out there on the off-chance. But then I also grew up in the countryside which seems to be a common theme.

RE the guy, it's impossible to know of course, but if it's any consolation I guess if he wanted to creep up on you he wouldn't have set off up the hill where you obviously had a pretty good panorama - also, I go out walking whenever I need time alone and whatever the weather - I do take the dog of course but I would go even if I didn't have one.

Another one here who thinks you are overthinking. Also had a similar experience to others - went with a friend to a remote lake high up in the Brecon Beacons - stiff climb to get there. Eventually flopped down and felt like we were the only people in the world - then suddenly realised we were in the middle of some sort of Army exercise with various khaki clad blokes wriggling about all over the moorland near us!

As someone who loves wild flowers/bird watching/nature generally as well as dog walking, this poor man was probably looking for a nice lichen or something similar or listening to a warbler. Can't imagine it being a productive use of a mad rapist's time to be hanging about on a remote hillside. Having said that, our three dogs are large and one in particular is very protective of me iwth men he doesn;t know, plus I usually ensure I tell DH via email or text where and what time I'm walking if he's away working. I think that's common sense in case I fall down or have an accident or similar. Also always carry a mobile but reception can occasionally be iffy in rural areas, although it has improved much in the last two or three years.

I know my dog will protect because as I said he is ever so slightly agressive. He has snapped at DH on numerous occassions and once at me, never seriously, always just as warning.

I accept it is our fault, not the dog's and he is being trained. Bar my Father (who caused the attack himself) he has not snapped or bitten anyone for months now, but I know if he was pushed he would. He is fear aggressive and it also looks like he was poorly socialised as a puppy.

He also 'guards' me when I am on the loo. I have no idea why, but everytime I go to the toilet he opens the door and sits between my feet until I am finised. He does the same if I start coughing a lot. Despite his problems, of which there are many, he is a great dog. Full of character and energy. No-one else likes him . Luckily for him I don't care what other people think.

I personally feel a lot safer out in the lonely countryside than walking around the city. Very envious of you living somewhere so nice surrounded by woods and heathland, it sounds delightful :)

I think a dog is a good deterrent though, I live in a somewhat dodgy area of London and walking around here I always feel better with the dog at my side. I figure muggers and rapists etc are looking for an easy target, so probably the woman with the great big Rottweiller boy trotting at her side wouldn't be their first choice of victim. One of the advantages of having a 'dangerous' breed!

Whether he actually would attack anyone I don't know, wouldn't depend on it as he's a very gentle and friendly if slightly timid creature in general. He does act protective of me when I'm alone in the house with him, if anyone knocks at the door or he hears something outside he'll growl and/or bark, and then come and nuzzle me, and sit down with his back to me watching the door. I think the deterrent effect is the main thing though.

I think over thinking too, but easily done. The occasional single blokes I encounter on walks are invariably twitchers or hard core ramblers.

A few months ago I had 999 dialed and had finger over the green button as a bloke walked towards me from a distance with a rifle. On closer inspection it was a Mofo camera with tripod.

one thing to think about. i watched a report on the news a couple of years ago saying that you are actually at higher risk of being attacked if you are walking along with your phone at your ear. apparently an attacker sees this as you being distracted and will take the opportunity, even those people who hold the phone at their ear to pretend tehy are talking to someone.

My brother is a frequent lone male walker. He has a passion for the countryside and will ring me up while on a walk and warble on forever about the lovely flowers or the catkins or the fact that he heard some bird and that was a sign that spring was coming, or some such other stuff - no regard for the fact that I have to get on with family stuff! Further to that, he is self employed and lives alone so he pretty much pleases himself as to time of day/ day of the week that he goes walking.

What I mean is, don't assume men walking on their own are up to no good. I know you were not saying that, but even your man might have been trekking about looking for a certain plant, or backtracking to revisit one he had already spotted. Such men do exist, and because it is not a very "manly" thing to be doing, it is even more likely that he will be on his own.

I'm glad it all worked out, but I think there is often a reason why we feel uneasy in some situations.
Listen to that instinct, yes, you were already anxious, but you will have added all kinds of non-verbal stuff into your sub-conscious assessment of the situation.
And you will never know if this was a benign or sinister occasion. So you never know if you were right or wrong.
I think being on alert is a good thing all round

hmc, you're not alone in feeling like this. I'm ok walking in open spaces, but always feel uncomfortable if there's lots of places (potentially) for someone to hide. My common sense tells me to man-up and get over it, but my big ol' wuss very often wins out.

Oddly, I didn't have this worry when we lived in Lancashire in a more rural location. Now we are right on the edge of the countryside, so semi-rural I guess, I worry far more. I also never thought about it before I had the dcs, but now I worry that I wouldn't be able to protect myself and a small child at the same time.

I have two dogs now, one slightly bigger than a border collie and the other a fairly large lurcher, but they are both dippy and would probably give their ball on a rope to an attackers. In fact when I was cornered and barked at by a large aggressive dog a while back, the lurcher actually ran away and left me to it. Quite sensible really, as the other dog could easily have made mincemeat of him.

My favourite place to walk the dogs in on the beach, as you can see for miles in either direction and there's nowhere for anyone to hide. I love it when we go to Ireland every year and spend as much time as possibly hiking up to the deserted point and back. Doesn't bother me one jot that I'm alone then and I get to watch the seals bask and all sorts of other wildlife and sea birds etc.

Unfortunately we now live in the midlands so trips to the beach between annual holidays are few and far between and involve a huge car journey each way.

lol at slubber's man with a 'rifle come tripod'!

Yes I do take the point that he could have been a nature lover, but (pauses before trotting out stereotypes ), he didn't look it with his jeans, only semi appropriate footwear and black bomber jacket...Would have expected an outdoorsy type to be more suitably dressed for the weather

Have decided to walk in the local woods until I build up some more confidence - it's a favourite with the school mums around here so you generally spot a friendly face whilst there. Only problem is it is frequented by New Forest ponies so ground is very churned up and it is a quagmire in places!

thanks darrell - I think instinct is important too, even if mine is perhaps over developed!

I don't wear headphones when I'm out and about. I think it's important to be able to hear what's going on around you. Perhaps that is just my own paranoia. I don't often meet anyone else on walks and I wonder how long an attacker would have to wait, especially if no-one took a regular route at a regular time. I don't think my dogs would offer much protection...

I cannot be absolutely sure my dogs would protect me, of course, but I think they would.

My sheltie is very vocal and also very good at sensing if I'm a bit uneasy. He barks in reaction to my feelings on things - it's very weird and he's somehow very intuitive. So if I feel worried about someone walking the other way, he will set up the most tremendous and agressive sounding barking. If someone actually attacked, I suspect he would hide behind me, but I'd be surprised if someone took us on with him pretending to be so fierce!

Our JRT/Spaniel puppy is much quieter and much friendlier, and generally loves anyone. However, I've noticed that if DH and I are larking around, she will come between us and try to protect me.....I suspect she is the one who would more effectively go for an attacker as she's very, very loyal and attached to me, and the terrier in her makes her pretty unafraid of most things!

Either way, I suspect they make me look like a less easy target, especially since we've had two dogs, and that gives me confidence.

My pup would make friends with anyone (a good thing really). If there was shouting involved I think he would be scared (he gets very unhappy when dh yells at the kids).

I think it is important to feel comfortable when you are on your own, after all if you are feeling anxious it takes all the pleasure out of the walk. So I'd chose somewhere else to go. Where I live now I've sometimes felt a bit anxious and turned around for home when I've suddenly worried that there was a bear nearby - difficult to tell if that was paranoia or if there was something out of place.

As to the man in question, who knows, but it is most likely that he had very little interest in you.

Bigger risk of being crushed by cows.