Nervous for personal safety on dog walks

[hmc]

I've always been a bit like this - I walk off lead in the New Forest and there isn't much pedestrian 'traffic,' so I have sometimes wondered whether I am safe at times and have felt spooked over one or two men I have come across over the years... (probably completely in my head).

Now that poor woman has been murdered whilst tending her horse a few miles away from me in Beaulieu (also New Forest) ...leaving behind 5 children - how awful.

Perhaps I am being over fanciful but I am convinced that its going to turn out to be a random killer who may strike again - and he (its going to be a he, lets face it) is obviously local. I am so worried now about dog walking. Today I drove 40 minutes (1 hour 20 minutes round trip) to the beach to take them for an off lead walk because I figured the beach would be a high traffic area and thus safe (it was quite busy), but I can't be spending that much time everyday when there are good woodland and heath walks within 5 minutes of my house.

A couple of months ago two women were knifed walking dogs near Portsmouth (a bit further from me but still not miles and miles) although both survived and the culprit was caught. I don't therefore feel that I am exaggerating the risk in my mind - am I?

As much as I love my dogs I sometimes wish I didn't have them, then I wouldn't have this problem to contend with

Sorry that was long - just needed to offload

That's it, Rooners. I hate feeling vulnerable because I have a vagina. It just fucks me off :(

Fucks me off too Snaker . As a balance though - young men are much greater risk of violence than young women on Friday and Saturday nights in town and city centres (pity I don't want to walk my dog there!)

I think ThatBloodyWoman has it right - we should still go out and live our lives but it pays to be vigilant.

Great walk thanks Rooners - and my dogs loved it too. My flatcoat had great fun chasing and play fighting with a chocolate lab and a Duck Tolling retriever. My boy has been crashed out for most of the morning.

Great Swiss Mountain Dogs are gorgeous MrsLaughlan

hmc - I see Ridgebacks are on that list my girl is such a big softy but she has the best bark ever, really deep big dog scary bark.

Agree that you can't let it stop you but at the same time I just wouldn't put yourself in a situation where you feel vulnerable.

Can you take a few precautions, eg take something to throw at an attacker (eg pepper) if needed? And get a really loud rape alarm, to scare him off?

When we had a GSD I always felt safe in her company and knew she would protect me. We used to walk round the farms and sometimes in winter we went out at 6am in the dark.
She did like people stopping to talk to me and would either stand behind me doing a low growl or if off lead, make sure she was stood between me and whoever.

Now we have boxers I'm not entirely sure they would step up to the plate if needed (probably pin them down and slobber over them)

I have to admit the older I've got (50+), the more nervous I've been when out on my own with one/both dogs or no dogs and someone has popped up out of nowhere etc.

sweetkitty one of mine doesn't like carrier bags flapping on trees/bushes either.

* should be 'She DIDN'T like people stopping to talk to me....'

I have to say I have rarely thought myself as vulnerable when walking the dog but perhaps that's because I generally walk on army land and view that as safer.
I do think it's a shame that people find men walking without a dog as dangerous, tbh it was one of the reasons we got another dog, my DH loves walking but said he felt uncomfortable walking without a dog.