Do you do anything to keep yourself safe whilst walking alone in isolated areas?

[Halfcharged]

There’s some beautiful walks around here but some are very isolated, mainly woodland. We’ve been going as a family at the weekends but I’d love to take pup alone on my days off during the week. It’s never crossed my mind that this could be dangerous but my lovely mum seems very worried about me if I’m walking alone.

Has this ever concerned you? Do you avoid certain walks? Carry any kind of self defence devise (I don’t know what-my mum suggested pepper spray 🙄).

I do always let DH know where I’m off too and I have my phone on me.

TBH I'm more worried about sliding down a muddy bank and breaking an ankle than I am about dodgy men out in the woods and fields.

In case that happens, I have my phone with the What Three Words app easy to access. It gives you a three word code which allows your location to be pin-pointed if you need help. I once had to report a smouldering fire out in the countryside and trying to explain to the emergency services where it was with no street address was really hard, so when What Three Words came out, it went straight onto my phone.

Rural walks during the daylight never bother me. The more isolated, the better, imo.

However, over the winter IndigoDog and I headed out to our normal quiet woodland a little earlier than normal - not taking into account how dark it would be at that time of day. We got about 50m into the wood, using my phone as torch when we heard a rustling in the trees. Probably just deer but we both stopped, looked at each other and hightailed it straight back to the car. We are not so brave

I have 1 mastiff, 1 Pitt and 1 dog de Bordeaux

People cross the road or stand still on the edge of the path for me to pass

I have walked in the very early hours in isolated areas over summer and it never crossed my mine but I know the area well and would spot anyone making a beeline for me very quickly from a distance.

On the other side I once went walking in the forest close to home in the dark and neither me or the dog liked that and we never did it again.

I walk woodland every weekday morning. Twice I have heard branches crack (most likely deer) but I have turned back. Beaniecap has built in headlight to keep hands free except two chain leads. Always phone DP when I get home. If you are at all worried don't go alone.

It's not the secluded walks that worry me - it's the inner city parks where we normally walk, especially if I've mistimed it and it's getting a bit dark (and especially when I was working the 9-5 and my only option for walkies were unlit parks in dodgy bits of inner London - that was a bit worrying at times).

The only thing that worries me about more secluded walks is the possibility of falling, breaking my ankle and not being found within a reasonable period of time. I take my phone with me, and a power bank, tell someone where I'm going and if it's particularly remote or rough terrain share my location with someone else. I also have the what 3 words app on my phone.

I take a metal chain dog lead that could do some damage.

We live rurally and I walked alone without thought until my dog got attacked.

Now if I do walk alone (and I rarely do), I make sure my phone is in my pocket with the side button set to camera so I can take a photo quickly, and I walk with a walking pole with a very sharp pointed end.

@HellsAngel81 Please tell me a) 'Tyson' is a toy poodle and b) you speak like Claire Foy in the Crown.

No. I love walking at night. Never felt unsafe

Put a do not approach coat and lead on your dog even if they are nice

Personally, I do walk a fairly secluded route. I try not to get too complacent - in the two years since getting Ddog, there has been one knifepoint mugging (male victim), one GBH incident (female victim) and one quite nasty dispute between dog walkers in which the aggressor tried to follow the victim home (both male). All on that route! (Also someone dumped a body there a few months ago, but the murder happened somewhere else.)

So it can happen, but... Er... Not sure what point I'm trying to make. Maybe that you're unlikely to come to harm because all the villains are in my bit of the country?

@JesusInTheCabbageVan haha not quite! My normal accent is westcountry, so far-removed from the Queens! And "Tyson" is a fluffy terrier.

Not a dog walker but I go running and mtbiking alone, also go out for walks with my young children.
I prefer to be out in the peak district which seems safer or the city's parks and woods in my very middle class area are usually quite busy in the daytime. In the night time I would avoid the local woods and parks and prefer to go for a run in the peak district. I feel theres less chance of a random person lurking in wait for a chance encounter further from civilisation.
I also never follow the same route on the same time and day, etc.

Never felt worried and am in off road wheel chair but have 37kg of Lab who would let it be known if needed

I have never worried but I am really very rural. I prefer meeting nobody on my walks because my bouncy teenage dog is sooooo bouncy & not everyone likes it

I keep my keys in my hand with one sticking out of my fist ready to stab in the eye if need be!

I'm not bothered at all - I think walking in the country is safer than say an inner city park. What I absolutely do though is keep my wits about me. I see a lot of people dog walking with their heads in their phones, or with headphones in (runners too are bad for that). I try to stay aware of where I am, it makes for a more enjoyable walk too.

@HellsAngel81 WELL you have RUINED my evening frankly

We have one 'dodgy' man in the park, to be fair he has never scared me and my dog doesn't bother with him but recently he got a bit aggressive with another dog walker and police were called. He is back in the park but still doesn't scare me, he apparently took a bit of a shine to a female dog walker and got jealous because she was walking with a male dog walker.

I do think my dog would have issues with anyone attacking me but of course can't be sure.

I am really big (6ft, big build) but still I only walk my dog in populated areas, even in day time. Not worth risk imo.

i dont really worry, I try and carry a big stick, or the heavy lead, but the dog gets over excited with the big stick
its not going to happen

I've always assumed my fluffy mutt would be more likely to lick an attacker than defend me, but...

a couple of months ago, I was walking back through a local park in the dark and felt a prickling sensation at the back of my neck as if my 'hackles' had gone up. Seconds later, the dog started snarling like a mad thing, and then a man lurched out of the shadows and moved off.

So, total non-incident, but it suggests to me that even a wimpy dog might be some protection.

Live very rurally and always feel very safe, very rarely see another person. I often walk through though the woods and fields in the dark during the winter and actually feel very peaceful.
But walking through a town at any time of day gets my anxiety soaring.

I've never felt a threat. I grew up in a rural area as an only child, so being out alone is normal to me (although for me the threat was at home, so maybe less typical).
I've never felt threatened walking dd as an adult, although I have mentioned clearly she bites (she does!) on a couple of occasions.