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The doghouse

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Was I awful to keep on walking?

121 replies

doggodramas · 02/11/2022 17:15

Bit of background. I have a very lovely, placid spaniel. As lots of spaniels are she's totally ball obsessed and not bothered with other dogs. She's not aggressive, just totally ignores them.
I walk her on a nature reserve where dogs are allowed to be off lead. At the start of the nature reserve is a natural kids play area and the nature reserve consists of 5 adjoining fields.
Every day I walk my dog there is a lady and her toddler son on the play equipment. They have a greyhound puppy and let it run around the fields while they're on the play area.
This dog always sprints over and pesters my dog. Jumps on her, pins her down, nips at her collar etc.
Usually the woman spends about 15 minutes trying to call her dog back while I just stand there, as if I walk on then her dog follows.
Eventually she catches her dog.
Today I was so fed up and in a rush that I just kept on walking and walking (only had 30 minutes before work and didn't want to spend 15 mins waiting for her to catch her dog) And her dog kept following me. We got through 2.5 fields and this woman was struggling with a toddler and running after her dog who paid no attention whatsoever.
Eventually she caught her dog and said to me "why didn't you stop?"
Am I the bad guy? Surely if your dog has no recall then it should be on a lead!
And surely you don't let your puppy run riot pestering other dogs while you're 100m away on a play area?
Should I have wasted half of my own dogs walk until she managed to catch her dog?

OP posts:
SisterGeorgeMichael · 02/11/2022 17:16

How can you think you were unreasonable?

FinallyMrsE · 02/11/2022 17:18

Nope YANBU and maybe now she has been inconvenienced she’ll do something about it and change her behaviour and possibly train her dog properly.

Brendabigbaps · 02/11/2022 17:18

You set a precedent by waiting on previous occasions.
Personally I’d make it as inconvenient for her as possible and she may then become a responsible dog owner.

LoliLouToo · 02/11/2022 17:22

Nope. YANBU. Hopefully she will have learned from today.

There was a similar post a while ago about a runner and a dog that followed them and they didn't stop, but this person was running towards a busy road and knew it.

PartyHelp · 02/11/2022 17:23

Of course YANBU, she needs to be able to control her dog or keep it on a lead.

doggodramas · 02/11/2022 17:23

Yeah there were no busy roads. I guess I just felt bad as she was so far behind us with a screaming toddler bundled under her arm.

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 02/11/2022 17:25

Without repeating - what everyone else said.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/11/2022 17:26

It's not your fault - other than that maybe you could have said something to her on previous occasions.
The puppy might have followed someone faster than you, or who had a less tolerant dog, so she's lucky to have (hopefully!) learned her lesson.

Pumpkintopf · 02/11/2022 17:27

YANBU. She should have pup on longline or lead til she teaches recall.

TicketToRideFan · 02/11/2022 17:27

She wasn’t in control of her dog; responsibility is totally on her.

Theunamedcat · 02/11/2022 17:27

Why didn't you stop?

Why didn't you have your dog under control

doggodramas · 02/11/2022 17:29

My dog was under control walking right next to me.
And I didn't stop because I was in a rush.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 02/11/2022 17:29

Theunamedcat · 02/11/2022 17:27

Why didn't you stop?

Why didn't you have your dog under control

Do you mean the OP should have said the latter when the other woman said the former? Confused

Soubriquet · 02/11/2022 17:30

Not unreasonable but tbh I would have stopped once she started chasing

doggodramas · 02/11/2022 17:30

Oh I see! Yes I should have said that. I was just a bit surprised!

OP posts:
fatgirlslimmer · 02/11/2022 17:31

No way would I have waited 15 minutes, ever.

First time I would have waited the length of time it took her to walk to me from the play park to get the dog. Next day I would have kept walking.

MarigoldPetals · 02/11/2022 17:31

YANBU OP.

doggodramas · 02/11/2022 17:31

Just sick of my dog not getting a proper walk as I'm stood around waiting for her to catch her dog.
I had to go in for a 5 hour shift today, so wanted dog suitably worn out so she'd sleep the whole time.

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 02/11/2022 17:32

YANBU

bigblueyonder · 02/11/2022 17:33

YANBU - keep walking and she will learn to start controlling the dog.

KenickiesHickey · 02/11/2022 17:36

Would’ve kept walking too. I only would have slowed if she’d called out.

caringcarer · 02/11/2022 17:42

Tell her to keep her dog under control or keep it on a lead.

Skiphopgoosebumps · 02/11/2022 17:44

Her dog should be on a lead until she can recall it. She was surprised today as you waited before but now she’ll know to start chasing straight away or have the dog on a lead.

Cheeseandlobster · 02/11/2022 17:51

You were definitely not in the wrong and actually it's really quite arrogant of her to expect you to wait for her everyday. What did you say when she asked why you didn't wait?

glovepillow22 · 02/11/2022 18:01

Shes 100% in the wrong here, if she cannot recall her dog it shouldn't be off lead. Simple!