Dog walking alone

[Meltinthemiddle]

My dog and I love exploring and going for walks in our local woods. But a few times I have felt a little vulnerable, that eerie feeling where you look behind you and realise you are all alone. Following the recent news what precautions do you take?

None apart
From not walking in the dark

I generally feel quite safe when walking alone in the woods if I have my dogs with me. I don't really think about being attacked or anything like that, but I can be a bit clumsy and I've noticed where I walk the phone signal can be a bit rubbish, so I sometimes think about what would happen if I did fall over and was unable to walk. The woods we use are quite remote, but I do usually see a couple of other people.

None, apart from not walking in the dark.

DDog is a bit of a twat though and has form for defending me, so I do feel safer with him around. It's not a formal precaution though - not intentional, and I'd walk the same routes without him.

It can happen, but statistically you have to be spectacularly unlucky to be attacked and killed by a stranger. You're far more likely to die driving to the park (or work). I'm not willing to significantly restrict my activities for something that is very unlikely to happen.

@mumto2teenagers

I also walk alone, and feel fine .
I do, however, have specific reasons for fearing a fall, and needing help.
The phone signal thing (bad here too) is not so likely to be a problem: an emergency call will be patched over any local signal, not just the one network your phone is on, so has a high chance of succeeding. Getting what 3 words on your phone is a really good idea.

The one I haven't solved is, I fall and am immobilised by a fracture, ambulance/air ambulance comes to find me- will my dog be difficult? And what happens to her?
But some bridges have to be crossed when you get to them.

I don't take any precautions except for making sure my phone is charged.

I'm a professional dog walker and I'm out on my own with the dogs for 5/6 hours a day. I've never once felt at risk or as though I was in any danger.

Recent events don't mean the world is any more dangerous than it was.

I've never dog-walked in the dark (dh takes him out in the evening), but I often take him across local fields for hours in the mornings, just throwing a ball or frisby for him and watching him go nuts in the stream (spaniel). Some mornings I won't see another soul, or only in the distance. I would occasionally take my phone, and now I always do.

None. I live in a very safe area.

I actually feel more secure when there is no one at all around than when I am aware of the presence of strangers.

I used to know someone who fell when out alone and had to get 10 miles back to the nearest road with a broken leg. I tend to reckon that if he could do that, I could manage a mile with a sprained ankle.

If you are feeling vulnerable I’d say you shouldn’t be there. I always trust my instincts

If you are following recent news why would walking in the daylight ensure your safety?

I don't mind too
Much as I have 3 reactive dogs who I feel would see someone before me
I do wear a head torch in the dark but I touch wood so far feel ok
I have a friend who has AirTags on her coat and her dogs collar in case she had a accident

This. If u are walking in a place that consistently gives you an eerie feeling then you need to stop visiting this place.

Find somewhere else to walk. Walk in the day and always have a phone fully charged to hand. Let someone know where u will be and when they can expect you be home if you live with someone x

We live rurally and it isn't uncommon to not see anyone when I'm out with the dogs. It's farmland with no nearby roads so if I or one of the dogs were to be injured we would be pretty stuffed. I always take my phone and I wouldn't walk with headphones in but that being said I do occasionally listen to an audiobook through my phone speaker. I do occasionally get the willies, like when I see lone men, without dogs and not in walking gear.. once I came across a group of men shooting pigeons on the footpath which they very definitely should not have been doing. I would have liked to tell them that but I wasn't about to argue with 5 blokes with guns.

I try not to walk alone .Also wont go to woods or lonely areas either.Not worth the risk .I have seen people hanging about .Just turn to go home .As I always think of my Nan saying "Its not policy love" which I think is just common sense really.Of course women should be able to go where they want ,but sadly this carries a risk

My dogs are a very big hunting breed. They're actually soft as kittens, but I'm reasonably confident that they'd put anyone off approaching me just from sheer size.

It actually happened once, a group of teenage lads started jeering and just being generally unpleasant (nothing serious but could be upsetting) then one of the hounds loomed up behind me and they went "fucking hell, never mind" and ran off 😂

I always carry a torch, phone and little first aid kit on big walks (when I'm out in the mountains or woods for hours) but otherwise the size of my dogs is all I've got.

I guess it depends on the dog too.
My dog (Akita) was so soft with people. Except once when we were startled by some drunks in a park late at night, then I saw a different side to him. There was no way dog was going to let drunk come near me. Teeth were out and heckles were up!
Maybe it wouldn't be the same with a poodle or whatever, but the reassurance was warming

I walk my dogs very early in the morning and quite often it's still dark. I always take my rape alarm and a phone. My dog leads have a heavy clip on the end and once the dogs are running free I carry the leads in such a way that I could swing the leads at an assailant and cause them a lot of damage.

Recently I was in the middle of nowhere and hadn't seen another soul for over an hour. I passed by a young man sitting on a log who made me feel scared, especially when he got up and started walking closely behind me. To my great surprise my dog, who is the softest, friendliest loony around, turned into a ferocious beast and was snarling at the youth very menacingly. To my relief the young man quickly turned around and went back to sitting on his log.

A few years ago a friend was grabbed by a man whilst dog walking and managed to squash the (full) poo bag in his face which gave her a few vital seconds to get away.

I am a dog walker too. My family can see me on i phone location tracker and I always tell them where I am walking that day. I carry a first aid kit and a whistle. I have stopped walking two routes on my own as I began to feel uncomfortable on them for some reason. When I walk my own dog I worry less - he is a strong lad and can be quite loud if he doesn’t like someone. I guess I am mindful of potential risks but at the same time I love walking in the woods and most people I come across are just out enjoying the countryside too.

I wouldn't walk in the woods after dark, but only because it can be muddy and slippery and I'd be likely to fall over if I can't see clearly.
Never felt vulnerable with dog, he's a GSD and very protective.

I wouldn't worry about walking without my dog as it would be hard for anyone to tell if I was male or female with all my gender neutral walking gear on.

Have my phone with me but that's more so that I could call if something happened to the dog or me (falling over).

Main issue is she won't come for a walk with just me...she likes her dad to go too. I try not to be too hurt at this. But I am.

The one I haven't solved is, I fall and am immobilised by a fracture, ambulance/air ambulance comes to find me- will my dog be difficult? And what happens to her?
But some bridges have to be crossed when you get to them.

I've never managed to work this one out either. Friend is an ambulance technician and his answer revolved around getting friends or family to collect the dog, but he had no idea what to do if there were no friends or family available / nearby / in existence.

Shortly after moving areas to somewhere where I knew no one, I took DDog for a hike about an hour's drive from my new home. Slipped over and injured my arm. Got myself back to the car, but it was nowhere near public transport. Didn't feel bad enough to get an ambulance out and nor could I get myself to A&E without taking DDog home first as he couldn't stay in the car (too hot) and nor could he come inside. I ended up driving home. Went to A&E the following day. Turned out I'd broken my arm so badly it needed surgery.

I'd love to know what the ambulance staff would have done if I'd called them though.

I love walking alone with my dog. There is one area of at the edge of woodland that my DD and I find quite creepy so avoid. It is a wide open very space with a very defined treeline and you get the feeling of being watched from the darkness of the woods. The whole place has an off feel to it. DH and DS can't feel it though.

A few years ago I came across an injured person awaiting an ambulance. They had a stranger waiting with them who had raised the alarm, and also their dog. After a bit of a chat about where various people lived it was agreed that they were happy for another dog walking passer by to take their dog home with them and look after it whilst they waited for an ambulance and then got treatment at hospital.

Handing my dog over to a stranger to look after is not something I would be comfortable doing, but there wasn't really any choice.

My dniece walks her two dogs alone and twice she had been approached by "friendly" very dishevelled looking men at a local country park. She has two very reactive and protective rescue collies she always walks on lead and they made them quickly back off when they tried to get close, but I do worry about her as she thinks the dogs are cast iron protection and I can see her trying to protect the dogs if anyone tried to hurt them!

I do walk the dog on my own in the fields and woods and it can be creepy sometimes but I take my metal walking pole with me which makes me feel better.

Wide open spaces are where I feel safest.