I might slow down and let her know that it was an unreasonable request, but I already run so slowly that she might not perceive the difference. The reality is I would look up in annoyance, mouth “no” and keep going at my plodding pace.
This so true. I’ve found, altho I don’t speak often, a nice sharp “No” is clear and concise.
Works for me, in loads of situations.
Thanks for all the feedback. I’ve never seen her before, so who knows if I’ll see her again. Or with more reflection, maybe this is an indication that it is a new dog who is (hopefully) being trained.
Despite being irritated, I’d probably stop again out of sympathy for a dog that probably has enough stress already in its life.
Story time:
I had a dog. A dalmatian. On the young side. (?)
Beautiful dog. I couldn’t let her languish in a shelter. Thru this time I tended to her at the shelter I volunteered at. She hated everyone except me. No prospective families could get near her. Would take a face off. The shelter trainer and me worked and worked to get her calmer. She went on some anxiety drugs.
I brought her home. (While ago, I had small kids)
She did accept the family. Was not really fond of any of them.
I took care of all her needs. Rarely, she was around where other people were.
I was very firm with her. Muzzled her if we were in public.
People wanted to meet her and to pat her. I had to warn them. I’d say “she’s not comfortable with strangers”
If the dog rumbled or made a move I moved on really quickly
I would never have told them “oh, my dog might(she would) pull if you run by her”
That’s my problem. No one should have to put up with my mean, bitey, snarling dog. No matter how beautiful or like the Disney dalmatians she was.
This is why she didn’t leave the house often. The vets office was particular problem. Other than short forays she stayed home..and lived about 7 years with us. I’m proud to say, she was surrendered because she bit twice in her former home, she never bit anyone again.
My first reaction was to walk until I realised the woman is on the other side of the street. Maybe I would care if it was an extremely tiny woman walking an enormous rabid St Bernard, but not a “medium-sized mutt”.
I think there’s no reasoning with a person like the dog walker. It’s too bad a random pedestrian can’t tell another, “You could get sedatives for your dog at the ‘In Kahoots pet store.’ They work well ma’am; I tried one myself.”
I voted “Walk but quietly seethe.” It happens to me more often than I want. Of course dog owners should be able to control their canine companions and a proper muzzle should prevent the animal from biting people, but reality is reality. I choose to breathe in, breathe out, and move on.
Woman with a dog? I didn’t see any woman with a dog. Sorry, I was focusing on my running and didn’t notice her. Oh, she said something? Sorry, I was listening to music on my ear buds. Couldn’t hear a thing.
I voted for walk, but unreasonable request.
As mentioned, it might be a newly acquired dog in need of training. More likely, it’s a long-acquired dog in need of training which it hasn’t got and never will get. It’s worth checking before sharing one’s views though.
For all those who said they’d run on: what’s your plan for when the dog does chase you? More importantly, what do you think the dog’s plan is?
I’ve been chased by dogs before. It’s not fun. It particularly wasn’t fun when I was a child and didn’t significantly outweigh the dog. Even as an adult who did, the prospect of hand to fang combat didn’t thrill me. In the best case scenario, I unflinchingly injure the dog as badly as I need to to stop it harming me. Much more likely, I am hestitant to inflict harm,and fearful of harm to myself*, and consequently get scratched/bitten/mauled somewhat. I’m not remotely thinking this will be a fatal encounter, but a trip to hospital at least for some stitches and tetanus jab seems quite plausible, and that’s not really a fun way to spend my day.
So, do you not think the chasing has a meaningful risk of ending in some sort of attempted biting? Are you just more steely-nerved and unhesitating about punting the hound when it reaches you? I grant it depends on the type of dog to some extent but - and I bear the (mental) scars of previous experience - I just don’t see possibly being chased by an admittedly uncontrollable dog as an outcome worth risking.
*The fact that, with jumping factored in, most dogs can bring their jaws to groin height is definitely a factor in my hesitation, not gonna lie.
I love dogs, so difficult question to answer for me.
I had a similar thing happen to me.
We have about an acre and a half dog park near our house. I walk my dogs to the park. Note that theses are well trained Border Collies AND I have training collars on them to get their attention.
Coming to the park one day I notice two women each with a dog in the park. No biggy, lots of room. One woman in the park said that I couldn’t come in because that would make it too many dogs (total of 4). There are no rules posted, and I called the subdivision district, they said no rules about the number of dogs.
I (without my dogs) went back to the park and informed the woman that ‘She doesn’t make the rules’. Oh, boy, did she ever get pissed. Started yelling at me. Jesus, I feel sorry for anyone that has to deal with her on a daily basis. I was so shocked I just went home. And I don’t want to start a feud.
I have not seen her in the park since. Maybe she got a clue.
You’re in America right ?
Couldn’t you just shoot her ?
No, of course I’m not being serious.
I ignore pretty much every stranger who tries to get my attention in public. The shouted “sir” or “excuse me” is seldom reasonable or in my interest, so if you want my attention, you need to work a little harder.
Especially if I’m running, we have no relationship, no business to transact, nothing to discuss. I wasn’t in your space 10 seconds ago, and if you count to 10 I’ll be gone, along with whatever issue you think I’m causing. Either way I’m not breaking stride.
I have a GOAEO Heavy Duty Stun Gun, so I’d definitely not take any of her shit.
Me (producing the GOAEO): “This is how this going to go. I’m going to start jogging again and be on my way. If that dog gets away from you and charges me, I’m going to fry his ass, so hang on real tight, now.”
Note: The device cannot be shipped to a number of states, including my state of Illinois. I got it when visiting my uncle in Texas.
Yeah, it’s not the rest of the world’s responsibility to help her train her dog. Unreasonable request.
I picked how I know I would react. Walk but quietly seethe. Public confrontations will destroy my mental peace for weeks on end, what with the replaying of the situation, and what was said, and what devastating things I could have said. Much better to quietly seethe for awhile.
As to whether the dog walker was unreasonable, my first impulse is to say, yes, the world should not have to bow to you, oh Queen of the Sidewalks. But upon further reflection, I would find myself questioning:
Perhaps the woman had an incident where her dog tried to chase a runner which developed into a total disaster, and she was trying to protect me?
Perhaps the woman doesn’t normally walk the dog because it belongs to her husband or someone else, and she’s a little afraid of the animal?
Anyway, the incident would soon fade from my mind.
I’m glad that I’m not a runner.
Now, bike riders on the sidewalk, on the other hand…
I try to be nice to my neighbors and help them when I can. I would approach her and have a conversation about her concerns and how we might accommodate each other going forward. Maybe I can help her condition her dog so that runners aren’t a problem. At the very least we could come up with a schedule and/or routes we agree on so she doesn’t encounter me running when she is walking her dog. If she’s unwilling to discuss these things then to hell with her - the dog deserves a better owner.
Then she can protect you by absolutely positively controlling her animal or leave it at home where it can’t hurt you.
I’m totally with you on this. But …
If you actually had to zap a dog I’d expect that course of action to result in you being doxxed and vilified on social media all over the country, receive many death threats, and be arrested and probably convicted for some flavor of animal cruelty.
Especially if the owner was present to witness the horror. 
Our country has utterly lost its mind on nearly every topic. Pets are no exception.
Sounds like the dog owner is out to train joggers, and not her dog. They really need some basic dog obedience training.
I answered ‘Walk for the sake of the dog’, which, on reflection, is a complete lie, because in reality, I have had many arguments with (other) dog owners who make unreasonable requests of me and my very passive, non confrontational dog because they can’t control theirs. So in real life I would probably shout ‘control your dog’. And then get into an argument in the street.