Walking Past a Dog Walker
 

What’s the proper protocol for walking past a dog walker say on a sidewalk at a rec center?

This morning I was attempting to pass a dog walker when the dog startled then growled and bared its teeth at me. The walker didn’t register my presence until the dog reacted. He then commanded the dog to stand down and moved over.

The walker was wearing headphones over a hood so he probably wouldn’t have heard me even if I had said “Good morning” or “excuse me.”

The walker was moving slowly and using the entire sidewalk. He also made some comment about “not a good idea.”

I just want to get home without being bitten.

When I come up behind someone using the entire sidewalk I usually step into the road to get past them. For most of my walk I am walking against traffic so stepping into the road is fairly safe. If I need to get by in one of the other sections, I just look carefully for traffic and then walk quickly by and back onto the sidewalk.

If someone is walking towards me on the sidewalk then I almost always move to the right hand side and stay on the concrete. If they aren't in a wheelchair then they don't need the entire walk (and if they are then I would give them space). I am also stubborn enough to stay on the walk on general principle even if this risks being bitten.

I don't like dogs.

If we see one when we are walking, we get really far away from them.

Guess they guy decided he owned the whole sidewalk. I would have said behind you but that would not have helped.

My neighbor walks a lot, 20 miles a day. He walks with a “walking” stick, had to use it on bob cats in the early mornings over the years. So far no dogs.

It is the dog owner's responsibility to have the dog under control at all times, and I may add, they are not under control on an extendable leash which seems to be the default choice these days.
However, discretion is advised when you spot a dog obviously not under control.
When/if you are passing any dog, continuous eye contact is not advised, the animal could perceive this as a threat. Look, but glance away between eye contacts, it shows you are not a threat, and respect their space.
A casual, neutral, early greeting, will usually put owner and dog in non-aggression mode.
Any dog worth its keep, will go into defense mode if it thinks it, and especially its owner, is under any threat.
I have never been in fear of any dog, wary, respectful, definitely.
I do worry about many owners though!

I would have handled it the same way I handle someone talking on a cell phone walking aimlessly down an isle or sidewalk, when I realize they have no idea I am there as they approach. I stop and simply stare at them (as they approach) until it registers I’m there. It normally works.

People are people. They do not get perfect when they get older; More likely they get worse. I call them astronomers. They think the world revolves around them. They have always been astronomers.

For people that have a dog that growls and bears it's teeth. You either need to get THAT DOG trained or have it euthanized.

I approve this message! Dogs are (almost) never the problem. It's the owners.

Stay off my lawn. Not one foot, not one paw, then you will never have to clean it up.

Single file, pass on the right. No one in the street, no one on/in grass or shrubs. People first (we are the "alpha" and set the rules for dogs to follow). If there is aggression, the prime aggressor is at fault. If you get bitten, dogs owner is 100% responsible. Call 911. Get police report. Call Dan!
PS: best if there is blood. Just saying.
Have a nice day and glad I could help. 😀🫠😉

Growling snarling dog….thts dangerous. Its florida, stand your ground….it applies to dogs too.

I like dogs…dont like many of their owners here in TV. Treat them like they are children nd you are suppose to love their fur babies

I always love it when the dog owner says: "Oh don't worry, he wouldn't bit".

It's a animal people, wake up, the only defense a dog has is biting when alarmed.

Pepper Spray
 

Pepper spray seems to deter aggressive animals. These people have the dog park to walk their animals in.

Why euthanize a dog whose owner has chosen not to train it? Maybe euthanize the owner, and let the dog have a better home.

As for me, I'm not afraid of dogs. I'm respectful of their "territory" which includes a perimeter around whoever is on the other end of the leash. If I'm passing someone walking their dog, I just pass them. If they're in the middle of the sidewalk - well unless they have a corso or St. Bernard, there's still probably enough room for me to pass them on one side or another. I ignore the growls. They're warning me not to get cozy. I'm not intending to get cozy, so I just keep walking and minding my own business.

I've been lunged at by three dogs in my entire life, never bitten by any. The first that lunged at me was a chihuahua. He snapped his jaw toward me. I put my hand across its lower jaw, palm facing down, and clamped onto it. The dog was 100% helpless at that moment, and whimpered until I was damned ready to let it go. And then it scurried away from me like the little freakish dog-rat that they are.

Second was another chihuahua. They're just nasty creatures. Same response, same reaction.

Third was a Ridgeback. It was my fault, I reached to pet her without asking permission from her handler. She lunged in defense. I backed off and sat on the ground, head down, submitting. She took a few sniffs, and ignored me again, and all was well.

All of god's creatures have their place in life. Next time make your presence known to the dog well before passing. The dog was just doing what a dog will do when startled, going into protection mode. Next time make yourself known and just whistle or say I'm passing neighbor before coming across unknown to the dog who is just doing his/her job.

I don’t get close to dogs when I walk even if I have to go out of way. When walking my 10 pound yorkie I don’t let her get close to anyone even if I have to walk around who even near. Never know how some will react. There some dog haters out there or people who just hate and go off like firecracker good example was church property when dog owner didn’t have dog leaches and it woke someone up in cart which threaten to come back with ball bat. Dogs are supposed be on leach at all times.

Golf cart has a horn, bicycles sometimes, walkers/runners never. I carry a small air horn. Short blast will get his attention and keep dogs back.

No different than pack of humans walking blocking diamonds lane or MMP. When traffic approaches more than one walking together should file in single file on edge not hog whole lane putting themselves in danger.

“ You either need to get THAT DOG trained or have it euthanized.”

Even puppies growl and show their teeth.. when playing… guess need to euthanized them. :shrug:

Pepper spray? For the owner, yes! For the dog, only if it is allowed to attack. I say "allowed", because the owner has the responsibility to be in control of the animal 100% of they time. If they can't or won't accept that responsibility, they shouldn't own the animal.

Now yer talking! 🤠

(Relax. Just a bit of sarcasm.)

Just announce yourself at least to the dog. Just because a dog growls and shows teeth, that is most likely fear and not aggression.

Sometimes it's a warning. It depends on what the dog was trained to do. I worked in a warehouse office, with a guy who had two pitbulls living there. They were bait dogs that were abandoned on the side of the road, and my boss rescued and rehabilitated them. He trained them to guard the warehouse. If he was walking them -outside- the warehouse, they would growl and bare their teeth when a stranger approached the man. But they wouldn't attack. It was just a warning, basically alerting my boss that someone was approaching.

If a stranger walked into the warehouse without being invited in and introduced to the dogs first, they would've ripped the stranger to shreds. But once he introduced me to the dogs, I could come and go as I pleased, even if he wasn't in the building. The female, Bella, would sometimes sit on my feet while I was working on the company spreadsheets. She was awesome.

Deleted

You carry pepper spray when walking TV? I’m impressed! I do when walking in the woods, if panthers or bears are a threat. But in the concrete jungle? Ok, ok. New York, San Francisco and the like it would be a good move. But on a TV sidewalk?

I just move aside and let the dog and walker pass and smile hoping the dog will come up to me for a pet.

Interesting. Suggest never put your hand palm down OVER a dog’s head. Instead offer the back of your hand to smell. Of course first ask permission of the owner. I also find that sitting down rather than towering over a dogs head is a better way to introduce yourself to another’s animal. Of course I am not suggesting that you do this on Canal Street sidewalk

I like dogs.
I like to hold my hand out to see if they want to "say hello."
I had one bite me in the hand, and I am more careful now.
I have the scars on my hand to remind me.
A few dogs are very protective, and the owner should be careful to warn others.

I love dogs, over the holidays I went to see my daughter in PA., my daughter is 5' tall and has one of the sweetest dogs, but he is not small. I've gone out with her when she has taken him for a walk many times. But this time we barely got out of the house, and he was dragging her around to the point where she brought him back into the house and let him out in her back yard. Now I have seen this happen a couple times in The Villages where the owner of large dogs cannot control them and I'm sure the owners do not have the option of a back yard. All I'm suggesting before you rescue or purchase a dog just made sure when the dog reaches maturity that you will have the capability to control them.

I almost spit my coffee out, he thinks Bobcats are going to attack him?

Same with cyclists

In the road
 

Actually cyclists should be in the road obeying traffic patterns and laws.

My dog Zola is very well-behaved. The proper way to walk your dog is in your left hand so walk on the left side of the trail. That way, if people are coming, I could just step a little to the left and she’ll walk in the grass. She’s very friendly and will sit when I tell her to sit. People seem to be walking on the right hand side of the walkway with their dog and the dogs in the middle of the walkway .
Please walk your dog on the left side of the walkway in your left hand.

Dog Walker Protocol
 

I have had 7 dogs and when walking and people are approaching, I move aside, have my dog sit and wait until they have passed. Same for bike riders. Usually the give me a thank you.

Dangerous
 

Thank you. Picture a leash wrapped around a bike pedal when the bike was moving along at 15 mph. It wouldn’t end well for anyone.

This is a great example of why a great many people like dogs and dislike humans.

Bicycles are allowed on the multi-modal paths in The Villages, Florida. These paths are designed for non-automotive traffic such as bicycles, golf carts, pedestrians, and skaters.

They are
 

They are, but should yield right of way to all pedestrian flow whom have less options.

You have that backwards.

Pedestrians should be walking against traffic on the MMPs so they can see traffic coming and ensure their own safety.

Bicycles have far fewer options for movement than a pedestrian.

In the end, both should put aside feelings of entitlement and just make good choices.

Paradigm
 

Actually my paradigm was the narrower MMPs that disallow golf carts here and would be considered sidewalks. There are MMPs that permit golf carts and certainly that would mean walking against traffic just like walking on a road.