Hi All

Sorry this might be long.

Have just got back from walking the dogs and I'm a bit shaken up as I think someone was following me :(

Running parallel to our street is an old disused railway line which is where we usually walk the dogs. it's now a 'nature trail' to encourage wildlife so it's basically a mile or so of path with grassy flat area either side and then steep banks which are heavily wooded in areas.

This morning we were on our way back torwards home and Shay chased a cat up one of the banks. I had Lola on lead and she was sitting at my feet while we waited for Shay to reappear. We were on the flat grassy bit, several feet off-path when I noticed someone walking up the path towards us. I took little notice although normally it's only dog walkers on the path so early and this person didn't have a dog. As the person was getting closer, he moved off the path and on to the grassy area, and walked right up past Lola and I between us and the bottom of the bank. I thought this was strange as he had no reason be off the path and he had had to navigate around a large patch of mud in doing so. I said hello (as I always do to people) and he said hello back. At that, Shay came charging back down the bank and as he passed the guy, the guy sort of put his hand out at him like he was trying to grab him. Shay dodged around him, came straight to me and I clipped his lead on and headed for the main road. Then I realised that the guy has turned around and is walking right behind us. I quickened my pace til we got to the main road and he stayed close behind us the whole way (about 300-400 yards maybe). There are a couple of houses along the main road and I could hear people in the driveway of the first one so I stopped to chat (they probably think I'm nuts as I've never stopped to talk to them before) but I wanted to see where the guy would go and I didn't want him to see which street I would be turning onto. He crossed the road but kept looking back at us until he turned into a street further along the road and disappeared from view.

Now, it could have all been entirely innocent and I am being paranoid but something about him gave me a very uneasy feeling. I walk that path so often alone, even on dark winter mornings/evenings and have never once felt frightened like I did this morning.

OH thinks I should report it to the Police in case anyone else has reported someone acting suspiciously or in case something happens but I don't think they would take me seriously as nothing really happened and that they'll just think of me as a paranoid female but anyone who knows me would tell you that I am not the paranoid type and that I'm not easily intimidated.

What would you do?

Cheers J xx

I don't think you are being paranoid at all, I think you are being aware and watchful of your surroundings.  That's being smart.   If this guy made you uneasy there's a good reason for it.

Find another route to walk you dogs for the next couple of weeks.   If this person was someone up to no good the likelyhood is that he will be long gone by the time you return to your usual route.

Stacey

Scary experience for you I'd go with your OH and report it to the police for the same reasons as him. May be nothing but no harm in mentioning it.

I had a similar experience once when I changed route because I felt uneasy about a chap. Next thing he appeared in front of me from another path. Turned out he'd changed route too as he thought he might be worrying me. Horrible feeling until he said he was sorry to scare me but had been trying not to!!!

Must admit I don't feel as confident walking the Beardies as I did with my Boxers

Hope you feel better soon {{Hug}}

Anne

Go with your instinct! If you feel like reporting this man to the police, do it :) He does sound a bit dodgy

And if you dont feel comfortable walking down this route, then maybe find another route/area to go with the dogs, or maybe take someone else with you so your not alone, i would of been freaked out too if this had happened to me! I also think you did the right thing by stopping to chat to those people, i probably would of told them and asked them if they had seen him about before too :)

I don't think you are being paranoid at all, I think you should definately report this. I think your OH is right, if something else happens in your area, then the police will have had something to go on. Would you be able to describe him?

Dawn R.

I agree that you should report this to the police - this man might already be known to them.

I also agree that you should report this to the police.  We don't know who is living in our midst but they might.  They will at least make a note and like someone else said, this might not be the first time. He was taking his interest a little too far by turning and following you and then being a bit obvious in his interest by turning his head to look back at you when you stopped. Very good move to stop and talk to people before you got home. 

report it. What you dont know is if this man has 'bothered' other people recently, or last year (the sun can bring them out after winters rest) or if someone has actually been grabbed but its not been in the paper. They wont think you are being daft, and they may well show a presence for a week or so, just in case. The Police dont take these things as being daft, they will take you seriously.

As everybody else has suggested report this :)

Also make sure you chnage your route and have your mobile phone in a quick access place just in case ;) Have you anybody else you can go with on your walks for a while if your OH is not about ? Safety in numbers ;)

Lucy
xx

I'd also contact the police and change your walking times and routes for now!  Better to be safe than sorry.

It's a scary world that we live in unfortunately, but this shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying something that gives them so much pleasure!

Thanks guys & gals :)

I have reported the incident to the police and the neighbourhood officers will be informed in case the person is known to them already or they come into contact with someone meeting the description. I'm glad I did report it now as they have taken the report seriously despite the fact that no crime has actually been committed.

OH and I always walk the dogs together in the evening and I use this route a couple of mornings a week. OH takes the dogs out the other mornings but usually takes them further afield. OH has to go away for work at the end of the week so I'll be on my own but I'll try and make arrangements to walk with someone else and go out at busier times or go to the local park instead. I love walking that path early in the morning as it's so peaceful (not to mention convenient) and I am really annoyed that some little toerag can spoil that for me but it's not worth the risk of something happening to me or the dogs :(

Well done for reporting it and good on the police for taking it seriously. :)  Sadly these lovely quiet little paths can often be the hunting ground for people up to no good and everyone needs to be careful. :(

Well done for reporting it and safe walking for you and your doggies!!  :-)

You did the right thing, could of been innocent and just thought u was a bit dishy! :D But its better to be safe than sorry as he could of well been some weirdo! :)

We should all be aware that there are strange people out there who would insanely think nothing of harming another person esp since the closing of so many hospitals and the goverment joke of care in the community. I must admit that I now have a Dobermann and not a greyhound(my choice for 20yrs)for that extra bit of comfort an security. My girl is perfectly safe around people, but I'm sure she would have some serious issues if I was to be jumped by a stranger. If you walk in seclueded and out of the way places like me and often alone, you need to feel safe secure, which unfortunatly was not anything my Greyhounds could offer. Now I have my Dobe, I know for sure, some lunatic would think twice before bothering with me. That man may well of been checking out the likelyhood of your dogs attacking him should he of chosen to jump you and although Beardies are not a guarding breed, perhaps your owning 2 put him off? Well done for reporting it and always follow your instincts, they'll never let you down.

>just thought u was a bit dishy

ROFL!! :D At 7am, in my dog walking gear (track bottoms & baggy t-shirt), hair not brushed and not even a smidge of lippy??? He would certainly need to be deranged to find me remotely attractive looking like that! :D :D :D

>although Beardies are not a guarding breed

I don't have beardies. I have a Newfie and Rottie X Chow :) Most people understandably give us a wide berth which why I was suspicious when he went out of his way to walk in front of me.  Although, he couldn't have seen the Rottie X as he was hidden in bushes/trees until the guy walked past me and Shay came hurtling down the bank at the same time. Perhaps Shay's appearance did make him think twice about whatever he was going to do (if anything)?

I do have two of the most distinctive dogs in an area populated by Labs and Staffies and I'm aware that could make them a target for theft  :( which is why I was so determined he wasn't going to find out where I live but I made sure to double check all the door locks before leaving for work!

Some men like the early morning look! :D :D :D

>At 7am, in my dog walking gear (track bottoms & baggy t-shirt), hair not brushed and not even a smidge of lippy??? <

It's not the wrapping it's the package inside  - you can still be dishy. :-D In my younger days my male friends liked the au natural look.

I always trust my gut instincts. I think being cautious and reporting him to the police is the right thing to do. Who cares is they think you're paranoid anyway. just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not following you I've thought it might be worth a laugh to teach my Golden to growl. Never to attack, just to make noises. I can just see him though, he'd be grring with his tail wagging!

>he'd be grring with his tail wagging!

And looking up at you, saying 'Look how clever I'm being, mum'! :D

>he'd be grring with his tail wagging!

>And looking up at you, saying 'Look how clever I'm being, mum'! 

And wondering where the treat is after you have done all training reward based!!!!! :D

Yeah, it would be real threatening when he stopped growling and went into watch-me pose anticipating a piece of tuna cake!

I was kind of hoping that my two big dogs might look menacing enough to make the guy back off a bit but they insisted on trotting along merrily to heel, tails wagging and nudging at my pocket to see if any treats might be forthcoming for such exemplary behaviour. About as menacing as a basket of kittens :rolleyes:

Oh I don't know well trained large dogs look very much more impressive than an unruly hooligan.

They do 'unruly hooligan' pretty well too when the mood takes them :rolleyes:

You've done the right thing Hun, I would have said the same as the others but had 'puter problems this week!! Hoep he disappears never to reappear!! All the best, Dawn X

Well done for reporting this.  It's very important to raise others awareness of your suspicions.  The most important thing is how this guy made you feel.  It would be prudent to make sure you've got your mobile with you for a while and that someone knows what time you are expected back.

Ditto what everyone else has said!
But also well done you, for keeping a cool head, and doing exactly the right thing.

Well done for reporting him .when I started to read your post I was also concerned this guy may be after nabbing your dogs Honesty I,m not saying this to scare you but the thought did cross my mind especially when you say he reached out towards Shay.
Hope everything turns out ok and it was all entirely innocent
take care
Sharon.

Hope your OK and well done you on reporting it!

Well done for reporting it, I thought the Police would take you seriously. :) The trouble with weirdos is that they dont give a damn what you look like, you dont have to be attractive to be molested or raped, just female. It is a damn pain that because of some idiot, you have to change your way of walking etc, but you are wise to be safe. Enjoy your walks! take care :)

Well done you might just have saved someone else, a more serious meeting with this chap.It could have been someone working things through for another time, assessing just how many people would be around at another time.

Lynn

I'm so glad you reported this incident.  I really don't want to scare you but I knew  a lovely lady who was attacked last year in very similar circumstances - out walking her dog early in the morning along a familiar towpath. The guy had been released from jail a few days earlier.  Sadly the lady died later in hospital.
I've always thought that people walking dogs were somehow safer and less vulnerable but, in today's world, this is no longer the case.