I walk my dogs on a field at 5am and today I saw a man on the field, advice please.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice because what happened earlier this morning has really got me feeling anxious.

I’ve been taking my two English Cocker Spaniels to a field not too far away from I live for over four years at the same time more or less 5am every morning and I had never come across until earlier this morning at about 6:15am. I was at the far end of the field and at that time I am always very vigilant especially because it’s dark and I turned to my left and I noticed there was a figure that looked like a man on the field. I started shaking. There’s only one way in and out to the field so I put my dogs on their leads and ran the long way around the field to the gate. I never saw another dog and I looked back a few times and I couldn’t see him at all. I never looked back and when I was at home I started crying. It took me a few hours to settle down. It’s ruined my day. Even at dinner time and at about 4pm when I took them out I was constantly looking around. It has freaked me out.

I wear reflective clothing and he did not have a go or at least I don’t think so because I couldn’t see any dog and no dogs came up to my dogs. I am always looking around at that time in the morning and I notice the slightest thing.

What do I do tomorrow and in the future? Do I go back and act like nothing has happened? Do I go somewhere else from now on or what?

I'm sorry you had a scare, and hope you feel calmer today. This man may have had a perfectly good reason for being out at that time in the morning - he may simply enjoy an early-morning walk. Yes, we do hear about attacks on lone women, but these are still extremely rare. I've walked in some deserted places - though not in the early hours in the morning - and haven't ever been concerned about the risk from other people.

What you do now is up to you. You can take precautions such as having your phone at the ready, ready to call someone if you're concerned. If you are concerned by someone, you can make sure they can see that you have your phone in hand so could, potentially, take a photo of them and send it to someone, which I guess would deter any would-be attacker. Risk is very subjective, though, and it's up to individuals to decide what they are and are not comfortable with. If all the precautions you take aren't enough to make you feel safe, you may need to consider different places or times to walk. But, because it's important, I'll say it again - the chances of you being attacked are very, very low.

Can you walk at a different time, maybe in daylight?

Is it a privately-owned field or a public right of way?

There can be many reasons for a lone person to be out in a field in the dark. But the thing is - if you are going to be stressed about this, it's sensible to walk somewhere else for a while.

Julia G. said:

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice because what happened earlier this morning has really got me feeling anxious.

I’ve been taking my two English Cocker Spaniels to a field not too far away from I live for over four years at the same time more or less 5am every morning and I had never come across until earlier this morning at about 6:15am. I was at the far end of the field and at that time I am always very vigilant especially because it’s dark and I turned to my left and I noticed there was a figure that looked like a man on the field. I started shaking. There’s only one way in and out to the field so I put my dogs on their leads and ran the long way around the field to the gate. I never saw another dog and I looked back a few times and I couldn’t see him at all. I never looked back and when I was at home I started crying. It took me a few hours to settle down. It’s ruined my day. Even at dinner time and at about 4pm when I took them out I was constantly looking around. It has freaked me out.

I wear reflective clothing and he did not have a go or at least I don’t think so because I couldn’t see any dog and no dogs came up to my dogs. I am always looking around at that time in the morning and I notice the slightest thing.

What do I do tomorrow and in the future? Do I go back and act like nothing has happened? Do I go somewhere else from now on or what?

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I'm sorry to hear you got freaked out...it is not nice for sure! But as others have already mentioned, that man could have have perfectly good reason to be there and maybe he was little worried after seeing your reflective clothing shining...maybe wondering what is that person doing out at this time of the morning!? He might have had a worry that you were not up to good?
Is there any chance that you could go for next few times for that same place and same time with somebody else...just to see if he is still around? If he would be....I would be then attempted to walk little closer and maybe nod at him from the distance...just show you have 'registered' him. If he would be a wary of being seen, it could then deter him coming back. Or if he was 'ok' and had reason to be there (what ever that might be), it could put him in ease too that you were not somebody to keep eye on, but just some very early morning dog walker who doesn't mean any harm.

The field is public, but I live in the middle of nowhere and I mean nowhere in the sense that there are only a couple of hundred people who live in the same village so we all know each other and although I’m a quiet person people in the area do know my husband and they know that I walk my dogs early in the morning on the field. People around here just aren’t generally out at that time in the morning.

What freaked me out about the incident was seeing a figure and then that figure was gone. I don’t think it’s normal or at least expected for a man or woman to be walking on a field at 5am without a dog.

Anyway, I went to the same field but a little bit later (about 6am) so it was still dark and I didn’t see anyone.

The reason my husband doesn’t go with me in the morning is because he’s left by that time to travel to work.

It may sound weird but it gave me weird flashbacks to a Crimewatch episode I watched when a woman was walking her dog in the early hours of the morning and she was raped.

Julia G. said:

The field is public, but I live in the middle of nowhere and I mean nowhere in the sense that there are only a couple of hundred people who live in the same village so we all know each other and although I’m a quiet person people in the area do know my husband and they know that I walk my dogs early in the morning on the field. People around here just aren’t generally out at that time in the morning.

What freaked me out about the incident was seeing a figure and then that figure was gone. I don’t think it’s normal or at least expected for a man or woman to be walking on a field at 5am without a dog.

Anyway, I went to the same field but a little bit later (about 6am) so it was still dark and I didn’t see anyone.

The reason my husband doesn’t go with me in the morning is because he’s left by that time to travel to work.

It may sound weird but it gave me weird flashbacks to a Crimewatch episode I watched when a woman was walking her dog in the early hours of the morning and she was raped.

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so sorry you went through that, I got raped once going for a walk with my dog so I understand the fear you had, I am so sorry. how are you now?

I'm so sorry that that happened to you, @Elliemum2x , I can't imagine how awful that must have been But I would like to say again that these incidents are very rare, and statistically, you are more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a car than you are to be sexually assaulted by a stranger.

Julia, I don't want to downplay your fears, but if you're anything like me, in poor light, patterns on trees, posts, and the like, can look exactly like humans - our brains fill in the missing bits for us. Is there any chance that the light may have played tricks on you? I'm not saying this is the case, just wondering if it's a possibility.

If I were you, I would give yourself a few days' break from the early-morning walks, and see if you can regain your confidence. If you carry on feeling anxious, you may need to replan your walking schedule, or even consult your GP if you feel the incident is affecting your day-to-day life.

JudyN said:

I'm so sorry that that happened to you, @Elliemum2x , I can't imagine how awful that must have been But I would like to say again that these incidents are very rare, and statistically, you are more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a car than you are to be sexually assaulted by a stranger.

Julia, I don't want to downplay your fears, but if you're anything like me, in poor light, patterns on trees, posts, and the like, can look exactly like humans - our brains fill in the missing bits for us. Is there any chance that the light may have played tricks on you? I'm not saying this is the case, just wondering if it's a possibility.

If I were you, I would give yourself a few days' break from the early-morning walks, and see if you can regain your confidence. If you carry on feeling anxious, you may need to replan your walking schedule, or even consult your GP if you feel the incident is affecting your day-to-day life.

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Yes, i agree. It was my ex partner who was very abusive etc

@Elliemum2x

I am very sorry to hear that.

@JudyN

You may have a point. My husband and my best friend mentioned the same thing without obviously trying to gaslight me.

There’s a fence all around the field and there are trees on the other side of the fence and next to the quiet road. It’s difficult to explain with a text message, but I was at the the other end of the field and I looked up and I had that awkward feeling when you feel like someone is watching you and I looked up and there was what looked like a human figure. I put my dogs on their leads and went over to the other side of the field where there are lights and I was scanning the area for a person and/or a dog and I couldn’t see any thing or anyone. It was a horrible feeling because the wind was making objects move around and I was thinking “oh no, is that his little dog?” My dogs didn’t have a clue what was going on and they kept looking around but obviously due to their breed I knew that I wasn’t going to be protected if any thing did happen. I suppose if I had a Doberman or Rottweiler then I wouldn’t have felt the way I did if that makes sense.

Although people are free to go wherever they want as long as it’s public and at any time during the day, it just isn’t normal for anyone else to be out when I go out with my dogs. On my way home I see a man walking his Labrador and going to the newsagents to get his morning newspaper and that is it.

I'm a very sensitive person and sometimes I let things play on my mind. My husband and I went shopping earlier and then we took the dogs to a woods about 20 miles and I feel a lot better now.

Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. The only thing that did happen to me was a few years ago I used to meet up with a friend who lived about 10 miles away from me and we used to walk our dogs in the evening in a park not too far away from where she lived and one night there was a group of drunk young people with a couple of Staffies/Pit bull types of dogs and they came charging towards our dogs and fortunately a man had a van next to us and he managed to pick our little dogs up and put them into his van and we stayed with him and he phoned the police and waited for them to arrive. My friend about a month or so later found out that the dogs were put down for attacking other dogs and people in that park. We avoided going to that park ever again and it eventually became a deserted park because of the types of people it attracted. She actually moved nearer to where I live about a year ago and she goes with me to the woods, forest or field with her new little dog from time to time. Even if I don’t have my dogs with me, I am still a very vigilant person and I like to know what is going on around me.

You do sound calmer now, which is good - and you're aware of your own sensitivities, which is great too! What you decide to do now is really up to you and how you feel about it, but do give yourself time - on a physiological level, it can take several days for our stress hormones to return to normal after a shock, never mind your brain feeling primed...

I'm sorry to read about this and what happened to both @Elliemum2x and @Julia G. I too walk my dog in the dark early in the morning and where I go depends on him. We have a few fields around us and we quite often end up there and whilst they are lit around the edges, in the middle they are pitch black. I walk defensively, and what I mean by that is I carry things with me that could assist in the event of an attack. I carry a tactical torch, which is obviously useful in the dark, but also has a castellated end which is capable of being used as a defensive weapon. I also carry a 3" pocket knife which has been mainly used to remove the odd thorn. I carry my phone too. Clearly we shouldn't have to do these things, but there are some awful people out there, in the minority I might add. There are other devices that can be carried too, alarms and such. I know it's far from ideal. Of course not everyone out and about is intent on doing us harm.

I have come across a couple of weirdo/druggies when out and about and have managed to navigate safe passage around them. I don't pretend to have an answer, perhaps your local police can give advice - I would certainly report the occurrence to them.

I realise my post might not be practical or helpful, I'm just sharing what I do. I'm not some kind of paranoid maniac but I believe there are some steps I can take to keep myself and my dog safe. I hope you can find steps that suit you.

P.S. If it matters I'm a middle-aged bloke who tries to avoid confrontation!

Julia G. said:

The field is public, but I live in the middle of nowhere and I mean nowhere in the sense that there are only a couple of hundred people who live in the same village so we all know each other and although I’m a quiet person people in the area do know my husband and they know that I walk my dogs early in the morning on the field. People around here just aren’t generally out at that time in the morning.

What freaked me out about the incident was seeing a figure and then that figure was gone. I don’t think it’s normal or at least expected for a man or woman to be walking on a field at 5am without a dog.

Anyway, I went to the same field but a little bit later (about 6am) so it was still dark and I didn’t see anyone.

The reason my husband doesn’t go with me in the morning is because he’s left by that time to travel to work.

It may sound weird but it gave me weird flashbacks to a Crimewatch episode I watched when a woman was walking her dog in the early hours of the morning and she was raped.

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Is it absolutely necessary to walk at that time of day ? Do you need to go to work? Is that why ? Otherwise why not just let the dogs out for a quick wee early. Then take them when it's light and there are more people around and awake. I think it's risky to be walking in a field alone in the pitch dark. I'd never do it, I'm too scared !!

I have to admit though after that lady with the little jack russell was killed not far from her home, by a random bloke it seems, it really rattled me. A lot of my dogs I walk are, shall we say, a bit special so I tend to walk in places that are quiet and where I come across a minimum, if any, other dog walkers. I walk during the day and still for a while started to be super aware of how vulnerable I was, all of my special dogs are walked on a lead for one reason or another so I always hoped that would be a deterrent maybe, but even so everytime I'd see a male out walking on their own it made me nervous, sadly...
I don't know what the answer is, other than to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings and maybe make sure someone knows where you're walking...

Hi everyone, I thought I would give a little update on the situation. My husband asked the guy who owns the newsagents if he saw a male around that time and he told him that there was a guy who getting picked up to go to work from the bus stop not too far away from the field. The newsagents is around the corner from the top end of the field, but one can see parts of the field and the bus stop from the front of the newsagents.

I haven’t seen a figure or any thing out of the ordinary for the last week. I can only assume it was the same guy, but I’ll never know for certain.

I really should carry some sort of device with me because all I carry on me sometimes is my phone.

It’s almost like a catch 22. If you go out when it’s supposed to be quiet in thee morning then any little thing that is out of your ordinary schedule will make you cautious. If you go out later when it’s day time then you run the risk of running into silly owners with uncontrollable dogs.

I also don’t feel as safe with my dogs as I would say if I had two Dobermans or similar large and powerful dogs that have a guarding/protective instinct. I’m not saying that Dobermans are aggressive, but they were bred for a totally different purpose than Cocker Spaniels. I highly doubt my dogs would attack someone who threatened me.

Stamford said:

Is it absolutely necessary to walk at that time of day ? Do you need to go to work? Is that why ? Otherwise why not just let the dogs out for a quick wee early. Then take them when it's light and there are more people around and awake. I think it's risky to be walking in a field alone in the pitch dark. I'd never do it, I'm too scared !!

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In a way, yes. I prefer to get the walk out of the way so I can sort myself and get ready for work (only some days). By the time I’m leaving to go for work the dogs are eating their breakfasts and then they just go to bed. In the summer it’s not a problem because it’s so light in the mornings, but at this time of year and for the next few months I do feel a bit more on edge and cautious.

Whilst there is nothing wrong with my dogs, I don’t like the idea of going to any place where people and dogs are congregated because that’s where most bad incidents happen and you never really know the temperament of strange dogs. I’ve never been the type of person to take my dogs to a local park or a similar place and start chatting to random people, it is not my cup of tea. I prefer to let my dogs interact only with my friends’s dogs and family’s dogs as well as people’s dogs that they know.

I suppose every time you leave your house you are taking a risk of something bad happening to you. I am little bit scared, but then again, as a woman, I don’t even like going out at night these days. It never used to be like this say 20-30 years ago.

I think we are all aware now because we know so much more now with the Internet. ..
I walk at 430am every morning in my local woods ...i wear a high powered head torch ...i look like a walking lighthouse. ..
I actually feel safer walking at that time as so many dog walkers use our woods and some have little control over their dogs ...some walk 6+
Last year some guy started walking his dog just as i was leaving so i couldnt see him but could hear him as i was coming out via the woods and he would be going in via the main path ...one morning he called out good morning and was shocked when he heard a females voice. .i never saw him again. ...its sad really that we do assume that every male may want to harm us

Tinytom said:

.its sad really that we do assume that every male may want to harm us

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It does make me really sad being suspicious of lone males walking in the countryside and I do feel guilty, but then I hope that good men will understand... which thankfully there are more of than wrongons...

Sorry to hear about your experience.What I carry with me when out with the boys now are a key ring alarm,Farb Gel Self Defence Spray,and some times a gopro camera strapped to my chest..carried them since the increase of dog thefts and attacks on owners.If out in the dark a good headtorch is a good idea.