A stranger at the dog park gave her the creeps — her dog’s reaction made her trust her gut instinct

Most women instinctively sense someone's true intentions within the first moments of conversation, especially amid rising concerns for their safety. Similarly, Amanda Jeanne—who goes by @amandajeanne.11 on Instagram—had a strange encounter with a man. But interestingly, it was her dog, River, who confirmed something was off. "This is literally the epitome of being a woman," Jeanne said as she reflected on her bizarre encounter with the stranger at the dog park. 

While Jeanne and her dog were strolling through the park alone, a man accompanied by his pet suddenly approached them. "Usually people at the dog park are like, well, everybody's friendly; you're chit-chatting. You're talking about your dog, you know, whatever," she recalled noticing that this man's behavior felt noticeably different from what she was used to. Unlike most, the man skipped greetings and started the conversation by asking River's age. Although nothing about the man was overtly suspicious, Jeanne could not shake an uneasy feeling about him.

"I was just getting a weird vibe; I don't know how to explain it. My gut was saying, like, just pay attention. Not screaming at me," she said. Meanwhile, River, usually a friendly and outgoing dog, surprisingly refused to go near the man, despite his attempts to call her over. "This man like got down and was like, 'Will you come to say hi to me?' And River would not go over; she came and sat right by my legs. Sat right there and was looking at him. And I was just like, That's weird," Jeanne said. The man walked away after failing to get River's attention, only to return moments later and try again. "He's like, 'Oh, this reminds me of when I was single.' And I was like, That was weird, like a weird comment," Jeanne revealed.

However, she did not dwell on it for long, as the weather was getting colder and River seemed eager to leave the park. At the same time, Jeanne worried the man might take it personally and assume they were leaving because of him. But moments later, she confessed that they were partially leaving because of the man at the dog park. "You are kind of leaving because of him. I'm sure he's not anything crazy. He's probably just a little bit weird and, like, socially awkward maybe," Jeanne said. Moreover, while editing her video, she reflected more on her strange experience and wrote in the captions, "I noticed how much I justified and tried to talk myself out of my gut feeling because I don’t want to assume someone’s character." 

However, Jeanne added that she had been to the dog park many a time, but had never experienced something like that before. "Being a woman is so fun!" she added. Reacting to the video, @lisabroabentnethery wrote, "So relatable… We feel like other people's feelings are more important than ours. They are not. I’m glad you left. You did the right thing. I’m sorry he made you feel that way." @gearjammer1 commented, "You did the right thing. You have a good heart, so you always feel bad for others like I do. You have to put your safety first. Dogs are not wrong! Glad you’re ok!"

You can follow Amanda Jeanne (@amandajeanne.11) on Instagram for more sports and lifestyle content.