Told by the farmer to keep dog on a lead?

[mudstuck]

I was walking my dog through a field and the farmer came up on his tractor and complained that he had seen my dog off the lead. There are no sheep or livestock around, and I would always always put her on a lead if I there was any chance of encountering any livestock.I did raise the fact that the field was empty with him and he said there are young pheasants going about... I apologised and agreed to keep her on a lead in future. However on reflection I am wondering if he is in the right to ask that of us? My dog doesn't have a very high prey drive at all and lives happily with three house cats. I don't allow her to chase wildlife although her recall, even though it's good, is not 100% and we have had the very occasional chase of a squirrel or deer. She probably would chase a pheasant if she saw one running away but she would never catch it. What do you think? Like I said I am happy to keep her on a lead just for an easy life. I live close to the farmer and don't want the trouble/conflict. Just wondering who is in the right..

This thread has to be a joke, right? It’s ok you saying “Oh my dog won’t do this, my dog won’t do that..” How the fuck does the farmer know that? I had a dog that ran off on a walk once and ended up on some farmland, he had a bloody chicken in his gob when the farmer found him, luckily he knew he belonged to us and was okay about it, but he’d have had every right to shoot him otherwise. I honestly wouldn’t have said the dog would have done anything like that, but he did! Just keep it on a leash and stop being so naive and feeling badly done to.

@BarbaraofSeville

I once saw a dog sprint across three fields chasing after distant sheep that could barely be seen, deaf to the screams of his owners. A real 'Fenton' moment.

Just because you can't see any sheep in the immediate field you are in, can you be so certain there's none in any of the adjacent fields easily accessible to your dog through a small gap under the hedge that you don't even know is there?

Yep, I've seen this happen too. Mine once took off after a deer in the woods - I didn't even see it until he started chasing it, and it was only stood 10 metres from us, just off the path.

Dogs are designed to hunt and they will spot sheep, deer, rabbits, birds etc. way before you do, and if they start running, you stand almost no chance of getting them back.

All it takes is for them to slip through a gap in a hedge, or for you to round a corner into field with an open gate and lambs inside for you to be in real trouble.

They might not be classed as livestock but they are to the farmer. They are ‘released’ but they keep feeding them - you might see barrels around - and then they have ‘shoots’ where they charge people for privilege of shooting dozens of birds in a few hours. They also sell them. It’s a lot of money for the farmer.

People have been robust in their responses partly because of the damage and suffering off lead dogs can cause to animals but also because they are concerned for the welfare of your dog. Dogs are regularly shot by farmers and if you live in a rural area with a lot of game you also need to be aware of the (illegal) practice of putting down poisoned meat to kill off birds of prey that might pick off birds.

So did you see the story where a couple of dogs chased a deer so that it broke its neck OP? This was just a week or so ago and in Scotland also.

Between dog shite everywhere, bagged or otherwise, being approached at speed by free running dogs who wouldn't recall, you have the right to roam but need to be responsible, that doesn't trump the need to use the land for business by the owner.

Dear God, buy your own field FFS. If you can't do that, respect the person who owns and maintains the land you choose to walk on.

My cousin is a sheep farmer in Perthshire and he often has to post on social media asking people to keep their dogs under control as well as signs on his land.
It doesn’t matter how well behaved you think your dog is, the farmer doesn’t know that and you can never trust a dog 100% anyway.
I would never walk on someone else’s land with my dogs off the lead.
You did ask, OP.

That book is really interesting coachmylife.

Yes sweatybetty my dad lives around there & fumes about the off lead dogs, he’s a big bird lover.

Public footpath? No law about keeping dog on a lead.
If it’s under close control and not trampling this crops then he has no right to ask you, and definitely no right to shoot the dog.

People like you are the reason why everyone will have to keep their dogs on a lead all the time.

At least you didn't ignore him.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/19/scottish-gamekeeper-who-killed-protected-birds-of-prey-avoids-jail

This is an example of what gamekeepers get away with. He killed over 30 cats as well as a lot of wildlife.

@RunningFromInsanity

Public footpath? No law about keeping dog on a lead. If it’s under close control and not trampling this crops then he has no right to ask you, and definitely no right to shoot the dog.

She admitted in her op her dog would chase wildlife. It shouldn't be off a lead for that point alone

and also, please clean up after your dog, even if it's 'just a field' and seems full of muck.

Dog faeces carries parasites harmful to livestock. A local farmer whose land is crossed by multiple footpaths has had several of his pedigree cows die due to their unintentionally ingesting dog faeces whilst grazing.

Also worth considering that a field with crops in it has huge value to the owner.

Dogs cause a lot of damage running free through crops.

You will get flamed on here but actually YANBU. You were presumably at the side of the field and off crops

I’m also in Scotland and utterly sick of the pheasant shooting estates and their wildlife slaughtering, antiaccess, anti wildlife rhetoric. There is muirburning taking place almost daily here, dead hares littering the hilltops, decimated wildlife except for ruddy pheasants first rich people to drive in and shoot.

The pleb people of Scotland have had enough and I do believe there is change coming.

This is an emotive issue for Scottish farmers - walk your dog without a lead in the wrong area and someone may shoot it just for running around / to make a statement. Even if they are in the wrong would you want to risk harm coming to it?

@LST

People like you are the reason why everyone will have to keep their dogs on a lead all the time.

At least you didn't ignore him.

People like me? 🤔

Yes! Letting your dog off lead when you haven't got full control of it

You might have the right to walk on his land it does not give you the right to do whatever you want or treat his fields as a giant exercise yard for your dog. He asked you to keep your dog on a lead which they should be at this time of year, you are questioning if he was allowed to do that. In short of course he can, you are just a visitor on his land so at least show him some respect.

I don't allow her to chase wildlife although her recall, even though it's good, is not 100% and we have had the very occasional chase of a squirrel or deer.

You have to ask?

Were you on a permitted pathway going over this farmer's land? You're permitted on the path, but nowhere else. So your dog isn't allowed either, and should be on a lead.

No wonder farmers hat public paths on their land ...

What is it about dog owners that they all think their dog is special? The farmer doesn’t know your dog, you’re being unreasonable to expect him to trust you.

Nobody is this dim, surely?

Wow this is possibly the most bizarre thread ever, she did put her dog on the lead as the farmer asked! Can you lot not read??

I think it's fair enough thinking it's an empty field and having your dog off lead

It's actually not "fair enough." It's wrong.

@RunningFromInsanity

Public footpath? No law about keeping dog on a lead. If it’s under close control and not trampling this crops then he has no right to ask you, and definitely no right to shoot the dog.

The rights and wrongs will be irrelevant when the dog is dead, though.

I've never understood why people go "but he can't do that! It would be illegal!" - okay, that might be the case, but if your dog is dead, the law being on your side isn't going to bring it back.