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The doghouse

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Original poster

What to do about local dog walker

176 replies

OnedayIshall · 06/10/2022 14:07

As I live in a cottage with a small brick yard I bought a field locally a couple of years back which I basically treat like a garden for my dog. He’s recall is pretty shocking, but this isn’t a training field it’s where he can go relax and chill or blow off steam, what your dog would do in your garden really. We do train in their sometimes, but often when he’s in there he isn’t in a training mind.

it has a standard 5 bar gate on it which I keep locked, and a sign on saying private, left over from the previous owner. I was in there last week and a woman appeared in my field with her dog. She’d climbed over the gate and her dog had gone underneath. My dog went running over, not a hope of stopping him (so I am annoyed about that). I asked her to leave as she was on private land, she gave me a bit of verbal but left when I unlocked the gate for her and she could see it was my field.

I then came across her in my field at the start of the week and asked her to leave again. She told me she we were welcome to join her but she was there first and I would have to wait my turn if I wanted to have it to myself.

on Tuesday I put a run of barbed wire along the top and bottom and I’ve just come back and it’s all been bent out of shape where she’s obviously been in again.

i believe trespass isn’t something that the police are interested in, and I don’t want to waste their time, but what can I do to keep her off my property? I don’t think I can do anything privately as I don’t know her details

OP posts:

Original poster

OnedayIshall · 09/10/2022 10:08

Thanks everyone! Sad to hear it’s not just me it happens to.

For those saying does she think it’s an exercise field or such. Well there are signs up saying private and she definitely doesn’t have the landowners permission so I really don’t think there can be any confusion. I am also certain that she wasn’t using it before she saw me in there, you can’t accidentally get in there, it isn’t part of fields that are connected or anything, it has a thick hedge all the way round with rabbit fencing behind and a gate she needs to climb over.

It’s a shame as it’s quite a pretty field and I see people enjoying the view sometimes, I don’t want to spoil it with unfriendly signs, but I’m going to have to

OP posts:

freefallingthruthisshit · 09/10/2022 10:08

Poppiesway1 · 09/10/2022 07:46

Something locals do around my area is take a photo of person (usually people parking terribly) and put the picture on the local FB group.. “does anyone know this person? Has been trespassing on private property and became verbally aggressive when warned we will take this further if anyone knows who the person is?” Type thing???
just a thought? Name and shame type thing

Are you from Morpeth by any chance? 😂

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 09/10/2022 10:09

@OnedayIshall

I can't add a lot to what people have already said, but I just wanted to post in solidarity. What an absolute cheeky fucker this woman is. I live out in the countryside, and there are lots of fields that you can walk and run around and let the dogs run around. But there are a few that are private, with a 'strictly private, do not enter' board on the front of the gates. I wouldn't dream of going on to the land.

What kind of absolute fucking arsehole does that? Goes into someone's private field again and again? And especially when they've been asked nicely and then told firmly to not go into that field because it's private. I bet she's the kind of person that chucks litter out of the car window, and plays really loud music in her house, and parks directly opposite peoples driveways, stopping them getting out properly. Inconsiderate and entitled! And RUDE!!!

Wombat27A · 09/10/2022 10:11

People ignore signs. I watch people wander past some we have on the land opposite our house...

I once did the full "Gerrof my land" to someone wandering across a private field and she said she wouldn't mind me being in her garden, all land is God's. The field was let to a sheep farmer, so told her that her 3 dogs were particularly unwelcome and she apparently actually went and checked that this was true.

ChelseaRobertsofMalibu · 09/10/2022 10:16

Did you not read the opening post?!?!

There is already a Private Property sign on the gate which she ignores
As OP stated, the Police are not interested in Trespass as it’s a civil matter

MrsLargeEmbodied · 09/10/2022 10:22

i wouldnt dream of going into a field that had Private on the gate
a couple near me do have barbed wire on them as well
and one says Shooting Vermin on it - very off putting.

does she at least take her dog mess away op?

MrsLargeEmbodied · 09/10/2022 10:23

you could also put barbed wire on the bottom, to deter her dog op

Qisk · 09/10/2022 10:31

@OnedayIshall
As you say, trespassing is not illegal. You can get an injunction which is the first step. I have done that and it cost about £800. This should have a deterrent affect, but if not the police will be interested as there is then the possibility of contempt of court. You have to know the identity of the trespasser to have the most effect.

Separately, when you bought the land was it designated for agricultural use? If so, you probably need local authority permission to subsume it into your garden or change its use. There is a misconception that people can buy a field and do anything with it. This is not always the case, however passive the intention, eg planting trees may still need planning approval depending on the facts.

UnshakenNeedsStirring · 09/10/2022 10:34

MaybeSomeDay7 · 06/10/2022 15:19

Follow her home and start having a picnic in her garden.

Lol, made me chuckle

Zonder · 09/10/2022 10:35

I would definitely do an information type post on Facebook to let people know that it's a private field and not available for dog walking.

And I would get goats!

SeptemberDreams · 09/10/2022 10:38

Saw this sign in a local field… just an idea! 😂

Dentistlakes · 09/10/2022 10:56

Ridiculous woman! I can’t imagine retiring again and again to someone else’s land, knowing full well it’s private property.

Do you know any farmers you could borrow a bull from? A good kick up the ass from one of those might deter her!

TicTac80 · 09/10/2022 10:58

We used to have people trespassing on our land (my parent’s, not mine!) when I was little. Stupid really as there was livestock on there. My mum would go and politely ask them to leave (and explain about the livestock, it being her private land etc), often they’d give her a mouthful of verbal abuse. So she’d just go to the house, return with a shotgun and our dog, and then tell them to leave. This always worked!! NB this was close to 40 years back. CFers have been about for decades!

OP, I hope this gets sorted quickly!

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 09/10/2022 11:01

This made me PMSL! A good kick up the ass from an angry bull! 😂

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 09/10/2022 11:02

TicTac80 · 09/10/2022 10:58

OP, I hope this gets sorted quickly!

SHOTGUN?!!!

I am extremely disturbed that your mum did this!

But also impressed and in awe! 😬

Sharming · 09/10/2022 11:06

I think you should try all of the deterrents recommended above - and CCTV. If she continues to violate your privacy I do think you should report it to the local police - just use 101 or report by email with photo evidence.

Not only is it trespass - but you could say you're concerned about the safety of your dog and of her dog. Tell her your dog is difficult to train, so you can't be confident he won't approach another dog which is why you're exercising him on private land. If you have a decent community police team, they might be willing to go and have a quiet word with this woman which should be enough to stop her.

balalake · 09/10/2022 11:10

I'd check on the trespass legal position, OP. There was a plan to make it a criminal offence, not sure if it happened or not.

Stickytreacle · 09/10/2022 11:10

I think you've done all the right things so far, having experienced similar we ended up actually shooting a dog, the owners were warned repeatedly, but continued to let their Doberman and German shepherd chase and worry stock causing stress and injury. My dad took aim and wanted to shoot a warning shot, but it ricocheted off a wall and gave the dog a flesh wound. He reported it to the police immediately who said he was within his rights to shoot to kill. Problem was solved after that.
As a last resort I'd borrow some stock for a couple of weeks, preferably cattle if acerage and fencing/water is good enough, and put a dogs will be shot sign up.

CaptainThe95thRifles · 09/10/2022 11:11

People are unbelievably entitled - you shouldn't have to spend a fortune making it impossible to access, but unfortunately these cheeky fuckers make that essential.

I'd be tempted to take a week off to hide in the field, dressed as a viking warrior, or other suitably unsettling, incongruous and well-armed type, and jump out at her while brandishing a war axe. Chase the fucker out of your field.

mam0918 · 09/10/2022 11:30

I would also add a no trespass, dog protected property, I bite and beware of the dog sign so if your dog does get them she has no deniablity that it was possible.

We use to train dogs and someone broke in and tried to attack us and one of the dogs got him, they ignored the MANY signs and didnt have a leg to stand on when the law got involved.

Also report that someone has damaged your property and is repeatedly breaking in, mention to the police that this is dangerous as its a privately owned field/garden for a nervous animal who cannot be allowed to excersize in public areas.

mam0918 · 09/10/2022 11:36

MrsLargeEmbodied · 09/10/2022 10:23

you could also put barbed wire on the bottom, to deter her dog op

It says in the OP that she already has.

Kennykenkencat · 09/10/2022 11:51

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/10/2022 09:07

And take your dog with your.

Let him pee on everything.

Show quote history

And If she complains tell her she would be welcome to join you or she will have to wait her turn

Eaglefang · 09/10/2022 12:07

GlasgowGal82 · 06/10/2022 21:12

She’s probably Scottish. Right to roam is hard wired into us! If I was out for a walk here I wouldn’t think twice about climbing a gate and passing through a grassy field as long as there wasn’t livestock in the field and I wasn’t damaging crops. I wouldn’t rule out entering a field with livestock either but would risk assess. The right to do this is protected here. I know it’s not the same in England, but I have forgotten when I’ve been on holiday and strayed into what was probably a private field. I wouldn’t walk through someone’s garden, but a field or the estate lands round a larger house are fair game up here. Even the Royal family have walkers regularly passing through the land round Balmoral.

Part of my husband's job (in England) is keeping on top of trespassers. I hope you never meet him on one of your accidental detours off the footpath! He has zero patience anymore! It's been virtually a full time job since the first lockdown, far worse than we've ever known it.

KermitlovesKeyLimePie · 09/10/2022 12:10

But surely the flaw with paint is that she could just come in paint covered clothes and not give a shit about getting more on her?

I’m not a cheeky fucker and wouldn’t do it in the first place but if I were her I would just put some old dungarees/decorating clothes to go dog walking in😁

Waterfallgirl · 09/10/2022 12:15