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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:
Waterfallgirl · 09/10/2022 12:18

I do know if a landowner local to my parents who has shot dogs roaming on their property - and it was deemed by the police as ok due to the circumstances as @Stickytreacle says .

LimboLass · 09/10/2022 12:24

An official looking sign at the gate warning people of unexploded military testing equipment and entry is at your own risk.

J0y · 09/10/2022 12:29

''Private Property, beware of traps and rat poison'''

I don't think you can get in to trouble for just putting that on a sign.

J0y · 09/10/2022 12:29

LimboLass · 09/10/2022 12:24

An official looking sign at the gate warning people of unexploded military testing equipment and entry is at your own risk.

Oh I like this one!

Cancersurvivor · 09/10/2022 12:46

Why not, just let the dogs play with one another, dogs love company and it’s nice to chat to people, as long as she picks up her dogs poo.

krustykittens · 09/10/2022 12:47

A friend of mine says she has had sucess with signs warning about snakes, but CF has already used the field. I would borrow an evil fucker of a Shetland that hates dogs and people - you might have to stay out of the field yourself for awhile but it would put the fear of God in her. There are loads about, Shetlands tend to lean toward the dark side.

DogInATent · 09/10/2022 12:50

"Lost chocolate and raisin cake
Reward for safe return"

WisherWood · 09/10/2022 13:02

I'd be inclined to run a small square area of electric fencing across the top of the gate and part way into the field, at human height but low enough for your dog to go under it. Rig up the battery so it's only accessible from inside the field. Put up signage warning there's an electric fence and make sure it's switched on. I guess you'd have to block off the bottom of your gate so she can't just send her dog underneath it.

MyAnacondaMight · 09/10/2022 13:07

I think I’d film her next time and put it all over local social media.

DeeofDenmark · 09/10/2022 13:09

WisherWood · 09/10/2022 13:02

I'd be inclined to run a small square area of electric fencing across the top of the gate and part way into the field, at human height but low enough for your dog to go under it. Rig up the battery so it's only accessible from inside the field. Put up signage warning there's an electric fence and make sure it's switched on. I guess you'd have to block off the bottom of your gate so she can't just send her dog underneath it.

But how would the OP access the field, this is not attached to her house so if others can’t get in neither can she!

Taillighttoobright · 09/10/2022 13:14

Cancersurvivor · 09/10/2022 12:46

Why not, just let the dogs play with one another, dogs love company and it’s nice to chat to people, as long as she picks up her dogs poo.

My children love company but that doesn't mean I'm going to welcome strangers with kids into my living room.
The field is the OP's. She probably loves it - I know I would. She doesn't want to share it, and shouldn't feel compelled to.

Nolongera · 09/10/2022 13:14

DeeofDenmark · 09/10/2022 13:09

But how would the OP access the field, this is not attached to her house so if others can’t get in neither can she!

Show quote history

Helicopter.

I still think my dog shit idea where she climbs over is best, you could even deny you put it there.

Also, make the gate so the dog can't get under it, she might not be keen on lifting it over.

WisherWood · 09/10/2022 13:20

But how would the OP access the field, this is not attached to her house so if others can’t get in neither can she!

Good point. For some reason I was assuming she was accessing the field from her house rather than via the gate.

TicTac80 · 09/10/2022 13:27

She was 4ft 8, and weighed about 6 stone, so people would tower over her and often try to intimidate her. She just hated bad manners and rudeness, so when trespassers would hurl abuse at her, she’d go back and get a gun (she was a perfect shot, and could handle a firearm) and a dog. Goes without saying that she didn’t shoot anyone!!!

LumpyandBumps · 09/10/2022 13:41

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/10/2022 09:33

NO! 😮

Nose/spite/face springs to mind!

Goats are absolute gits!

Sometimes it will be your friend then 5 minutes later it will butt you (hard) just out of sheer arshlery! It will eat your hedges and hop over the fence and be a bugger to catch. While free it will eat destroy anything it can (including clothes - with people in them) and terrorise your neighbours.

If it is a boy goat it will stink to high heaven and savage people. If it is a girl goat it will pretend to cuddle you and take the opportunity to eat your hair. Girl goats also like company so they can gossip - you need at least two.

Also goats like to stand on high things and watch everything with their evil yellow eyes. OP will have to build a small mountain in the field to keep the goat happy. The goat will then hide behind it and jump out on her suddenly as a joke. (Goats have a fierce sense of humour).

Nothing elegant about your average goat, but they do add excitement to life.

Show quote history

Thank you for this. As a former goat keeper I can relate to every word. I am also in fits if giggles in the middle of a coffee shop!
OP - had anyone suggested borrowing some geese?

Flutterbybudget · 09/10/2022 13:43

Whilst the police will probably not have the resources to monitor your field 24/7, they should be able to give you advice if you can stop in at your local police station.

Scrowy · 09/10/2022 13:45

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!!!

You shouldn't be letting your dog run around in any fields if you don't have permission.

A footpath running through the field gives you permission to use the footpath to cross the field. It doesn't give you access to the rest of the field.

Grass is a crop, if there are no livestock in there it means the farmer is trying to grow the grass, the last thing we need is people's dogs weeing and pooing all over it before our sheep and cows eat it.

IAmSloth · 09/10/2022 14:07

Love this idea 🤣🤣

Wetblanket78 · 09/10/2022 14:23

You bought the field to make it easier for you exercising your dog. So not unreasonable to not want her or anyone else using it without being invited.

derxa · 09/10/2022 14:38

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.

Yes us Scottish farmers have just got to suck it up but OP has a bloody empty field and all posters are suggesting all sorts of aggressive measures. Just because a farmer owns more land shouldn't make it 'fair game'.

BigglyBee · 09/10/2022 15:20

I'm a Scottish farmer and I don't have to suck it up at all! Going through is fine, but loitering is really not, and causing damage or nuisance is totally out of order. We have had problems with a lot of people who misunderstand the laws about wild camping too, and one broke a fence apparently trying to dry his marquee-sized tent.
For the campers, I borrowed a bull. Hamish got fresh grazing and my field cleared remarkably quickly. For the walkers with dogs (one was a professional dog walker and could have used the 4 miles of beaches right next to our land), I put sheep in the field and issued a stern warning about the consequences of sheep worrying. I may not have mentioned that I don't have a gun (because I'm a terrible shot).

derxa · 09/10/2022 15:26

BigglyBee · 09/10/2022 15:20

I'm a Scottish farmer and I don't have to suck it up at all! Going through is fine, but loitering is really not, and causing damage or nuisance is totally out of order. We have had problems with a lot of people who misunderstand the laws about wild camping too, and one broke a fence apparently trying to dry his marquee-sized tent.
For the campers, I borrowed a bull. Hamish got fresh grazing and my field cleared remarkably quickly. For the walkers with dogs (one was a professional dog walker and could have used the 4 miles of beaches right next to our land), I put sheep in the field and issued a stern warning about the consequences of sheep worrying. I may not have mentioned that I don't have a gun (because I'm a terrible shot).

You're quite right but some posters seem to think taking a dog through livestock is OK. I'd post some pictures of sheep with their faces ripped to pieces by a dog but I fear it would be too upsetting for some.

BigglyBee · 09/10/2022 15:38

Yes, we've had to deal with that too, although it was actually a dog from a neighbouring farm that caused the damage. I think there is a tendency for people to assume that because they don't intend any harm, that no harm is possible, or that farmers are just being arseholes for the joy of it.

mam0918 · 09/10/2022 15:44

Cancersurvivor · 09/10/2022 12:46

Why not, just let the dogs play with one another, dogs love company and it’s nice to chat to people, as long as she picks up her dogs poo.

Because her dog isnt friendly or safe hense her at cost buying a specific are JUST for him and its HER property for HER dog to be safe on.

Also no not all dogs like each other and not all people like to 'chat'.

Do you let random people just walk into your house because they fancy a chat, I mean its fine as long as they pick up the shit their rottwiler left on your living room rug its fine right?

Are you the entitled CF doing this?

Xtraincome · 11/10/2022 19:24

As several people dislike my goat idea get a honey badger then. They're evil!