Frustrated at lack of good off lead dog walks

[familyconflict]

I’m feeling so frustrated at restrictions being placed on free spaces for dogs. Trying to move and find a place with good access to walks in the South.

I have owned dogs for many years. Have excellent control, responsible owner, leads near livestock, pick up poo etc.

On a walk - for the majority of time, I want my dogs to run free. They are a breed that need to. It is not ‘dog friendly’ to say dogs on leads. It is the same as saying kids can only walk not run. It isn’t fair and doesn’t work. Dogs need to run and that is part of the joy of walking them. ( I have kids BTW)

I live near a town with very low ratio of square meters of green space per person. Thought I had found a location on the outskirts with good walks but the National Trust who own a small bit and council have decided that the main bit of accessible greenery ( that lots of people use) is going to have a few grazing livestock on for “wildflowers/eco” reasons. All going through and sign are going up demanding dogs will need to be on 2 m leads.

It is making me angry so I am trying to find info or a database with details of good spaces, free of restrictions. Just wondered if anyone is aware of anything online?

Move north- it’s much nicer here 😉.

Dog fields are rubbish. We are lucky that we have lots of different spaces that they can roam in but they need variety (as do I!) are local park we take them to about five times a week and because they are bored they misbehave more there ( by this I mean eating rubbish off the floor and not running around playing). If they were just in the same field all the time they would get bored, bored dogs can be poorly behaved). The South of England is much more rubbish for this. It's bad enough just trying to go hiking in the south compared to other areas with landowners having so much control. Scotland have it much more sorted. Inland Wales can be tricky due to sheep!
@PaintDecisions your dog is also a problem. You need to train a dog not to be reactive to dickhead dogs. We have successfully retrained our rescue who was very reactive and now is absolutely fine with other dogs. A lot of it is down to the owners reaction. I agree it is the other owners fault but a bit like most things in life it's how you learn to react to others is the only bit you can control so you need to put the effort in and sort that out.

We have to get in the car to go off lead, not far, but 5 or 10 minute drive. She has form for refusing to walk round the block on her lead, once she's realised we aren't getting in the car she'll have a wee and then refuse to move unless it's back to the house or in the boot.

I have 3 dogs and I don't think dogs should be allowed off lead in public spaces, EVER.

If you want them to run free, hire a private field.

Unfortunately op it's dickheads with untrained dogs who have spoiled this for those who have invested the time in their dogs.

I'm not a dog owner but am sympathetic - I was on a very well signposted and pay-on-entry walk on a private estate near me yesterday. Lots of families with youngish kids. Very dog friendly but also rough terrain with potential for trips into the river. Signposted everywhere that in everyone's best interest and safety dogs need to be on a lead. I counted 5 dogs along our walk that weren't on leads, 2 of which the owners seemed to have no control over, zero recall, which could have had disastrous consequences if they'd have come into contact with a kid near the waters edge.
Astonishingly one was also off lead in a field where sheep were, with BIG signs in the gate to control your dog as it is lambing season.

I'm sorry you're finding open spaces so frustrating.

Thank you oh high and mighty person. She's 9 years old. She's been attacked requiring stitches and staples at different times and many many small dogs have left her bleeding. She's too bloody nice to bite them back.

She has seen umpteen trainers, behaviourists, the vets, and so have we. We've been working on this for 7 years as her reactivity didn't exist when she was a young dog. She's also a rescue dog with cigarette burns on her face from her first home. She has been through so much yet she adores humans.

If you've been through it, you know there is no magic cure for traumatised dogs.

Dog fields are only shit if the owners stand on their phones and don't interact with their dogs. Games, sniffing, chases, brain work, heel work, and yes recall are all basic things for us on those trips.

She still gets out to beaches and woods every week, she's not hard done by.

Fields are great for training and group play not so much for roaming, sniffing and exploring ... dogs need all of this not just a selection of one or two.

@familyconflict I feel there are more people thinking like this and I think it’s a shame. I defo see more and more dogs on leads, and when they see how obedient my dogs are, it is clear from their comments their dogs are not trained.
Yep, yep and yep. I've just got back from a long walk, part of it through a popular dog-walking area. I saw I think 12 other dogs, of which 6 were on-lead. One woman made a comment about how well-behaved mine were as one recalled from another dog.

Hard disagree with that opinion, but I'd be interested to know why you hold it.

Dog fields are only shit if the owners stand on their phones and don't interact with their dogs.

Totally disagree with this.

Fields are fine if your dog has poor recall or you want to do specific training, but they're not remotely comparable to dogs being able to run free in the "real world" and for most dogs, are just a very poor substitute.

I agree about the idiots ruining it for responsible dog owners. I was at a popular riverside location yesterday. There were clear signs up about dogs on leads. One dog ran away from its owners and started chasing geese. It got a shock when the geese chased back. But it continued circling them for 5 minutes whilst the owners tried ineffectually to recall it.

Private fields are an incredibly poor substitute for a dog being able to roam free (under control, of course).

I agree bad dog owners often ruin it, usually with either not training their dogs or not picking up poop. But there are still many responsible owners out there.

i would love to relocate to another area ( north with less people!) but family keep me near here.

Not the purpose of this thread but I would also like to know why dog owners think walking a dog on lead is a good outcome for a dog. ( excluding the obvious like near traffic/livestock/puppy training/old deaf dog etc) I could understand perhaps from the non doggie people.

How can your dog get the fulfilment and exercise it needs just walking on a lead. I think people are kidding themselves if they think it’s a good walk for the dog.

What's the alternative? Put the dog down? Do you think they are kept next to the knee the entire time or do you think they can sniff, wander or even use a long line in appropriate places?

Unfortunately people will preach whatever their situation - you aren't a better person than others because you have a dog off lead. I am not a better person because I keep my dog on a lead, but it keeps her safe and prevents problems for me and you.

I am on the coast with access to beaches and countryside. Huge swathes of this area is farmland with cattle, so no off lead there. The moorland has ponies and sheep, so no off lead there. The woodlands are very busy including cycle paths, so no off lead there.

The world doesn't revolve around our dogs and nor should it.

More and more places are finding they have little choice but to insist on dogs on lead only due to increasing poor owner behavior and poor understanding on what a well trained dog looks like. Unfortunately there is a growing number of very poor dog owners who have very little control of their dogs (dogs straining at leads to meet other dogs whilst owner tinkly laughs that their dog is friendly, dogs running upto unknown people and dogs, dogs barking at other dogs unprovoked, dogs with very poor recall, dogs running upto livestock, dogs off lead round livestock and nesting birds, dogs jumping up at people, dogs climbing on tables and chairs ect) who have led to more restrictions been put in place. Poor ownership is something that really does need addressing both in the dog ownership community but also in general life. Perhaps we need a media push on what well trained dogs look like and what expectations we should have of dogs. There are an awful lot of dogs round us who are basically babies with owners who have very low expectations of their pets (pushed around in prams, dressed up, hand fed treats sitting on chairs in restaurants, allowed to jump up/ approach/ bark at strangers and other dogs, knash and bar teeth at others whilst said owner thinks it's funny).

Our local country park has just gone dogs on leads at all times last year due to the sheer number of complaints about dogs approaching others and there were several unfortunate incidents where livestock was attacked by off lead dogs despite signage asking for dogs on leads. One of the local landowners has withdrawn access to his woodland and estate due to the sheer amount of dog fouling and ignoring of signs asking for dogs on leads around nesting birds and livestock. Our council have made all our local parks and cemeteries dogs on leads only and have a regular dog warden after a child was attacked by an off lead out of control dog. There have also been several incidents of dogs digging on graves and destroying people's tributes on graves in the cemetery. They have also put an order in saying you can only walk 3 dogs at a time due to abuse by several "professional" dog walkers who were walking packs of dogs through the park under very poor control. Until general ownership improves there will be more restrictions on off lead dog behavior. It is a shame for those who have put time, effort and money into ensuring their dogs are properly trained and are responsible owners.

No need to be arsed. In your situation then I would definitely only walk where they're in no dogs off the lead.

@Pifo why?

Anyway we very rarely meet a badly behaved dog on our off lead walks.

You need to move to Scotland. Even in the city there are loads of off lead options or at least some very close by. Hard to imagine having no green space when you live here!

We are Dorset and have many walks here .Local park and golf course(only go at non busy times) Forest walks and so on .New forest is a lot of lead only walks but its a protected National Park. I would look at the beaches again .Usually quiet in the evenings and early mornings .

Not the purpose of this thread but I would also like to know why dog owners think walking a dog on lead is a good outcome for a dog.

Because it's far better for a dog to be walked safely on a lead than to be let off to be a pest (at best) or a danger (at worst).

My own dog only goes off the lead in certain places, otherwise he stays on as he would catch a scent and run. He's a beagle and bred to run off and be independent, then shout us when he's found what he's after.

I'm not sure what you think the alternative is either - if a dog can't go off lead safely then it's either on lead (or on a long line) or nothing.

He’s not living a ‘free and happy life’ though. He’s been domesticated, trained to within an inch of his life and is ruled by humans. I’m pretty sure that’s not what nature intended for dogs 🙄

I understand people will have genuine reasons for walking a dog on lead. I don’t feel “better” than them but historically it was usually the minority for a valid reason.

I think it’s such a shame to hear whole country parks being dogs on leads. I try and avoid formal parks/ spaces with lots of family and kids and play areas and picnics etc as I understand dogs running free can be an issue and it sounds like it has been. In that sort of area I would usually head to a less busy place for off lead “ at the back” but if there is no off lead anywhere it is just compounding the issue. Why can’t the country park have various options. On lead/off lead/ even no dog areas (kids play area). Why is it that responsible dog owners always end up being penalised and having to accept restrictions. And worse it is probably advertised a dog friendly. It really isn’t.

As this country gets more and more people, I think we all want space without restrictions for all our hobbies whether it be cycling, horses, dogs, kids etc

I don’t want to cause an issue - hence trying to find off lead places when I move.

As more and more people in populated areas are restricted due to changing council rules, land owner rules, eco friendly reasons and stupid wild flowers, I can understand there being more and more issues.

What's stupid about wild flowers?

If the council want wild flowers and cows then they can have them , as can teh NT because it is their land and more people will enjoy wild flowers and cows than will enjoy your dogs right to roam. I always found plenty of places to let my late dog off lead and I’m SE , I was equally happy for him to be on a lead at NT places .

Dogs are not natural. They are a human creation. They have been bred to work with and cooperate with us - a lot of breeds get a real kick out of doing shit with the human.

For my dogs to have happy lives, they have to be 'trained to within an inch of their lives' because they' re a wide-running hunting breed, so to keep them, the wildlife, the livestock, etc safe, they have to stop or recall when I tell them. >99% of the time, they do. And they are very happy and fulfilled.