Off the lead doesn’t necessarily mean out of control

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I have 2 dogs who are very much under control when off the lead.

I live in the Lakes. I work in the mountains and spend a lot of time in the mountains with my dogs.

There are sheep around, dotted on the hillside. My dogs are off the lead and do not acknowledge these sheep. They don’t exist as far as my dogs are concerned.

It’s much safer for all to not have to contend with a a dog on a lead on steep rocky terrain. I have trained my dogs so we can enjoy the mountains together.

I spent 6hrs in the mountains yesterday with my dogs off the lead. It was snowy under foot and there were other people out walking.

My dogs did not go up to any one or any sheep. They wandered around, mooching near me at all times.

I got in to the valley at the end of the day and walked through a couple of fields. There were sheep in one of the fields. My dogs walked alongside me, not on a lead but under control. They were walking to heel.

Some guy with a dog on a lead came towards me and gave me a bollocking for having my dog off a lead in a field. Apparently I was breaking the law.

I’ve owned dogs for 20 odd years, always lived in the mountains and near farm land. I have always known that sheep worrying is an offence and dogs should be kept under control.

Does that mean on a lead? What are your thoughts?

Jesus, what have I just read? Pinning them by the scruff and yelling at them, for a month straight, at eight weeks old?!!

If this is real, you are an animal abuser and your dogs are only behaving for you because they are TERRIFIED of you. One day they will snap, and it will not go well.

Around here most field gates have signs saying dogs must be kept on a lead, you should comply. If no sign and they are walking to heel then it’s your judgement, just not one I would personally take

Why would they be on a lead around cattle?

The dog that attacked my dog had never been a problem until it was, and one day saw my dog calmly walking past and just went for him.

So am I right in saying that, in order to make sure your dogs are controlled around sheep, you thought it was a better idea to scare the living daylights out of them and abuse them rather than just… putting them on a lead? Make it make sense

So your dogs aren't well trained, you're just abusive.

Fantastic. Well done you, OP.

Your arrogance is gobsmackingly stupid. Just put the bloody dog on a lead.

You are a monster who should not be allowed anywhere near dogs.

She didn’t say that, tho. She said your dogs are likely not as well trained as either hers or those of half of Mumsnet users.

Your reading comprehension is shocking. As is your pig-headed refusal to put your dogs on a lead around livestock. Unbelievable.

Close control means walking to heel so may as well be on a lead. It is generally accepted that dogs should be on leads in the Spring particuarly.

You are arogant, selfish and clearly have no consideration for the wildlife or the sheep that might be terrified by your dog.

Are you aware that most ground-nesting birds will not return to their nests once disturbed by a dog, or that a hare may die of shock hours after running away from a dog. Clearly not - sheep are just one of the many animals that are suffering as a result of too many irresponsible dog walkers in the countryside.

Yes. Speaking as a Lake District sheep farmer I have to concur.

Have to add that I am appalled at the description of how you “trained” your dogs

I’m anal about this as I have a reactive dog but I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. I keep my dog on a lead as he’s a bellend sometimes with intact males particularly but if your dogs didn’t acknowledge him and walked past I have no issues. Likewise if I ask you to call them away and they recall well, no issue. They sound perfectly in control

I could completely trust my dog in a field of sheep 😃

You are very selfish. It's not about you. The sheep aren't going to trust your dog so you are being very unreasonable not to put it on a lead.

It’s like parents of teenagers who can’t imagine their dc ever doing anything wrong. You can’t talk to them. I have a spaniel with perfect recall but I put her on a lead around sheep (she ignores other dogs so will most certainly ignore sheep, but I went test it because it only takes it going wrong one time). It’s basic dog etiquette and only a lazy owner wouldn’t bother.

So could I, but I don’t because it causes the farmer to feel anxious and sets an example for other dog owners that’s not helpful.

Lazy and / or stupid!

And arrogant

Quite apart from what I think about your training methods 😰 I still feel you have not fully understood the concept "Under Control". There is a difference between preventing a desire in the animal, and being able to restrain it from acting on a desire if necessary. Suppose you had to call it off from bothering a child or ground nesting birds. How reliable is your dog to your voice commands? Or to a whistle? Unless you can honestly say 100% to one of these, then the dog is NOT under control unless you can control it on a lead. Sorry OP but that's the truth.

Your dog might be under control. Others are not.

The dog my farmer friend shot for worrying his pregnant sheep was described as under control by its owner.