Can the farmer shoot my dog?

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Supernova89

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Hi. Sorry for the loaded title but I am genuinely seeking advice. I had my dog off lead in an empty field. There were no livestock in the field and my dog was walking to heel with me. We stick to the edges and margins of the field. We are in Scotland so we have a right to reasonable access. Along comes the farmer in his tractor asking me why she is off the lead as there are young pheasants going about? I immediately apologise and put my dog on the lead, and agree to continue to do so whilst on his land. I get home and mention it to my neighbour who says I am lucky he never shot my dog and if I have her off lead again she will be shot? This really scared me as now I am thinking my dog could have been shot. Am I right to being scared or is my neighbour overreacting? I totally understand that dogs worrying livestock is a massive problem and that farmers are within their rights to protect them, but shooting her for walking off lead in an empty field?
 
paddi22

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having seen how little control people have over dogs off leads, I think the farmer is in the right. the field you are in might be empty, but if the dog ran off into the next field it could be a different story. we had a neighbour walking their dog in a 200 acre empty field beside us. dog chased a rabbit, chased it through our garden and then swopped to attack a rooster we had and tore it to shreds. neighbour was mortified and said dog was usually well-behaved. but it only takes one distractionn for a dog to run off. i can see why the farmer said what he did.
 
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Supernova89

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paddi22 said:
having seen how little control people have over dogs off leads, I think the farmer is in the right. the field you are in might be empty, but if the dog ran off into the next field it could be a different story. we had a neighbour walking their dog in a 200 acre empty field beside us. dog chased a rabbit, chased it through our garden and then swopped to attack a rooster we had and tore it to shreds. neighbour was mortified and said dog was usually well-behaved. but it only takes one distractionn for a dog to run off. i can see why the farmer said what he did.
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That’s awful. I’m sorry about your poor rooster. ?
 
teddypops

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A farmer can shoot an out of control dog who is worrying livestock. He can’t shoot your dog who is off the lead but walking to heel. I don’t think pheasants are considered livestock, but if the farmer owns the field and he has asked you to keep your dog on a lead then that’s the best idea.
 
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I think your neighbour has been incredibly irresponsible worrying you like this! I know a lot of farmers and the vast majority don't like shooting anything, let alone someone pet dog. I cant answer your question from a legal point but assuming you weren't in a field with the dog worrying livestock and there were no signs saying dogs on leads at all times, i think it was just a lesson learnt that, that particular farmer needs to be avoided!

Many years ago I was walking my dog in a new area i was working in and i saw a farmer come bombing towards me on his tractor and I knew exactly what he was going to say 'why was my dog off lead' ... I purposely put her in a down stay at the edge of the field and started walking towards him and low and behold he started moaning that my dog was not under control and should have been on a lead ... all the while my dog was in a down against the fence line exactly where i had left her! You could see him keep glancing towards her and the penny started to drop that i had perfect control over her, lol! I was very cocky and did a few recall to down, recall to sit, recall to down until she got to me for the most spot on present and then twist so she was back at my left side awaiting a command (I cant remember the terminology now, i used to do obedience and agility with her) by which point he was fuming and rather red faced, lol :)
 
PapaverFollis

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I believe they can only legally shoot your dog if it is the only way to stop it actively chasing livestock at that moment.

If your dog was walking to heel and under control I don't see that you did anything wrong.

But I wouldn't bank on a farmer not shooting my dog regardless of legalities and would put it on a brightly coloured lead on any farmland where I hasn't discussed letting the dog run on it with the landowner beforehand.

I put the Spaniel on a lead for a 50m section of my walk in my own fields sometimes if next doors' sheep are close to the fence. He's not even vaguely interested in sheep but he likes the stream that runs between our properties and I don't want Mr next door looking over and seeing a dog bouncing around near his sheep.
 
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PapaverFollis said:
I believe they can only legally shoot your dog if it is the only way to stop it actively chasing livestock at that moment.

If your dog was walking to heel and under control I don't see that you did anything wrong.

But I wouldn't bank on a farmer not shooting my dog regardless of legalities and would put it on a brightly coloured lead on any farmland where I hasn't discussed letting the dog run on it with the landowner beforehand.

I put the Spaniel on a lead for a 50m section of my walk in my own fields sometimes if next doors' sheep are close to the fence. He's not even vaguely interested in sheep but he likes the stream that runs between our properties and I don't want Mr next door looking over and seeing a dog bouncing around near his sheep.
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I have a collie (im a collie guy, lol) who has ZERO herding instinct and is perfectly behaved and obedient and i always put her on the lead around livestock. It saves any confusion in the heat of the moment so I'd be like you and do the same thing sadly.
 
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Amymay said:
It’s absolutely brilliant that your dog was so completely under control. But to take the piss out of a farmers legitimate concerns is really poor form, IMO.
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Tiddlypom said:
Indeed you were :rolleyes:.

Why not just put the dog on a lead and not show yourself up as a smart@rse?
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Hahaa good ol' HHO, yes thank you for that little attempt at a telling off. It was over 25 years ago
 
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Supernova89

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Pearlsasinger said:
Your neighbour is looking at the worst case scenario but your dog is best on a lead in other people's fields. Game birds are livestock and if your dog is worrying them, the farmer is within his rights to shoot it although most would warn you first.
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That’s good to know. I thought they were wild. I don’t think my dog would chase one as we get them in the garden but wouldn’t want to risk it. Just as it wouldn’t want to risk it with sheep, ect so on a lead she shall stay. I’m new to the countryside.
 
FinnishLapphund

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I wonder if the neighbour knows/have heard something about the farmer being grumpy about dogs?
I would have thought that legally it isn't enough that a dog is off leash, for a farmer being allowed to shoot it, but wearing a go pro recording your dog walks might perhaps be a good investment.
 
Gloi

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Supernova89 said:
That’s good to know. I thought they were wild. I don’t think my dog would chase one as we get them in the garden but wouldn’t want to risk it. Just as it wouldn’t want to risk it with sheep, ect so on a lead she shall stay. I’m new to the countryside.
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They raise the pheasants and feed them until they are grown up and released for the shooting season so they have put time and money into them as much as any other animal.
 
JackFrost

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A scenario here was that lambs were being killed by a local dog. All the local dog owners said 'Not my dog, it would never do that'. Then one was caught in the act. It was put down. But up til then IMO the farmer would have been entitled to shoot any of the dogs that were on the land, how was he to know which one was doing the killing?
 
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