Dogs off leads!

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Lucy_Nottingham

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Wow!
Ok went to help my farmer with lambing yesterday!
Whilst we were up the farm lane a group of people walked past with a springer/cocker and a long haired chihuahua (it looked like) off the lead!

From the start of the farm lane to just until you get into lyme park there are signs every 20-50m or so, depending on tree/post availability, saying LAMBS IN FIELD PLEASE KEEP ALL DOGS ON LEADS!!!

Anyway me and the farmers grandson asked the people politely to put these dogs back on the lead! The girl took the spaniel and popped it on! The older lady with the chihuahua turned and goes WELL THIS IS A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY SO I WILL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I LIKE!!!!!

WELL! I was like you cheeky b**ch (but kept that opinion to myself!) anyway she walked past! but her husband picked up the dog (he seemed pretty level headed!)

The public footpath runs about 1 metre to the right hand side of the lane, the LANE is the farms! However the farmer doesn't kick up a fuss about it as most people are sensible with it and get out hte way for farm traffic etc...

But isnt that just RUDE? and stupid!

THEN later on, saw the same people coming down the lane to get out, BOTH DOGS OFF THE LEAD!!!!!!!!!! Farmes grandson saw, and just lost it, cause we had been nice the first time so now they were just being RUDE! and the woman decides its her place to try to tell the grandson what for about the rules regarding dogs and sheep and why he has no right to talk to her in that manner etc!!! (so he just let loose!)

But anyone on here with farms AND dogs......... what would you think of someone doing that?!!!

Sorry for the rant, but GOD I was mad yesterday! Cheeky cow!

Tea and crumpets for reading this far
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I usually respond to situations like this by reciting lots of legal talk, terms and statutes at them!
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People like these make my blood boil.
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They give decent dog owners a bad name.
Shoot the owners!!!!!
(whoops p'raps better withdraw that but you know what I mean)
 
No i agree goya! Thats kind of how we felt! It wasnt that the dog were being naughty or even bothering with the sheep, but it only takes one setting off to catch the dogs eye and its gone, then it IS in trouble and its teh owners fault for not heeding the warning!

snotty old bag!

It did make me so very mad!!! Id shoot the owners too given the chance! If someone asked me (regardless of signs or not) Id be like O ok sorry, and on it would go! grr
 
Don't blame the farmers grandson for being mad. He would have been perfectly in his right to shoot the dogs I think, as far as I am aware a dog doesn't have to actually be in the act of chasing sheep, a farmer can shoot if he is concerned for his sheep. I do agree thought that shooting the owners would have been fairer (and more satisfying) .
 
Although I do agree with you, you don't say if these dogs were running completely loose (which I assume they were given your post/reaction).

But if the dogs were off lead, well trained and trotting along at heel or close to heel then I wouldn't have a problem
 
I'd have to agree with Ben_and _Jerrys - sounds to me like it was you and the grandson being rude, not the dog walkers - different story obviously if the dogs were in the field with the sheep or not under control but if they weren't bothering anyone that what was the problem ??
 
"But if the dogs were off lead, well trained and trotting along at heel or close to heel then I wouldn't have a problem "

Even the very best trained dog can suddenly behave out of character. Either of these dogs could have spotted the lambs running about and chased them. It is in a dog's nature after all.

The Country Code is specific about dogs on leads around livestock

By law, farmers are entitled to destroy a dog that injures or worries their animals.
 
They were off the lead, as I said NOT tearing around off across the fields after the sheep or lambs etc, HOWEVER the fact that there are big bold signs all around the land saying LAMBS IN FIELDS DOGS ON LEADS! and yet these people apparently are above it was what got us a bit riled up!
We were not rude the first time we asked we just politely stated there were the signs up and the dogs needed to be on leads please (until they got into the park) We didnt say it harshly or sarcastically just stated the point and waited for them to do it.
The womans response is what set it off as being more of an argument.....

And the dogs were not trotting at heel....... the chihuahua was the closest to it, and thats because its legs were too short to catch up so half the time it was lagging behind! the spaniel was just wandering where it liked really!

and in theory they were on the farmers land not the public footpath (as, as I said, the footpath is next to the lane, NOT the lane, but these people were smack in the middle of the lane.....)
 
putting signs up hardly means that everybody has to obey them !!
if people are walking down a lane with their dogs who are no where near the sheep and ignoring them then i really don't see why you have a problem with that .......
 
I was under the impression that the contryside code said that dogs had to be under close control when on a public foopath (like in this instance)
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And I do believe that some dogs are well trained enough not to chase sheep, and if they were under close control and not bothering livestock then no, a farmer would have absolutely no right to shoot them.

Personally my dog would be on a lead in that circumstance as although I would be fairly confident he wouldn't chase lambs I wouldn't be willing to risk it or him even wandering into the field, I don't have sufficient control over him to pervent that.
 
Its not a problem if the dogs are not causing a problem

but the problem is when someone else sees these dogs off the leads, thinks O the signs obviously aren't being enforced, and lets theirs off too, and these dogs are more interested in the sheep! or just takes off!

I am not saying the signs are law or anything like that but it is a polite request so that we don't have the problem of peoples dogs chasing the sheep. Also if one dog did get shot, there is evidence that it was requested before hand that the dogs remained on leads!

And we were being polite to the people, it was them who turned nasty first..... and surely its better to politely ask people first before sticking the gun under their nose and saying dog on lead now! (not that we would do that unless they WERE chasing the sheep but some do!)
 
I think you will find that Lucy/the farmer had a problem because despite being asked politely these people still had their dogs off lead, and they were not even on a public footpath ! I don't think some people realise how fed up some landowners get with people using footpaths etc, and it is the ignorant ones like these folks who spoil it for the rest of us. I walk my dogs over footpaths but if there is any stock in sight they remain on lead, or if it is a new area and I am not sure what I might meet.
The following is from the Countryside Code.

At certain times, dogs may not be allowed on some areas of access land or may need to be kept on a lead. Please follow any signs. You can also find out more by phoning the Open Access Contact Centre on 0845
 
B and J,

I agree that if your dog is under control then its your call, but at this time of year with the lambs around the farmers best interest is to say all dogs on leads!

These people were no longer on the public footpath, they were on his ground which he doesn't mind if they are under control, but seeing as this was the case, and his request had been that the dogs were on leads (better safe than sorry and all that!) we didnt see why these people were above it all......... introducing the chance that others would give themselves the same royalties with less well behaved dogs..... as not all owners are as aware of their control of their dogs as you are!

For example the day before some lady let her jack russell pup off the lead in one of the other fields, and that set off after the sheep! and she was stood NEXT to one of the signs!! so then the gun came out but luckily my sister managed to entise it aware from the sheep (no idea how, I wasnt there) but she was given the chance to get it back and managed it so the farmer is not happy go lucky with a gun, gives people the chance to recall, but at the end of the day, its his livelyhood and he is asking people to respect that.... those that can't end up paying for it.....
 
Have to agree, we where out walking this morning, and there where no signs at all....but the dogs I walk where on leads, because I knew there was a field close with sheep/lambs in, animals are animals and cannot be trusted 100% in any situation, there for precautions should be taken where needed, must admit if I where the farmer I would not be so lenient, if you where polite and she answered like that, she is obs an obnoxious cow, and indeed if everyone had the attitude there would be dogs running off lead everywhere, common sense!!
 
There is a walk very close to me which at the moment has sheep and lambs in. NO WAY will I even take my dogs in there on the lead or not. It is a respect issue as well as everything else IMO.
The farmer very kindly lets us use this walk for a lot of the year (it is not a public footpath) so we must respect his livestock.
 
I'm all for having the luxury of being allowed to walk my dogs off lead but it's crazy to jeopardise that by not being sympathetic to farmers who have to raise livestock in fields with footpaths through them just because it's not against the law. Soon it will be because of stupid people like this woman and we'll all suffer because of it.
 
exactly oneofthepack

we were not saying "your dogs are a dangerous liability" etc we were saying please we have asked for them to be on the lead, please respect that! but no apparently thats too much to ask! and as a result other people will prob suffer from it later on!

Its not a case of if the dogs are under control, if the farmer is happy to let people walk through his land WITH his livestock people should have the respect and awareness of this generostiy to carry out his wishes a.k.a. Keeping dogs on leads when in the fields especially at lambing time!
 
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