Is it ok to let dogs off the lead.

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Ereiam_jh

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I walk my four dogs off the lead. In fact I never really put them on the lead. Seeing that I walk them on my own land I don't see a problem with that.

They do sometimes flush out and disturb the wildlife but they're collies and have only ever killed about four rabbits in their whole lives.
 
Mine never go on a lead other than to the Vets. They are obedient, socialised and polite and expected to stop barking at visitors upon request. They don't go off the property either.

Mine will chase anything, they treed a raccoon yesterday, I'd rather they didn't because of the rabies risk but if they keep my yard and fields free from deer and other creatures I'm fine with that. Actually neither of the dogs would know what to do with something if they caught it anyway, the shepherd chases squirrels with his stuffed toy rabbit in his mouth, hardly a big, fierce dog when he's wuffing around a soggy squeaky toy!
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In answer to your question, sure, it's fine for dogs to be off the lead on your own land as long as they stay there and don't cause any hazard anywhere else.

Not applied to you E, as I suspect you have typed this with a spoon in one hand, and I happen to agree with you anyway. Dogs chase things, it's inherent, and if people didn't want them to chase things then the first step towards that aim is to stop teaching them to fetch!
 
I have a funny story about this - I was running my 6 dogs in one of our paddocks which borders the small lane next to our property - a family came by all riding bikes and with a large Labrador on lead held by the mother - as they passed our fence, their dog pulled excitedly towrads my dogs causing her to fall over with an almighty crash - the husband than leaned over MY fence and shouted that I had no business running that number of dogs off lead
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listen ...it's YOUR land as long as they cannot get off it you have every right to exercise your dogs off lead on it
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Bumble Dog is allowed off her lead as she does not have a clue about how to disturb wildlife (when she sees a mouse at the yard she gets so excited that all she can do is spin in a circle
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) She will not let us out of her sight, unless cold and wet then she turns and heads home, stopping to make sure we are chasing her
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HOWEVER we do have to put her on a lead when anything big and 'fightish' approaches - Boxers, Alsations, Rotwielers and Dobermans come to mind - she thinks she can take them all on single pawed
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Mine would turn into psycho nutters if they weren't allowed off the lead. They need lots of exercise which simply couldn't be fulfilled by lead only exercise. They are always on the lead by roads but are let off as soon as they get on the fields.
The only thing they have ever caught is a rabbit but that was in my back garden. They do seem to 'catch' lots of dead half decomposed thing on walks mind - yuk!
 
I walk my dog through my own fields and then into a friend's woodland with just a little bit of roadwork. She is on the lead on the road, but off lead the rest of the time bouncing around chasing squirrels and rabbits. However, she always stays within earshot and always come back to call.
 

My dog is allowed off the lead when we walk on our own land - which is most of the time really. He regularly disturbs the wildlife, mainly phesants/partridge. We are neighboured by a large game farm and it is impossible to avoid them really. Any that he manages to catch (which isn't many as they tend to ruin his game by flying!!
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) are fed to my friends ferrets, so kind of re-cycling lol. Was a bit concerned when he b***ered off into the distance in hot pursuit of a deer the other morning, he soon gave up though.

J
 
My dog is allowed to roam on our land. We have 230 acres but he stays around the house unless he comes to fetch the cows with us for milking.

The only objection I have is walkers who think they can use our farm as a toilet for their dogs. It's a public footpath for walkers, NOT a dog training ground. Dog's should be kept on leads and they should stick to footpaths....but do they? NO! Grrrrrrr

Dog faeces causes stillbirth and abortion in cows when ingested with grass or in silage.
 
I'm with you on that patches. Our fields aren't a public footpath but do form a kind of circular walk and so many people think they have the right to walk their dogs in them. I don't mind this to be honest as long as they respect the fact that stock are often in the fields and do not walk in them then, but they never pick up the dogs poo. Now, if they were on a beach or other public place I am sure they would pick up then so why not in my fields - really annoys me!!
 
I'm sure they'd not like us letting our dogs poop in their garden!

As for cutting tree branches and their lawn and tipping it over our fences.....GRRRRRRR
 
aaaaaargghhhh!!!, we get that aswell - doesn't it P you off? I keep saying to OH he ought to take the digger and dump a bucket load of muck heap into their garden. I also get people walking their dogs down the lane, picking up the dog poo, placing it in a bag and then chucking it into my fields!! Makes my blood boil
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Oh dear.....can't say as we've ever had that particular problem but I would be very annoyed at that!

I told the couple down the road not to tip their cuttings into the field one day when I was riding (they didn't know I lived on the farm as I'm not that recognisable in my hat lol). I asked why they were tipping the grass in the field. She told me that "because the cows like it". It was November! I asked her if she saw any cows in the field to which of course she said no! I tried to point out that the grass would just rot and make for an unsightly patch in the hedge line which was far from attractive. I also pointed out how many times we have to repair that particular bit of fencing as they don't put the cuttings into the field....just under the hedge, so the cows push their way under the fencing to get to it. She stomped off muttering about me being unreasonable and pathetic! Fell on deaf ears. They still do it. What can you do?

Same with the fella who cut his blossom tree down and then put every single bit of it into our field. It's biodegradable is all he'd say. Hmm...... took me back a bit as we have a fallen tree that fell down 10 years ago and is STILL in one piece in the field! Grrrrrr

Honestly, they think we're miserable but farms are not a dumping ground. People have such little respect these days.

Oh and don't get me started on the people that think "right to roam" relates to ALL open land!
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Oh and don't get me started on the people that think "right to roam" relates to ALL open land!
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PMSL, I'd better leave this thread now as I have a feeling we could both moan away all day long
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J
 
[ QUOTE ]
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Oh and don't get me started on the people that think "right to roam" relates to ALL open land!
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PMSL, I'd better leave this thread now as I have a feeling we could both moan away all day long
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J

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Nooooo, this is good stuff.
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I like to moan about it! Doesn't get me anywhere as no one seems to listen.

Not quite sure when prime grazing land became looked on as waste ground!
 
Well if you let a dog wander round the place off the lead then it's pretty much bound to disturb the wildlife. I was wondering what people felt about that.

My feeling is that if you can be reasonably certain that it won't kill what its chasing and if it's got ample chance to escape the dog then it's ok to let the dogs off the lead even though they will chase the odd squirrel etc.

I'm pretty sure that's the view of most dog owners but I was wondering if anyone disagreed.
 
Of course we should be allowed to let our dogs off the lead - so long as we exercise care and control over them. All dogs should be given at least 30 minutes a day off the lead- if we can't do that we shouldnt have dogs. I guess this is stemming from the recent spates of dog attacks. The media loves this topic and it raises it head every few years, thats a whole new debate.
All my dogs get exercised over acres of woodland and fields every day, if I couldnt allow them that I wouldn't keep dogs- its unfair not to allow them proper exercise.
 
I appreciate that. What if they chase squirrels but the squirrels just run up a tree and never get caught. To me that's just harmless fun (and probably the squirrels) and good for the dogs as it gives them exercise.
 
Since the government is planning a cull of grey squirrels then I'm not too concerned if my dogs catch one. The dogs instinct is to chase any small animal, all mine are well trained but as dogs are unpredictable I doubt I could stop them if the mood takes. In the last 7 years my dogs have only caught one squirrel. I rescued it from the dogs mouth and it shot up the tree so guess it wasnt too injured!
 
We live surrounded by open fields, and over the years my dogs have chased many rabbits. The only ones they ever catch are the mixi ones, and there have only been a couple of those. I had a terrier who never used to lift her nose from the ground when out on a walk - she was very determined. The current dog however is very 'hello trees, hello sky' and a bit dim. She has chased the odd rabbit but she is not sure why...
 
On my land my dogs run around all day long....and sometimes all night long too if there is a critter around!

My dogs have 24 hour free access to outdoors and can pick and choose when they go outside.

When I ride with them up in my woods they run around in the brush and dense woodland, inevitably they flush deer, coyotes, rabbits, raccoons, partridges etc. and often the animals that they come across are just as surprised as the dogs themselves. My dogs are out there with me TO flush.....that's their job to create safe passage for me.

My dogs are pretty well trained and always come back the moment I call. I do own 3 leads......however the only time they are ever on leads is to go to the vet.
 
Um, I might have got my technical terms wrong but I think that's what they call it when they get all testosterone fueled and can gore people.

A bit like my local on a Saturday night.
 
I am a firm believer that dogs should have off lead exercise, they need to run around imo.

I walk at least 3 at a time and they only go on the lead near roads or if where I'm walking states they must be on a lead - though this isn't very often.

Luckily the farmer who owns the fields we walk through lets dogs in his fields even when the cows are in as long as dogs dont pester they can stay off lead. He also has dogs himself and is the person who owns the farm/stables where my horse is
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The only time that our dog goes on the lead is when walking aong the pavement to get to the field. When she's in the field we let her off and she will go and find some yummy smells. Occasionaly she will come across a rabbit scent and chase one but has never killed one because she is always letting it run pass her - silly dog
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The thing we are most careful she doesn't kill are pheasents.
 
I live in NYC and we have upwards of 30 "dog parks" where dogs meet and play with their friends in fenced-in, grassy areas of a few acres. The leash laws are strict here (before 9am and after 9pm only), so, each day, my dog has one long walk off-leash and one long walk on, with a trip to the dog park in-between. I wish it weren't so, but there are so many dogs here (1,000,000) that I guess it's the only way to keep everyone happy. Either way, she gets 2.5 hours of active exercise a day, which is way more than her breed needs.
 
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