Dog Control Orders

But did you know that it could become more difficult to enjoy the open spaces where you currently walk your dog? Since April 6th 2006, local authorities in England and Wales have had the power to introduce new Dog Control Orders under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. But what does this mean to you as a dog owner?

Well, this means that your local authority could designate local areas of land currently being used by the general public where one or more of the following might apply;

• You must keep your dog on a lead

• You must put your dog on a lead and keep it on, when told to do so by an authorised officer

• Dogs may be completely banned from areas

• You may not take more than a specified number of dogs onto land

• You must remove dog faeces

If you don’t abide by these orders, you could be fined up to £1000.

While we don’t know if every local authority will rush to suddenly impose such restrictions, if they do, these dog control orders could significantly restrict yours and your dog’s enjoyment of your local parks and countryside where you usually walk.

Local authorities must publish a notice describing the proposed order in a local newspaper, so please look out for these, let other dog walkers know and encourage everyone you know to write and oppose any ban that you feel is unreasonable.

So my advice to you is to keep an eye on any proposed changes in your area and take action to ensure that your dog walking pleasure is not spoilt in the future – I know I certainly will!

My questions to you:
Do you think these control orders are fair? Are you worried that your council may change the areas where you usually like to walk your dog?

On the other paw, I’ve had emails in the past from dogs who had been attacked by others allowed off lead and out of control by irresponsible owners. Do you think areas notorious for problems like these can perhaps be improved with orders to keep dogs on leads?

Please email me and let me know!

Until next time, when I'll be barking on about another hot hound topic,

Best woofishes,

Poppy

poppy@dogstrust.org.uk

Your replies:

Hi Poppy
 
Hope you are well. I love walking my dog; it de-stresses me and he seems to like it too. I always clean up after him also but I seem to be the only one in this area that does. I guess I know that I won’t be fined as I clean up, but this really annoys me. Also I have walked dogs that have now passed over and where I used to walk those dogs the areas have been built on - so I find there is not the space where I used to walk my past dogs. I guess I have found a few new patches where they have knocked down buildings. My opinion is there should be fields for dogs only - this would be ideal. But you still have to clean up after them!
I am moving shortly and there are loads of fields to walk my dog, so rocky and I are looking forward to that. I will of course still clean up after him. What annoys me are dogs left out to roam the street. They follow you on your walk and I worry as I cross two main roads. I would be upset if they got run over. I am always shouting “go home” to them. I know they are not strays as they are too healthy.
So really I feel people should be made to keep their dogs in and I agree with the keeping them on a lead. I only let my dog off on a big field, not too near roads and only if no other dogs are present (ones I don't know - as rocky has his doggy pals he runs round the field with).
Anyway love the Dogs Trust. Hope the above info has been useful.
Yours Glennis Page
P.S. Rocky says hi x

Dear Poppy

I cannot claim to be an experienced dog walker.  I have only walked a dog the past 5 years.  But, I have tried to do the ‘right’ thing, I’ve read a lot of books and believe I have common sense.  I also talk to other dog walkers.
It seems that being on a lead changes a dog’s behaviour – frequently causes them to bark when they meet other dogs, maybe be aggressive, etc.  I think this is because they are constrained from dealing with their own social situation in the way that they, as dogs, would do.  I’m amazed and delighted with the way my dog ‘meets and greets’ other dogs.  Some she adores, some cause great excitement and some she really wants to avoid.
I do think that the puppy parties many vets now hold are a good way for dogs to learn the ‘rules’ of social interaction and us humans should have more faith in letting them off the lead (knowing we have done a good job of training them!).
Bronya

Dear Poppy

Whilst I do think it would be unfair to many dogs to impose restrictions such as them not being allowed off the lead, I do think in certain areas it would be very beneficial not just to dogs who could be under attack but also to dog owners such as people like myself who own "dog aggressive" dogs.
I speak as the owner of a beautiful, much loved dog but also a dog who has problems around other dogs and as such is not allowed off the lead when there are others about. We do this as a consideration to other dogs and also to him (for obvious reasons).
I have to say I really wish other people would show the same consideration and realise that not all dogs are as friendly as their own.  It can be really difficult whilst out walking when a dog bounds over towards us and you have to try and negotiate the situation.  We have a fairly large dog so the option of picking him up is not there.
Once again I think this is a case of educating the "humans" to do the right thing for their canine friends.

Hi Poppy

I own a lovely dog (Sabrina) that we got from DT in Evesham, she is an absolute joy.
I take her training classes every Friday which she has been going to since we got her, and she absolutely loves it.  Mainly this was to socialise her as she had been a stray and then spent the first one & half years of her life in kennels.  She has got on fantastic and is a completely different shy dog we first took home nearly two years ago.
I also have no problem clearing up after her when we go out, but must admit the amount of owners that seem to disregard this and just carryon walking as their dog is doing their business.  I know you can't see everything they do especially if they are running through forests etc.  I also keep an eye on other people walking their dogs especially if they are on a lead as Sabrina does like to go up and say hello, and straight away I put her on the lead until we pass.
It would be a great shame if dogs have to be kept on leads all of the time as there is nothing I enjoy more than watching them run around playing and enjoying one another’s company.
Kind regards, Kim

Dear Poppy,

I have just been reading some of the answers you have had in regard to the new Dog Order legislation. 
Although these people who reply to your comments are all giving lip service to themselves being responsible dog owners, it is sadly rarely the case in actual fact (apologies to those of you who are genuine). 
At present my friend is a small Jack Russell who happens to be white and female.  Huge dogs bound over and either want to 'get friendly' or want to 'bully', shall we say, a dog of this colour. Their owners either ignore my plight at trying to get my dog into a safe place (at barely 5'2" this is quite scary anyway), or tell me that their dog 'won't hurt you'. I have yet to meet the owner of a large dog who was not a bit on the aggressive side themselves (although I am sure there are such people out there). These are the people who think it is their given right to walk their dogs along public footpaths, off lead most of the time, and for their dogs to be allowed to foul without recourse. 
How often have you walked either in a zig-zag line or round huge mounds of faeces, or felt sick at the fact that someone has walked through this mess and spread it around and along a footpath. I doubt this is deliberate - more a case of couldn't see it in the dark!
Do I think these new rules are a good thing - you bet I do. If anyone complains then I reply that they must be the ones who are the irresponsible owners and do not control their dogs in the first place. It is because of these folk that these orders have come about......
We would all like our dogs to run free and enjoy the spaces, but because of the few, as usual, the majority have to suffer.
I have no doubt that there will be strong comments about my e-mail, but I am entitled to my opinion as are they. And my opinion is based on my experience.
Yours sincerely, Tyna

Dear Poppy
 
We are two bouncy Labradors brothers Tas and me, Connor. We don't mind keeping our owner on a lead when it's appropriate. She's usually well behaved, but sometimes we have to try and hurry her up. But of course, the best is when we can let her throw the ball for us, or hide objects for us to find or just leave her catching her breath while we run around. 
These Owner control orders, to make them stay on the lead and scoop the poop are okay, but it's a bit of shame, because most dogs have their owners well trained about when to stay on the lead and such. 
We were wondering if the local authorities have really considered how many dogs are in their area. Around where we live, at least 20% of the households have dogs, and we walk our owners to the park, rain or shine, several times a day, making more use of the field than non-dog households. So we were wondering if the local authority could balance dog restricted areas with dog designated areas like in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. 
In these countries, dog parks are increasingly common with fully fenced, secure off-leash areas, where dogs and people can safely be off leash with no runners, cyclists, or childrens playgrounds to worry about. These aren't the only places dogs are allowed in the neighbourhood, but it’s a relaxing, safe environment for us. Great for young dogs who haven't learnt to look after their owners yet, and who might wander off, leaving their owner unattended. 
There could also be smaller fenced areas within the park for dogs who need some alone time to work with their owners one on one, without other dogs around.
What do you think Poppy?  Any chance of dog parks appearing in the UK?
Tas and Connor Kapma

Hi Poppy
 
I have read your readers comments with interest; we have just lost our second Great Dane sadly, so are dogless at the moment. But we expect to ask another little bundle to join us at some time in the future. To the reader who made comments about large dogs I would say, my first Dane was chased and harassed by two Jack Russells to the point that he crossed a stream (he hated water) and marooned himself on a little shelf of earth on the other side to get away from them. The owner of the dogs thought it was funny and didn't see why she should control them because they were only little and doing no harm. So small dogs can be just as bad; this isn't the only incident I have found with very small dogs, large dogs usually instinctively think anything that small is a puppy so needs protecting. However, I have also had incidents where dogs have been frightened of my dog or aggressive towards it because they have never met a dog bigger than them and have no experience of being submissive as they are the one that is usually biggest and so submitted too, and you deal with each incident as it comes as sensitively as you can. 
We always picked up after our dogs even when we were in an area where officially we didn't have to, as I hate walking in dog poo as much as everyone else. We have also met aggressive dogs, people adults and children who are frightened of dogs so I do sympathise with them but we as dog owners have as much right as they do and we keep the parks going during the winter or rain and wind soaked days when they don't want to know. It's also my opinion that in general dogs do less damage to parks than children. But that said I feel there should be areas where you can walk your dogs off lead (dog parks would be great I really agree with that comment especially when you have a new puppy you are unsure of the recall with) areas where dogs must be kept on the lead and others where they are banned and are left for families.  But if this were to happen then families must understand that if they choose to walk in a dog friendly area then they will come across dogs because it is their area, and people with aggressive or timid dogs must understand that if they are in the area where dogs are allowed off lead then that is what they will encounter and must deal with it.
To end may I just say that we have had a lot of people come to us over the years when walking our dogs and ask if their child/grandchild could stroke the dog as they were frightened of dogs, but ours seemed so calm and quiet, every time we said yes and spent lots of time just waiting patiently for a child to get up the courage to touch our dog, when they did they would be thrilled and we felt very proud of the dogs doing their bit for dog/human relations.
Jane Dimond

Hi Poppy

I too feel I must reply to the email about `huge dogs bounding over`.
I am the person who wrote the e-mail about dogs bounding over as I have a very dog-aggressive dog (through no fault of his own I might add, due to his previous owners)!
I have to say I have to defend large dogs in this context and certainly not all people who own big dogs are on the aggressive side. You only have to look at the huge staffie population now owned in inner city areas by young lads trying to look big - I wouldn't class those as big dogs.
I too have also encountered problems from small dogs with very big attitudes.  I have constant problems with somebody who has a westie - in fact who insists on letting the dog off the lead to run over to my dog which results in me literally sitting on my down to try and hold him down to stop him attacking her little dog while the idiot owner strolls over to me as if it’s some kind of game.
As the owner of a small dog please do not see large dogs as the enemy or indeed their owners.  There are just as many irresponsible, stupid people out there who own small dogs believe me!

Dear all

I feel I have to reply on this subject due to being a Dog Warden for a local authority. I feel that control orders are a good thing provided they are implemented properly. To implement control orders you are to seek public opinion (dog owners or not) to discover if the control order you are trying to implement is proportionate to the area you wish to place it. So it would be advisable for the general public to seriously think about this. These orders are not implemented to punish dog owners but to get a balance for everyone who uses local amenities and to be able to utilise resources to deal with the irresponsible dog owners among us. We as Dog Wardens would rather educate than enforce but unfortunately society does not allow this. Most of our time is taken by dealing with irresponsible dog owners (large and small dogs) and enforcing legislation than going to schools and community groups to educate people on responsible dog ownership. We have been working very closely with Dogs Trust over numerous years to try and eradicate issues that have being commented on previously but unless society thinks about what they are doing and considers other people then it will be a long and arduous journey for us all. Just to comment on previous issues raised, this forum is for people to raise issues and to give their opinion not to argue about big dogs or small ones each dog is individual and will act as such -  believe me I have dealt with every size and shape. Everyone is entitled to their opinion I agree but that does not make their opinion fact!!!

Hi Poppy,
 
I think these changes are highly unfair, to dogs anywhere where this act has been carried out. Every dog should have the right to run freely, where appropriate, like fields and some forests, but I believe a dog should only be kept on a lead, near busy roads, and seemingly idle lanes, because even the most attatched dog, will run occasionally, for whatever reason, like the sight of another dog, or a suspicious looking person, as i've expierenced 3 times.Though unfair, i do believe that this helps with certain issues, like people who don't wish to have their dog neutered, yet let them run free, though unaware of the fact that females may be loose, as i'm sure the dog would already be aware. Overall though, I think this act can be useful, but i really don't think that your dog should be restricted to it's lead everywhere.

Hello Poppy,

I grew up in the New Forest and  always had dogs in the house that we would walk, off the lead, with no problems (and cleaned up after every time). Having moved into Southampton and got a new addition to the family, I can understand the need for controlls on dogs.

I don't agree on having to travel for 30 mins to find a place to walk our dog off the lead (although we often do on a Sunday, meet up with some friends and their dogs, have a long walk around the forest and the beach, then have a roast and a pint in a nice pub while the dogs doze happily by the fire and get their energy back!).  The main problem we come across is the owners, I agree with Tas & Connor, they should be called owner control orders.  Our dog (a schnauzer) ran up to a small dog on his first walk, to which the owner picked her dog up and started shreiking about how her puppy haddn't met another dog yet.  If somebody said that their dog was scared of other dogs or had an aggression problem I could understand, I would put ours on a lead and walk away.  But in instances like these, it will only reinforce in the puppy that other dogs are something to be afraid of.  Now if we are walking dogs off the lead and see another dog nearby, we will always try to engage them in a game of catch, get the treats out and generally keep the dogs close by us.  A friendly shout of "is it OK" to another owner lets us know if we should put them on the lead or leave them to make new friends.

I think the local council should introduce these orders in certain areas BUT they should also include well fenced in areas where our four legged friends can run free.  Anyone who feels that their dog is vulnerable to dogs off a lead or may be agressive could stay in the dogs on leads only areas and those of us who are happy for our dogs to be off their leads could go to well fenced, secure parks.  I know there will always be instances when dogs will just "not like the look of each other" but you wouldn't keep a child from going in the playground at lunchtime in case they got bullied and it is the same with dogs.

Dear Poppy,
My Mistress has asked for me to give you my opinions on Local Authority Restrictions.
I am very lucky because I live in the countryside and near the Offa's Dyke Footpath and Public footpaths in abundance. I have trained my mistress to abide by country codes relevant to dog owners and she is very good carefully clearing up after me and disposing of the parcels in dog loo bins. She also keeps me on a lead when on the public highway and in the vicinity of cattle.
I have been attacked several times by off lead dogs when I was on lead, and when my mistress has remonstrated with the owners they always behave as if I was the one who went up and put my body in their dogs mouth! We have also been subjected to verbal abuse. My Mistress feels that if the restrictions are abided by then we have no objections to them, we suspect that unless there is someone on patrol 24/7 then the humans will just ignore it all.
In my Parish there is a fenced area especially for dogs, with trees and lovely grass and a dog loo bin outside the area, I have never been there but have been told of instances where dog owners from across the border into Wales have driven to this place to exercise their dogs, unfortunately those dogs are more often than not big, aggressive and bully's just like their owners! Probably they have been banned from where they live and that is why they come to our Parish. The shame of it all is that Parishioners who contribute via their Council Tax (Parish Precept) to keeping this Doggy Area maintained are loath to use it - that is why my mistress will not take me there in case I am attacked.
In my household we always say there are no bad doggies just rotten owners!! But isn't that true of most things?
I and my mistress are getting older and stiffer so we do not go far now, I sometimes meet up with my doggy friends and neighbours, they like us because we always have dog biscuits and I don't mind sharing them while my mistress has a natter!
I love your contributions Poppy.
Lots of woofs and licks to you all.
Tess (elderly tri-colour Border collie)