With the weather steadily improving day by day and week by week, no doubt you’re all planning some lovely springtime dog walks in the countryside over the next few months… and no doubt your four-legged friends are very much looking forward to doing the same!
Walking your dog in more rural areas is a little different to just taking them on a quick stroll down the street and you may have to make a few adjustments here and there to ensure that you keep your dog safe, as well as other wildlife and animals you may encounter as you go.
Firstly, it’s important to keep your dog on the lead if they don’t have good recall skills, if you’re in a nature reserve, or if you’re on farmland.
If off the lead and spooked by something, they may just run off and disappear – and it can be very challenging indeed to catch them and bring them home once this happens. Off-lead dogs also pose a threat to wildlife, as well as livestock like cows and sheep, so keeping them on the lead in certain situations is your best line of defence.
In fact, it’s a legal requirement to keep dogs on leads no more than two metres long on open access land between March 1st and July 31st to protect ground-nesting birds and at all times around livestock, so this is important to bear in mind as well.
Another top tip is to make sure that you’re disposing of dog waste responsibly, as it can cause serious harm to wildlife and farm animals if they mistake it for a food source. If there are no public bins in the vicinity, simply take your litter home or wait until you come across a bin.
If you’re worried about how your dog behaves around wildlife and livestock, it could be beneficial to speak to a dog trainer so you can be more confident about taking them out and about exploring the local countryside.
Looking for a dog trainer in London at the moment? Get in touch with Sean Hyden today to see how he can help.
