Help writing dog walking article.

[kendal]

dont know if you have alredy red theis but i thaught it was worth posting


Dogs
Access rights apply to people walking dogs provided that their dog(s) is kept under proper control. Your main responsibilities are:
never let your dog worry or attack livestock;

do not take your dog into fields where there are lambs,

calves or other young animals;

do not take your dog into fields of vegetables or fruit unless there is a clear path, such as a core path or a right of way, but keep your dog to the path;

if you go into a field of farm animals, keep your dog(s) on a short lead or under close control and keep as far as possible from the animals; if cattle react aggressively and move towards you, keep calm, let the dog go and take the shortest, safest route out of the field;
during the bird breeding season (usually April to July), keep your dog under close control or on a short lead in areas such as moorland, forests, grassland, loch shores and the seashore;
in recreation areas and other public places avoid causing concern to others by keeping your dog under close control or on a short lead; and
pick up and remove your dog’s faeces if it defecates in a public open place.

Beaches and the foreshore
Access rights extend to beaches and the foreshore. Follow any local guidance aimed at reducing dune or machair erosion or at avoiding disturbance of nesting birds. Public rights on the foreshore will continue to exist, including shooting wildfowl, fishing for sea fish, lighting fires, beachcombing, swimming, playing and picnicking.

here is the link to the Scottish Natural Heritage Site and the Access Code

http://www.snh.org.uk/

http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/default.asp?nPageID=261&nSubContentID=0

[rooooooooby]

hi,

ok - more like a rule against nice sensible people because of muppets, and i agree i saw plenty hot doggies too

obviously i would have taken  mine in the early morning / evening and picked my poop up 

claire x

[kizkiznobite]

ok...what does my head in....

i am out with my pack...i am clearly doing some cue re-enforcement...afterall folk can see that the mad woman with a pack of white fur balls has a treat bag ...a lanyard complete with 3 of 4 whistles ...a couple of clickers about person...and can also hear that i am making a lot of noise of one sort or another...they can also see that when their untrained manic ball obsessed running free wayhey am out dog(s) start charging towards us at 30 miles an hour then my dogs are put into 'nudge' or a 'stand off' while i assess and decide if they can go greet or not...

do they notice? do they think? do they hell.....their dog comes bounding over while they shout name over and over and then say 's/he just likes to play/steal ball/join in/have a grumble/sniff your dogs backside'

what do i do?  well some of you have seen it  slip leash their dog while mine follow whatever cues have been given...hand back, smile sweetly and say 'thought about doing some training?'   

[widget]

I have one to add to this 

random people who think they know more about your dogs behaviour than you do 

I have a specific example - but it isn't isolated - I have other similar things...  Man with very assertive Boxer Dog - flattens my dog every time it sees him. The man has no control over stopping it coming up to me, although we avoid it as far as possible. Loki does not ever appproach it himself. Dog pins mine to the florr - I shout at owner. Owner says to me 'he's only playing'... errr no - my dog is cowering... owner then explains to me that he is going to try to introduce them and call his dog off - I say no - my dog is not an experiment for your dog training skills...  Another dog owner in the park at the same time says ' have you tried shaking a rattle at your dogs - it worked with x dog really well'.  I say 'why would I do that - my dog isn't doing anything wrong'   

and the saga continues. I don't walk in that park any more. If I see the dog - I go elsewhere, change my walk.

I love the advice dispensed at me.. I have been told all sorts of helpful advice in the park. Yesterady someone told me I should get a harness for my dog - rather than a collar and lead - I say why? They say 'when I had a labrador that's what I had - is better for them' - In what way? They aren't sure... maybe if my dog pulls they say - he doesn't - so why do I need one 

Another bad experience is when owners do absolutely nothing about their dog's bad behaviour.
we see a white alsatian that is very agressive - owner hide from us and watches from a distance without any control over her dog - she can't call it away or anything. I shout at it sometimes which can stop it from approaching... I also had to pull a choc lab off my dog cos it kept humping him  owner doing nothing...  I could go on 

[kerrie and stan]

one thing that annoys me is when an owner lets dog bound over to mine and jump all over him yet when mine growls at other dog and tells it to bugger off owners accuses me of having dangerouse dog and says that he should be muzzled i dont think so

[*Lassie*]

When I took my two out yesterday, the footpath we walked down you couldn't see what was ahead as the sun was so low it blinded you so although they were off lead I told them to stay close. This was fine until a Staffie, young male about 6 months came up behind us and jumped all over me I ended up covered in muddy paw marks and a scratch on my leg which bruised and the skin was broken, think his dew claw caught me. I held his collar calmed him down so all 4 paws were on the floor. The owner came wandering up so I told him I have got your dog for you,he said oh he's fine. The pup then went over to Tam who with this cold, wet weather is feeling stiff and sore so could do without a heavy pup jumping all over him so I called Tam to me. The Staffie owner said he's OK the pup won't hurt him.

The prat had let the pup run off ahead when he couldn't see what or who was ahead of him.
If the pup had jumped up my friend who is in her late 70's and scratched her leg like mine it would take weeks to heal and could easily turn ulcerated.
If the pup had jumped on Tam with his sore joints it would have hurt him and Tam could retaliate and have a go at the pup.
My Christmas wish - people would have more consideration for others and think about the consequences of their actions, and train their bloody dogs