Protecting dog walkers' access and freedom to walk

Following his recent Webinar for NFDOG, and dog owners in the New Forest, Stephen Jenkinson has become our first Honorary Member. This follows discussion by the committee who sought to reward him for his continuing work. The award will be recorded formally at the AGM and reflects Stephen’s tireless work for dogs, and access to public spaces.

Although he lives in Scotland, Stephen has been a regular contributor and promoter of NFDOG’s work including articles in national magazines. In particular he praises our positive working relationships with local authorities and landowners, following protests in the 2000’s against new rules and regulations.

Here, as the Kennel Club’s Access and Countryside Advisor (part-time, for 21 years) he’s written for its magazine about continuing threats to restrict access to the countryside for dog owners, and new rules and regulations limiting the freedom  to walk, such as we enjoy n the New Forest.

'For over two decades The Kennel Club has successfully opposed unjust restrictions on outdoor access for dog walkers, alongside promoting best practice to reduce conflict in the countryside.

As The Kennel Club seeks to become more relevant to all UK dog owners, our work to protect opportunities for happy, healthy, hassle-free dog walks is more important than ever, given that 31% of all homes contain a dog.

Over the last 20 years no other canine-sector organisation has done more to protect dog walking, using our specialist legal knowledge and promotion of best practice. It’s a testament to the public affairs team’s powers of persuasion and tenacity that most problems are quietly resolved behind the scenes. Here are some insights into recent successes and ongoing concerns.

Local council dog parks

The Kennel Club always seeks to collaborate with local councils, especially when one-off tragic incidents prompt knee-jerk demands for more restrictions on all dog walkers, not just irresponsible owners and breeders. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) was recently being pressured to introduce designated off-lead dog parks; for UK visitors to North America, Australia and New Zealand, dog parks can at first sight seem a good approach.

But it’s not always obvious to UK residents that elsewhere in the world public dog parks are often the only lawful place for off-lead exercise. Many people avoid them because they can become overcrowded and a magnet for badly trained and poorly socialised dogs, leading to dog aggression and fatalities. Dog parks also reduce the amount of exercise people do with their pets, undermining the human health benefits of dog walking. RCBC approached us for advice and we suggested better ways to reduce conflict, including taking direct action against irresponsible dog owners, and giving better information about where to take on- and off-lead exercise, without reducing the amount of green space for dogs.

Dartmoor National Park byelaws

Far less satisfactory is Dartmoor National Park Authority’s (DNPA) controversial byelaw review, which has introduced significant new restrictions and £500 fines for simply having a dog off-lead on almost 90,000 acres of common land from 1 March to 31 July. While The Kennel Club supports lead use around livestock – unless threatened by cattle – and rare ground-nesting birds, the DNPA off-lead ban would apply on common if it’s not designated for sensitive wildlife, no livestock are present and no other damage is caused.

The current byelaw only requires dogs be kept under ‘close control’, prevented from causing an unreasonable annoyance, and put on a lead if instructed by a ranger. Off-lead exercise and training is the most valued amenity for around 85% of dog walkers. If the new byelaw is approved, it would encourage Dartmoor’s 34,000 residents to take off-lead exercise in fields set aside for livestock instead (where the £500 fine on-lead byelaw would not apply), most likely creating more conflict. Or they would have to drive outside the 368-square mile national park’s boundary or go to pockets of woodland managed by Forestry England. Our suggestions to make better use of established good practice applied elsewhere (for example, as developed by Government wildlife agency Natural England) and apply existing laws used by many public bodies have alas been repeatedly dismissed by DNPA. We are preparing to challenge many substantive aspects of the proposed new byelaws when the Secretary of State is asked to rubber-stamp the DNPA’s proposals.

Field and working trial events

Our specialist knowledge also ensures outdoor activities such as Kennel Club field and working trials are not curtailed due to misunderstandings of complex public access laws by landowners hosting events where shooting – or merely the sound of gunshot – is involved. It’s not in principle illegal to shoot from or across a footpath or other form of public access, providing this doesn’t cause public nuisance, injury or intimidation. If that were not the case, it would be virtually impossible to run field trials at The Kennel Club’s Emblehope and Burngrange moorland estate in Northumberland, as there’s public access over most of its 7,550 acres. Our management at Emblehope shows that with good organisation, public access, dog walking and canine activities can co-exist with farming and nature conservation.

Whether there’s a right of public access or not, offering visitors an attractive temporary alternative route around any area of potential conflict works better than simply erecting ‘no entry’ or ‘keep out’ signs, as most walkers will avoid conflict if given an informed choice. This principle is the same approach we promote to reduce conflict between dog walkers, wildlife and livestock. 

Not simply a walk in the park

Daily exercise in the outdoors is key to a dog’s wellbeing and gives us humans better physical and mental health too. But these benefits are under threat every day from those with influence who choose to only see the problems caused by the minority of problem dog owners.

Thankfully, The Kennel Club’s unique history of protecting responsible outdoor access for dogs, large or small, pedigree or crossbred, is set to remain an enduring part of our ever-growing relevance to dog owners across the UK for years to come.'

If you are a member of NFDOG you an see Stephen's webinar on happy, healthy and hassle free walking here. 

Stephen Jenkinson

The views here are Stephen’s. He has been The Kennel Club’s part-time Access and Countryside Advisor for 21 years. He is also a Kennel Club member and works privately across the UK and worldwide advising government bodies, canine charities and landowners on supporting the good things about dog walking while minimising any adverse impacts on livestock, wildlife and other people.