Cocker Activities > Working

Dog chasing bird/mouse/rabbit is it illegal?

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Gazrob:
This is a strange question. I have a cocker spaniel that I don't work. I take him out for walks around my neighbourhood. I occasionally take him onto some fields near my home where many other dogs go. I think some of it is public and some is farmland. lots of people use this route to walk their dogs.My dog does chase the occasional bird. There is no cows or sheep in this area just fields. The other day I was out with dog and he was running about in the field and a man who goes shooting in this area threatened to phone the police if I don't control my dog and put him on a lead. Can I be prosecuted for my dog chasing the occasional bird even though he has never caught one. Seems to me that this man is only concerned that he won't have any game to shoot in the coming months.

its.sme:
I'm sure someone will be along with the answer , but as you don't know if it's a Public land or not you could be trespassing and that might have been what upset the Man with the Gun, after all he probably had permission to be there.

ejp:
Trespassing was my first thought, plus if the birds are reared for shooting that may have an impact too.

Gazrob:
He's just a local who goes shooting he doesn't own the land. He didn't have a gun. He was out walking his dog in the same field I was in. my dog was having a run in the long grass he wasnt chasing anything but he wasnt happy that he wasn't on his lead he said he's scaring the birds away that are nesting in the fields and that this is where he goes shooting. He said if I don't put him on a lead and take him somewhere else he will call the police if he sees us there again. But lots of people take their dogs here so I know it's not private. Does he have a case or is he just trying to scare me? I can't keep my dog on a lead all the time as he needs a lot of exercise.

elaine.e:
What kind of land is it? If it's the sort of terrain where ground nesting birds make their nests he may be genuinely concerned about that, or there may even be a local by law or order from the land owner making it illegal to have dogs off lead on the land during the ground nesting season, which is generally viewed as 1st March to 31st July.

The National Trust, as an example, own pockets of land all over the place, and where ground nesting birds may be present they have a code of practice for dog walkers during ground nesting season, which includes keeping to footpaths and keeping dogs on leads if they can't be kept under close control.

My local parish council owns a local common on the edge of the New Forest and they have an order in place stating that dogs must be kept on leads on the common from 1st March to 31st July.

So it may be worth finding out who owns the land and if they have placed any restrictions on it, either legally binding or as a code of practice.

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