[Old Shep]

Just an example of a successful dog field


https://www.dogdayslancs.co.uk/

[anitasam]

Hi Sbom,no, I wouldn t need to sit and watch the person and dog as they exercised, once i`d taken money and welcomed them i would allow them peace and privacy to enjoy the experience ( as the couple who run the pen I go to do).Access to and exit from the field would be under my control - as harmony says, the people wanting this service are probably similar to me and want their dog to enjoy the freedom and exercise the pen would offer away from hazards or without problems of recall- many dogs are so nervous of people, traffic and other dogs walking them can be a negative experience and this offers them a chance to make it a more positive one.`Policing` isn t really the approach I would take- if some of them miss a poo i am quite willing to scoop and compost it myself, I think the amount of poo that would be produced is being overestimated . Honestly, it would be there for hire when needed -I wouldn t need or expect the pen to be in use 100% of the time- it would be a supplemental income. A lot of people would happily pay for sole, secure use of a pen and would not dream of allowing their dog off lead in public for a variety of reasons.
Clearly no one is suggesting it`d work for every smallholder but it does work well for many as the number of those doing it proves. The place I go to was opened after it was requested from a group of people who knew the smallholder, as a service that was needed and would be successful. It takes five minutes of their time to take money and welcome, then say goodbye at the end of a session and to be in the general area in case help is needed. On the dogwalkingfield site I found it says many pens are opened by community groups getting together and renting fields from the council or friendly farmers and managing them voluntarily, so it seems to work in practice under different models.
Smallholders seem to need to be flexible, open minded and willing to try new innovations to survive and thrive and surely the more diverse options the better chance of finding ones that suit individuals.
If I manage to get it up and running I`ll keep you posted on successes and failures. I`ve seen it running successfully in practice so know it`s worth a try, I never doubted it s viability just wanted advice on legalities.
PS thanks for the support old shep, your positivity is much appreciated 

[harmony]

I think a lot of contributors to this thread haven't grasped the concept!  This is certainly viable if in the right area.  I have two within 20 minutes drive of me and they get booked up very quickly - you have to wait a week to get on.  Its £5 for half an hour.  The land is not going to be grazed, so all your worries about poo are unfounded - but of course people have to pick up.  The costs of fencing and insurance may be prohibitive for some, but it is do-able.  One of our local ones has opened a second field next door because they get so booked up.  This isn't a mad idea, so maybe think twice before poo-pooing other people's plans.

Hear Hear!!


Good luck anitasam!

[Sbom]

If it was on your smallholding then I would be taking advantage of the extra people and have an honesty box with eggs, veg etc for sale nearby, also be touting pork/beef/lamb etc. You could add a good few extra pennies this way...

Dog walkers make up a fair proportion of our egg sales

[anitasam]

Exactly Sbom- the add on opportunities are up to you. The one I go too advertises related businesses with banners on the fence ( groomers, vets etc) and sells coffees ( machine so they dont need to be there), you could sell produce or any number of other ideas. There are pitfalls that need to be thought through with any venture, just needs planning.

[doganjo]

As I said before I wish there was one near me. I've spoken to local farmers and they said a big fat loud NO WAY!

[Penninehillbilly]

Have to admit, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Some dogs just don't recall, some are too nervous of other dogs, maybe aggressive so have to be on lead all the time. If you have the money, well worth it for a secure and private run around.

[AnnS]

Doganjo, there was one in Larbert, not sure if it is still available, up by viaduct, not huge, sort of long and thin. Another opened up in the Glasgow area this week, think it is this guys 2nd field.


Anitasam, if you were to have agility equipment available probably get more interest.

[anitasam]

yes, I was thinking of putting trees, bales and have a patch of longer grass to interest the dogs along with logs etc as obstacles and grow a native hedgerow through the fence. I`d like it to be quite natural and wildlife friendly as I think the visitors- human and dog would enjoy that environment.

[anitasam]

Anyone in the north sheffield area needing an up and running exercise area look at HortzbullzHoundHaven on facebook- it`s where i go at the moment. If you watch the large dog`playdate` video from yesterday ( shared hour with other friendly dogs who haven t had the chance to run free with other dogs) you`ll see what a positive and enjoyable experience it is for the dogs and owners and why people will pay to attend.The loud yellow lab is mine and this is her first ever experience of being with other dogs off lead and it was great to see how she reacted and the exercise she got was doubled to when she is with just us. The hour is half price for the customers at £5 but obviously more income is made as six dogs attend. Another idea would be to rent the area to local dog trainers- no effort needed from you at all for that booked time.

[honeyend]

When I was newly married many years ago I used to live on the moor side of Sheffield. Every morning I would walk my dog round the edge of the park with about six other dog walkers, some mornings there would be about eight dogs playing together. We never had a fighting or any problems, anti-dog feeling didn't seem to be about.
  I do not know if because peoples attitudes to dogs have changed, they are rarely let off the lead, don't seem to mix in groups and people misunderstand play fighting as aggression.
  Fortunately I have my own land which is fenced so they can wander over about an acre, but they prefer to snooze. There is nothing better for a dog than a good sniff of somewhere new, especially if there is a tail attached.

[SallyintNorth]

I haven't had cause to walk a dog in suburbia for many years until recently, when I've taken my collie Dot with me to visit t'old folks.  I've taken her to open space on the city edge, where many others walk their dogs.  I've been surprised and rather bemused to find that hardly anyone seems to think it a good idea to let their dog play with another! 

As you said, honeyend, it used to be the way of it that you'd meet up with the same folks and dogs at the same times each day in the local park, the dogs had their special friends and all used to have a great runaround together while their humans chatted and threw the occasional ball.  Some dogs weren't so friendly, and there'd be some specific pairs of dogs who didn't like each other, but these could generally be worked around by managing timings and so on - which mostly happened without discussion or arrangement, it just happened!

It's clearly very different these days, and not to the good of the majority of dogs, I'd say.

So if ventures such as this one mooted by anitasam are a way of reinstating healthy pack play for dogs, and enabling dogs otherwise only walked on lead to have a proper run about, I'm all for it.  (But don't want the poo on my land ).

As to the amount of poo...  if my dogs are anything to go by, they save the majority of their poo for walks , and as we pick up after our dogs here I can say that amounts to two big poo bags a day from a pair of small collies over three walks. 

[anitasam]

One of the reasons I want to do this is so dogs are able to have freedom and exercise and the `playdates` are a really good way to interact with other dogs as all the other owners are aware of dog behaviour ( puppy play isn`t fighting etc) or I can provide guidance. At the playdate the other day not one dog had a poo- I know my dog goes in the same spot on walks and doesn t see the exercise field as one of those places and also not as her territory so she has never barked there. Only one dog barked at the playdate at all- and that was a rescue husky whose socialisation skills was the reason they were there and he responded better than the owner hoped to the other dogs.Even the nervous little dog eventually left her owners side and interacted with the other dogs after a while.

[anitasam]

I couldn`t resist showing you a photo of Maisy in the pen- joy personified  Hope it attaches ok.
Also, I would aim to have an indoor area to weatherproof the service- any decent size barn that wasn`t being used fully could be adapted. Easy to pick up all that poo 

[Old Shep]

Just a thought - as you will have to mow the grass in the area, as most people walk around the perimeter, why not mow a track around the perimeter and maybe some criss-crossing the middle, but leave some long areas.  This would be really good for spaniels, setters (which I have) and poss terriers to hunt in.  Closely mown grassy areas are boring for some breeds.