Dogs love to chase, dig and run - so should we really let them into sensitive wild places?
Having been a dog owner for many many years myself I would love to say ‘yes’ - but having also been interested in wildlife and habitat management - it could just as well be a ‘no’.
The reason I think is because of the owner, not the dogs! So make sure you consider the impacts of your little furry friends before letting them loose with wildlife!
Dogs In The Countryside:
Dogs have been designed by nature to run and run, and chase anything that moves. So as long as they have been encouraged to run and run with other dogs only - and to chase only balls and toys - then feel free to let them loose over fields and valleys.
There is nothing better I think for the owner and the dog to have a really great run through different habitats, across streams, sniffing what has passed before and enjoying the sunshine.
And if your dog is ‘under control’ you can cross fields of livestock and wander through deer-friendly environments. However, many people think that ‘under control’ means that at some point and sometimes after lots of shouting that their dog comes back to them - usually at the car!
However, under control should be taken to mean that at your instant recall, your dog stops whatever it is doing and returns to you immediately if you ask it.
If this isn’t the case, then the only way to have your dog under control is to keep it on the lead. But unfortunately, people see this as ‘unfair’ rather than thinking that they could well have simply trained their dog to respond to commands then it would be safe off the lead.
Effects On Wildlife:
Dogs are all friendly and cuddly to us humans - but don’t forget that they are capable of sniffing out, chasing and even killing wildlife such as rabbits, birds and deer.
Just by letting your dog loose in a woodland, you could be responsible for lowering numbers of rare ground nesting birds, causing a deer to injure itself bolting away, scaring off shy species from breeding in the area and even spreading common diseases to wild mammals.
There is also the problem of dog feces as well. As dogs are carnivores their waste products are not of any benefit to the wildlife, and can take a lot longer to decompose as a result. They could also contain bacteria and worms too which are of no benefit to the environment or other dogs passing through.
Vegetarian stools (from cattle, horses, sheep and deer etc) are more natural as they only contain partly digested plant matter, and so they are easily absorbed back into the food chain by bugs, insects and earthworms.
Alternatives:
Maybe we should be getting our local councils to allocate large areas that are not wildlife sensitive for our dogs to play in in complete safety and without worry.
A huge fenced in area with woods, large grassed areas and plenty of doggy bins could be the best thing for local pet owners. This would mean that there was always a safe place to let your dog run around to burn off that energy, a place to play with other dogs and people and no adverse effects on wildlife!
Who is your local councillor? - And what are they doing to help dog owners?
