Boots, jacket, hat & gloves, leads, whistle, poo bags - check, check, check. OK tribe* let's go!
We're off out across the moors to enjoy Walk the Dog
day. OK, not really we've got a Weekly
to get out, but we've been once this morning and will snatch another quick
outing later on perhaps even over lunchtime to help clear the head ready for
the next onslaught. The government
recommends that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day which is
something that everybody can achieve, and even go beyond, on a daily dog walk
or two, with one or a houseful of dogs you can never lead a sedentary life they
need their walks both on and, where safe to do so, off lead.
It's such an important part of keeping a dog happy and
healthy that it's mentioned in defra's Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs: "Give your dog the exercise it needs, at least daily unless your vet
recommends otherwise, to keep your dog fit, active and stimulated."
The Kennel Club has some Puppy and dog walking tips to help
owners do their best for their canine companions. Including important things like making sure
your dog comes back! (Remember Fenton?)
As well as the benefits for the dog getting out on regular dog
walks can be life changing for owners too; Ron Lightfoot lost almost four stone
in weight and reversed his type 2 diabetes he says he has ‘gained years of his
life back’ and owes it all to his rescue dog, read their incredible story.
For most people giving the dog the exercise required means a
nice walk and ideally in open countryside but as many countryside and
greenspace managers know all too well this brings with it a series of problems
to contend with, from dealing with abandoned filled dog poo bags to farm animal
worrying and wildlife disturbance.
Research highlights the daily demand for off-lead exercise, close to
home and away from traffic, and how we, as access managers, share responsibility
for perpetuating needless conflict, says Stephen Jenkinson in his article written for CJS.
Keep Britain Tidy has some hints and tips on how to deal with dog poo problem, they say that nine out of 10 dog owners clean up after
their dog but that means 10% don't and of those who do clean up if there are no
suitable bins then bags are often tossed into hedges and trees, biodegradable
bags are no excuse or in my experience actually make matters worse.
Earlier this month Outdoor Recreation Network along with
Forestry Commission England and the Kennel Club held a conference to discuss
managing these problems. You can watch
the Question and Answer session from Day 1 on the ORN YouTube channel here.
Session Speakers are: Alison Kohler, Peter Gorbing, Stephen Jenkinson and Dawn
Rayment. And some of the speakers' slides can be seen here.
Not only that but ORN are writing the lead article on
similar subjects in the May edition of CJS Focus which is looking at Recreation; it's a long way off so keep following us to know when
it's published.
*I have no idea why my pack of three labs is known as a
tribe but there you go, it might hark back to the days when it had a wolfhound
as well and pack seemed a little near the mark for a hound or a wolf come to
that.