Why the countryside asks more of our dogs

A lap of the park and a five-mile ramble across farmland are not the same thing at all. On a public footpath you are a guest in somebody's workplace, and the field beyond the gate may be holding sheep in lamb, a bull with a job to do, or ground-nesting birds sitting tight on eggs. Farmers are busy, wildlife is fragile, and even a dog with flawless recall at home can lose their hearing entirely at the sight of a hare breaking cover.

None of this means dogs aren't welcome. A steady, well-managed dog on a lead or under close control is genuinely welcome on almost every right of way in the UK. It simply takes a little forethought, and most of it becomes second nature after a walk or two.

Livestock: lead on, distance kept, no exceptions

Sheep worrying is the single biggest source of conflict between walkers and farmers, and it is worth understanding why. A dog doesn't have to bite to do terrible damage: a chase that lasts a minute can scatter a flock, separate ewes from lambs, and cause injuries and miscarriages that show up days later. In lambing time the consequences are severe, and the legal position is firmly on the farmer's side.

• Spot them, lead them. Put the lead on the moment you see livestock, not when you get close. A short lead held loosely is far better than a long one wrapped round your hand.
• Give a wide berth. Cross to the far side of the field, keep your body between dog and animals, and walk steadily rather than stopping to watch.
• Never allow chasing, not even in play, and not even with horses or ponies in a paddock. A kicked dog is a common and avoidable injury.
• If cattle come towards you, stay calm, don't run, and if you feel genuinely threatened let the dog off the lead so you can both move away safely. Most incidents end the moment the dog is free.
• Ground-nesting birds such as curlew, lapwing and skylark nest on open ground between March and July. Keep dogs on the path and close at heel over moorland, heath and rough pasture in spring.

Gates, stiles and the small courtesies

These take seconds and they make an enormous difference to how welcome you and your dog are next time.

• Close every gate behind you unless it is clearly tied or propped open. A gate left swinging in the wind is a broken fence and a field full of escaped stock.
• Lift dogs over stiles and walls rather than letting them scramble through gaps. It protects their backs and stops gaps getting wider and more tempting.
• Keep to the line of the path across growing crops, and don't let a dog run through long grass or hay meadows — it flattens the crop and disturbs nests and young.
• Carry a slip lead or a short training line in your pocket. It weighs nothing and solves most surprises in seconds.

Water, weather and knowing when enough is enough

Countryside walks are often longer, hotter and rougher underfoot than a familiar local circuit, and dogs rarely tell you they are struggling until they are.

• Carry water for the dog, not just for yourself. A collapsible bowl and around half a litre per hour of walking is a sensible rule; offer small amounts often rather than a big drink at the end.
• Walk early or late in hot spells. Pavements, stony tracks and dark tarmac get hot enough to blister pads, and dogs overheat faster than we do because they can't sweat.
• Treat standing water with caution. Blue-green algae in still ponds and reservoirs in late summer is highly toxic, and agricultural run-off is a risk anywhere near farm yards.
• Check for ticks after every walk, particularly around the head, ears, armpits and groin. Long grass and bracken in spring and summer are the danger zones.
• Know the terrain. Steep descents, wet clay, loose scree and hidden rabbit holes all take a toll on joints, so build up distance gradually and shorten the route if your dog is flagging.

Picking up — every time, everywhere

Bag it, bin it, or carry it home. That is the whole rule, and it applies on remote hillsides just as much as it does outside the village shop. Dog faeces can carry neospora, a parasite that causes abortion in cattle, and it also adds nutrients that alter delicate wild plant communities on moorland and in woodland.

Leaving a bag on a gatepost or in a hedge is worse than leaving nothing at all. If you don't want to carry it, use a stick to flick it well off the path and away from any watercourse — but the bag is always the better choice. Take a spare bag or two as well, because a walk nearly always lasts longer than you planned.

Good habits for a happy walk

Plan the route before you set off. Check an Ordnance Survey map for the line of the right of way, look at where the road sections are, and read any notices at the car park or gate — seasonal restrictions on access land commonly run from 1 March to 31 July, when dogs must be on a short lead, and some nature reserves ask for leads all year round.

Invest in recall training that holds up around distractions, and reward your dog every time they come back from something interesting. A dog that checks in with you in a field of sheep is worth more than any gadget. Then close the gate, wave to the farmer if you see one, and enjoy the walk — the countryside is far more welcoming when we arrive quietly, leave nothing behind, and keep our dogs where they belong: close, calm and under control.