Be a responsible dog owner on country walks

The UK is a nation of both dog and nature lovers, but are those two passions compatible? 

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust says they can be if dog owners are responsible.

Dogs are more popular than ever, with an estimated 34% of UK households giving ‘man’s best friend’ a home in 2022. 

All these dogs need fresh air and exercise, which can bring them into conflict with wildlife. Even the friendliest, most gentle dog still looks like a predator to wildlife and a canine encounter can be hugely stressful for birds, mammals, reptiles, and other animals. Sometimes it can even be fatal. 

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust manages over 90 nature reserves around the county, with only three of these allowing dogs. Therefore, it asks dog owners to be responsible and to check which reserves are dog friendly before visiting.  

The three reserves are:

• Gibraltar Point (dogs not permitted on the beach from 1 April to 1 September)
• Snipe Dales Country Park (not Snipe Dales Nature Reserve)
• Whisby Nature Park (dogs can be taken off the lead around Thorpe Lake).

Dogs can also have less direct impacts on the natural world around them. It might seem harmless to leave dog poo in the undergrowth, but the extra nutrients this adds to the soil can disrupt nature’s balance leading to the loss of wildflowers. Cleaning up after your dog and keeping them on a short lead at all times can go a long way towards keeping wildlife safe.

Ground-nesting birds such as curlew, corn bunting and skylark, are particularly at risk. Research shows that 66% of ground-nesting birds are in decline in the UK, compared to 31% of other species.   

Joan Edwards, director of policy for The Wildlife Trusts, said: “It’s great that so many people benefit from enjoying beautiful natural areas while out walking their dogs, but we urge responsibility. 

“Wildlife is suffering huge declines and dogs in wild places can cause problems, especially from February through to the end of summer when many species are breeding. I’m a dog owner but never walk her without a lead during nesting season. It’s not only the impact on ground-nesting birds, but other wildlife including amphibians and mammals can be affected, as well as grazing livestock.”