Just had the walk from HELL....

I've often read posts with similar titles and thought how lucky I was as I rarely had any problems.....until today.

It's such a nice day I thought I would take the dog an new walk and make it extra long. The start of the walk I 'rediscovered' a couple of months ago - we used to go on it when we were kids. Anyway after the first field you go next to a farm and I've often passed the farm henchmen and I always wave or say hello. I'm usually with my dobie and a friends dobie but they are always on the lead past the farm as there is livestock about. Anyway, today is the first time I've been in a few weeks and when I arrive at the second style it's been replaced by a huge fence (chest height) with 2 'bars' sticking out either side to step up - fine for a person but how the hell do I get a 7 stone dobie up there. Well I cajoled, pulled, pushed you name it and I couldn't get him over. In the end I had to virtually pick him up - I am only 5'4 so not easy. It must have taken about 15 mins to get over and I was worried he'd break his leg or something. Well after that I find that they have changed the next two styles also!! They aren't as hard as the first but still it's not easy for dogs. It makes me wonder if they have done it on purpose Anyway I'm not going to be able to go that way anymore which is a real shame as it's a gorgeous walk.

We carried on at this point as I would have been worse to turn back and I thought we were past the worse......I was wrong. Right at the very end of the walk (I have never gone this far before) you come out in a farm yard. Well there were 3 or 4 HUGE GSD crosses running loose, barking and snarling at us. They were proper farm/guard dogs too, all thick fur and dusty obviously not pets if you see what I mean. I didn't know what to do - we had to go right through the yard to get out onto road home. Well I decided to go through (what choice did I have) and I was shouting loudly at the dogs and shoeing them away from us whilst keeping my dog stuck to my side. No-one came out to help me or anything. I was shaking like a leaf - they were circling round us and sniffing and snapping at my dog. We got through without incident but I was shaking for about 20 minutes. All I wanted was a nice walk for my boy and instead I've had to man handle him over a fence and then put him at risk by going through a farm with nasty dogs. I feel like a bad mother

Is there a law against the styles not being accessible for dogs? What do other large dog owners do about them? Is there a law against having dogs running loose when it's a public right of way??

Sorry your walk was ruined

If you've a public footpath/right of way running through your land, I'm sure that you can't obstruct it in any way.

I think you actually have to make it accessible for walkers/ramblers etc.

Not sure on the loose dog front though

How horrible for you
Fair play you carried on though i would of given up on the first stile.

Thanks, as I say it's fine for people to step up the 'bars' so I don't think you could class it as an obstruction. Dogs have no chance though.

Only as it was a 40 minute walk back home from that point. I don't think I would have carried on if I'd have know what was ahead

Public rights of way over farmland only have to be accessible on foot that means has you as a person could gain access, this may help reguarding the dogs you encountered on the right of way:
Anyone who keeps a dangerous or intimidating dog on a right of way which deters the legal use of the path is both illegally obstructing the path and committing a criminal offence. Any incidents involving dangerous dogs encountered on rights of way should be reported to the police.

I'd have words with your local ramblers association.
Becky

I often take my lot for a walk on the south downs and not one on the stiles I come across is dog friendly.

I just get my dobes to jump over the wall or go through the hedge or I just lift them over, but then again I am 6'6".

Sorry but stiles are constructed for people not animals.

We have a lot of lovely walks here through forests and mountains. Quite a few have the stiles and there is no way I can get my dog over them. The only dog walkers that can use them are the ones who have small dogs and can lift them over. I think it is so unfair. Why not a very small gate at the side spring loaded so that it will close itself. It seems they don't think about us little people with large dogs. I am 5'1" and there is no way I can lift my boy. Don't know what to say about the dogs running loose I haven't come across that yet.

So basically as long as a person can get over the style, dog's don't count. How unfair, that style has been unchanged for probably 60 years or more.

Report them to the police?