Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Jan 2nd 2011 | 6:39 am
#16
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 11,708
From: White Rock BC
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Where we live now, we're within 30 mins of a major city, 1.5 hrs of London, within 1 hr of the beach, within 30 mins of Englands largest lowland pine forest (all open access - dogs allowed to run free at all times, and in the right place, you wont see anyone else) yet we live in a small village, just 3 miles from a market town.
Can you let your dogs run free in the fields around your village?
Jan 2nd 2011 | 6:40 am
#17
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Posts: 70
From: UK
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Wow. We've never had trouble finding places to let our dog run free. As dbd33 said of Toronto, there are plenty of places that are technically on-leash but in practice are off-leash.
We have an official off-leash park within walking distance that is not fenced and leads into a vast series of trails that are only technically on-leash. All suitable for a stroller. There is another official off-leash park within a ten minute drive and in winter people also use the adjacent beach. Right next to White Rock there is a stretch of beach on reservation land. The Semihamoo Nation don't seem to mind people running their dogs on the beach and at low tide there is all the room you need for even the most energetic dog.
I think there is an etiquette to letting dogs run free in parks and public places and that is to ensure they are not a nuisance to other park users - especially non-doggy types. Have the dog under verbal control at all times and recall them and slip a leash on whenever you meet other people. The bye law officers usually only turn up if people complain so we do our best to make sure no-one has anything to complain about.
Our dog comes with us whenever we go hiking. We've not had any problems so far. I do accept your point that most of it needs a vehicle to get to. Our nearest dog park is a fifteen minute walk with a leash to get to and from. However, and I may be forgetting something, the rights of way in the UK don't give the public the right to run their dogs off-leash across farmland. Unless you live right next to common land for the vast majority of people in the UK the only rights of way they have access to will be across farmland.
We have an official off-leash park within walking distance that is not fenced and leads into a vast series of trails that are only technically on-leash. All suitable for a stroller. There is another official off-leash park within a ten minute drive and in winter people also use the adjacent beach. Right next to White Rock there is a stretch of beach on reservation land. The Semihamoo Nation don't seem to mind people running their dogs on the beach and at low tide there is all the room you need for even the most energetic dog.
I think there is an etiquette to letting dogs run free in parks and public places and that is to ensure they are not a nuisance to other park users - especially non-doggy types. Have the dog under verbal control at all times and recall them and slip a leash on whenever you meet other people. The bye law officers usually only turn up if people complain so we do our best to make sure no-one has anything to complain about.
Our dog comes with us whenever we go hiking. We've not had any problems so far. I do accept your point that most of it needs a vehicle to get to. Our nearest dog park is a fifteen minute walk with a leash to get to and from. However, and I may be forgetting something, the rights of way in the UK don't give the public the right to run their dogs off-leash across farmland. Unless you live right next to common land for the vast majority of people in the UK the only rights of way they have access to will be across farmland.
Open access areas (designated such as land owned by the Forestry Commission) means that you have a massive area to roam with no restriction (dogs still under close control). Personally, I think these areas are undervalued by the public at large!
Believe me, we did look around us for good areas to walk / ramble. We went up to Jug island - very nice walk, though a little rough with a child strapped to your back (no way a stroller walk!). We also wandered upto Buntzen Lake (sp?) - again a lovely area, but walks under 2 hrs were limited - also not great for a stroller / push chair.
I agree - it seems criminal getting in your car to take the dog for a 30 - 45 min walk! However, I also accept that it may therefore mean a 15 min wlak to get there in the first place - but even these areas didn't seem to exist.
It sounds like White Rock was quite fortunate.
Jan 2nd 2011 | 6:46 am
#18
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Posts: 70
From: UK
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
And in Coquitlam you lived within 30 minutes drive of the start of several hundred thousand square miles of publicly owned land where you could have roamed wherever you wanted for the rest of your lives with a whole pack of dogs and no one would give a flying one.
Can you let your dogs run free in the fields around your village?
Can you let your dogs run free in the fields around your village?
Again I agree. But I'm not one for driving two hours each day (there and back - twice) to take the dog for a 45 min walk. "But you live in a city - so what do you expect" I hear you cry! Well, yes, so please feel free to advise where else we might have lived to work in the city (actually New Westminster) - which I enjoyed cycling to, had access to the facilities that we were after and still had the areas to walk etc. We certainly have it where we are in England.
I am genuinely open to being proved wrong here...
Jan 2nd 2011 | 7:37 am
#19
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Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Southern Ontario
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Hey up ... moving from Scotland to Toronto area in summer and bringing our three dogs with us. Two questions really ...
1) Outdoor Access in Scotland is pretty much where you want to walk you can ... new legislation gives certain rights - often called the right to roam - but basically allows us to go where we like ... not restricted to parks or trails - is there anything similar in Toronto/Ontario (what level of government would legislate for this - Scotland is national - but then we are pretty small in comparison?!)
2) Dogs - we have three lovely, reasonably well trained dogs who like to be off lead for some of the time they are big and can be boisterous and like a good run about ... we are thinking of moving somewhere north westward of Toronto - suburbs or smaller town just outside ... any really good places folk know of for dog walking that we can check out?!
Thanks for any advice!
1) Outdoor Access in Scotland is pretty much where you want to walk you can ... new legislation gives certain rights - often called the right to roam - but basically allows us to go where we like ... not restricted to parks or trails - is there anything similar in Toronto/Ontario (what level of government would legislate for this - Scotland is national - but then we are pretty small in comparison?!)
2) Dogs - we have three lovely, reasonably well trained dogs who like to be off lead for some of the time they are big and can be boisterous and like a good run about ... we are thinking of moving somewhere north westward of Toronto - suburbs or smaller town just outside ... any really good places folk know of for dog walking that we can check out?!
Thanks for any advice!
Jan 2nd 2011 | 7:54 am
#20
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 11,708
From: White Rock BC
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
I am not trying to prove you wrong. I agree the restrictions seem petty and onerous but as far as I can see nobody takes much notice of them. I guess they are useful in that they give the by-law people an excuse to ticket people with aggressive or unsocial dogs.
Lots and lots of people have dogs. They all seem to manage OK. It just surprised me you gave this as a reason to go back to the UK as it is not something that has ever occurred to me to be an issue. However, it is not intended to be a criticism.
Lots and lots of people have dogs. They all seem to manage OK. It just surprised me you gave this as a reason to go back to the UK as it is not something that has ever occurred to me to be an issue. However, it is not intended to be a criticism.
Jan 2nd 2011 | 4:50 pm
#21
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Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
In some respects Im with molson 03 on this, we live in West Sussex, and the south downs way is a 5 min walk from my front door and many other bridleways and footpaths. This matter has been in the back of my mind for a while. Im moving over the end of this month, and its a big part of looking for areas to live, my work is east york so we are looking at the top end of the 404 in farm country, but even around there the only area I can find that has local walks is Uxbridge.
Jan 3rd 2011 | 8:46 am
#22
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Posts: 30,259
From: Europe (to be specified).
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Jan 3rd 2011 | 11:25 am
#23
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Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
I have tried a couple off leash parks in Toronto and do not like them at all. I don't feel my dogs get the same excercise at them as they are not huge spaces, plus when i have been some dogs were fighting and the owners just looked on they didn't stop them
Jan 3rd 2011 | 11:48 pm
#24
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Joined: Aug 2005
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From: UK
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
We lived about 2 mins from a park with a dog off leash area (which wasn't fenced, then it was, then the locals complained, so at great expense it was ripped out again!). What's worse is that people didn't clean up after their dogs even in these leash free - fenced in areas, which meant they were a no go zone for young children (who love playing outside with dogs).
In the end, we took to pounding the streets (many of which in residential areas didn't have sidewalks). Still, it was great around Christmas as the little one loved looking at the christmas lights...
Jan 4th 2011 | 12:03 am
#25
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Ontario
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
It was just the same in Coquitlam too!
We lived about 2 mins from a park with a dog off leash area (which wasn't fenced, then it was, then the locals complained, so at great expense it was ripped out again!). What's worse is that people didn't clean up after their dogs even in these leash free - fenced in areas, which meant they were a no go zone for young children (who love playing outside with dogs).
In the end, we took to pounding the streets (many of which in residential areas didn't have sidewalks). Still, it was great around Christmas as the little one loved looking at the christmas lights...
We lived about 2 mins from a park with a dog off leash area (which wasn't fenced, then it was, then the locals complained, so at great expense it was ripped out again!). What's worse is that people didn't clean up after their dogs even in these leash free - fenced in areas, which meant they were a no go zone for young children (who love playing outside with dogs).
In the end, we took to pounding the streets (many of which in residential areas didn't have sidewalks). Still, it was great around Christmas as the little one loved looking at the christmas lights...
I'm further from understanding why anyone would want to put a small child in an enclosure with a pack of romping dogs though, I suppose, any measure that reduces the number of small children in public places is to be welcomed even if it does entail them being torn apart.
Jan 4th 2011 | 12:08 am
#26
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Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Formerly of nr Kinross, Scotland, now Burlington, ON!
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Have to admit as long as the fenced area is big enough and a ball can be thrown, that will keep my dogs happy ... its nice if the fenced in area is pleasant to be in as well ... for me and not too crowded with other dogs ... have to admit that I am starting to feel less concerned - will be exploring several potential areas in just 10 days time! looking forward to visiting ....
Jan 4th 2011 | 12:11 am
#27
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From: UK
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
I don't understand why a dog cannot exercise in a fenced in area. If we take, for example, the dog park in Allan Gardens, as urban a park as one can ask, there's room to throw a stick or ball. The dog can chase that as many times as the owner will throw it so the dog can be exercised to death if the owner wants.
I'm further from understanding why anyone would want to put a small child in an enclosure with a pack of romping dogs though, I suppose, any measure that reduces the number of small children in public places is to be welcomed even if it does entail them being torn apart.
I'm further from understanding why anyone would want to put a small child in an enclosure with a pack of romping dogs though, I suppose, any measure that reduces the number of small children in public places is to be welcomed even if it does entail them being torn apart.
Owning a dog should be a way of life, not a chore. Throwing a stick /ball repeatedly may be "fun" for a dog, but sure isn't for the owner (especially for 45 mins, twice per day). Instead, a stroll through a park, woodland, beach etc is much better for the owner and arguably more entertaining for the dog too.
As for kids - I agree that I don't want to put them in the fenced area! Instead, they can enjoy the fresh air and exercise by coming for a walk too.
Being off leash (for a well behaved dog) makes the experience much more interesting and pleasant for all.
Last edited by Molson 03; Jan 4th 2011 at 12:17 am. Reason: Spulling errar
Jan 4th 2011 | 12:17 am
#28
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From: UK
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
I am sure they all differ though!
Jan 4th 2011 | 12:21 am
#29
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From: Ontario
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
Can't argue with the part about enjoying walking with an unleashed dog. I often do that along the beaches in Toronto (though the water from that lake plays havoc with the dog's health) or through woodland in the country. I can't see though that this is feasible with small children, they haven't the legs to walk and pushing them in some monstrous contraption ruts the path, frustrates the pusher and leaves the dog uncontrolled. Better to kennel them I think and enjoy the canine.
Last edited by dbd33; Jan 4th 2011 at 12:26 am.
Jan 4th 2011 | 12:22 am
#30
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From: Ontario
Re: Dogs and Outdoor Access advice needed!
My experience is of a very busy (esp. peak times - before and after work) areas. Generally big enough to throw a ball from one side to another. As for pleasant, well the one near to us had 2 trees and very short grass (and not a stick in sight).
I am sure they all differ though!
I am sure they all differ though!
