I have been chatting to someone I know today about letting thier big fully fenced field and other paddocks that used to be used for greyhounds to exercise, be used by members of the public with dogs to have a really good run and play in.
They can use it it individually so if thier dog has an aggression or a fear problem they can safely go off and have a really good run and game, without other dogs around.
I thought it would also be a nice place for someone to work on thier dogs training in complete safety.
|He has agreed to do it for a small charge of £2.50 for half hour in the paddocks or £5 for half hour in the big field.
I'm going to put some ads about locally as obviously would want enough people coming and going to make it worth his while, but if you had/have a dog you couldn't ever let off for a good run in a public place would you use this facility?

Personally no, because my dogs would get bored of going on the same walk everyday, they like (& so do I) a change of scenery and it gives their noses something to do!

But if it were totally fenced in, I would see this of benefit to those who have dogs that run off.

Actually I think it is a good idea. Not everyone has access to a wide open space to let their run free. For training purposes it would be good too. Training your dog at a dog club in a hall is totally different to attending a training class in the great outdoors. My club has a small hall and we are allowed to use a large grassy field in the summer months. The change in the dogs and in the way the owners handle them is very marked when we start going outside for classes. Owners need to be able to control their dogs outside as well as in a hall.

As regards not liking going on the same walk every day I think most dogs don't care too much, so long as they get to run free and do things with their owners. One advantage of using a regular route is that if your dog gets out on it's own it will often make it's way round the regular route it is taken on.

If there was a nice fenced in field near me, I definitely would use it for my two, and I know others who would too.  You could put a notice in the paper and also inform local puppy/dog classes.  It would be a great place to train the dogs in complete safety.

I was desperate to find such a place when I had my last dog.  In the training hall he was perfect but his recall outside was absymal.  He was one of those dogs when let off a lead and decides to go would run for a good distance before coming back.  He spent most of his younger days before he slowed down on the lead sadly.

I am sure I would have used such a facility before I moved house in order to buy such a place of my own to exercise my dogs.

I for one would defnitely use a facility like this, having a dog aggressive dog that is confined to lead a place like this would be fantastic

I would definitely use a facility like that. Having somewhere safely contained is a godsend when you have a dog aggressive pooch 

Yes, I think its a great idea
I have begged and borrowed riding schools from freinds to do training in the past.
I'm quite sure a fair few novice Husky owners would be interested (depending on what you term fully fenced)
Good luck with it x

It sounds great for people exercsing/training there dogs, were terribly lucky to have 56 acres outside our gate to exercise the dogs in.
If I didnt have it, I would be more than happy to pay to run my 7 off lead.

I would use a facility like this if available, I think it is a brilliant idea!

Excellent idea, wish I had something like that near me. I'd be more than happy to pay and let my 3 have a run around off lead.

Fabulous idea! I'm sure there will be many hound/husky/dog aggressive dog owners that would jump at the chance of a secure place to let their dogs run. I do think it's quite expensive though if you wanted somewhere to run your dog every day. I once hired a farmers field for £10 a week, now I just use empty ones for free

Great idea, would love something like that for my two

[I'm quite sure a fair few novice Husky owners would be interested (depending on what you term fully fenced)]

Fully fenced means secure 8'high chain link fence all round with 8' gate.  very very secure.

If someone wanted to use it every day a discount would be offered.

> As regards not liking going on the same walk every day I think most dogs don't care too much, so long as they get to run free and do things with their owners.

Mine do, if they go on the same walks even 2 or 3 times a week, they will just walk beside me.  Give them a walk they've not been on or one they haven't tried for a while and watch them hunt, point & retrieve - so yes it makes a difference to mine!   A field would bore them, they prefer moor & woodland.

Personally, I think the charges are a bit steep, imagine if you wished to use it everyday. I think £1 would be more up the street for most dog walkers and for an hour not 30 mins.  If that were the case then if there was nowhere else to give a dog a free safe run then it would be a great idea and if it were only £1 a go it would probably have a huge market, places like this in many areas are needed.

You would have to make sure that each owner cleaned up after themselves though, and aggressive dogs would need to have a certain time to have it to themselves.

Friendly dogs could all run and play together and depending on the area and it's other outlets for dogs it could be extremely popular. Of course it would need someone there to take payment and keep an eye on things too, if you had enough people interested it may even prove to be enough to pay a wage to such a person too, therefore creating a job also.

I would use it but only if it was safely regulated, having a small breed I would not be happy to let them run loose with lots of much larger dogs, not because I think they would purposely hurt them but because the sheer size and weight difference could be fairly dangerous should they get bowled over in play, recently one of mine was bowled over by an enthusiastically friendly Springer Spaniel, he meant my boy no harm whatsoever but my boy was knocked to the ground and looked very shook up when I picked him up, he's fine now by the way but it made me very aware that larger and small dogs dont always mix.

As I said above a discount would be applied if someone wanted to use it everyday.  It is a facility offered to give dogs that cannot go offlead in an open space at least the opportunity once or twice a week for a good blast, not to replace a normal everyday walk.
I will be using it twice a week so my dogs can have a good game without me worrying that my fear aggresive dog may meet another dog while offlead and so my JRT who suffers selective deafness will get a good run and game.
The rest of the week we will do our nomal walking.
As I think I also said before you will book the field or paddocks exclusively for you.  NO other owners will be there with thier dogs when you are unless you personally bring a friend with thier dog.  So no problems with worrying about other dogs.

AAAArrrrgggghhhhh
I have stated several times I think now there will be NO OTHER DOGS there when yours are.  So NO dogs will be there to bowl yours over or do any harm to them.  Also if you owned an aggresive dog there would be NO other dogs there at your booked time for them to do any harm to.
You are paying to have the field exclusively just for you and your dogs during your booked time.  Thats the whole idea so you can exercise yours in peace and safety.

Lol... passes Bev a cuppa (you did make it clear)
The point was here 'X'.......................................................................................................and some of the posters are over here!

Well i am very lucky as i do have open moor near by to exercise mine on....but i think its an brilliant idea having a field to yourself.
All the best hope it goes well.

Was thinking more about this, and thought of a few potential problems. Firstly if you have dog aggressive dogs in adjoining paddocks then it's just going to be a pain coz they'll just run up and down the fence barking at each other - which will make their problems much worse. You would have to hope that everyone was decent enough to clean up after their dogs, but if my local park is anything to go by that won't happen and the field owners will end up having to have a major clean up every now and again. Then, and this could be the most problematic part - insurance! I think if you offer any service for financial reward then there is the issue of liability. What if a dog escapes, what if a dog hurts itself, what if one dog aggressive dog escapes into another field and eats another dog?

> Then, and this could be the most problematic part - insurance! I think if you offer any service for financial reward then there is the issue of liability. What if a dog escapes, what if a dog hurts itself, what if one dog aggressive dog escapes into another field and eats another dog?

I was just about to post the same.  I would think public liability would be a minimum.

overall this is a good idea, especially for dogs that have 'done a runner' in the past, or breeds that need really lots of running exercise.

I'm extremely lucky as there is already a dog exercise field very close (owned by the council) and it is free to use.  Occasionally it does get pre-booked for a dog training class and they charge £10 an hour to hire it out.  My dogs are taken into the field a few times a week as they have lots of lead walks, and if there are any 'dodgy' dogs in the exercise field then i will walk them elsewhere in the area.

I can imagine that this idea would prove to be really popular.  Also with the people that run 'dog walking' as a business it could be really useful.  I have noticed where we go a couple of these.

Sorry but don't know enough about insurance etc to advise on that side of it.

I'm lucky, where I work, the Offices and Factory are in quite extensive grounds, which are all fenced in, I take Floyd up there either in the mornings or evenings, it takes me about 35 to 40 minutes if I walk the perimeter of the fence, I think by the time he has finished running round and chasing anything that moves he's probably done about 5 miles, he loves it.

They already have public liability insurance so thats not a problem and the paddocks and field  that would be used do not ajoin each other so no problem there.
In 40 years there has never been a dog escape from any of the paddocks or field and the fencing has been kept in tip top condition and not only exceptionally high but goes just over 18inches down into the ground.  If they did escape which is highly unlikely they would only be in another fenced off area.  The perimiter of the grounds has a 10ft high brick wall so there would be no way a dog would get off the grounds.
It is very secure having been designed to keep very valuble dogs in and safe.

> I have stated several times I think now there will be NO OTHER DOGS there when yours are.  So NO dogs will be there to bowl yours over or do any harm to them.  Also if you owned an aggresive dog there would be NO other dogs there at your booked time for them to do any harm to.
> You are paying to have the field exclusively just for you and your dogs during your booked time.  Thats the whole idea so you can exercise yours in peace and safety.

I would love this, my dog is kept on a lead/long line simply due to his size (he is freindly with people & other dogs) so I would love to be able to work on re-call in such a secure place where there was no risk of his big slobbery face frightening somebody (as opposed to recall confined to his long-line)
I wish it was local to me

> the fencing has been kept in tip top condition and not only exceptionally high but goes just over 18inches down into the ground.

Sounds fabulous then

I think this sounds a great idea, I am very lucky as I have the use of a couple of hundred acres of farmland through my back garden gate, and open moorland/reservoirs offering unlimited walking and swimming 10 mins away. However, I know of a number of people who would be more than happy to pay for such a facility. Like other I do feel the cost may be a little steep, but what about suggesting they also have a small amount of agility equipment for the clients to use. I don't mean dog-walks or a-frames, just perhaps a few jumps and a tunnel.

I'd definately use it, mine would love it 
There is absolutely no where round here for dogs to safely run free
There used to be, till some buffoon built a by-pass through the middle of it.

I would potentially use it for the odd times for training and having 1/2 for training is prob enough for one session.

I also like the idea of at certain times for it to be opened up like a dog park, some may disagree, we have one near to me, though its all dogs of all sizes which isn't great for the wee little ones being bowled over by large cumbersome dogs.
They could split up into medium/large dogs in one field and the smaller ones into the paddock.

Providing that the dogs were non aggressive. I love dog parks, great interaction and its also great for socialising..

Unfortunately the way this country is going we may need places like this and fairly soon! 

I think it's a good idea, my dogs don't care where they go as long as they can have a good run etc.  I also feel that the price is quite high I couldn't afford to pay that every day but it's really not a bad idea.

fab idea
i would use it if it was near me
one of my dogs spooked couple weeks ago and ran off home
never done it before
now i will not let him off

Yes - great idea.  Our local council is proposing to introduce a Dog Control Order whereby dogs must be on leash on all public footpaths.   If that gets implemented (they are still in the consultation period) then places like the one you are proposing will be the only option in my area to let a dog off leash - other than on your own property.

In fact, I have already started approaching local farmers to sound them out as to whether they would be open to such a scheme in my area.  I think that if the Councils continue with such draconian measures then we will become a nation of 'dog parks' a la USA. 

We were driving home from a walk yesterday and I remarked to my OH all dogs really need is a ball and a big field.

We try and walk the dogs for about 2/3 hours on Saturday & Sunday and yesterday with high winds and torrential rain we were looking for somewhere "clean". I can do wet but its when they are up to their bellies in mud and burrs that its such a chore.
Yes I would and do use big fields to walk the dogs on work days and the odd v. dark night and I would pay as we do when we pay for carparking at some places.
Plus we drove about 15 miles each way yesterday. I think you are your "mate" have a good idea stick in a tap for water and a dog bin and thats a winner.

I would love something like this, especially having a bossy mare of a GSD who is overly protective of me with other dogs.  It would also mean I could take all my  4 at once if I wanted to (too many to control effectively, both physically and mentally if I take them all together).  Oh I really wish it was near me!

I too would make use of this having a breed that do tend to be a bit selective in the hearing department!! I'm lucky at the moment as I have the use of a completly fenced in polo pitch to allow mine free running in safety but will not have this facility after another week as we are moving.

Did anything come of this thread?
i.e. did I remember correctly someone mention that there was a facility like this in Essex somewhere?
I'd be interested to know..
thanks

Yes its all up and running and is brilliant.   I take my dogs twice a week and use the totally securely fenced 3.5 acre field.
There are smaller areas too (still quite large) if you don't want such a big space and yes its in essex Near Colchester.

I've just spotted this thread and I would be very interested in a secure facility for giving my two a good run.  I live in Essex too.  Any news?

Ooooops a bit of a cross post.  :D Well I'm not too far from Colchester, how do I get details?

I will pm you

And me too please Bev

Oooh me too please Bev, I'm in Witham, so not that far at all - thanks!

AAAArrrrgggghhhhh
I have stated several times I think now there will be NO OTHER DOGS there when yours are.  So NO dogs will be there to bowl yours over or do any harm to them.  Also if you owned an aggresive dog there would be NO other dogs there at your booked time for them to do any harm to.
You are paying to have the field exclusively just for you and your dogs during your booked time.  Thats the whole idea so you can exercise yours in peace and safety.

Ok got it now lol, sounds absolutely fantastic, the way things are going I think all of us with multi dog households are going to find it more difficult to free run our dogs, saw in the dog paper to that Wandsworth council are going to enforce microchipping of dogs of council tenants so they can register the owners at the council as a means of dog control (dont ask me how) anyway this apparently will be done on pain of the council tenant losing their tenancy if they refuse, sounds very big brother to me as people that own their own homes are not forced to chip dogs, anyway sorry for going a bit off topic