The problems with dog walking
Dogs in greenspaces:
managing the demand
Stephen Jenkinson
Access Advisor
The Kennel Club
stephen.jenkinson@
thekennelclub.org.uk
About the Kennel Club
“Jumped
up at me”
“Raided
our
picnic”
“Disturbed
local
wildlife”
“Left poo
on the
path”
Traditional response to problems: say NO!
Founded in 1873 – best known
for Crufts Dog show
Not-for-profit, UK-wide body
Protection & promotion of
dogs’ varied roles in society
£500k surplus annually donated
to charitable trusts
Supports other canine bodies:
Animal Health Trust, rescue and
rehoming centres etc
How I ended up here
Human
health
Land & access
management
Psychology of
people & pets
Specialist advisor:
Dogs and people in
the outdoors
Just saying “no” isn’t a solution…
Dog activity trails
Along a 1km+ long route
Top Tip #1
Jumps, tunnels, weaves,
log walks and more
Moves off-lead away
from sensitive areas
60% owners more active
Health sells
36% dogs lost weight /
healthier
Increases human and
dog interaction
Images © Lee Valley Regional Park
Dog walking: human health benefits
Slide
master to exercise in all weathers
Motivation
Confidence in the outdoors
Daily connection with the environment
More social contact with others
Enhanced physical and mental health
Happier & healthier pets
2016: Glasgow's dog owners
more active, more often
11 Legacy Commonwealth
Woods around Glasgow
Great places but under-used
Improve urban community
health through dog walking
KC partner with Forestry
Commission & Paths for All
Top Tip #2
Know your
audience
Dog ownership and walking
Spans socio-economic groups
Households with dogs:
10% London & 22% SE England
Most frequently parents
Dogs taken on half of all walks
Residents, day visitors
and tourists
Active people doing dog sports
People only walking due to dog
What dog walkers seek
The need for a planned approach
Dogs off-lead
Given restrictions, dog owners have 4 options:
Away from traffic
Close to home
1. Keep visiting if needs still met
Personal safety
2. Go somewhere else
Peace and quiet
Unlikely to meet dogs
3. Practically and/or politically
challenge the restriction
Mixing with other dogs
Away from livestock
4. Ignore the restriction, if
low likelihood of fines
Poo disposal facilities
Circular route
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
% single most important factor for dog walk
45
A strategic approach is needed to minimise
unplanned displacement and conflict intensification.
Commercial Dog Walker profile
Supply and demand
Mean walk duration:
57 mins
City of Winchester study 2008:
97% use car or van
Mean drive to walk:
19 mins
78% clients want
off-lead exercise
58% would pay to
walk away from
other dog walkers
Top Tip #3
The reality of
displacement
34 sites surveyed by dog owners
54% said less greenspace than
10 years ago
12% didn’
didn’t know other sites
Average 12 mins extra walking or
driving to alternative sites
Double impact new housing: less
greenspace and more demand
Impacts of incremental restrictions
Kent coastal access survey 2012
28% Walk dog less often
17% less likely get another dog
44% Drive further to walk dog
49% Displacement to farmland
41% Displacement wildlife areas
Greenham Common:
visitor survey 2011
79% main visit reason:
dog walking
81% visit at least
weekly
95% accept need for
some restriction
8.4% of site “no dogs”
dogs”
Technology to support good choices
Top Tip #4
Reduce negatives
and
promote benefits
KC’s approach to access
Supporting the benefits of
dog walking and ownership
Equally accepting and acting
to minimise negative impacts
Pragmatic approach reflecting
diversity of KC interests
Supporting evidence–based,
proportionate restrictions
Restrictions on dogs are
restrictions on people
www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Being smarter with signage
Jeskyns Wood • FC • Kent
Image © Hampshire Wildlife Trust
Making it easy to do the right thing
Building partnerships
across the UK
Promoting this approach
Jointly-funding research on
influencing behaviour
Sharing best practice
Supporting good practice by
councils and land managers
Green infrastructure,
planning and mitigation
Identifying poor management
and suggesting alternatives
Legislative lobbying
New 46 acre woodland for dog
walkers near 1,000 new homes
PSPOs v DCOs – key differences
Legal test: actual or likely
“detrimental effect on
the quality of life” and
“persistent & unreasonable”
Defra consultation needs:
“representatives of people
affected” and “dog law and
welfare experts”
3 years convert DCOs to PSPOs
FPN maximum now £100
Our experience so far:
PSPOs often repeat DCO measures
Generally unopposed provisions:
• picking up
• on-lead by direction
• bans on children’s playgrounds
Assistance dogs misunderstood
Displacement rarely considered
Justification evidence very variable
Lack of an integrated approach
Public Spaces Protection Orders
Can apply to any public space
Derived from Anti-social
Behaviour, Crime and
Policing Act 2014
Almost infinite range of
restrictions on any behaviour
at a local level
Community Protection
Notices and other measures
can target problem people
Top Tip #5
Don’t try to
do it all yourself
Commercial Dog Walkers - CDW
Help people have benefits of dog ownership even if:
Out at work some / all days
Have a permanent disability
restricting their mobility
Have a temporary impairment
Circumstances changed from
when they first got a dog
They might otherwise re-home
or euthanise their pet
Image © Scottish Natural Heritage
Problems associated with CDW
Generally unregulated industry
Repeatedly using same areas
several times each day
Multiple dogs exiting vehicles
Dogs walked from different
homes
Commercial pressures: travel
time, numbers walked, daylight
Image © Scottish Natural Heritage
Can seem like easy money
Professional aspirations of CDW
78% now more likely to
advise clients about access
rights and responsibilities
89% feel accreditation
good for business
96% wanted green dog
walker schemes
76% wanted accreditation
Coming in 2016:
Kennel Club Code of Practice
Promoting professionalism
Minimising problems
Helping dog owners make
better choices
Helping land managers with
credible, consistent standards
Promotes professional dog
walkers as ambassadors
Land manager survey Jan 2016
Successfully managing the demand
Ask why - address causes
not symptoms
Positive approaches
to negative impacts
Integrated, network approach
Baseline and monitoring data
Dialogue with Kennel Club
and others at an early stage
Image: Nigel Whitfield
Making dog walkers part
of the solution
Questions
and more
information…
Stephen Jenkinson
Access Advisor
stephen.jenkinson@
thekennelclub.org.uk