Responsible dog owners should consider other animals

March marks the beginning of Spring and with it comes lambing season and an increased responsibility to respect lead-laws and regulations. Last year, farmers experienced an increase in the number of dog attacks on their livestock, with one Monmouthshire farmer reporting a loss of 50 ewes and their unborn lambs as more people took to the countryside during lockdown.

Dogs who are ordinarily calm and obedient at home or on urban walks can become distracted and behave erratically in environments they’re not used to. Indeed, a dogs’ sense of smell can become stimulated in unfamiliar rural settings, which can often lead to heightened predatory instincts kicking in.

New research by national animal charity, Blue Cross, found that even though 42% of dog owners agree dogs should be kept on a lead around livestock, only a quarter (25%) actually do so.

Ros spoke to Ryan Neile, head of behaviour at Blue Cross.

Photo by Berkay Gumustekin on Unsplash