Countryfile: Dogs must be kept on leads as nesting season nears, writes Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

The Wildlife Trusts and the Dogs Trust urge dog owners are urging dog owners to play their part in protecting wildlife, says Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

With bird nesting season soon upon us, The Wildlife Trusts and the Dogs Trust have once again urged dog owners to do their bit when visiting nature reserves by keeping their pets on lead.

A recent joint statement highlights springtime arrival of migratory species – which travel thousands of miles to reach our nature reserves – and calls for dogs to be kept on leads during the sensitive breeding season to protect ground nesting birds.

Birds are particularly vulnerable to disturbance between February and August and keeping dogs on a short lead helps ensure that ground-nesting birds such as lapwings, skylarks and nightjars are safe from harm during the stressful breeding season.

Dogs don’t need to chase or come into contact with birds to cause issues.

An unsupervised dog walking close to a nest or running free between nests can cause birds to abandon their nests - so it really is vital that they are kept under control.

Some people are also unaware that many species nest on the ground – making updates such as this joint call from The Wildlife Trusts and Dogs Trust particularly valuable.

Interactions between people and nature at this time of year can have long-lasting effects and with many species of bird already under pressure from issues such as habitat loss, climate change, bird flu and other diseases, avoidable disturbance by people and dogs can have a significant impact on the breeding success and survival rates of the birds.

We know that many dog owners are passionate about nature and want to avoid harming it.

I have been a dog owner for almost 20 years and love taking my golden retriever for walks, but it is important that us dog owners are aware that even the most well-behaved dogs can unintentionally cause distress or damage wildlife, even if just being naturally curious.

Birds instinctively see all dogs as predators and when dogs roam freely in areas where birds are nesting, birds may sadly abandon nests, leaving eggs and chicks vulnerable, cold and unprotected.

We know that dogs like to explore like their ancestors and many dogs need and enjoy time off the lead; but when visiting nature reserves or when out in nature elsewhere, it is important to recognise how important a dogs lead is. Whether there’s ground nesting birds, waterfowl or horse riders nearby, a lead is an essential tool for every responsible nature-loving dog owner.

Whilst seeing a dog run free can be very rewarding, nature reserves and other wild places are not really suitable places for this type of exercise. Recreation grounds and increasingly popular enclosed dog fields are much better places to dogs to run unfettered by their lead – safe in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be disturbing wildlife.

Wildlife is continuing to suffer severe declines across the UK, and dogs in wild places can cause additional problems, especially from February through to the end of summer when many species are breeding. Now is an ideal time for all dog owners to ‘paws for thought’ and ensure we’re doing our bit to help protect nature whilst being out and about with our four-legged friends.

If more dog owners considered their surroundings, particularly when visiting areas where they might encounter wildlife – wildlife would have a better chance of success. When in rural areas, owners need to keep dogs under control to ensure that they are not able to worry livestock or stray from the path and all owners should take responsibility for disposing of their dog's waste appropriately.

The best advice is to keep your dog on a short lead, and close to you, especially whenever livestock are nearby – remembering that chasing is very natural behaviour for dogs and that any dog is capable of chasing, regardless of breed, type, age or size. I remember a sad incident a number of years ago when a much-loved pet dog chased and killed one of the Trust’s sheep on a nature reserve. The owner was shocked and devasted by his pet’s behaviour – highlighting that this type of incident is always a possibility when dogs are off leads.

Such is the impact of disturbance by dogs and problems with people not picking up after their dogs, that Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust now asks that visitors to our nature reserve keep dogs on a short lead all year-round.