There are countless articles out there talking about the laws around dog ownership, basic recall tips and more; but we have found lately that the lines are blurring and confusion is beginning to creep in around general dog ownership etiquette here in the UK. 

Many of us remember a time where an off lead dog = a friendly and social dog who wants to play but this line of thinking has become outdated. Let's go through general UK dog ownership etiquette and please remember that not everybody will have the same thoughts. Since there are no specific laws around most of what I will be discussing, every single dog owner may do something slightly different. At the end of the day, we're all just trying to co-exist in a shared space the best way we can!

Barking and Noise Complaints!?

Now, dogs can only communicate in a few ways and barking is one of them! Depending on your dog and breed, dogs bark for a variety of reasons. You might have a vocal dog who barks at any happiness or inconvenience. Your dog might "demand bark" at you to throw their toy, they could "alert bark" whenever anybody walks past the house or they might bark to come back inside if they're left outside. 

Of course, dogs are dogs, they are not a silent pet and each breed and individual dog will have different levels of vocalisation. You may notice that breeds bred to be vocal and alert (ie a Dachshund) will typically be more vocal than other breeds, but it often differs dog-to-dog as well. 

Nobody - not even your grumpy neighbour - should expect any dog to be silent all the time. However, the typical thing to do out of etiquette as a dog owner is to ensure you are minimising any loud barking where you can if you live somewhere you have close neighbours. This would look like ensuring they are not left shut outside all day if they are not happy to be (or even the same if left inside - separation anxiety can be worked on with training). It could also look like training a dog to not demand bark excessively etc. Nobody should reasonably be looking for a "perfect" and silent dog here, just be aware of others and reduce noise where possible if you live close to others. This will also mean you don't have to worry about dealing with excessive noise complaints with the council either!

Is It Ok to Let My Dog Off the Lead?

Sometimes! Let us explain! There is actually some legal legislation around this one, but it's not completely clear. A dog is legally not allowed to be "dangerously out of control" - this sort of wording can and has caused confusion. Most of the time, the law is only involved if somebody is hurt in some capacity. However, due to the unclear wording of the law, this can also mean if somebody perceives your dog to be dangerous while they are out of control. 

For this reason, it is considered good dog etiquette to only let your dog off lead around other people or dogs if you know your dog won't approach or bother any of them and remains "in control." You need to remember that even though your dog may be friendly and want to greet everybody, some people are frightened of dogs, and there are lots of dogs out there who do not like other dogs. This etiquette is not only to obey the law, but to ensure everybody involved is safe and comfortable - including your own dog!

But what if the other dog is off lead too? This one causes a fair bit of controversy between dog owners these days, but the idea that just because another dog is off lead that it means they're social and wanting to play is actually an outdated line of thinking. If you show up to a field and another dog is off lead, this (usually) only means that the dog is recall trained and not necessarily that they are dog-social and wanting to play. If you really want your dog to have a play, why not call out and ask the owner? It could be the start of a doggy friendship if you ask first, but if you don't, either the other dog or yours could be in for a bad time! 

There are lots of other circumstances dogs should be kept on lead too! I couldn't possibly list every scenario, but some common examples are below:

• Public access areas during ground nesting seasons
• Anywhere with livestock, even if your dog is not interested, it's best to keep them on lead as if a farmer is concerned they can legally shoot your dog, which is super scary!
• National Trust grounds
• Walking alongside or on roads

Our Dogs Are Both On Lead - Should They Have a Sniff?

Probably not! Dogs cannot exhibit proper body language when they're on lead and sometimes feel restrained and "trapped." This isn't always the case of course, but it's common enough that it's best to not let any dogs greet on lead that don't know each other just incase!

Just remember that the best case scenario is that they do like each other and want to play, but they're on lead so they can't, so it's usually just easier to avoid this for most dogs and owners!

Of course if you and the other owner are happy for this greeting to go ahead, and neither of your dogs have ever found it to be uncomfortable, don't let us stop you, this is just a general tip that it's often not the best idea.

Poop and Clean-Up - What's the Deal!?

We think you probably already know this one - but if your dog does a poop... you gotta pick it up! Remember that even though deer and foxes go in the same woodland as your dog, they are native and a natural part of the eco-system but your dog is not! Get yourself a poop bag subscription to ensure you never run out!

We also recommend a few more etiquette guidelines when it comes to everything doggy toilet related:

• Don't allow your dog to do their business on somebody else's garden or lawn, it's just a bit rude!
• Ensure you are always carrying extra poop bags even if you only expect your dog to go once - you just never know (and you can technically be stopped and asked to prove if you are carrying bags and face a fine if not!)
• Try not to let your male dog mark on other people's property, they are so quick this does happen sometimes but try to move them onto a bush or something when you can
• If it's too runny to pick up, wash away as best as you can with water if you have some, but try not to beat yourself up, nobody anticipates this!

Pub Dog? 

There's nothing more quintessentially British for us than a pub lunch on a Sunday with your dog curled up under your feet, but remember this is only an enjoyable scenario if your dog enjoys it too, and behaves themselves!

Lots of dogs just busy indoor environments too much, and that's ok, they won't mind snoozing at home while you nip out. There are a few other situations we think it is basic dog etiquette to remember if your dog is coming with you to the pub or a coffee shop

• Bring them a bed or a mat to make sure they're comfortable
• If they are vocal and barky this is probably not the right environment for them as other people will be wanting some quiet
• It's no fun for anybody else if your dog can only settle if they have a squeaky toy
• Please don't bring your dog along to dog friendly places if they are upset by seeing other dogs/other dogs passing by! They don't need to be sociable as everyone is kept on lead but it's upsetting for other dogs to be growled at from under the table just for existing!
• On that note - keep your dog on lead while you're in the pub!

We hope this helps you, whether you're a new dog owner, or just not owned a dog in a while, or just moved to the UK. We have also written a journal post on the legal side of dog ownership in the UK, which you can read here, however this piece is a little more nuanced.

Most of this is common sense, and the rest can be figured out with a little bit of communication with other dog owners! Comment if you agree with us, or if you disagree please let us know what with and why! Maybe we can do a follow up!