Walking with your dog

The walking festival endeavours to programme walks which are “dog friendly”, that is, they enjoyable for the walkers, the dogs and consistent with the country code. The National Trust provides excellent guidance for walking in the National Park and this Canine Code can be found at the following link: Visiting with dogs

• Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.

• Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.

• Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.

• Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

Keeping Control

Definition of close or effective control is: ​

• Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call

• Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth or over the crest of the hill). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible

• Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent

• Having a lead with you to use if you encounter livestock or wildlife, or if you are asked to use one