I visited relatives this Christmas and noticed this on the front page of the local Express and Star.

6 Dogs is limit for walkies

People will be banned from walking more than six dogs at the same time in one Black Country borough under a crackdown.
Dog walkers caught with more than the permitted number of animals face stiff fines.
The new rules due to be unveiled in Sandwell will also include tough fines for dog fouling and will ban dogs from certain places.
The current legislation on dog fouling and the control of animals in public places has expired to make way for new rules in the new year.
The council is revamping the regulations to restrict people to walking no more than six dogs at any one time.
Cabinet member for community services and safety Councillor Derek Rowley said the new rules would cover a wide range of aspects of how people walk their dogs in public.
Although six would be the maximum number of dogs allowed under the new rules, the recommendation is four. "Obviously walking six chihuahua is very different from walking six rottweilers," Councillor Rowley said. "We will also be looking at dogs on leads outside the curtilage of their property."
There will also be tough rules on where dogs can be let off the lead.
The council will also ban dogs from a number of high-risk places included play areas, some parts of parks, football fields and cemeteries.
A document being prepared by officers and council chiefs will be submitted for discussion in the new year.
Street wardens will be the main source of enforcement, with £75 fixed-penalty notices for offenders.

Very good IMHO :)

I agree. Nobody but nobody can really control more dogs than that -if anythign 6 is too much. I have walked 6 dogs at once, even 7, and I stopped, because no matter how well trained they are, you cannot look in several directions all at once.

i got 6 dog but walk them two at time myself,but with my husband 4,
quite argreed with goildmail post.plus it nice to train two out at the same time

we went on a semiar in nov on dog law and this subject was bought up so if this area has dog shows you can only enterd 6 dog to beacuse you are only allow to walk 6 dog in this area.there is some area only allow 3 dogs at a time,

it been bought in to stop the dog walking bussienes taken to many out at one time,

www.doglaw.co.uk

It is an excellent idea.  There are too many people happy to open the boot of their car and let out 6 or more dogs to run riot around here.  I know a lot of people who think they are in control and I know my dogs are well trained but there is always the chance of a situation they cannot be controlled in.  It happens to the most experienced people.

I never walk more than three and usually only two at a time.

I'm with the others too - 6 is more than enough. Even worse if it's a dog walking business mixing single or pair dogs from different owners.

M.

I used to walk 7 dogs at once out on the moors and it was lovely to see them all running together.

However one day I took the dogs out for their normal walk and a collie came up and attacked one of the labradors. Most of the others stood and watched but the mother of the lab who was attacked went to her defense. It made me realise that it very easily could have ended in one dog against a group of mine and whether the other dog started it or not that wouldn't have been unfair.

I now walk 3 dogs at a time, much easier and they get more attention each.

I also had dogs out the other day and one of the dogs was injured, resulting in me having to get the vet out for an emergency (she dislocated her hip), whilst it was easy to get 2 dogs to sit down and stay whilst I tended to the injured party it would have been a nightmare with anymore dogs there.

Walking a pair of Boxers is more than enough at any one time.
How on earth anyone (on their own) can walk six or more medium/large dogs at one time and have full control
of them if there's a problem or even if there's not - I doubt they can.
Obviously a small mini breed may be different...

I only let mine free run on the local recreational ground when I know there's no other dogs running loose or being walked.
If there's too many dogs on the rec. ground they have to be content with road walking (well pavement pounding) instead.

It's surely just a common sense thing but they are I suppose having to make a by-law as some people aren't that well
oft with common sense ;) I do worry about them restricting exercise places but again this is being caused by the minority
that refuse to pick up after their dogs go to the loo...so sadly the majority of us suffer because of the selfish few :(

There's a local pet carer/dog walker near me that I often see out with 7 - 10 dogs from different families.  It makes me so cross, recently I saw her take them into a car park, 8 off lead and 2 on lead, the car park is next to a road!  It can only be about how much money she can make in her situation, I wish in my area they'd take it down to 3/4 dogs for the dog walking businesses at least.  I never walk more than 3 and generally only 2 and that's more than enough.  It doesn't matter how experienced you are as someone else said you can only look in so mant directions at once!

Karen

Once I went out for a walk with my friend and her 9 Cavaliers, and I had my own Cav and my Yankee - watching 11 dogs hurtling along the beach was a wonderful sight, but I'm glad I was only responsible for watching my two!! Specially as hers are all so similar to each other! :-D

ps the Yankee looked awfully out of place too!

>I only let mine free run on the local recreational ground when I know there's no other dogs running loose or being walked.

>If there's too many dogs on the rec. ground they have to be content with road walking (well pavement pounding) instead.

Boxacrazy can i ask why? How do you're dogs to get to play and socialise with other dogs?

As for the walking thing,i honestly dont know how owners can give 6 or more dogs individual attention at home,lettalone whilst out on walks. 3 is my absolute limit,especially when they are all running in different directions

I sometimes walk in the woods with some two friends from agility, between us we have 11 dogs, my boys plus 4 munsters and the others are vizla/GWP crosses they have a wonderful time and being the breeds they are often disappear out of sight hunting but they are good at coming back when we see people coming so they dont get bundled !!  We occasionally have a count up to make sure we have everyone :)  Its not for the faint hearted though, I think my two are plenty for me to walk

>i honestly dont know how owners can give 6 or more dogs individual attention at home,<

ah, but if there were 6 or more dogs why would they want (or need) your 'attention' ;) :D :D
In my breed for example (or any sled dog) The pack are more than happy thank you very much!!

My dogs play and socialise at shows, ringcraft/obedience with friends dogs.
Basically with dogs that I know have sound temperaments.
There are plenty of dogs within my village that don't have good temperaments.
I'm not prepared to run the risk of meeting them on the rec or owners that have no control
over their dogs etc.

I have one veteran bitch who was attacked when she was a puppy. Boxers are notorious
for having memories like elephants she's never forgotten and I wouldn't trust her 100% around dogs
she doesn't know. As she has the 'I'll get in first now' mentality. Although she was temperament tested
as a youngster and graded excellent. You know your own dogs and what you are prepared to risk or not.
I'm not prepared to risk unknown dogs rushing up to her on the rec with their owner not being able to recall or
just shouting in the distance my dog is friendly...:rolleyes:

My middle bitch is ok with unknown dogs that don't grump at her but if a dog flies for her now she won't ignore it.
It's an age thing as when she was younger she wouldn't retaliate. Now she's grown up and is slowly usurping her mum
for top dog..
She is also temperament tested and graded excellent. Her recall isn't 100% around distractions so I choose not
to risk possible confrontation by keeping her on lead with unknown dogs.

My youngest bitch is not a confident bitch, she has 100% recall even with distractions.
She isn't temperament tested yet but I'm pretty sure of her temperament.
She didn't have the socialisation as a wee pup (due to illness that I had shortly after getting her) but she
gets plenty now. She is the most socialble of the lot with all dogs, loves to play etc etc.
But she doesn't challenge other dogs isn't a threat to them etc etc.

I normally walk the youngest and the middle bitch out together. Or they all get walked out on their own.
Depending on how the mood takes me or what I'm trying to achieve with training etc.
I just think that I'm being a responsible dog owner with respect for other dog owners.

i have one dog, mum has 4. we walk them all together about 3times a week,

mum's 2 labs are very well behaved and trained to whistle,

then we have the 2 terriers- which i focus on totally- they usually sprint around scrapping with each other etc, but need my full attention as they can spot summat and be off!

then we have the sprocker 4month old- who is probably the easiest, mum just carries his fave toy and hes all ours!

we dont struggle as they are all trained to same whistle- which can be bad in some ways but we did it so they all return at same time! in theory... we always go to where no-one walks, but we do go public parks when theres only 2 of them.

WHat an EXCELLENT idea!

A few weeks ago I was walking in an unknown area with my two dogs when I heard someone persistently calling theirs.   As this usually means that they do not have proper control I popped mine on a lead when round the corner came 5 Irish Wolfhounds and a mongrel!

I have never seen more than one at a time apart from at a show and of course they were attached to the two smallest people I have ever seen (well 4 of them were) the other one was not and would not return.  The lady then she said she could not hold her two and could I move off the path.

Of course I apologised for having only two dogs, under control on a lead which obviously caused her a problem and moved.

Absolutely ridiculous, if they cannot manage that many dogs at once they should go out in relays.