Visiting Arnside and Silverdale with your dog

Walking your dog is a daily part of your routine. You might have your favourite spots to visit or enjoy mixing them up a bit and finding new ones.

At all our sites there are shady spaces for your dogs in the warm summer months.

We know how important our places are to you so to help you keep them special for people and wildlife we’ve come up with the canine code so that you and your dog can play a part;

1. Take the lead

Look after farm animals

Almost all our sites have livestock grazing throughout the year to help keep down scrub and encourage wildflowers to flourish and in Spring our tenant farmers have pregnant ewes and lambs out in the field. Dogs off leads can cause a huge amount of harm to farm animals and this has an impact on farmers’ livelihoods.

The fear suffered by seeing just one dog allowed to run free in a field can be fatal for cows, sheep and lambs. Whether  your dog is old, young, big or small, friendly or timid you can reduce the amount farm animals are disturbed and injured by keeping your dog on a short lead. Remember if you are approached by cattle with your dog it is safer to let go of the lead and call your dog back when safe to do so.

Caring for wildlife

As most dog lovers are animal lovers too, wanting to look after wildlife will be second nature. You can do this by keeping your dog under close control or if your dog is especially lively, on a short lead. 

The world of wildlife is mostly invisible to humans, with plants and animals that may spend their entire life hidden from our eyes. These secret species can be especially sensitive to being disturbed, and our canine companions with their more powerful senses are especially good at finding those treasures which are hidden to us. 

Breeding wading birds at the coast often get disturbed by dogs running through the middle of them, causing them to fly up and leave their nests and their chicks. This also happens in wet coastal fields where wading birds like oystercatchers and curlew feed on winter fields.

We’re so lucky to get such amazing wildlife making an appearance at our places. Deer and hares are especially nice to see but often get chased and injured by dogs which are left to roam. Birds nesting in low shrubs on sites like Jack Scout are also regularly ripped out of their nests by inquisitive dogs and often fatally injured. You can help to stop this by keeping your dog under close control by your side or on a short lead.

2. Clean up dog poo

Nobody likes standing in dog poo or seeing dog bags hanging in trees and it’s harmful to people and farm animals. Put it in a bag and take it home with you or find a dog bin in the villages of Silverdale and Arnside.

3. Paws for thought

Are you in the right area? Sometimes we might ask you to walk somewhere else to help us protect you, the places we look after and the wildlife that lives there. Keep an eye out for signs and be extra careful on coastal and cliff top paths.

4. Be on the ball

While lots of us love dogs, some of us don’t. That’s why it’s important to make sure your four-legged friend doesn’t run up to other people – especially children.

For advice on how to look after your dog in the countryside take a look at the national Countryside Code

Lyme disease – look out for ticks on your dog

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which can be spread to humans and dogs by infected ticks. Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures found in vegetation like long grass. They feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans and dogs. Ticks that carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease are found throughout the UK and are particularly common in Arnside and Silverdale especially between March and October.

It's important to check your dog and yourself for ticks at the end of each walk during those warmer months. Anyone who experiences symptoms of the disease is encouraged to seek a medical opinion as soon as possible given the potentially serious long-term implications of not receiving suitable treatment. For further advice on Lyme disease go to NHS  Public Health England