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Woman walking dogs, Inshriach Forest, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. - Peter Cairns/2020VISION

Dogs on Nature Reserves

Many of our reserves welcome dogs with responsible owners. Here you can find a full list and useful information about how to enjoy nature with your dog whilst ensuring wildlife is protected.

This page will provide you with an understanding of our requirements for dogs visiting our nature reserves, the impacts they can have on nature, and how you can reduce these impacts.

Paws for thought

Dogs are more popular than ever, with an estimated 34% of UK households giving ‘man’s best friend’ a home in 2022. All these dogs need fresh air and exercise, which can bring them into conflict with wildlife. Even the friendliest, most gentle dog still looks like a predator – and that’s exactly how wildlife sees it. An encounter with a dog can be hugely stressful for birds, mammals, reptiles, and other animals. Sometimes it can even be fatal.

Our dogs can also have less direct impacts on the natural world around them. It might seem harmless to leave dog poo in the undergrowth, but the extra nutrients this adds to the soil can disrupt nature’s balance, leading to the loss of wildflowers. Cleaning up after your dog and keeping them on a short lead on nature reserves and in other vital wildlife habitats can go a long way towards keeping wildlife safe.

Dog Walkers Code of Conduct

  • Make sure you are allowed to walk your dog at the nature reserve you are visiting.
  • Keep your dog under close control at all times – never let them off the lead if livestock is in the area.
  • Pick up your dog’s mess and dispose of it responsibly.
  • Respect other visitors.
  • Respect signs and requests from the nature reserve team.
  • Do not allow your dog to swim in open water or rivers on our reserves.
  • Do not encourage ‘fetch’ games using balls, sticks or frisbees.
  • Keep your dog with you. Do not leave your dog unattended or in your car at any time.

Reserves that welcome dogs under close control

Please keep your dog on a lead and under close control during bird breeding season (March to August) and if there is livestock grazing. You are welcome to email or call us on 024 7630 2912 to find out if a site has grazing animals at the time so you can plan ahead.

Click on each reserve to find out more:

Reserves that welcome dogs on leads at all times

Please keep your dog on a lead and under close control during bird breeding season (March to August) and if there is livestock grazing. You are welcome to email or call us on 024 7630 2912 to find out if a site has grazing animals at the time so you can plan ahead.

Visitor Centres

Both Brandon Marsh and The Parkridge Centre feature sensitive wildlife habitats and for this reason dogs are not permitted on the nature reserves. 

From Brandon Marsh you can enjoy Brandon Reach with your dog, so dogs on leads are permitted in the car park at Brandon Marsh.

The Parkridge Café allows dogs on leads inside and outside, so you can enjoy some much needed refreshments.

Why do I need to keep my dog close to me and under control?

This helps to minimise distress and disturbance caused to local wildlife. If your dog is off the lead and out of sight it may well be causing disturbance to wildlife, which can cause a reduction in breeding success and ultimately a decrease in population numbers. Dogs do not understand that their natural behaviour could impact other species so we need your support to ensure everyone can be happy.

We welcome a wide variety of visitors to our nature reserves, from wildlife enthusiasts to school groups. Please be aware that dogs can cause risk to other visitors, even unintentionally. Not everyone is fond of dogs and some people have severe phobias.

It is against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control in a public place.

Why do I need to keep my dog on a lead?

In some instances, dogs can be incredibly destructive to sensitive ground flora and during bird breeding season (March to August), particularly to ground nesting birds. We ask that you consider keeping your dog on a lead during this time on all our nature reserves, even if it is usually OK for your dog to be off the lead at these sites.

Many of our nature reserves are managed with the help of grazing animals at certain times of the year. Livestock worrying by dogs is on the increase and can lead to devastating consequences for livestock and dogs! Please keep your dog on a lead at all sites where animals are grazing and be vigilant - neighbouring land owners may also graze livestock. Please be aware that a farmer or landowner can legally kill any dog perceived to be worrying their livestock. Livestock are generally not on site all year round. The main grazing season starts at the end of August through to December. During this period, we put up additional signage to inform visitors.

Why can’t my dog swim in the water?

Please do not encourage your dog to swim in ponds, rivers or other water bodies. Not only does this cause disturbance to wildlife in and around these areas but it also increases the risk of transferring invasive and harmful plants such as New Zealand pygmyweed or amphibian diseases from one body of water to another. Your dog may also become ill or injured swimming in ponds, rivers and streams.

Why do I need to pick up after my dog?

Dog mess is not only an unsightly health hazard for visitors, reserve staff, volunteers and grazing livestock, if left it can alter the pH of soils and can discourage the growth of sensitive and rare ground flora. It can spread disease and pathogens and can lead to serious illness or even blindness in humans and livestock. We need to safeguard our visitors, reserves staff and volunteers by ensuring they do not come into contact with dog mess.

We do not provide dog bins on our reserves so we ask that you take it home with you and dispose of it accordingly.

Why can’t we play fetch?

Thrown objects will cause an impact on the ground and surrounding area which may not be immediately visible; this could also encourage a dog to go exploring away from the path and increase the risk of damage by trampling.

What about assistance dogs?

Working assistance dogs, such as guide dogs, are permitted at our sites.