Private field

I have booked a private field, not far from home, for an hour tomorrow morning. I'm going to take both dogs for my first visit and mix up walking and playing. It will be nice not to be on edge about meeting other dogs. If it's a suitable as It looks (I'm sure it will be) I will book individual sessions for each dog to do some training along with walking & playing.
 
We had an absolute blast. The field is not huge, but it is in lovely condition. The grass is mowed, it is well fenced and has a picnic bench to rest on. After running about, the dogs were hot and of course they found the stone horse trough and leapt in...drinking up the manky water. I forgot to take my phone/camera - boo. I will definitely be making more use of this wonderful facility.

dog field.jpg
 

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
My brother has lots of unused fields at the moment. (70 acres)

He should turn one into a car park and one into a dog running field with woods at the bottom. People could pay online and use a keypad to get in.

He won’t - it involves work. He works hard all day being sustainable for his family (two households - growing all their food and fuel) but hates working to earn money, even when it’s such easy money!

:wasntme:
 

Joy

Location
East Sussex
Glad you had such a good time. It will be lovely to be able to let Meg free without worrying.

@Boogie Yes the one I hire is fully booked all the time. Some investment from the owner in making high, secure fencing and some maintenance I suppose (she provides dog poo bins which she must empty) - oh and I suppose insurance - but otherwise I would have thought an easy source of income.
 
We acquired a 3 acre field last year and this is exactly what we're planning to do with it. We have finally got it stock-fenced, and now we're going to let a neighbour put some sheep in it for a while to get the grass down (it's knee-high). Then, it will be a private field for dog walking / training, available at an hourly rate.

I'd be VERY interested to hear any suggestions about what you think a "good" field would be! What you you like / value most about the field you're using? How do you go about booking / paying for it? What are the rules (if any)? Will you still want to use it after lock-down is lifted? And so on....
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@Rosie , I dont use one but have a couple of friends who own a private dog field , they take bookings online and then the payee gets a code to unlock the gate . Both are very strict about picking up dog poo and have a bin by the gate , for all litter . I think you will find it very popular indeed , even after lockdown as these fields are invaluable for many dogs and their owners , good luck x
 
Yes, definitely a shelter, with bowls of water in hot weather.
Depending what the field is like of course but a small watery area would be great, maybe a lower part of the field that doesn't drain and they can splash about in.

I might go a bit over the top and put in some agility poles or cones.

And obviously a bar or coffee machine is a necessity. :idea:
 

Joy

Location
East Sussex
@Rosie I use one very regularly - at least fortnightly and more often weekly. I use it as a space to train for Rally so I can set out a course without being interrupted but most other people use it to exercise reactive or untrained dogs. It is also block-booked by a cople of dog trainers for classes. It's always fully booked, not just during lockdown. (There is a large field, a barn and an outdoor sand-school.)
The one I use has a very trusting system for payment- you just put your money in an envelope and post it into a box with a slot. To book they have the field and barn diary online, on both facebook and website, and so you check available slots and then text the owner to book. I used a different place once where you had to pay in advance by either paypal or bank transfer which was fine but I haven't been back because there was no parking other than the (narrow) road alongside the field. The one I use regularly has ample safe parking.
There are strict rules about keeping your dog in your car until the previous people have put their dog back in their car which is good and also obviously picking up poo - but there are plenty of bins so this is easy.
There are a couple of porta-loos which is a bonus and coffee machines which you pay for. Oh yes and seats for the owners (I never use these!)
One of the most convenient things for me is that there is a water supply so I don't have to carry it with me.
The owner used to supply balls and dishes but because of Covid now asks you to bring your own.
There is some agility equipment in both field and barn.
At the moment there is hand sanitiser and cleaning spray - so you are asked to clean the bits of the gate you have touched on exit.
 
I pay £10 an hour. That's about right. The field I use has no shelter, I think a little 3 walled hut would be good. (I'm going this Tuesday..torrential rain forecast!) I don't think you need to provide much else though - I bring my own water, any equipment. A poo-bin is a good idea, only because it encourages people to pick up, but it then needs emptying. I would be happy to take my dog poo home. Pick up dog poo/leave no litter has to be a condition of use. And enough space to park so that you don't have to pass near other dogs at crossover times.

On line booking is important to me, when I get my email back to say it's booked I pay by bank transfer. The booking system at the field I use looks like this..Booking Field

Keeping the grass short is also important, balls get lost in long grass & poo can be hard to pick up if it's too long. And a bench to sit on when you're tired tramping about.

A really nice to have is a hose - when the field is cut...all those cuttings stick to your boots in wet weather and are night on impossible to shake off. Last time I went there WAS a hose so I could was my boots. This is a luxury, not an essential.
 
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