Going for a walk with your furry friend is a normal part of our daily routine. But what if you want to walk your dog on a private road? Is it okay to do so? Let’s explore the expediency of walking our dogs on private roads.
The answer to whether your dog can walk on a private road depends entirely on the owner. The owner may ask you to leave, charge you a penalty for trespassing, or even ask law enforcement officers to issue you a trespassing citation and, if necessary, arrest you. It’s always best to discuss with the owner before entering.
But what if there’s no trespassing sign on the private road? Can you still walk your dog there? What happens if the owner takes legal action against you? Let’s explore what could happen if you walk your dog on a private road without permission, how to deal with it, and some other important facts related to this matter.
Is it okay to walk your dog on a private road?
As its name implies, private road is private and is therefore only accessible to its owners and approved visitors.
If the street sign states “private road/street/way,” you and the dog are also not supposed to.
You have to ask for permission from the relevant authority if you are keen to enter the road with your dog for a walk.
But some private roads are open to the general public and can be used by anybody who wants to use them, although they primarily serve those who request them.
In such instances, you can go on evening or morning walks with your dog without interruptions.
Most probably, the signboards are primarily for show rather than anything else. No one is supposed to catch visitors going here and there on the road, besides their own work.
So as long as you and your pet partner move around as you live there, you shouldn’t have any problems.
If there is no harm or nuisance to living people, it is not the wrong thing to walk with your dog in a private lane.
Daily exercises are compulsory for our pet dogs. So we take him with us for walks as it is good for the mental as well as physical health of both the dog and ourselves. The problem starts when we enter a private lane without permission. Frankly, there is nothing to worry about if we use public walking paths or permitted lanes to walk with our dog. Also, if there's a private lane, we can ask permission before entering. Then it does not matter if we walk down a private road with our dog friend.
What will happen if you walk your dog on a private road?
Although it is not prohibited to use private roads for dog walks, there are some things to be concerned about when using private roads.
If not, sometimes we have to face certain troubles. Let’s discuss what will happen if we take our dog a walk on a private road without prior permission or unknowingly.
1. The owners will order you to leave the place with the dog in a rough way.
If we accidentally land on a private road with our dog, the owners will sometimes ask you to leave it as it is a private road.
This could be rude sometimes. They would think that we had ignored the trespassing board or else we were suspicious people.
On the other hand, they will be right at the moment. So we have to listen to them at that time.
2. Sometimes, they will yell at you and the dog, blame or scold.
This is the climax of asking to leave. If we have a stronger fighting breed like a pitbull, the road owners definitely dislike our entrance to their area.
Sometimes, if our dog pees or poops in the surrounding area, those people will scold or blame us.
Actually, that is troublesome to them as it is their private property.
3. Owners will ask LEOs to issue you a trespassing citation and, if necessary, arrest you.
The owner has the right to ask you to leave, to issue an order for you to leave, and to have cops issue you a trespassing citation and, if necessary, to arrest you.
Criminals, thieves, and other evil people can also enter with a dog, pretending to be dog walkers. Owners of private roads do this for their security.
In addition, if you are unable to communicate with the owners patiently and politely, they will seek assistance from the cops.
So, in this case, it’s important to leave the place immediately with the dog without making the case worse. Most likely, if you don’t appear to be a threat, they may not arrest you.
4. have to pay a penalty for trespassing.
If you’re caught by a cop or a security officer when violating trespassing, sometimes you will be ordered to pay a penalty fee as you have gone against the rules by walking with your dog in a private lane.
It is better not to enter private roads for dog walks as it causes extra cost.
5. I am completely liable for any damage that happens.
While we are walking with our dog on a private road, if there’s any damage caused to a fence or any property by ourselves or by the dog accidentally, we have to claim for the damage.
We have to rearrange things as before, as the lane is private, just like an unwanted burden falls on us. So it is ideal to use public walking routes as much as possible.
6. The aftermath of trespassing will affect the dog’s behavior.
If we walk on a private road, the aftermath will always affect us as the dog owner. But there is some chance to change the behavior of our dog in this situation.
Sometimes if the road owner yells at us, the sound will trigger the dog as well as the other dogs in the surrounding area, who refuse the presence of us and our dog.
Then the situation will become worse. As a result, it is critical to be concerned before walking our dog on a private road.
What can you do if the owners try to take legal action?
If you’re trespassing on someone’s lane and they ask you to leave, the best thing you can do is apologize profusely and go as swiftly and gracefully as possible with your dog.
Owners, on the other hand, can sometimes make a strong case for legal action. It is not fair to go to court for simple things like this.
But if so, let’s see what we can do if the lane owners try to take legal action against this.
1. Apologize for what you have done in ignorance.
Apologizing for what we have done is the most suitable way to settle the situation, as it was an unintentional mistake to happen.
Accept that you have done something wrong mistakenly. Good communication will make the situation so much clearer than anything else.
So it prevents road owners from calling the cops.
2. Settle the things if any damage is caused by you or the dog
It is quite normal for dogs to be playful everywhere they go. As a result, our dog may occasionally cause minor damage to a fence, a flower bed, or whatever.
No matter how simple the damage is, we have to pay reparations as the dog owner and as we have entered a private road without a permit.
Otherwise, owners can take legal action and can charge a penalty.
3. Proactive in a friendly manner.
In an instance in which we have ignored a trespass, someone can remind us that we have ignored the notice at the beginning of the road and walked in with our pet dog.
That will be the owner or maintainer of this private road. In such instances, we have to act in a friendly way to avoid initiating conflict between both parties.
We can listen to them and leave the place immediately as soon as possible. Then there is no chance to take legal action.
4. Do not initiate combat with the plaintiff.
If the road owners dislike entering outside people, they definitely notice you and the dog’s entrance. Sometimes they will act as if you have done something wrong with your dog.
This is not an instance where you should panic in any case. You have to be patient and not initiate conflicts among them.
Alternative ways to exercise your dog?
Selecting a private road for a dog walk is somewhat serious, eh? Ok, then we can choose alternative ways to exercise our dog rather than walking alone on lanes/roads.
There are so many activities that provide more exercise for your dog as well as you, and they’re such a fun way to bond. Let’s see what they are.
- We can use dog toys like flirt poles, blow bubbles as well as treat dispensing toys like barnacles, kongs and atomic treat balls to make our pet dog active at home.
- Indoor games like hide and seek, find the toy, forage for food will help you to play with your playmate.
- As well, physical activities like climbing stairs, swimming, and taking him hiking will also fulfill his exercise requirements.
Those exercises will definitely provide the same benefits as walking and give your dog the mental and physical stimulation he requires.
If you really need to walk with your dog, use a dog walking trail or a public lane for your requirements.
Things to be aware of.
I think now you know how to take your dog for a walk on a private road as well as the incidents you have to face there and how to manage them in a cool way.
But there can be things we should be aware of and want to give more concern. Here, let’s discuss those things.
- It is necessary to use a harness or a leash while walking because if the dog gets excited at once, things will be more terrible on a private road.
- We always pick up the poop of our dog as the dog owner while on a walk. We can carry a dog poop bag or a grocery bag for this purpose. Remember not to throw it in the woods.
- We have to take enough water with us for the dog as we cannot obtain water in a private lane without asking permission.
- It is better to have an identification collar on our dog. If he is lost or anything happens, it is easy for anyone to hand him over to you as you are using a private road.
- We must prioritize the animals and pets of the people who live near the private lane.
- Ensure not to cause any harm to any physical property on the private road.
Conclusion.
It is really not a big issue, walking our dog on a private road. But it is better to ask permission nicely and politely. This is far more effective than asking for a pardon. If you have recognized any of the people on the road, make contact with them and join them to enter the private road with your dog. So far, we have discussed some negative incidents that can happen while on a dog walk on a private road and how to settle them easily. I think now you have a better understanding of what to do initially before walking your dog on a private road. This will be beneficial for you, and I hope to meet you on another important issue like this.
