Swindon dog trainer urges people to ‘be responsible’ around livestock this spring
91% of dog owners would welcome tougher laws
A Swindon dog trainer is highlighting the importance of training dogs correctly to reduce the attacks on farmers’ livestock.
As we are approaching lambing season, Wiltshire police has warned dog owners to keep their four-legged friends on leads – but Sam Lach believes it is something people should be aware of all year round.
New NFU Mutual figures reveal that the South West saw the second-highest number in England of farm animals that were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2024, resulting in around £225,000 of damage.
Mr. Lach, who runs Sam’s Canine Academy for pets from Swindon and Wiltshire, said: “One of the main things that people maybe not be aware of is that it is against the law. So, under the Dangerous Dogs Act, if your dog is dangerous and out of control, you are making an offence and breaking the law.
“And if you think about it from a financial point, you have an effect on people's livelihood at the end of the day. Said farmers work extremely hard to try and prevent these things from happening. But it is down to the owners to be responsible”.
Across the UK, almost £1.8m of livestock were injured or killed by dogs in the last year.
The figures are down 26% for the entire country and more than a third in the South West, but still three in five owners admitted that their dog doesn’t always come back when recalled.
Just over half of the people surveyed said they would intervene if they saw their dog attack another animal, while 20% would notify a local farmer and 17% would call the police.
Hannah Binns, rural affairs specialist for NFU Mutual, said: “Farmers across the UK are living in fear of repeat attacks, which cause horrific suffering to livestock and can traumatise all involved in dealing with the aftermath. Anecdotally, we’ve heard of many incidents where dogs have injured and killed sheep and the owner is powerless to stop it or is nowhere to be seen.
“Ignorance isn’t bliss when it comes to dog attacks on livestock; regardless of size, breed or temperament, all dogs are capable of chasing, injuring and killing farm animals. It is vital dog owners act responsibly and keep their pets on leads wherever livestock may be nearby to prevent these needless attacks”.
NFU Mutual is calling on dog owners to:
- Keep dogs on a lead when walking in rural areas where livestock are kept but let go of the lead if chased by cattle
- Be aware that all dogs, regardless of size, breed, and temperament, can cause the distress, injury and death of farm animals
- Report attacks by dogs to the police or local farmers
- Never let dogs loose unsupervised in gardens near livestock fields – many attacks are caused by dogs which escape and attack sheep grazing nearby
To Mr. Lach, the consequences for the dog and its owner as equally as important to consider.
“Farmers are legally allowed to shoot your dogs if they believe that they are worrying or about to attack their sheep or are attacking their sheep or livestock, so it's for the safety of your own dog”, he stressed.
“We do as people try to humanise dogs and try and make them seem like they're always going to be like cuddly little babies. But at the end of the day, they are animals and given the opportunity – a lot of times people don't want to believe it – but their dogs do want to hunt and kill.
“So, being safe and responsible and making sure that you're not putting your dog in those situations or at least providing good training for those situations so that you can kind of reduce the chances of that happening should be at the foremost of people's brains when they're doing things”.
It is important to remember that dogs can display predatory behaviours all year, not just during lambing season.
“It's not a particular animal. It's an issue every day – we see dog attacks happening to people, children, other animals, other dogs.
“Dogs are predatory animals. If they are bred and genetically that way, they will absolutely act upon these desires”, added Mr. Lach.
Anyone who is unsure or worried about their dog’s behaviour should contact a professional dog trainer for advice.