# Offering Secure Field to exercise dogs



## spaniel07 (May 3, 2012)

I`m in the process of gaining a field which is stock fenced and secure, I`m using it for my dogs training and clients. After having years with a runaway springer and no secure places to let her off the lead for a run.

I`m toying with the idea of allowing people to use the field to exercise their dogs for a charge, I`m after feed back on how much you would pay and how long you would want to use it for.

Thanks


----------



## GermanShepardOwner (Aug 20, 2012)

I wouldnt use yours as your too far away, but i would most definately use it. 

My friend has a secure field which we go to every sunday and meet up with other dogs and friends. I pay £10 for 2 hours, which i think is resonable, and theres about 20 of us there. 

He doesnt allow just anyone to walk up and use it though, you have to book as he also allows dogs which are DA to use it, which obviously use it on their own. 

You would have to be careful that the dogs which use it are ok with other dogs, and everyones happy etc.


----------



## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

If I was in the situation of having a dog who would not come back, I would prefer a slightly cheaper option of walking on a long line as it offers a dog enough freedom to run. But for the socialisation side of things, it would help me and my retriever if we can meet up with friendly dogs.


----------



## delca1 (Oct 29, 2011)

A lovely idea, when Jaz was young and had a long phase of selective hearing I would have loved to use a secure field. Not sure I would pay £5 an hour though...if it was occasional use I would but if I wanted to use it every day then it would be expensive. Maybe prices could be arranged with discount for frequent use or some kind of 'season ticket' could be bought??
If I was near to you then I would be very interested in walking there


----------



## Guest (Sep 3, 2012)

malmum uses one. You could ask her what she pays


----------



## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

I have one that I allow people to use, I don't charge them though, I ask for a donation to my Rottie charity.:thumbup:


----------



## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

I'd pay between £5-10 for an hour to exercise/train my dogs without other people or dogs bothering us. Provided you can promise that I would be the only one using it etc. 

People have asked about this elsewhere and having somewhere clean for the dogs to drink/swim, shade for them to lie in and also bits of equipment like agility available. However since you would be training for I'm assuming gundogs, I would include natural agility - things like logs, hollow ones, ones to jump on etc.. You could even have areas of the walk that are longer grass, shorter grass.. 

Something to make the field less boring for the dogs and also the owners and also something for your own clients. 

Also poo bins. If you provide a poo bin then you shouldn't have issues with people not cleaning up after their dogs. 

Does that sound too much? :scared:


----------



## Bagrat (Jun 4, 2012)

If only we had one near - I too would pay say £5 for thirty mins sole use or £7.50 - £10 for an hour the same ( dog has no manners round other dogs). Would probably only go once a week though. Maybe charge less for off peak ( really early morning cheaper than mid week which could be cheaper than weekends).


----------



## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

I'd have killed for something like this with Rupert, a long line just isn't the same as being able to actually run free. I'd also pay for it for somewhere to train Spen on his own or somewhere safe to get together with other friendly dogs and their owners for a bit of socialising and/or training.

I'd be happy to pay around £10 for an hour on my own, less if it's being used by others at the same time. Wouldn't be able to afford that on a daily basis but even having somewhere to go where Rupert could have a good run around once a week would have been brilliant.


----------



## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Wow looking at what most of you would pay I'd better start renting my fields out; I'd be worth a fortune....LOL

My Wednesday afternoon group don't pay anything like that much and get 2.1/2 hours of my undivided attention, tea, coffee and biscuits, 6 acres of secured dog walking, plus the barn if it's wet which has a £2,000 rubber floor. Oh and secure off road parking...!!


----------



## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

I think it's a brilliant idea, but I'm surprised at how much people would pay! I would say more like £2.50 an hour, but also think that you could make this worthwhile by giving people "season tickets" or regular sessions so that the money adds up.

For me, I wouldn't mind there being other dogs there (obv not DA dogs) so maybe you could have certain times that were cheaper when there would be other dogs too.


----------



## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Twiggy said:


> Wow looking at what most of you would pay I'd better start renting my fields out; I'd be worth a fortune....LOL
> 
> My Wednesday afternoon group don't pay anything like that much and get 2.1/2 hours of my undivided attention, tea, coffee and biscuits, 6 acres of secured dog walking, plus the barn if it's wet which has a £2,000 rubber floor. Oh and secure off road parking...!!


OOooo.. Please tell me you're like a 10 minute drive from me :scared:

I think the charge should reflect on the area. If the upkeep is brill and the field not just a field then £5 upwards I would say. If it's just a basic field then possibly just £5.


----------



## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Twiggy said:


> Wow looking at what most of you would pay I'd better start renting my fields out; I'd be worth a fortune....LOL
> 
> My Wednesday afternoon group don't pay anything like that much and get 2.1/2 hours of my undivided attention, tea, coffee and biscuits, 6 acres of secured dog walking, plus the barn if it's wet which has a £2,000 rubber floor. Oh and secure off road parking...!!


If you now say you're in Manchester I will seriously cry lol. In all honesty I'd have paid more for somewhere safe to walk Rupert if it meant not having to deal with the "my dog is friendly" brigade or the people who just didn't give a sh*t that my dog was aggressive and their dog was going to get hurt.


----------



## claire louise (Jul 31, 2012)

hi i think that is a great thing to do wish we had one up here.i would pay if we had one £10 to let alfie run free he is a springer that loves to run


----------



## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

It costs about £15.00 per week to cut the grass where we actually train the dogs and I'm forever weeding to keep it lawn like. Oh and guess who has to clean the toilet and hoover the barn when they've gone....LOL


----------



## cazbah (Nov 2, 2009)

I am very lucky in that I have a friend who owns an acre field about 5 miles from me which I have a key to and take my dogs about 3 times a week for a couple of hours each time, there is only ever us there, nobody else knows its there. 

I would pay £10 per week for the privelidge of doing this if I had to, I would want exclusive access and would want other owners to clear up after their dogs. 

I would be happy to stick to an allotted time. 

Hope you can get this off the ground sounds like a great thing for dog owners like me.


----------



## spaniel07 (May 3, 2012)

Thanks for the replies alot to think on..

I`m really offering to owners who have recall issues and need a place to work on recall, but in a secure area. Having been their I know how hard it is to find a place to pratice or just to give your dog a place to run free.

It would not be used unattended and I would be their to over see any problems that could arise. As I train my own dogs and clients their are times that its not being used by myself and it could be helpful to someone.

I will contact a few agility groups etc. I have full public liability insurance and as I have said will be their.



Thanks


----------



## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

I pay £5 per half an hour to exercise my Mals a couple of times a week in a secure training field. I don't share with anyone though as the Mals wouldn't be too pleased!

I have to drive 45 mins to get there too. I personally would like to go more often and it's not the cost of the hire but the distance I have to travel which is a hasle and also takes my petrol to add to the cost. 

Anyone have a field to hire near Southend Essex? Would save me travelling so far with a noisy dog in the back and I can only take one at a time. Would love to take two together!


----------



## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

My training field (in Essex, but Brentwood, not near Southend, sorry!) is let out to other owners. I charge £6 for 30 mins SOLE use, or £10 for an hour. If owners don't mind if I'm in it with my own or daycare dogs it's £5 for an hour, but they have to be recall problems rather than DA to share for obvious reasons!

Mostly I get sighthounds, but other dogs are welcome, and they come in pairs - I had one owner bring 11 small dogs!! Although I made her phone a family member to come to help and have told her no more than 6 per session because it's too many dogs for one person. It's an enclosed field, not a magical escape defying prison. If some friends want to share it I just charge £1 per owner extra.

I can't let it out for any cheaper, I think someone mentioned £2.50(!) because I have to be on the premises, and have to pay rent to the landlord. There are a few activities in the field, we don't leave too much out in case of theft or vandalism, we've already had a table pounded right into the ground! As most people who come to us just want some running space for their hounds the activities are not really used much.

If someone wanted all our activities out as well, it would be more money as then I have to get there earlier to get it all out and pack away again after.


----------



## william04 (Jun 26, 2012)

I am very capable sticking on a leash and going out to exercise a dog twice a day for an hour-two hours each walk.


----------



## Mollyspringer (Aug 16, 2011)

Hi, probably not the same thing but we pay £30pa for a license to have unlimited access walk in a huge private estate. The owners give about half to charity I think. A lot of people use it-a lot who don't pay use it as well! It is policed sometimes and we have badges to wear. Not sure how you'd get on restricting time for da dogs etc, might get a bit complicated. It's a good idea though! Good luck!


----------

