# Big dogs and country stiles



## Alice Childress (Nov 14, 2010)

I was out yesterday for a walk, with what can only be described as an imaginary Bernese by my side (what? rrr: ), when I reached a country stile with no option of a gate, or fence to go under and it occurred to me, how on earth would I get a Bernese dog over one of those? Especially while they are still growing and you have to be so careful with their joints. 

... So people with big dogs, do they just find a way over themselves?! Am I underestimating them? Or can this be a problem?


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## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

This can be a massive problem. I can't lift either of my Rotties over styles, so if they can't find a way underneath or around them, we have to turn back. Not great but nothing else can be done. 

There are some people that are so peeved by this though they take matters into their own hands and I've seen holes dug underneath styles to allow larger dogs through the gap. I've also seen gates that are used by the public, padlocked to prevent them being opened. Grrr. We have one farmer in particular who does not like people walking on the public footpath over his farm land and padlocks his gates closed. :incazzato:

Whereas I do have sympathy for farmers, I object to them closing or making access to public footpaths difficult or impossible. 

But styles, yes, we have a style to the field next to us and we asked them to make the gap larger for our dogs to use. They were fine about it and our boys can get through the middle, but if we'd not seen them repairing it, we'd have had that problem of them not being able to get through.


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## SammyJo (Oct 22, 2012)

Frankie is straight over styles, Molly used to be straight over them too but with old age she cant do it anymore, she stands up at the style and I help her back end over  Shes not as big and heavy as a Bernese by any scale tho 

Farmers aren't usually a fan of public footpaths and try to keep access to a minimum where I am, which can be a pain. I can also see the farmers point of view with livestock escaping / being stolen.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

8tansox said:


> This can be a massive problem. I can't lift either of my Rotties over styles, so if they can't find a way underneath or around them, we have to turn back. Not great but nothing else can be done.


There's one place in particular that springs to mind .... there's a lovely walk up an extinct volcano near me - there's a padlocked gate  and a styles with a gap in the wall next to it (that a small dog would get through)

I remember lifting Ben over it once ... OMG never again!

It's such a shame as it really is a lovely walk...

Out of curiosity - do you have the "right to roam" in England?


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Lilylass said:


> Out of curiosity - do you have the "right to roam" in England?


Some parts you can roam - mainly uncultivated uplands - but in those the access is for humans only and the right doesn't apply to dogs. A lot of these areas are used for rearing grouse or pheasants for shoots, or they're nesting sites for ground-nesters like the waders that nest on moorland, so it makes sense from a conservation point of view. You can take dogs on the public footpaths of course, but again the right of passage is for humans and landowners have no duty to provide easy access for dogs.


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## Wyrd (Jul 27, 2010)

I have a harness with a handle on my dogs so I can lift them. I teach them to put their front paws on the style, then I use the handle to lift them up, they either jump down the other side, or I lean over and help them down using the handle.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

If the obstruction is on a designated public footpath or bridleway, then maybe contact the local council, Ramblers Assocn. or Bridleway Assocn. Perhaps the landowner can be instructed/requested to alter the access. Kissing Gates seem to be becoming more common and give much wider access.

If a farmer has padlocked a public access point, then they are breaking the law. They may not like people going across their land, but if it is officially designated, then they have no choice.


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2013)

Zander can leap over a stile standing start. Only problem is I tend to be attached to the lead at the time. :lol:

We tend to avoid stiles if we can.


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## Sosha (Jan 11, 2013)

Alice Childress said:


> I was out yesterday for a walk, with what can only be described as an imaginary Bernese by my side (what? rrr: ), when I reached a country stile with no option of a gate, or fence to go under and it occurred to me, how on earth would I get a Bernese dog over one of those? Especially while they are still growing and you have to be so careful with their joints.
> 
> ... So people with big dogs, do they just find a way over themselves?! Am I underestimating them? Or can this be a problem?


If you're imaginary Bernese is still growing you're unlikely to be out that far.

The office Lurcher is very good at just hopping over the top/ under the bottom. We've only had to "assist" a handful of times 3? One of those was a field of inquisitive young bulls :rolleyes5:.

On a related note there's a walk I do that I was going to invite a friend on - however stopping to think about it, at one point there are a number of really small, tight kissing gates. Her lad is not going to fit. Being close to civilisation there's maybe a detour but further planning required.


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## AmberNero (Jun 6, 2010)

Pix- under in a flash, Amber- under with coaxing, Nibs... stands and bankly stares at you until he's lifted over  Luckily greys are big, but not particularly heavy. If I lived in a stile-riddled area and had big, big, heavy dogs, I suppose I would try to train them to carefully go over them... But not all styles are the same shape and size and with the widdly ones I guess lots of people just have to turn around.


... Still- better than the path disappearing into the SEA  Like with some well-known monochromatic hounds' walk! :lol:


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Ladder stiles, wall stiles all OK; other stiles......my nemesis . 

Kilo will flatten himself under surprisingly small gaps or between the bars of gates but I have nearly crippled myself lifting him over more than I care to mention. Kilo will jump over trees, fences etc when playing about and I have put a cue to it BUT he will not jump stiles and I will not get him to try and leap the higher fences as they are usually topped with barbed wire.

A farmer on his quad even came over to help me once . He said lots of people carry wire cutters and make holes in his fences for their dogs - I have seen the holes alongside stiles and must admit that I am usually relieved but wouldn't dream of vandalising property myself .


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

AmberNero said:


> Pix- under in a flash, Amber- under with coaxing, Nibs... stands and bankly stares at you until he's lifted over  Luckily greys are big, but not particularly heavy. If I lived in a stile-riddled area and had big, big, heavy dogs, I suppose I would try to train them to carefully go over them... But not all styles are the same shape and size and *with the widdly ones I guess lots of people just have to turn around.*
> 
> ... Still- better than the path disappearing into the SEA  Like with some well-known monochromatic hounds' walk! :lol:


Not after having spent nearly all day on a mountain walk like happened to me. I just HAD to get the BW over.....I nearly burst into tears after about 40 minutes' of coaxing though .


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## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

My father in law's GSD just navigates them herself when instructed. But mine can't work it out at all, even with treats and help and a full repertoire of agility commands, we always fail. We put her front paws up and give her a boost. Or I can lift her if it's desperate and have had to in the past.


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## sunshine80 (Jan 25, 2010)

I struggle to get Sonny over Stiles to be honest and he is only a cocker spaniel  It is usually on holiday when both myself and Dad are there so someone to help but I think it makes it worse - he manages the stile bit OK most of the time but then takes a flying leap from the other side - usually nearly strangling himself in the process 

Luckily we do not really have stiles here - tend to have gates which open up into the fields (although not sure how you would manage with large dogs in some of these either). The Lake District had a good idea - they had a doggy gate at the bottom which you pulled up to let the dog through again probably not manage it with a large dog though and also not great if the dog is on lead as have to try and get lead through the gate or over the stile


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## jonb (Nov 15, 2012)

Sophie needed help getting over in her latter years and would stop and look at me waiting
I know a local chap had a rottie that became paralised trying to get under a local stile.
some local stiles we try n use have electric fences near them too


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Lilylass said:


> Out of curiosity - do you have the "right to roam" in England?


You can chaeck for Crow land here 
Natural England - Open Access maps 


Lurcherlad said:


> If the obstruction is on a designated public footpath or bridleway, then maybe contact the local council, Ramblers Assocn. or Bridleway Assocn. Perhaps the landowner can be instructed/requested to alter the access. Kissing Gates seem to be becoming more common and give much wider access.
> 
> If a farmer has padlocked a public access point, then they are breaking the law. They may not like people going across their land, but if it is officially designated, then they have no choice.


Dogs don't have right of way, paths are for humans and horses 

Luckily Kissing gates are becoming more common around here too. :thumbsup: My old cripple can't even manage to go under fences these days


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

...................................


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

Thankfully my 2 bigger dogs arent so hugely big and heavy and are athletic enough to jump fences, gates and stiles. My smaller dog is usually small enough to get through or under, but I can lift her if I have to. She will jump though if she can. I taught them all from a young age how to get over stiles but I know many dogs cant.

I have been walking in the past, and have come across really high stiles with sheep fencing either side and topped with barbed wire. If a dog was to misjudge whilst getting over it would have a nasty accident. I dont like my dogs jumping such high stiles, especially if barbed wire is present but at the end of the day there is often no other way to get over. Then of course there are the V shaped gaps in stone walls which are really narrow, the walls are usually topped with barbed wire too so these have presented a problem for my widest dog (as well as my fat bum!) in the past.

Landowners certainly dont make access easy at times and whenever I come across a particularly troublesome stile I always think about owners of large breed dogs.


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## AmberNero (Jun 6, 2010)

Dogless said:


> Not after having spent nearly all day on a mountain walk like happened to me. I just HAD to get the BW over.....I nearly burst into tears after about 40 minutes' of coaxing though .


I would have done the same! I can just imagine the feeling of 'are you KIDDING me?!' on sight of the stile!


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## Wilmer (Aug 31, 2012)

In the peak district, the "styles" are just dry stone walls with some longer, flat stones poking out like an open staircase. Not newfy friendly at all! For that holiday, we developed a kind of shoulder under butt and heave technique!! Thank goodness there were two of us ... and I wonder why I have a bad back


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

rona said:


> Dogs don't have right of way, paths are for humans and horses


Footpaths for humans only, bridleways for horses and cyclists as well as pedestrians.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Burrowzig said:


> Footpaths for humans only, bridleways for horses and cyclists as well as pedestrians.


Yeah I know


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## dianajc891 (Oct 4, 2012)

I am fortunate where I live in that most stiles have space beside them for larger dogs, so my newf usually has no problems getting underneath. There is only one stile I can think of made of scaffold poles next to some pylons where there is no space. So we just don't go there any more.


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## Sosha (Jan 11, 2013)

Starting to feel mean now - I sometimes make the lodger go over the top so I don't have to faff about with the lead if he's on it...


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## Old English (Mar 31, 2019)

Alice Childress said:


> I was out yesterday for a walk, with what can only be described as an imaginary Bernese by my side (what? rrr: ), when I reached a country stile with no option of a gate, or fence to go under and it occurred to me, how on earth would I get a Bernese dog over one of those? Especially while they are still growing and you have to be so careful with their joints.
> 
> ... So people with big dogs, do they just find a way over themselves?! Am I underestimating them? Or can this be a problem?


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## kimthecat (Aug 11, 2009)

Its not just dogs that cant get over but people too. I can only get over one with help from my OH but fortunately we don't have many in this area .


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

It's not only stiles that are the problem. Last summer, crossing deer grids was a problem for my two dogs. Although they could easily have jumped across them, neither would no matter how much encouragement we gave them. Good job my Grandson was with me and able to carry them across because although I might have managed Gwylim there's no way I could have lifted a nearly 19 kg Georgina.

This is Madam inspecting this strange impediment to her walk, Gwylim wouldn't go anywhere near it!


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Magyarmum said:


> It's not only stiles that are the problem. Last summer, crossing deer grids was a problem for my two dogs. Although they could easily have jumped across them, neither would no matter how much encouragement we gave them. Good job my Grandson was with me and able to carry them across because although I might have managed Gwylim there's no way I could have lifted a nearly 19 kg Georgina.
> 
> This is Madam inspecting this strange impediment to her walk, Gwylim wouldn't go anywhere near it!
> 
> View attachment 398806


What is that supposed to stop deer doing?


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

Burrowzig said:


> What is that supposed to stop deer doing?


As I understand it it was supposed to stop deer from using that stretch of road, although it could also have been intended for wild boar. Where we were walking was actually in the middle of the forest and this was the only road open to pedestrians only and which finally petered out to become a cart track.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Magyarmum said:


> As I understand it it was supposed to stop deer from using that stretch of road, although it could also have been intended for wild boar. Where we were walking was actually in the middle of the forest and this was the only road open to pedestrians only and which finally petered out to become a cart track.


...but the deer could just hop across it, or go round the sides.


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

Burrowzig said:


> ...but the deer could just hop across it, or go round the sides.


I agree they could just hop over it but they couldn't go round because the sides are sheer.

No doubt the Hungarians have their reasons for putting it there!

Whatever it's meant for it certainly put both my two off!

Maybe to keep hedgehogs crossing???


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## Sairy (Nov 22, 2016)

Most of the styles I've been over have either had a little gate that dogs can go through or Holly has managed to squeeze through them somehow. There have been a few occasions though where OH and I have had to lift her up and over. That was fun!


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