29/05/2025
⚠️ Rant incoming! Sorry, it's a long one!
I'm sorry to have to have another rant about disrespectful people, and I'm very aware it's a small minority. Please remember I am not tarring everyone with the same brush, I'm just hoping those few people who think it's acceptable to do as they please will see this and hopefully, will be ashamed of themselves, but thank you always, to everyone who continues to respect the paddock, the land, the equipment and our rules. I see you and appreciate you 💛
Over the last few weeks, I have had to stop myself TWICE from closing the paddock due to how people have left it.
So, for those of you who have no common decency or respect, let me remind you of a few things...
🚫 You do not have permission to move ANY of my equipment. This includes posts, tyres, planks, jumps, bench, chairs... ANYTHING!
In the last couple of weeks, someone has taken it upon themselves to pull out my posts and throw them across the paddock, leaving them laid in the middle of the ground.
Someone else decided they were going to rearrange equipment and created an incredibly dangerous and unsteady platform using the plank, tyres and a detached tree stump (whoever this was, how dare you leave something so dangerous for someone else's dog to potentially use and injure themselves on, do better).
Yesterday, someone decided to empty all of the sand from my tyre sandpits and wasted bags full of sand. FYI, the tyres are not there for you to show off and flip them (it's not even hard, so pack it in thinking you're the Hulk. It's embarrassing). In fact, none of it is there for your entertainment!!! It's there for the dogs entertainment! LEAVE MY STUFF ALONE! I'll be expecting you to replace the sand, by the way...
⛔️ This one just creates more work for me, but please stop removing the water bowls from the stands and taking & leaving the bowls at the other end of the paddock and allowing your dogs to dig the water in them.
Firstly, I don't enjoy hide and seek with water bowls. Secondly, the reason I keep them in the stands is to do my best to keep them clean and SAFE for your dogs to drink from.
When you move them and leave them in the paddock, other dogs are peeing on them, and they get filled with mud and insects. If you would like to have a portable water bowl with you whilst using the paddock, please take your own.
⚠️ Any equipment here in the paddock is only for the use of dogs. Please always keep your eyes on the dogs when they're using anything, and do not allow them to dig or chew anything.
Please, for heaven's sake, stop standing on equipment and breaking it!! I've had my seesaw broken with someone's foot going straight through it, and my brand new purple stand was left in pieces. I've also had dogs chew through my jumps and dig multiple holes, which create hazards for both dogs and humans. It's not acceptable.
💩 I can't believe I have to even mention this, but it is your responsibility to pick your dogs poo up AND your litter.
Yesterday, there was a poo left by the gate before I even entered the paddock (FYI your dogs are meant to be on-lead at all times when outside of the paddock, so I'm under the impression that you chose to ignore your dog pooing and left it for someone to stand in). There was also a huge poo left right inside the gate this morning. I've no idea how that was missed.
If you see a poo, please pick it up. Even if it doesn't belong to your dog. I'm sure every single one of us will have missed one at some point, so let's work together a little bit more to help keep the area clean and tidy. And please stop leaving your starbucks cups on the floor and the mounds of sweet wrappers I find most days!🙏
⛔️ Please, do not turn up to your paddock slot early and ensure you are leaving on time.
Please do not get out of your car until the booking before you have left. We have multiple reactive dogs using our paddock as a safe space, and you are putting yourself, your dogs, and other people and their dogs at risk by walking up to the paddock early. REMINDER - YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO WALK ANYWHERE THROUGH THE LAND OTHER THAN THE TRACK TO THE PADDOCK.. so if you come early, no, you can't just 'go for a walk to kill time'
⚠️ Take your dog toys home with you, please!
I have found multiple tiny balls and other toys left behind that are not suitable for all dogs. I completely appreciate the gesture of leaving them for other dogs, but please remember that what is suitable for your dog could cause serious harm to another. It's not worth the risk.
So, moving forward, let's work together!
If you notice a poo or any litter, please pick it up, whether it belongs to you or your dog or not. I pick up plenty of other 💩 when I hire other people's paddocks, and although you shouldn't have to and are not expected to, it helps each other out.
If you notice something out of the ordinary or something is damaged, please, please report it to me. Everything that has been damaged so far has been left for me to find. The people who caused the damage have never had the decency to make me aware.
Accidents happen, we're only human, I get that, but by leaving damaged equipment, you are risking injuring either another person or a dog. It's not acceptable.
And to those who think it's OK to do as you please because you paid to be here, you're not welcome back.. unless you're coming to replace the things you've damaged or wasted, of course!! 🤬
