Period for keeping dogs on a leash ends on Tuesday 20 August – remember these rules

Despite the end of the period for keeping dogs on a leash, dogs may not be kept unleashed without the permission of the landowner and the holder of the hunting right. Remember that a dog should always be supervised by its owner or the person in whose possession the dog is when it is unleashed! In built-up areas, a dog may only be kept off the leash in dog parks, dog training areas and enclosed yards all year round. In protected areas, dogs must always be kept on a leash.

The Public Order Act states that a dog may not be off the leash on an exercise track or similar running track. Dogs off the leash are not allowed on public beaches, children’s playgrounds, market places during trading hours, ski tracks maintained for public use, or sports fields, unless otherwise stated.
 

Active in nature

An exception to the Public Order Act is marked dog trails, which are ideal places to activate your dog and allow it to engage in species-typical activities by walking in nature. If it is not possible to keep the dog off a leash, it could be a good idea to book a session in a dog forest.

You could say that a dog is an interpreter between humans and nature. Dogs help people open up their senses and focus their attention on natural phenomena – they often observe their surroundings more sensitively than humans and can get excited about the first autumn leaves or the morning frost, for example. Moving around in nature with a dog also refreshes the mind and strengthens the bond between the owner and the dog through joint activities.

At the end of the period for keeping dogs on a leash, the active period of hounds will also begin. Next week, we will launch a campaign on the Finnish Kennel Club’s website and on social media, where we will introduce the hound hobby activities in more detail and talk about the history of different dog breeds helping people in hunting. Stay tuned for more!

Safely unleashed

A responsible dog owner knows the dog etiquette and follows it. This way, encounters with other dogs, other animals and people will go as smoothly as possible. However, sometimes unexpected things happen quickly. A nervous dog can run away when it is uncomfortable. How do you make sure your dog does not run away when it is unleashed? Recall is one of the most important commands an owner can teach their dog. It is recommended to start practising the recall command systematically when the dog is a puppy.
 

• Read more about the regulations on keeping dogs on a leash here.
• Visit Metsähallitus’ Nationalparks.fi website for tips on spending time outdoors with a dog here and on hiking with a dog here (in Finnish).