Hiking with your dog

WHERE IS MY DOG NOT ALLOWED?

Some areas are grazed by horses and cattle. No dogs are allowed here, not even on a leash! (Red zones on the map)

Mechelse Heide
•Boarding point Camping Kikmolen >> green and blue walk

Hiking area Bergerven 
•​Entry point Ketelstraat and Chapel of the Resistance >> between walking switch 158 and 164 (rough boot path)

By now, everybody knows that dogs must be kept on a leash in the National Park, but you will still occasionally see walkers with a dog running loose. Do not hesitate to speak to these people, sometimes it is unconscious or an oblivion, and in this way you will avoid a fine of € 80 and you will help nature a little.

Three reasons to have your dog on a leash at all times:

• To protect nature: Every year, several (rare) animals die because they are bitten to death by a stray dog. Nature is then one big maternity hospital. A large part of life in nature takes place low to the ground. There you find breeding birds, small mammals, pheasants... and fawn. During their first days of life, they lie quietly in the grass or between leaves and bushes in the forest. Dogs sniffing around and going off trail can startle them into silence. Some animals literally run out of fear, get hurt or even killed. The scent trail that a dog leaves behind makes animals anxious, so that a parent animal does not return (in time) to the young animal.
  The National Park is there in the first place to protect nature, and in the second place as a recreational area for people. If stray dogs cause too much damage, the areas where humans and dogs are allowed to roam will be drastically reduced. So please help and prevent dogs running loose, so that we can all continue to enjoy the beauty of nature.
   
• Out of respect for other visitors: Everyone wants to enjoy nature, with or without a dog. Dog owners often assume that their dogs are sweet and loyal and pose no danger or threat. This may be true in many cases, but an animal is never 100% predictable. A dog can be startled and react unexpectedly. Other visitors usually do not appreciate being jumped on or touched by a (wet or dirty) dog. For children, a strange dog is often quite frightening. Also walkers, joggers and cyclists don't appreciate it when a loose dog uninvitedly approaches or follows them. So help ensure the welfare of all nature visitors by keeping your dog on a leash. Each year, several biting incidents involving joggers and walkers are reported, caused by dogs running loose and reacting unpredictably.
   

• ​To protect your dog: Did you know that a dog running loose is in danger himself? Not only other dogs, but also wild boars or startled horses can injure your four-legged friend. Roads that run along the edge of the forest are also dangerous if your dog runs too far away. An accident happens quickly. Moreover, dogs running free and enjoying nature are more susceptible to diseases and strange creatures, such as ticks.