As we enter spring and more people start flocking to the countryside, it’s more important than ever to remember the countryside code.

This is a set of rules the public must follow, such as leaving gates and property as they’re found, keeping to signposted paths, taking litter home, and keeping dogs on leads near livestock.

Mother and daughter Pamela Dawes and Sarah Hill feel it’s more common sense.

Both living in Douglas, they always ensure they respect their surroundings.

‘I’ve never read it but you’d know it would be more common sense if you see a field with a gate on it, there’s livestock, you shut it behind you,’ said Sarah. ‘There’s always going to be the odd few who don’t treat the countryside with respect, but on the whole people do.

‘Now we’ve got social media, there’s loads of advice.’

Pamela, who has lived here for three years, knows of the rules as she’s had dogs before and often takes care of Sarah’s miniature Yorkie.

She continued: ‘I used to take my children walking when they were off school down the woods and teach them about what they should and shouldn’t do.’

Sarah said: ‘You grow up with a set of values and common sense, you’d hope, which I instil into my daughter. You just teach them and you would hope they wouldn’t do it when they aren’t with you.’

‘Just don’t destroy it,’ Pamela added.

Joyce and Viki Hitchen, from Onchan, who are mother and daughter-in-law, agree.

‘It’s absolute common sense,’ said Joyce, who has two pugs. ‘It’s heartbreaking when sheep are worried by dogs off the lead because people haven’t got the sense to put their dogs on leads and keep them under absolute control.

‘Sheep at the moment are in lamb and will abort their lamb trying to escape a dog. Don’t do it. If you haven’t got your dog under full control, put it on a lead when passing sheep.’

Viki, who has four dogs of her own, added: ‘If we’re in a field and we don’t realise anything’s in there, usually there are signs, then we put them on a lead. We don’t want them scaring them off.

‘I think it can be a case of common sense but sometimes it needs to be written somewhere so people can follow the rules.’

Lucie Velka and Tereza Vlckova both live in Crosby but are originally from the Czech Republic.

Lucie, who owns Molly the dog, said: ‘I don’t really know the guidelines but of course if I go somewhere I shut the gate behind me.

‘It’s been a positive experience here in the island for me. I’ve never had a bad experience with other dogs or anything.

‘My dog, because she’s so tiny, she wouldn’t fight any other dogs so she’ll just hide.

‘Where we’re from, people are seen to be keeping the dogs on the leash but not giving them that much opportunity to let them off. They’re animals, they need it.’

Tereza added: ‘There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.’

Meanwhile, mother and son Lynn and Matthew Evans are very aware of the code.

Lynn, from Douglas, said: ‘When we had a dog, he was always on a lead through the fields and we were very, very careful. I don’t think the knowledge is widespread enough, there’s too many careless people around.’

‘We walk often in the countryside back at home,’ Matthew, from the UK, said. ‘We have a dog and we always do all those sorts of things.’