DOG-OWNERS in the New Forest fear they will be prevented from freely exercising their pets if a new code of conduct comes into force.

Members of the New Forest Dog Owners Group believe the Forestry Commission and other groups are trying to attach the basic wording of the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 to a new dog-walking code.

If this happens, it will mean dogs will have to be kept on leads when out walking between the beginning of March and the end of July.

But NFDog members are furious at this prospect because they say they have had previous assurances that the act does not apply to the Forest.

The CRoW Act states that dogs must be kept on short leads during the ground nesting season, but this only applies to public land, whereas most of the Forest is Crown land.

NFDog chairman Pauline Ludlow told the group's recent annual meeting: "There is a large anti-dog lobby out there and it is our promise to fight this in every way possible.

"We will prove that members of NFDog are truly responsible dog-owners and therefore have every right to continue to use our beautiful Forest with our faithful friends," she said.

The code of conduct is being drawn up by the Forestry Commission's Progress project, through forums with interested parties.

They are looking at all aspects of use of the Forest, including horse-riding, walking, cycling and dog-walking.

NFDog members have been involved in the forums, and said they had been pleased with the way discussions had gone and that the Forestry Commission had listened to their point of view. But they are unhappy at plans to add the wording of the act to the bottom of the code, as they say this will be misleading and will restrict them unfairly.

Keith Campbell, Progress project co-ordinator, does not think this is the case.

"If they've got their dogs under control, there's no problem," he said.

"We're trying to stop the few dogs that aren't kept under control and disturb the birds."

A quarter of all birds in the Forest nest on the ground and, if distressed, are likely to abandon their nests, meaning their young die.

Mr Campbell asks: "If dogs are meant to be on leads on other downlands, some of which fall within the national park boundary, why can we not ask owners to have them on leads on the Crown land during the bird-nesting season?"

But he said: "The codes are really just advisory - we're trying to help people use the Forest responsibly and help the conservation of the area.

The next forum discussions will be held in September.