We take imperfect walks. Late, twins-should-be-in-bed walks. Did-you-bring-the-bottles/No-I-thought-you-did walks. Walks before and after work. When the twins were very small we took walks because they were only quiet when Kirsty was wearing them, so she would take the babies and I would hobble around the local park, from one bench to the next.
All of our pockets are stuffed with poo bags. We might forget nappies but we’ve never forgotten to bring a bag. My handbag for work has dozens of them, plus treats and a spare lead in case I ever encounter a stray. You might say that I’m a dog person. The twins sort of know ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ and they definitely know ‘come’, although none of their commands are as well engrained as Josephine’s.
She’s the perfect dog. It’s not that she reads my mind, I know that – it’s that we tend to have the same bright ideas at the same time. Or else, her plan turns out to be a better one than mine anyway.
During the working week, her walks are dictated by my plans. We all walk to the train station, then they walk home without me. At the end of the day, they meet me. This walk takes her through the local park and she has a chance to say hi to her friends, to Tim the Lurcher and the Border Terrorists and all of the other dogs whose names I know (but not their owners). We all call each other by the name of our dogs, Muttley’s Mum and Tim’s Dad and I suppose that Kirsty and I are both Josephine’s Mum. I don’t know how they differentiate between us, if they need to.
But on the weekends, Josephine gets to choose. She knows her favourite paths and where she wants to go: to the park, to the pond, to the common or the nature reserve. Past Costa for a cappuccino for mums – she loves the foam and we shouldn’t, but sometimes we let her lick a little from our finger – and then she chooses left or right and the walk is decided. Once off of the road, off comes the lead. Josephine has a perfect recall and walks beautifully to heel when asked so I always feel safe allowing her to roam freely. She loves to venture out a little bit ahead, to sniff for rabbits, to skirt around the mud and to find the best patches of sunlight in which to stretch out and wait for us to trudge up the hill.
Recently she’s started to play. She had a traumatic past before she was mine and I thought that she would never learn to play but it’s coming to her gradually. She makes the most fearsome noises and then stops and looks terribly sheepish. It’s sweet but also a bit sad.
It can be hard to motivate yourself out after a long day of wrangling children – or worse, colleagues! Sometimes we take walks that we cut short even though we know that we shouldn’t. Sometimes I fall asleep thinking guiltily about how much happier Josephine probably was when her day was our priority. It can be hard to be a dog mum and a human baby mum when there are only so many hours. If you feel the same way, you might be interested in Direct Line’s Walkies app, which tracks your walk so that you don’t have to. It records the distance that you’ve travelled as well as estimating approximately how many calories your pet has burned. Josephine doesn’t need to lose weight but as an older dog it’s important to me that we maintain her fitness and respond quickly to any lack of energy because it could be indicative of something more serious.
I can see this being a really useful app for the busy dog-guardian. There’s so much to think about in the day and it certainly comes in handy when an app can automate some of the thinking for you. Direct Line run the Fit Fred dog blog that illustrates this with case studies and further information.
Direct Line have offered me £100 in Leisure vouchers to give away to one lucky reader. If you’d like a chance to win, tell me about your favourite dog walk in the comments below (if you don’t have a dog, feel free to pretend that you do!) and for extra entries, complete the Rafflecopter below.
137 comments
I used to love walking my childhood dog around the village I lived in, there was lots of fields to explore
We love walking on the High Peak Trail in Derbyshire.
The football ground locally.
I love walking my pug dog Prince in parks. Sometimes I hide from him behind a tree and watch what he does when he is trying to look for me
my favourite dog walk is around Broadwater lake in Godalming. It is beautiful, and plenty of fields to to run around on.
Fleet Pond is great for dog walking. Lots of different trail options with enough space to let them off leash. Oh, and at the end there is a big pond with lots of water to splash about in. They love it 🙂
Brighton beach x
we go to a huge park in Southgate, it’s something like 600 odd acres with a huge lake a forestry.. lovely friendly people and dogs
Down Parc Penbre, nr. Llanelli.
We like to walk round our local water park, my dog never gets all the way round without diving in for a swim 🙂
Mine is by my local river, it’s so quiet and peaceful and the dog loves it.
Walking through Cassiobury park with lovely surroundings
being mums just suits you both so well!
Also josephine is such a happy andobvioisly well loved dog.
round our local castle grounds its simply stunning
I love walking on Formby Beach near Southport with my imaginary dog 🙂
We often take our in laws Staffie to Virginia Water, it links into Saville Garden and you can walk all the way to Windsor Castle if you wanted! x
Best dog walk – along the beach in Frinton. There are so many happy dogs and their owners there. Everyone is incredibly friendly.
it`s one of the several walks through Dalby Forest in North Yorks; safe, quiet and picturesque
Along the promenade in Llandudno
We like to walk up to Roseberry topping, a place quite near us. Its a steep walk but the views from the top are amazing
Our walk would take us along the beaches of the Baltic Sea, with sandy dunes and rocky pebbles as well as clear blue water and lots of drift wood for playing fetch.
In the lake district region!
my dog enjoys taking ME for a walk along the tow path on the local canal 🙂
Along the beach at Compton bay Isle of white we go a few time per year xxx
Through my local nature reserves, next to the big lake and the canal towpaths, you see the swans and the ducks and there’s lots of places to explore!
There is a clifftop walk near me that goes along the white cliffs – on a good day you can see out to france! Beautiful!
northumbria is beautiful for walking
Our local park when all the daffodils are in boom!
In the park 🙂
On the Malvern Hills.
talbot heath is a lovely walk
A walk through the park on a sunny day
i love walks on the beach especially playing fetch near the sea 🙂
If I had a dog it would be our local nature reserve, Stratfield Brake.
There’s a really nice walk along our local river x
My fave dog walk as a child was on my Alsatian Princes back! Treasured memories
I love walking in Lincolnshire Wolds. its stunning
We used to love taking our dog around Hardwick Wildlife Park. The little ones can ride bikes or scooters, feed the ducks and play in play park. Then at the end of the day everyone can have icecream.
There is the rising sun country park near us with a large lake. It used to be a pit heap when the colliery was working but is now a great place for dog walking.
Our local woods… there is so much space for a runaround and thousandas of sticks to find! (Really beautiful in the summer and it gets suitably muddy in the colder months too!)
I used to love walks with my dog through the local forest and country park.
Round the cricket field
We live by the river tavy it’s a beautiful walk with my collie
I don’t have a dog (will do one day when I have a bigger garden!) but if I did I would take it for long walks down the Alban Way which is just down the road from where I live.
Don’t have a dog, but if I did, then Whitewebbs forest would be my fav 🙂
My favourite dog walk is the one we do on the way into town – all off road and off lead. Like you I feel quite guilty that she doesn’t get the attention she deserves, especially while my little one is still so young. She seems happy enough though!
I always walk my doh yogi the newfoundland round the block, he is such a gd boy <3
We enjoy walking through a forest
We do have a dog and it is normally left to me to walk him, which I really enjoy to do. We normally walk through the forest for hours, which we both enjoy
Morecambe Beach x
Through my local country park, lots of space to run around.
I don’t actually have a dog but if I did then Brandon Hill Nature Park is about ten minutes walk from where we live, plus there are lovely walks on both sides of the harbour (I live in Bristol).
If I had a dog it would be along the beach or in Epping Forest near where I live x
My local national trust parkland at Attingham
I like walking the dog around Tehidy Country Park in Cornwall
i’ve got cats so not much walking, but my rescue cat stan once followed me and my son to the local wood. he was obviously well out of his territory and was shaking like a leaf. when we got to the wood, he did a huge nervous poo. then he followed us all the way home too! very strange…..
A walk along the river in London is great; plenty to see!
Black park is a great place to go dog walking x
Our best dog walk was around our local park it was rather strange. My little boy decided we had to walk (more like stalk) a huge black dog around for about half a mile instead of playing in the park. It wasn’t our dog nor did we know the owner but I didn’t have a choice he kept running off to follow the dog. It’s owner was very friendly though and let him hold the lead for a minute when the dog stopped!
Along Otterspool promenade
Along the canal in Oxforshire is beautiful
Through our local common and woods so peaceful and lots of space for pooch to run around.
In the local park with my children. whole family together
I love walking them around the Marine Lake in West Kirby and watching the boats and windsurfers
We love taking my Aunts dog around Virginia Waters
Crisp morning air whilst the frost is still fresh and untouched on the grass, where the birds are still chirping and the sun rising over the lake. A lovely morning walk with my pooch to start the day! x
Around the stunning Hollingworth Lake
A walk in the woods on an Autumn morning
A park local to me ‘High Elms’ that is full of interesting places to walk
The Lake District is a great place to walk a dog. Just come back from there & saw lots of lovely doggies.
My favourite walk with my dog is along our canal when the baby ducks have been born.
Love walking my dog george at the epsom downs racecourse, he also love it! 🙂
I take Wizzer around the shores of a local beauty spot called Charnwood Water. Its our piece of Inner City heaven!!
we are quite lucky to live next to some fantastic woods and fields x its a lovely walk x
My local woods, I have loads around me so I can do a different one every day.
love walking down the canal. watching the barges sail by, jumping in the water after sticks if its a hot day.
Around our local lido
I love taking them to the park and meeting up with other dog walkers I’ve known for years. Our dogs are well-socialised and love to run round together!
we love weelsby woods, there something for everyone there, including the dogs!
We love walking around our local country park x
We love walking in our local area and national trust areas
There is a lake near to where I live and it’s fab in the spring summer with all the wildlife, baby swans and lovely flowers growing. People everywhere enjoying picnics, water skiing, pedalos.
The Cornish Coastal Path.
My local country walk ‘The Lizard’
I love the Undercliff Walk in Brighton!
We love walking our dog down at our local beaches
through victoria park in london !!!
One of my favourite walking routes is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, particularly the walk from Saundersfoot to Tenby 🙂
on the beach 🙂
Around the local woods
I love walking my friends dogs around the fields behind her house, the dogs love it more of course!
I don’t have a dog at the moment but I always used to love taking my old furry best mate (Mad) Max on the beach.
BRADGATE PARK IN LEICESTERSHIRE IS AMAZING FOR DOGS AND FAMILIES
We take our granddogs across a lovely meadow and then on to Hatchards Copse in West Moors and then down to the river where they have a swim. It is lovely.
Our favorite dog walk is along the river that runs along the bottom of my road.
Priddy Woods
Around the lanes where I grew up in Anglesey. Such lovely walks and lots of fresh clean air.
A walk by the Barcelona marina, the warm sea breeze, waves lapping against the small boats, fishermen with poles trying to catch the small fry for their cats and the dog trotting faithfully and happily by my side. Maybe tomorrow.
The Forest of Dean is great for walking dogs
There’s a stream at the bottom of a glen local to me that’s great for dogs and non-dogs!
Hampstead Heath
National Trust Castle Trail has stunning walks…. pure escapism
I like to walk along the river in Hay-on-Wye
we love walking our dogs along the county durham coastal footpath 5 mins from home but once there feels a world a way from the norm
ive just got a puppy pug 4 weeks ago so walking atm is abitof a mission as he sniffs everythink :/
The Millenium Coastal Path near Llanelli is a fabulous place to walk dogs, so many sniffs, beautiful scenery and coastal breezes. 🙂
I am lucky enough to live 5-10 minutes walk from a racecourse with a public footpath running through it – it’s far and away our favourite walk! Wonderful level year round access for me (as a wheelchair user) and the most fabulous large, flat open space that the dogs can run in 🙂 and the visibility is very good so I don’t have the safety worries
I love walking in Hurcott Woods near where I live. My dog Shortie loves his walks.
Walking through the woods in Great Ashby Way, Stevenage – it’s so beautiful there – you forget that you live in a large town
I don’t have a dog but if I did I would walk round Ogden water
There’s a lovely nature reserve and lake 2 minutes walk from my house
I love to walk my dog at Morden Hall Park.
a walk on the local beach twice a day
I have a lovely but very naughty dog so my favourite walk involves a field that is fenced in so I can let him off his lead (because anywhere else he runs away).
I love to go walking in Castleton in the Peak DIstrict
I love walking along the edge of Coniston in the Lakes with my old man, Archie
Pepper & I love walking across the fields near our house – lots to sniff there!
Over Nine Barrow Fown from Swanage to Corfe
I like to walk my dog at Richmond Park.
As a child used to look forward to walking our dog through the hospital woods opposite where I lived.
I live in the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside, and all I can see is miles and miles of unspoilt land. I take my three dogs; Fergie (Westie who is 3), Bailey (Bischon x Westie who is 2) and Doodles (Bischon x Schnauzer who is 1) on a walk in the woods every day!
If I had a dog I’d walk it along a coastal path in Cornwall
Along the side of the river at Dovedale
Firestone Copse, Wootton
Our local woods
The fields at the back of our house
Down by the river on a lovely summers day.
I like taking my dog to the woods where we’re all alone and can just enjoy the serenity.
Walking round a reservoir we have close by and across farming fields
I love walking our dog through our village meadow
Sankey Valley Park – larger dogs get the chance to have a good run and stretch their legs there 🙂
We love to walk through Formby Pinewoods and along the beach xxx
early morning along the nearby river
Used to walk with my dog in the forest – visiting a war bunker most days
My fav dog walk is when me and Lucy go out and we hike together, its like having someone who is there to support you, Lucy runs ahead and makes the pathway clear, and for us to see the scenic views after are beautiful
I used to love walking my old boy through an “Estate” that I called Lottery Lane. The houses were worth millions and I used to talk to him about which house we would have in the future!! As you can guess it didn’t happen and my old boy is no longer with me.
Ilove walking through the park and down to the lake. So peaceful and beautiful 🙂