Your+Dog++May+2019

http://www.yourdog.co.uk 13

“All this is blissful for dogs...”

“Older dogs

need less

distance and

more interest,

so a sniffi ng

walk...”

Equipment

check

▼

Hats and sunglasses

can be quite worrying

for some dogs,

especially sunglasses

because your dog can’t

make eye contact, so

accustom him to these

i rst in the safety of

your home and garden.

If your dog needs

frequent eye contact

for coni dence, lift your

glasses from time to

time so he can see you

are still ‘in there’!

TOP TIP!

Most dog walkers know

that whatever they

wear must be robust,

comfortably loose-i tting,

and easy to wash. No

matter how warm the

day, keep arms and

legs covered to protect

yourself from midges

and other winged

biters (annoying,

but relatively

harmless) or ticks

(very nasty).

Footwear should

enclose your feet,

and have non-slip soles.

The various essentials

you have carried in your

coat pockets all winter

— poo bags,

spare lead,

treats, tissues,

tuggy toy,

phone, car keys, and

so on — are harder

to accommodate in

summer clothing. I can

recommend wearing

a gundog trainer or

falconer over vest;

these swallow up

a plethora of essentials

without being heavy

or cumbersome, and

can even manage

a water bottle and small

collapsible bowl for those

longer walks.

WALK THIS WAY

If you asked your dogs where

they would like to walk, woods

and i elds would come top of

the list with almost all of them.

There is space to run, dif erent

scents to enjoy, and weemails

to check. All this is blissful

for dogs, leaving them

mentally fuli lled as well as

physically exercised.

And, with a little preparation,

it can be the best part of your

day, too.

Many beaches are closed to

dogs during the summer, but

if you have beach access, dogs

love a blast across the sand,

and a game in the water. You

need to be careful if your dog is

a swimmer, though, because it

is all too easy for him to get into

FIT FOR FUNCTION

If winter restrictions mean

your dog has become uni t,

work up to longer walks

gradually, so that by the time

you are ready for long hikes,

your dog is, too.

Jogging or cycling is OK

for i t, young dogs, but it

is nowhere near as much

fun for the dog as being

able to take time to enjoy

the dif erent aspects

of his surroundings.

Older dogs need less

distance and more interest,

so a snii ng walk, with

plenty of mental stimulation,

will do them more good than

the long yomps they enjoyed

when they were young. It’s

all too easy to forget or deny

the ageing process. Don’t

rely on your dog to ‘tell’ you

that he has had enough,

because dogs are so loyal,

and love their walks so

much, that many will

keep going even in

considerable discomfort.

Be aware of the ef ects of

dif erent surfaces on paws,

and plan ahead so you keep

out of the sun at the hotter

times of day. If your dog’s

coat is clipped in summer,

remember this af ects

its insulating properties

against heat and wet.

trouble with strong currents.

There are risks for dogs

that scavenge, too, whether

from rotting i sh seething

with pathogens, or fatbergs of

solidii ed oils and chemicals.

You need to be vigilant at the

seaside; make sure your dog’s

recall is good, and then you can

relax and enjoy the space and

sea air.

Jogging with your dog doesn’t give

him much opportunity to snif.

Watch out for scavenging on the beach.

10-12 YD Walks CS(SW)ok.indd 13 26/03/2019 09: