Did you know that January is ‘Walk Your Dog Month’? I didn’t either. While it’s a good concept in general, it does seem a bit crazy, for two reasons: 1. If you have a dog, then every month should be Walk Your Dog Month, and 2. Why on earth would they pick January to do this? The coldest, bleakest month of the whole year.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a good way to kickstart the year by establishing healthy habits for both dogs and their owners. New Years resolutions and all that. But surely, it’s much easier to establish a fun and healthy routine when it stays light beyond lunchtime, and you aren’t at risk of getting trench foot from torrential rain.
As you may know, I am the owner of a big fluffy German Shepherd, and much like his human counterparts, while he loves the idea of going out for a walk, when faced with us opening the back door to lashing rain and howling wind, he isn’t that keen.
He has been known to fall dramatically to the floor, claiming an injury so he doesn’t have to go, and if you’ve ever tried making a 50 kilo dog do something he doesn’t want to do, you’ll know it is far easier to just take all your waterproofs back off and climb on the sofa, where he will join you shortly afterwards to watch Harry Potter and eat snacks.
It’s not often we give in to him though. We know that it IS healthy to get outside and get some exercise in the fresh air, even if it is -10!
And while he isn’t a big fan of rain, Barkley quite likes the cold weather, as he’s already dressed in a big, warm fur coat. We wrap ourselves up in layers, with gloves and woolly hats to cover our ears so they don’t get cold, and we always bring wellies and waterproofs just in case. It is England after all.
We walk all around our local countryside in the Vale, and yes, it is cold, and damp, and generally grey, but it’s so peaceful. And with nothing but the crunch of frost under foot, dew laden spiders’ webs on bushes, and the bloom of your breath in the wintry air, its joyful to just be in the company of only your four-legged best friend. Go on, get walking.
