An interview with Matildabrooke felt and Fabricated about dog walking in Yorkshire and getting outside with her family. I’m often asked about dog walks in Yorkshire and you would think with my love of hiking I would be able to tell you where to go. However, I’m terrified of (most) dogs! A fear I’ve had since I was little, although I’m better than I used to be. I asked Matildabrooke for her tips:
Please tell me a bit about your family and your dog?
We are a family of four (Mum… 36, Dad… 36, 1 boy aged 9 and 1 girl aged 5) with one dog… a Black cocker spaniel Nico who’s 2yrs old 🐶
Does having a dog in the family change your outdoor adventures? For example, do you get outside more often as a family?
As a family we’ve always enjoyed the outdoors so the decision to get a dog was very easy for us. We knew they would fit in perfectly. We chose a family friendly, energetic dog who enjoyed the outdoors as much as us. Nico is a mix of Working Cocker and a Show Cocker so he has high energy levels as a Worker but also loves to chill and flake on the sofa like a Show Cocker so blends in perfectly 😂
Did you like walking before you got a dog, or is it just a necessity?
We loved to walk as a family, even when the kids were little we all enjoyed getting out to woods, parks etc in our spare time.
How do the kids get involved with dog walks?
The kids play hide and seek with the dog in the woodland or we take a football onto the field and play together. They also love to take their bikes and scooters along on dog walks and race together.
Where in Yorkshire are your favourite places for a dog walk, and why?
Locally we enjoy Oakwell country park as there is grass land and woodland and parks for the kids.
We like to go further afield like Sherwood Forest or Dalby forest near Whitby. Masses of woodland for us all to explore where we can take our bikes and the dog follows along close by.
We enjoy Hardcastle Craggs, Brimham Rocks, Paddly Gorge, Bolton Abbey, Ogden Waters, Yeadon Tarn or Anglers Park. Nico loves the water so anywhere with a lake or stream is a massive hit around!
Do you have any favourite places that aren’t in Yorkshire?
We don’t tend to venture out of Yorkshire too much, well not yet anyway but it maybe something we do soon. We’d love to visit the Lake District 😊
What kind of walk is your favourite?
We generally go out as a whole family for walks with the dog at least once a week where we can make a whole day of it. Take a picnic, bikes etc. We like places with a park for the kids, woodland is always a bonus especially in hot weather as it keeps us all cool… and a massive bonus if we have access to a nice pub or chippy for tea 😉
Throughout the week when the kids are in school we just go for walks round the local wooded area with the dog, Wilton Park in Batley or Bierley Woods.
Do you have any tips for finding walks suitable for dogs and kids?
I generally go by recommendations or looking for pet friendly places online or National Trust places. We found a fair few nice reservoir walks through Yorkshire Water website that has fun trails for kids.
What makes a good dog walk for you and your dog?
Woodland with lots to explore, streams and something with a bit of history. Somewhere where we can let the dog run off lead and meet other like-minded dogs and people along the way.
Somewhere with pet friendly eateries/pubs/visitor centres
What do you think are the must have dog accessories to take with you on walks?
My top dog accessories are:
A Julius K9 dog harness. These have reflectors on, so your dog can be seen. You can get interchangeable badges for them such as “Friendly” “Caution” “Nervous” etc… I think this is a massive help for fellow dog walkers to understand your dog
It also has a nifty little handle which helps when fishing the dog out of rivers 🙄😂
Cool gel mats and cooling blankets are an absolute must in warm weathers and ensuring you have access to lots of drinking water for them.
Treats! Sometimes the most well-behaved dog needs a bit of bribery 😂
A light-up collar or high vis jacket (for the winter months) owning a black dog in the dark makes things very tricky 😂
Poo bags!!! 💩 Always have poo bags… everywhere, in the car, bags, pockets… anywhere. No excuse then 😊
Do you have any other outdoor activities that you like doing without the dog?
We generally take the dog everywhere we go… right from the day we got him he’s been like another child 😂 even on bike rides he tags along.
We love going for walks round cities like York, but this can get a bit tricky in peak seasons as he can get a bit panicked being surrounded round lots of people 🙁 and obviously we are restricted to going in shops and museums so on these occasions we let him chill at home but generally we plan 99% of our trips out to include the dog too🙈
Please tell us about Matildabrooke
www.facebook.com/feltandfabricated is my craft page where I sell many handmade items from Hair Bows to Blankets, Memory Bears to Crocheted items 😊
Thank you to Matildabrooke for her interview, make sure you go check out her Facebook page, she has some lovely items.
Have you any dog walking tips? Let me know in the comments