Goodbye winter months - I can’t say I’ll miss you.
Winter is a notoriously difficult season for reactive and easily distracted dogs - with the bad weather and dark nights it seems everyone is trudging the streets at the same time whether it’s for safety or to avoid the mud.
The clocks going forward signalled a welcome start to longer and lighter, warmer and brighter days. With the better weather, finishing work when it’s still light and the promise of Spring and Summer adventures, you might be thinking of putting away your wellies and dusting off your walking boots - and returning to the greener spaces for your dog walks again.
Spring is a magical time to be out in the fresh air as the world comes to life. Yellow daffodils, purple crocuses - even a blue sky if we’re lucky! Freshly cut grass, baby lambs and birdsong.
Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?
It can be. But if you have a reactive or distracted dog, spring walks aren’t quite so relaxing.
This month in Club Dogwood we’re spring cleaning the essentials! We’re dusting off the recall, polishing up the loose lead walking and oiling the focus techniques. We’re brushing up on the skills we need for enjoyable, relaxing walks this spring, summer - and beyond!
Spring is a time of the year for fresh starts and new beginnings, so think about what skills you need to teach your dog now so that you can enjoy greater freedom and adventure this year.
It may be…
Recall so you can enjoy off lead walks in beautiful countryside
Loose lead walking so you can visit market towns, parks or heritage sites
Settle so you can stop at cafes or pub gardens with your dog
Calm car travel so you can set out to father-flung destinations or holidays
Calmness at home so barking doesn’t spoil your BBQs and time spent enjoying your garden
Perhaps reactivity is the issue and you need a plan to address that first
Perhaps you’ve already trained your dog to do some of these things but you’ve gotten a little rusty over winter - don’t worry, it happens! Start spring cleaning your skills now, or learn a brand new skill set.
If you’d like something fun and different to do with your dog this season, join our Spring Scavenge!
Spring Scavenge
We’re sending you off on a treasure hunt. Not only will you be spring cleaning those essential training skills but you’ll also have things to find along the way. It’s a fun, unique approach to dog walking.
Don’t worry if you can’t visit beauty spots with your dog yet - you can enjoy a Spring Scavenge with your reactive or easily distracted dog whether you have the meadows and grasslands in your sights or you’re hitting your favourite Ugly Walk. We can all look forward to longer walks and adventures with our best friends this season so grab your dog’s lead and head out to enjoy the natural beauty of spring.
Spring Scavenge gives your every day walks a focus and injects some fun into them. It’s the perfect excuse to spend time enjoying the outdoors with your dog.
Wellbeing Walks
It’s not just your dog’s training and behaviour that will get a refresh. Spring Scavenge gives us humans a mental health boost. When was the last time you really looked around you on a walk and noticed the details? When did you last pick a daffodil or make the most of the green spaces near you by going for a wellbeing walk? Spending time in nature can give you a break from the stress of daily life. And you don’t need to take your dog.
Savour the sights, sounds and smells of the season. Follow your nose to find primroses, crocuses and forget-me-nots. Soak up the new sun and birdsong on a stroll and catch glimpses of colour and fragrance that lift the spirits. If you’re lucky you may find delicate blossom and bluebell carpets making up the perfect picture of spring. Taking time to connect to nature with or without your dog can give your mind a much needed break.
So if you and your dog are in need of a leg stretch this spring, you’ll find no shortage of reasons to get out in our Spring Scavenge.
Oh! And there’s a special limited edition Spring Scavenge badge you can earn - it’s the first one from our new collection, The Four Seasons of Scentventure!
Let’s go outside.