Considerations when planning a countryside walk

Bored of going on the same old dog walking route? Does your dog need some new locations to stimulate them? While dogs love a steady routine, changing up your walking route allows your dog to discover fresh scents and explore new scenery. 

Dog walking is one of the many benefits of owning a dog, and we’re here to help you mix up your daily routine and find exciting new spots for you and your pup to explore. Whether you’re living in a bustling city or surrounded by fields in a rural spot, a local map and a bit of effort is all it takes to discover a fresh new place to walk. 

To help you out, we’ve put together our top tips for finding new walking routes, including some considerations for planning a walk in the country and things you need to be aware of. 

Consider us your walking route planner, if you will. 

Planning a walk in the country

When it comes to planning your walk, there are several steps you must follow: 

1. Find a high-quality map

Your first step in finding a new dog walking route is to decide which map service to use. Google walking route planner allows you to find and map out new locations to walk. Just click on the small white circle over the place you’d like to walk and when it opens click, ‘display track on the map’.

2. Decide on your route length

How far do you want to go? If you’re planning on doing a longer route then obviously this will require more time spent out walking. Walking on a route with more footpaths will generally mean you walk a more circular route which is more interesting than a back and forth type of walk. However, if it’s a one way route you’re looking for, either find a place you can leave your car or plan a route with a start and end near a bus route.

3. Plan your route

Using your walking route planner, plan the route you want to take. National trails and rights of way will be appropriately marked depending on the walking route planner app you use.

In England, you are typically limited to walking only on right of ways, except in specific areas like National Parks. If it’s a quieter walk you’re looking for, consider looking for walking routes on the quieter ‘B’ and ‘C’ class roads with less traffic – great for dog walks.

4. Check the weather

There are many safety points to check for before you set off for your walk. The most disruptive will be the weather so keeping abreast of this the day before and day of your walk will allow you to plan your route accordingly and make any changes in advance.

Where do you have a right to walk?

There is a network of paths and tracks where the public have a legally protected right to walk. These public rights of way are marked on a walking route planner using different symbols to highlight what type of right of way it is so you always know where you stand when you’re out and about walking. 

Additionally, you also have: 

A Right To Roam 

This allows you to access some land across England without having to use paths. This is known as ‘open access land’ or ‘access land’ which include privately owned mountains, moors, heaths and downs. It also includes common land registered with the local council and land around coastal paths.

Dogs On Open Access Land

On access land, dogs must be kept on a lead no more than 2 metres long:

• Between 1 March and 31 July - to protect ground-nesting birds
• At all times around livestock 
• On land next to the England Coastal path

You should always check for local restrictions as individual areas may differ. 

Dog fouling

At TrustedHousesitters we know our readers are responsible dog owners and sitters, but there are still many people who avoid cleaning up after their dogs.

Any individual who fails to clear up after their dog will be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100. If the case escalated and went to court this could cost the owner or person responsible of the dog up to £1,000. 

Farm animals

Walking off the beaten track comes with its fair share of hazards. One of the major ones is livestock. It’s important to be respectful of farms and farm animals, especially during spring when cattle and sheep are rearing their young and feeling extra protective of their babies. 

With that in mind, here’s some advice we recommend being mindful of before and during your walk: 

Stop, look and listen

Look out for any animals and watch how they are behaving, particularly bulls or cows with calves. Getting between cows and calves is to be avoided at all costs. If in doubt, change route and avoid walking through the field. 

Move quickly and quietly

If possible, move quickly and calmly around cattle without panicking or running. It’s important to keep your dog on a short controlled lead so as not to startle the livestock. 

Report incidents or attacks 

If you do have an incident, it’s important to report them to the landowner, the highway authority and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and potentially the police if the incident is serious in nature.

Dog Walking Apps

Whether you’re a regular dog sitter or just simply walking your own dogs, using dog walking apps can have a beneficial impact on the way in which you go about your business.

We’ve picked out 4 apps pet sitters and dog walkers alike shouldn’t be without:

Tractive Dog Walk 

If you’re out and about with your pup or with someone else's, Tractive Dog Walk is the one app you mustn't be without during your adventures. 

It comes with GPS tracking so you can keep tabs on exactly where you’ve walked for both your own benefit and that of the dog’s owner. If you’re sitting someone else's dog you can share photos from your walks and the locations they were taken with their pawrents.

iFootpath 

If you’re looking to switch up your walking routine or a new walking spot, iFootpath is an app that dog walkers should not be without. All you have to do is put in your postcode and iFootpath will show up lots of different walking options within your desired location. 

Users are presented with photos, terrain guides and the option to include a favourite walk or two of your own choosing. If you’re bored of your walking routine, it’s a must-have for your phone. 

Puppr

In an ideal world you’ll have a perfectly well-behaved pup, but we know in reality that isn't always the case. Sometimes you need a bit of help with your training. With puppr, you can watch training videos to help you improve the behaviour of your dog.

Videos range from step-by-step instructions to help you teach your dog basic obedience like “sit” and “stay” to advanced tricks and tips on how to improve recall. 

MapMyWalk

One of the best walking route planner apps out there, MapMyWalk is a user-friendly option that encourages you to maintain your healthy habits. 

While not specifically a dog walking app, with this app you can still plan a walk or you can just walk and let the app track your distance, time and speed amongst other markers. There’s plenty of routes available so it’s ideal if you’re looking for different places to explore with your furry pal. 

Now you’ve planned and prepared, it’s time to get walking! Remember to do a final weather check, and if you go out on a more challenging route of any distance leave a copy of your planned route with a trusted person or use the ‘share’ function in your chosen walking route planner. 

Walkies!

Where to next? Whether you're looking for travel tips or dog walking route recommendations, our Travel category has everything you could need - from the best dog walks in Essex, the Peak District and more. Explore today and find yourself (and your pup) a new adventure!