Today I’m sharing 5 tips for dog walking in Winter. Read on to find out how walks usually goes for us! Once the kids go to school, I bundle the dogs into the car, and we head off on an adventure. We live in Salford and the two places we visit the most are Heaton Park and Clifton Country Park. Both make for interesting experiences when dog walking in Winter.
Dog Walking in Winter
Heaton Park is further away, but it’s much bigger. We tend to stick to the woodland areas and have had some great fun during our visits here. Earlier this week, it was pretty snowy in the park….
Wear Wellies when Dog Walking in Winter
Our visits to Heaton Park usually end with both dogs having baths as they get filthy. I always make sure I’ve got my Wellies and waterproof pants on too as the dogs tend to cover me in mud, as well as themselves!
There’s plenty of squirrels in Heaton Park, so if your dog is off the lead, they’ll probably be chasing one every few minutes. I’m yet to see a dog get close to catching one though!
Consider Parking Options if Driving
Clifton Country Park is closer to us and I love taking the dogs there, as the walk around the lake is almost flat. The main thing which puts me off visiting more is the steep road down to it. There’s a couple of blind corners with only enough space for one car. It’s nerve racking in summer, but when there’s a bit of ice on the road, its terrifying! The dog friendly cafe makes it well worth a visit though – just remember its closed Monday and Tuesday.
Consider Avoiding Places With Playgrounds if Children are an Issue for Your Dog
The woods in Clifton Park tend to have a lot less children in them than Heaton Park. This is good if you have young dogs like ours who love to jump up and give kisses to everyone they meet. Needless to say, they spend most of the walk on their leads, but I do try to let them have a run when we are in the depths of the woods, away from pushchairs and toddlers.
We met up with our Dogs’ friend Percy (another Boxer) down at Clifton Country Park earlier this week. It was an ice cold morning and half of the lake was frozen. Days like that are my personal favourites for dog walks. There aren’t as many young kids around, so the dogs get more time off their leads. Monty, Minnie and Percy loved saying hello to the Swans, and our foggy visits are extra spooky…
(No animals were hurt during this meeting)!
Do you have a favourite place to go when dog walking in winter? You can find more of our doggy adventures here.
