Consider this the pub or cafe at the end of a long walk. Everything that doesn't fit neatly elsewhere goes here - the funny moments, the daft questions, the photos that needed sharing, the things that only people who live with dogs would understand. The one rule: keep it warm. This is still Dog People. Patrick & Esther 🐾

Hi everyone, over here in the UK we’re finally seeing signs of Spring: the daffodils are out, blossom is on the trees and the nest in our tree is being repaired by a pair of pigeons! We love this time of year; it makes us want to go out all the time with the dogs and experience nature in its unfolding glory. Today we found a footpath through the middle of a big field with just grass in it. Molly did some zoomies and disturbed a pheasant, so the rest of the time both dogs were acting like cartoon characters, zigzagging down the field trying to find more! Isn’t it uplifting when your dogs are happy! Where’s your joyful place?

Yesterday, we had some pretty nasty weather: wind, rain, cold - you know the kind of day I mean! And this was all day. So it got us thinking: Do you REALLY have to walk your dog every single day? 🤔🌧️ Short answer: no. Long answer: it’s a lot more nuanced than the internet would have you believe. We hear “dogs must be walked daily” so often it feels like a moral obligation. But if we’re honest, it doesn’t always line up with reality — especially on days like yesterday when it’s cold, wet, stormy and miserable. Here’s the thing: 🐺 In the wild, dogs’ ancestors absolutely conserved energy. In bad weather or tough conditions, they rested. They didn’t force themselves out for a “non-negotiable daily walk”. 🐕 Modern dogs aren’t wolves anyway. Many breeds were designed for short bursts of activity, companionship, or hanging around humans most of the day, not endurance hikes in sideways rain. 🚶‍♀️ Walks aren’t sacred: needs are. Walks are just one way to meet: - Physical exercise - Mental stimulation - Emotional wellbeing If those needs are met in other ways, skipping a walk now and then is completely fine. 🌧️ When it’s absolutely okay to skip a walk - The weather is grim or unsafe - Your dog is tired, older, sore, or unwell - You swap the walk for enrichment at home - Your dog is generally well exercised across the week Dogs don’t keep score. They don’t know it’s “day 173 of walking streaks.” They know whether they feel settled. 🏠 Great alternatives on miserable days - Sniff games & scatter feeding - Short training sessions (10 mins can exhaust a brain) - Tug, hide & seek, hallway fetch - Chews, lick mats, frozen Kongs - And yes… sleep (rest is biologically normal) 🐾 Breed, age & personality matter A working-line collie is different to a greyhound, which is different to a senior spaniel, which is different to a companion breed. Some dogs genuinely need daily physical outlets. Others are perfectly happy missing a day and snoozing through a storm.

Now the weather is getting so cold here in the UK, we're seeing a lot of dogs on walks in coats and jumpers. We do have a little raincoat for Pip as her fur collects wet and dirt so easily, but we don't tend to put it on her very often as it makes her run in a strange sideways manner! We also have some towelling coats for when they are wet (which are brilliant, btw!) What are your thoughts? Do you dress up your dog in the cold, or just make the walks shorter/stay indoors and play games instead?

... to all our US members - @Joyce Zampieri @Erica Pollack @Robert William @Inga Roth-Kennedy @Helen Todd Bram @Dawn Isley @Kamyx Pro @Gerry Rider @Victor Mariner @Joshua Magee @Apryl Hatcher @Robin Meder @Wendy Wiseman @Anita Lopez @Tamara Laine @Richard Lee @Jonas Heinrich @Ryan Pinto Souza @Jason Beghe @Mic Luwase @Michael Wright @Kenneth Bradford @Kenneth Bradford @Tiffany Perez @Christin Bowles (sorry if I've missed anyone) What are you and your pooches all doing today?