Forthglade have teamed up with TV presenter and travel author Simon Reeve, (and his dog Obi!) to help share all the details of a dog friendly initiative, which the pet food brand has supported as part of its three-year partnership with the National Trust.
A survey of 2,000 UK dog owners, from Devon based natural pet food producer Forthglade discovered the most popular destinations to enjoy – with the Yorkshire Dales taking first place in the top 40 list.
Some of the preferred destinations for a dog walk were found to be beside the sea (44%), with the Southwest being home to many top spots. Cornwall took two spots in the top five, whilst Devon also featured several times in the list with Doone Valley and Baggy Point.
It also emerged that three in 10 owners enjoy strolls by lakes, with the Lake District’s Derwentwater taking the second spot in the top 40. A further 39% opt for walks in a forest, while 28% chose national parks.
The National Trust, in partnership with Forthglade, has launched the Dogs Welcome Project, which is committed to making sure everyone is welcome at its places, whether you are a visitor with a dog or one looking to avoid dogs. The project is also improving the facilities for canine visitors and their humans.
The survey also found that the choice of dog walk destination is heavily influenced by how safe it is for pups (46%), if there’s adequate space for them to be let off a lead (29%) and if it’s somewhere to connect with nature (26%).
Places with free parking (22%), dog friendly cafés (14%) and somewhere for the dog to swim (15%) are also likely to impact on where dog walkers spend the day.
The survey, commissioned by OnePoll, also found that during the pandemic, 46% said dog walking helped their physical and mental health, with 24% going on more strolls throughout the day.
Gerard Lovell, joint managing director at Forthglade said: “We’re lucky to have so many picturesque places in the UK to enjoy walks with dogs.
“It’s important both owners and canine companions enjoy connecting with nature and discovering new places further afield from their usual route.”
Mr Lovell continued: “If there’s one thing that we’ve learnt this year, it’s that dogs have become even more precious to people, and are a true extension of the family – and daily walks and exercise with them hugely benefits the physical and mental wellbeing of both parties, nurturing deeper bonds between dogs and their owners.
“To celebrate and help nurture this, we’ve partnered with the National Trust on their ‘Dogs Welcome’ project to help people enjoy National Trust locations with their canine companions.”
