Long hikes with your dog might look like a walk in the park — leash clipped, snacks packed, and off you trot. But anyone who’s spent a full day pounding the hills knows the real deal: dogs need almost everything we do. Water, calories, protection, comfort, and a solid plan for the unexpected. The right…
Kent’s Hidden Gem: The Elham Valley Way Dog-Friendly 25-Mile Hike from Canterbury to Hythe The Elham Valley Way is one of those Kent trails that looks innocent on paper – gentle, civilised, practically horizontal – and for the most part, it is. But every now and then it throws in a stretch of overgrowth just…
Taking your dog on an all-day hike sounds simple – clip the lead on, grab a snack, and off you go.
In reality, a brilliant day out usually starts a few weeks earlier.
Dogs are enthusiastic to the point of recklessness. They’ll happily power on long after they should’ve stopped, which is why preparing them properly is the difference between a great memory… and a very sore, unimpressed dog who suddenly “doesn’t like walking anymore.”
Here’s how to build your dog up for longer days out on UK trails – sensibly, safely, and without overthinking it.
The Rhinogydd, often anglicised as Rhinogs or Rhinog Traverse, take their name from the two principal peaks Rhinog Fawr and Rhinog Fach and form one of the most uncompromising parts of the Cambrian Way. Rocky, steep and frequently pathless, they reward careful route-finding rather than speed. The Cambrian Way crosses the range as a distinct stage linking lowland approaches with the higher Snowdonia ridges, and the section is used by major mountain races such as the Dragon’s Back and Dragon’s Fire. Key summits to know are Y Llethr (756m), Rhinog Fawr (720m) and Rhinog Fach (712m), and features such as the well-preserved Roman Steps, a medieval packhorse trail, lead you into the heart of the range.
