Atlas – March 23

All geared up for a…

Paw Patrol

Hi Friends!

One of my pawrents’ resolutions for this year was to take me out on more adventures and explore new places. A big part of making these trips successful is to ensure we have everything we could possibly need with us. So, this month we are talking all things practical; backpacks, water bottles, treat bags, coats, whistles and toys!

First up, the backpack. We tried a couple of different styles before we finally found the perfect one for us from a company called Twiggy Tags (sadly this isn’t available anymore but there are lots of other companies out there who sell backpacks designed with doggy adventures in mind). The reason we love ours so much is that it has lots of pockets for all of my toys that we use for training, space for two water bottles and smaller separate compartments where mum and dad keep things like poo bags, brushes etc. The key thing is to find the right bag for you and the kind of walks you like to go on.

As mentioned above, we take two water bottles out with us when we go on bigger walks. One is just a normal bottle for extra water, but we also have a special dog water bottle that allows me to drink from the top section. This is particularly good for me as I have a little habit of knocking over any water bowls that aren’t made of pottery – I personally think it’s a cute personality trait but mum and dad think it’s naughty. These types of bottles are available from lots of different places and come in a wide range of colours.

Next up we have the whistle. We started using this early on in my training and it is such a fantastic tool – and not just for gundogs! Mum and dad use it for lots of different commands including sit, stop and recall. The great thing about the whistle is that it is a consistent sound that carries far and also doesn’t change if mum and dad get cross with me when I ignore them (not that I ever do that of course). Our favourite is the acme whistle – it comes in a huge selection of colours, and you can even jazz them up with fancy lanyards…mum currently has two but I heard her saying she’s got plans to get even more!

Possibly one of my favourite things that the pawrents take with them is my treat pouch! Although I usually have my kibble on walks, dog mum always makes sure she has plenty of treats as well in case we run out of my normal food. We’ve got through a few treat pouches in our time but again, it comes down to personal preference as to what style you choose. Dog mum prefers one with a waist strap for easy access (I appreciate this too…) but it’s also important to have one that can be easily closed, as I have been known on the odd occasion (every time) to try and put my nose in the pouch and sneak extra treats!

To help keep my focus on walks – and also just for fun – the pawrents like to take a couple of my toys with them. We tend to use my training toys, which are a dummy and a fluffy, but I’ve heard rumour that I might also be getting a new ball soon! Although I am having to stay on my longline for the foreseeable future, mum and dad find that if they do some retrieves with me at the start of a walk and get my brain engaged, then I am so much more focussed and happier to ignore any other distractions.

Last up, but by no means least, are coats. Now dog dad took a bit of convincing on this one, but eventually dog mum convinced him that I needed one – well two actually, as I’m lucky enough to have a quilted waterproof one for my walks/training and then a snuggly drying robe for when I get wet. Although I’ve got a nice thick coat of my own, when the weather gets really cold and/or wet, I need an extra layer and my Digby and Fox coat is perfect – not too thick, but super comfy and hardwearing! For my drying coat, dog mum treated me to one from a company called Ruff and Tumble. Now I don’t want to brag but I’ve had so many compliments when I’ve worn this – I do even believe the word regal was used on one occasion. They are a bit pricey but so worth the money, as they fit beautifully and help to dry you off so quickly! They also have matching drying gloves available (which of course we have) and dog mum couldn’t recommend them more!

So, there you have it, a selection of our essential items to take out with you when you go on adventures!