Wainwrights for older Dogs

Q. Hi, hope you can help here. My dog is nearly 11. She loves walking but is obviously not getting any younger. We are coming to the lakes in September and are looking to bag some Wainwrights but I don't want to tackle any that will be too tough on her, particularly those where the summits are really too tough for an older dog. Is there any peaks over 2500ft that we really should be avoiding, or is there any website you can think of that gives advice on which peaks are accessible for the 'older' dog. I obviously don't want to push her too hard We are staying at Coniston and she managed the Old Man and Wetherlam last year as well as The Greater Fairfield Horseshoe, but we want to try some others and it doesn't matter if they aren't that local to Coniston. Any help gratefully received.

John ,

A. Furthermore - you might want to take a look out our unique interactive Walking Maps for the Lake District which might help you pick out a route to suit:

Coniston is on OS Map OL6 (at the top, just right of centre) and OS Map OL7 (on the left-hand edge, 1/4 the way down)

and/or

Coniston is on OS Map LR96 (at the top, just right of centre) and OS Map LR97 (top left corner)

This has got to help . . .

Mike (Editor)

A. If Walking the Wainwrights in just 59 Walks doesn't float your boat then take a look at our highly detailed Walk The Wainwrights pages where you can see all 214 Wainwrights listed in Height Order or Alphabetical Order or Lake District Region - The Central Fells, Eastern Fells, Far Eastern Fells, Northern Fells, North Western Fells, Southern Fells and Western Fells.

Coniston is in the Southern Fells Area so you might want to look there first.

Hope this helps . . .

Mike (Editor)

A. Take a look at our Walk the Wainwrights in 59 Walks feature. Included in the series are routes of varying length and grades - from a 3 hour, 5.5 miles, Grade 4 walk (the shortest walk) that you can easily do during the winter to 8.5 hour, 12.5 miles Grade 8 walks (the hardest walks) to enjoy on long summer days. You (and your dog) can complete them all without any special equipment or knowledge. All you will need is good quality walking boots and clothing, food and water, our accurate & up-to-date route instructions and the desire and stamina to do something truly memorable.

You can see more details at Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.

Hope this helps . . .

Mike (Editor)

Dog owners are required to keep dogs under effective control at all times. For the avoidance on doubt, The Countryside Code on the Natural England website is quite explicit about what is defined by the phrase 'Keep dogs under effective control'.

It says:

Keep dogs under effective control

When you take your dog into the outdoors, always ensure it does not disturb wildlife, farm animals, horses or other people by keeping it under effective control. This means that you:

keep your dog on a lead, or
keep it in sight at all times, be aware of what it's doing and be confident it will return to you promptly on command
ensure it does not stray off the path or area where you have a right of access

Special dog rules may apply in particular situations, so always look out for local signs - for example:

Dogs may be banned from certain areas that people use, or there may be restrictions, byelaws or control orders limiting where they can go.
The access rights that normally apply to open country and registered common land (known as 'Open Access' land) require dogs to be kept on a short lead between 1 March and 31 July, to help protect ground nesting birds, and all year round near farm animals.
At the coast, there may also be some local restrictions to require dogs to be kept on a short lead during the bird breeding season, and to prevent disturbance to flocks of resting and feeding birds during other times of year.

It's always good practice (and a legal requirement on 'Open Access' land) to keep your dog on a lead around farm animals and horses, for your own safety and for the welfare of the animals. A farmer may shoot a dog which is attacking or chasing farm animals without being liable to compensate the dog's owner.

However, if cattle or horses chase you and your dog, it is safer to let your dog off the lead - don't risk getting hurt by trying to protect it. Your dog will be much safer if you let it run away from a farm animal in these circumstances and so will you.

Everyone knows how unpleasant dog mess is and it can cause infections, so always clean up after your dog and get rid of the mess responsibly - 'bag it and bin it'. Make sure your dog is wormed regularly to protect it, other animals and people.

Hope this helps . . .

Mike (Editor)

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