Enjoy Autumn Mornings

You really can’t beat an autumn morning, can you? Air so crisp and fresh you can see each breath. Golden leaves falling from the trees, giving that satisfying crunch under your boots. Bright sunshine, but chilly enough to wrap up in a warm coat and soft scarf. It’s my favourite time of year, especially when it comes to walking with my dog in the local forest. Plus, the photos you can capture make hauling yourself out of bed when it’s just getting light, so worth it.

If your dog is anything like mine, other dogs prove somewhat of a distraction on walks. So get up and beat the other dog walkers to it. Forget that lie in this weekend, get yourself out to your local park, grab your camera and some dog treats and capture the magic of an autumn morning with your best friend.

Hide and Seek

You may be thinking dogs are not capable of playing hide and seek. Well my friend, I would ask you, have you ever tried with your dog? On many occasion you will find me darting behind a tree on a walk with Lupo as he edges slightly ahead. Autumn is the perfect time of year for this game, as there is still enough cover from trees and plants to give us owners a head start against those super senses your dog boasts. Our game of hide and seek started as a way to make him stay close to us as a puppy, but nearly five years later I’m still hiding from him just to see the two seconds of pure joy on his face when he finds me.

Hide and seek with your dog can be played with multiple players or just one. If I hide, my husband will tell Lupo to find me. If I’m on my own, I’ll just wait for Lupo to turn around and wonder where I am. Sometimes we don’t have to say anything, just hold two hands out in front of us – the universal dog sign for ‘where is it?’ and Lupo will be off searching behind every suitable tree he thinks the other person may be crunching behind. I hold my hand out when he’s clocked me, so he bashes his nose into that like a Dobermann version of tag.

The only downside is, he’s pretty rubbish at hiding himself…

Making Memories

Let’s face it, dogs force us to get outdoors, even on those days we’d really rather stay on the sofa with just Netflix for company. Now we have a child, it’s a military operation just getting out the door with all hats, boots, coats and dog all present and correct. But exercise is important for our dogs mental well-being as well as their health, so before heavy rain, snow and ice hit in the depths of winter, we’re enjoying autumn walks as a family.

We’re lucky enough to live right next to 500 acres of ancient woodland, that I’m pretty sure Lupo considers his extended back garden. The enjoyment for him begins right at this moment. Being let of the lead after the weekdays of lead road walking, has got to feel really good. Here he is filmed in slo-mo, and looking not too dissimilar to a racing greyhound…

Every walk brings the same view for me, but each walk through your dogs eyes is an adventure. The enemy (Squirrels) often step out of line and need reminding they belong in trees. There are new smells to be sniffed, sticks to be chewed and balls to be chased (and not brought back).

But now there is someone else to protect on your walks. Someone who laughs the hardest as you run as fast as the wind. Someone who wants to give you every stick she sees just to see you crunch it to bits. Someone for whom you’ll be a fond memory in years to come looking at photos. Someone who’ll be playing hide and seek with you, for as long as you want to find her.

This post is my contribution to Forest Holidays 30 autumnal experiences feature.

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