dog walker strines

Staying Safe on Dog Walks

~ aussiedogcare

At Aussie Dog Care safety is key and on walks dogs always come first! Here are some key tips whilst dog walking from Your Dog.

“Our own safety and well-being often takes second place to our dogs when out on walks, but while such concern is understandable, it’s not always wise. There can be many potential dangers lying in wait and putting yourself first isn’t being selfish but sensible – but safe. After all, if you’re safe it’s more likely your pet will be too. Obviously there is no way you can completely guarantee your safety but there are a number of ways in which you can certainly minimize the risks.

Dress for the occasion

No matter how keen your dog id to go for a walk, take time to kit yourself out properly before leaving, Sensible footwear is vital to help keep your balance if your dog suddenly pulls on the lead as well as when tackling loose, wet or muddy surfaces, even if your just popping out for a short stroll you might need to run in an emergency.

Wear appropriate clothes, bearing in mind that the weather can change dramatically in some places, particularly in mountainous or moorland areas. If you are going to be out in the dark or when it is dul or misty, don’t just kit your dog out in high vis gear, wear it yourself -if nothing else it will ensure that joggers using the same paths don’t collide with you.

When you dog is running loose put his lead in your pocket or hold it in your hand – don’t loop it around your neck where it could be grabbed by someone. Before you go Get a weather report before setting out and be prepared to disappoint your dog by either turning back or taking a safe, shouter route if conditions deteriorate. When out in milder, more remote regions pack a rucksack with extra survival kit in case of an emergency. No matter where you’re going always take your mobile (make sure it is fully charged) and whistle just in case you need to call for help or to alert rescuers to your position. And although it seems obvious, an often neglected precaution is simply to tell someone where you’re going and how long you expect to be, even if your just planning to go around the block.

Stay alert

Chatting on your mobile or wearing headphones will make it easier for others to sneak up on you and you lack of concentration could even single you out as a tempting target for would-be attackers. Don’t daydream – as well as watching what your dog is up to and keeping an eye out for potential problems from other walkers and dogs, try to be aware of where you’re putting your feet. If you stumble down a pot hole, trip over a tree root or miss your step on rutted ground you could twist your ankle or worse. Make sure your vision isn’t impared by a hood-they are warm but restrict peripheral vision and you have to turn your whole body instead of just your head to glance behind you. If it’s chilly or wet wear a separate hat instead.

Livestock and wildlife

Although walking in the countryside is statistically safer than in the city, don’t be complacent in open areas. By law you must control your dog so that he doesn’t scare, worry or disturb farm animals or wildlife. On most areas of open country and common land you should keep your dog on a fixed lead no longer than 6ft long between March 1 and July 31 (the season for all ground nesting birds) and at all times of the year near livestock. Livestock can sometimes behave unpredictably, particularly cattle. Cows with calves may become aggressive if they think their young are threatened, while young cattle are often inquisitive and may gallop up to you.

Take sensible precautions – Never walk between a cow and her calf, don’t shout or wave sticks at them and head for the nearest exit if you feel threatened. If necessary let your dog loose while you make your escape – the cow is likely to loose interest in you and your dog can run faster. Wildlife can equally be protective of their young – hinds can be aggressive at calving time and there has been reports of them charging dogs and walkers.

And don’t forget to…

  • Use up to date maps, know how to read them and use a compass.
  • Take advice or stick to marked paths in areas where there are bogs and quicksands.
  • Check whether restrictions are in place before exercising your right to roam.
  • Never ignore warning signs.
  • Exercise care when crossing fast-flowing steams particularly after heavy rains when water levels can rise rapidly and flash floods can occur.
  • Avoid dark, poorly lit alleyways and paths during early morning or late night walks. Use pavements where possible; if there isn’t one , walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic , crossing to the other side on right hand bends.”

Above quoted from http://www.yourdog.co.uk/

Dog Walks.
Dog Walks.

The local areas I work/ cover in is Romiley , Stockport , Woodley, Bredbury , Hyde , Gee Cross , Hazel Grove , Godley , Disley , Marple , Marple Bridge , Glossop , Poynton , Higher Poynton , New Mills , Hayfield , Whaley Bridge , Mellor. If you are not situated in one of these areas do not hesitate to contact me as other areas are considered. These do not apply for home boarding.

Aussie Dog Care Email : ATHOMPS1@sky.com

Aussie Dog Care Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AussieDogCareUk for updates when you go away for peace of mind as well as some walking clients.

Aussie Dog Care Twitter : https://twitter.com/AussieDogCare

Aussie Dog Care

The Best Care For Your Furry Friends.

Tailoring to your needs

Winter Weather and Dogs.

~ aussiedogcare

We really love dogs at Aussie Dog Care Based in Romiley Stockport so here is some advice in the winter days to come ..or have started!

“At the coldest times of year, there are many precautions that can be taken to keep dogs safe and well despite heavy rain, snow and ice. Our Veterinary Director, Paula Boyden, suggests the following:

  • Let your dog’s winter coat grow, and if you have a puppy, short-haired or old dog it is a good idea to buy him a sensible coat to keep out the chill. 
  • After walking your dog or if he has been out in the rain, make sure he iscompletely dried so that he does not catch a cold. Consider using our Paw Protection Cream and Snout Balm to prevent and soothe cracked pads and snouts.
  • Keep your dog on a lead if it is snowing very heavily. Snow can be disorienting and can affect a dog’s sense of smell so he could become lost easily.
  • Make sure your dog is microchipped and wearing an ID tag in case he does get lost.
  • Grit used to melt snow can cut their paws and make sure you wipe your dog’s legs, feet and stomach when you come indoors after a snowy walk. Washing and wiping your dog’s feet after walks will also prevent stray lumps of ice getting painfully trapped in their paws.
  • Antifreeze is highly poisonous but tasty to dogs! Keep it well out of their reach.
  • Never leave your dog in a car during extreme weather, hot or cold.
  • Do not let your dog walk on frozen ponds – the ice may not be thick enough to take his weight.
  • If your dog does fall through the ice never be tempted to go after them but encourage them to swim back to you.”

Above quoted from http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/w/winter/#.UjeBh-ApKyc

The local areas I work/ cover in is Romiley , Stockport , Woodley, Bredbury , Hyde , Gee Cross , Hazel Grove , Godley , Disley , Marple , Marple Bridge , Glossop , Poynton , Higher Poynton , New Mills , Hayfield , Whaley Bridge , Mellor. If you are not situated in one of these areas do not hesitate to contact me as other areas are considered. These do not apply for home boarding.

Aussie Dog Care Email : ATHOMPS1@sky.com

Aussie Dog Care Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AussieDogCareUk for updates when you go away for peace of mind as well as some walking clients.

Aussie Dog Care Twitter : https://twitter.com/AussieDogCare

Aussie Dog Care

The Best Care For Your Furry Friends.

Tailoring to your needs

Mellor Country House

~ aussiedogcare

Mellor Country House is a lovely tranquill place to visit and is a wonderful charity.

 

Mellor Country House is a UK charity, built in 1907,set in three acres of garden and woodland located in the pretty village of Mellor, situated on the border between Greater Manchester and the High Peak . The charity is dedicated to providing respite breaks for groups, families, carers and individuals primarily from the nearby urban areas who could not, otherwise, have a break at all.

The Charity’s aim is to provide a safe, secure, relaxing and uplifting environment for the financially and socially disadvantaged. For many of the people who stay at the house, this break from the hardships of their day-to-day existence can, literally, be a life-saver.

Accommodation for up to 24 guests is provided in 11 bedrooms on a self-catering basis with a well equipped kitchen, dining room, restful lounges and children’s playroom. Outside, the grounds include a secure play area for toddlers, a bike track for the older children, a paved patio with barbeque, a private lawn area with benches and seating for quiet reflection. Quoted from http://www.mellorcountryhouse.co.uk/index.asp

 

Please look at their website : http://www.mellorcountryhouse.co.uk/index.asp

 

The local areas I work/ cover in is Romiley , Stockport , Woodley, Bredbury , Hyde , Gee Cross , Hazel Grove , Godley , Disley , Marple , Marple Bridge , Glossop , Poynton , Higher Poynton , New Mills , Hayfield , Whaley Bridge , Mellor. If you are not situated in one of these areas do not hesitate to contact me as other areas are considered. These do not apply for home boarding.

Aussie Dog Care Email : ATHOMPS1@sky.com

Aussie Dog Care Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AussieDogCareUk for updates when you go away for peace of mind as well as some walking clients.

Aussie Dog Care Twitter : https://twitter.com/AussieDogCare

Aussie Dog Care

The Best Care For Your Furry Friends.

Tailoring to your needs

Marple Bridge with Pictures!

~ aussiedogcare

I have taken some photographs of Marple Bridge and quoted some information on one of Aussie Dog Cares many dog walks!

“Marple Bridge is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Goyt, which runs through the centre of the village, and is close to the town of Marple.

Historically a part of the civil parish of Glossop, in Derbyshire, it was included in the new parish of Ludworth and Chisworth in 1866.[1] Ludworth became a separate parish in 1896, and was abolished in 1936, when the former parish was transferred to Cheshire and amalgamated into Marple Urban District.[2] In 1974 the urban district was abolished and Marple Bridge became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in the county of Greater Manchester. It shares borders with Mellor, Marple, Compstall,New Mills, Strines, Mill Brow and Chisworth. It is located in the ecclesiastical parish of Mellor and the parish church of St Thomas, Mellor stands several hundred feet higher than the village, overlooking Marple Bridge, Marple, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Marple Bridge village centre has been designated a Conservation Area. The Conservation Area was originally established in 1974, although was extended in 2006 to incorporate Brabyns park.[3]

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council has produced a Conservation Area Character Appraisal document, outlining the reasons that the Conservation Area has been designated as such. In justifying the reasons for designation, this document states of the town: “Marple Bridge is a predominately stone-built village situated on the banks of the River Goyt, just to the north east of Marple… Historically the location had significance as a bridging point on the route between Stockport and Derbyshire and where water power was available initially for a forge and corn mill. Marple Bridge developed from the 18th century as a small urban centre” Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marple_Bridge

Please check out this website for information on the winter wonderland this year and all things Marple Bridge! http://www.marplebridgeassociation.org.uk/

See pictures below:

Marple Bridge.
Marple Bridge.
Marple Bridge
Marple Bridge
Marple Bridge.
Marple Bridge.
Marple Bridge
Marple Bridge

The local areas I work/ cover in is Romiley , Stockport , Woodley, Bredbury , Hyde , Gee Cross , Hazel Grove , Godley , Disley , Marple , Marple Bridge , Glossop , Poynton , Higher Poynton , New Mills , Hayfield , Whaley Bridge , Mellor. If you are not situated in one of these areas do not hesitate to contact me as other areas are considered. These do not apply for home boarding.

Aussie Dog Care Email : ATHOMPS1@sky.com

Aussie Dog Care Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AussieDogCareUk for updates when you go away for peace of mind as well as some walking clients.

Aussie Dog Care Twitter : https://twitter.com/AussieDogCare

Aussie Dog Care

The Best Care For Your Furry Friends.

Tailoring to your needs

Roman Bridge and Lakes in Marple.

~ aussiedogcare

We really love our walks at Aussie Dog Care around marple so here in another fantastic and informative walk around The Roman Bridge and Lakes in Marple.

All text below is quoted from http://www.marple-uk.com/roman.htm the pdf files of this walk is avalible on their website . It is really informative and fantastic for dogs walks and family strolls.

“1) We start in the Memorial Park in the centre of Marple, home of Thomas Carver one of the owners of Hollins Mill and another of Marple’s benefactors in a later period. (Memorial Park was gifted to the people of Marple in July 1922).

2) At the junction with Arkright Road cross over and down Lakes Road. On the left where there is now a group of bungalows stood the cottages of Stone Row. The 35 cottages were built by Oldknow to house the workers at his nearby mill and their families.Carry on ahead past Beechwood Manor, formerly a house belonging to the railway but now private flats. Beechwood Manor was once the residence of Edward Ross, secretary of the M.S.L. Railway. When Ross lived here there was a footbridge connecting the manor to the garden above Marple South Tunnel. Sadly this was removed sometime in the 1970s but you can still see where it was attached to the stonework on both sides. As we descend the hill we can appreciate the difficulties the railway engineers must have experienced when carving the line along the hillside.

3) At the bridge over the River Goyt stood, on the far side, Mellor Lodge, Samuel Oldknow’s house and on this side Marple Lodge, the mill manager’s house.

In the 1930s Oldknow’s fine house became a girls’ school but later it was vandalised when it stood empty and was demolished in 1949.

In 1892 a disastrous fire destroyed the mill but the Corn Mill, which was a little apart from the main mill, escaped damage and survived until the 1930s. The Corn Mill stood close to this junction of the two paths. Little remains of Mellor Mill or Oldknow’s other buildings in this area but close investigation of the site will reveal a number of underground tunnels and foundations. In 2009 the Mellor Archaeological Trust exposed the foundations of the Corn Mill and led guided walks around the remains.Looking to the left as we make our way up Lakes Road we can see the mill pool, which was adjacent to the back of the mill. The oval shaped shuttle stone, dated 1790, that can be made out in the triangular pediment at the top of the mill in the old image below is now in Marple Memorial Park. You can see it in the foreground of the image of Hollins House at step 1 of this guide.

5) At the next junction take the path to the right. Through the trees you can see Bottoms Hall built in 1800. This is where some of the 100 apprentices lived who worked in Oldknow’s mill. The children, both boys and girls, were mostly paupers from Clerkenwell in London. They worked 13 hours a day for 4 shillings (20p) a week, but it is understood that they were well treated by the standards of that time.ontinuing along the track we pass the Roman Lake. This was a very popular spot in Victorian and Edwardian times when excursion trains would bring hundreds of visitors to Marple Station. Besides the rowing boats available for a small charge there were tea rooms and a dance floor.A little further on the river runs alongside the track and under the viaduct. The weir is where Oldknow redirected the river to form the pools that would provide water power for his mill. On the left is Flood Gates Cottage which many years ago was a popular place for refreshments for the many visitors to the area.


A little further on the river runs alongside the track and under the viaduct. The weir is where Oldknow redirected the river to form the pools that would provide water power for his mill. On the left is Flood Gates Cottage which many years ago was a popular place for refreshments for the many visitors to the area.

6) The track moves away from the river and we turn right just by the “Roman Lodge” (following the sign to Strines) to reach the Roman Bridge. The “Roman” tag was coined in Victorian times to add a little romanticism to this packhorse bridge dating back to the 17th century.

Crossing the bridge we follow the path beside the river ignoring the steps on the right. The path joins a narrow road near two cottages and then makes its way up the hill to Strines Road. Cross over and up Plucksbridge Road. As the canal is reached, turn right to enter the towpath just before the bridge.

7) This is the Peak Forest Canal and Oldknow was a major sponsor for this waterway. The canal runs 6½ miles to Whaley Bridge and Buxworth and it was here that limestone was brought down from the Peak District by tramway. As we make our way along the towpath there are extensive views across the valley to Cobden Edge and Mellor Church.

Brickbridge is a roving bridge where the towpath changes sides and you will notice that we pass under the bridge before circling round to cross it. This was to enable the rope of the horse drawn narrowboats to remain attached.8) Some 200 yards short of Brickbridge the canal on the far side is a little wider, and marshy ground leads into a woody section. This was the site of one of Oldknow’s coal mines used for burning of the lime in the kilns.

As you cross the bridge you will notice a door set in the wall ahead. This leads to another Oldknow coal mine and also a footpath leading up to All Saints’ Church which was used by the apprentices on their way to Sunday worship.

9) Turning right to follow the towpath, ahead we can see a number of boats moored in a pool off the main canal. This was adjacent to the top of the Lime Kilns where the lime and coal was dropped into the kilns. Such was Oldknow’s concern that the Lime Kilns did not present an eyesore, that he built them in a gothic style that led later to visitors to the area to assume it was a ruined abbey.

Top Lock House was the site of James Jinks boat building yard. Cross the bridge at the Macclesfield Canal junction. [ If you would like too see what remains of the Lime Kilns cross the bridge at the end of the top lock and go on past the bungalows.]


Make your way past the top four locks of this flight of sixteen. Pass under Posset Bridge using the short horse tunnel and make your way back to the car park”

The local areas I work/ cover in is Romiley , Stockport , Woodley, Bredbury , Hyde , Gee Cross , Hazel Grove , Godley , Disley , Marple , Marple Bridge , Glossop , Poynton , Higher Poynton , New Mills , Hayfield , Whaley Bridge , Mellor. If you are not situated in one of these areas do not hesitate to contact me as other areas are considered. These do not apply for home boarding.

Aussie Dog Care Email : ATHOMPS1@sky.com

Aussie Dog Care Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AussieDogCareUk for updates when you go away for peace of mind as well as some walking clients.

Aussie Dog Care Twitter : https://twitter.com/AussieDogCare

Aussie Dog Care

The Best Care For Your Furry Friends.

Tailoring to your needs