5 great ways Walk your Dog Month will benefit your dog (and you!)

January is Walk your Dog month! And what better way to ease into the year than hitting the great outdoors with your Best Furry Friend (BFF) ;)

1. Walk it off
Walking is a gentle way to shift any weight gain if you've overindulged this festive season (and let's face it, who doesn't!) and ease back into a fitness routine.

2. Beat the New Year blues
365 new days in the calendar stretching out into the future can actually cause anxiety. Walking is effective for stress relief and can be meditative to help calm nerves (just stay off your phone and stay in the moment). Concentrate on your dog and forget about "life" for a while and you'll feel refreshed after your walk.

Look good, feel good! Outfitting your pup with new walkwear will put a pep in both your steps. Pictured above: Oopsie Daisy walkwear set

3. Boost their (mental) health
You may have been on leave over the holidays and your dog got used to you being around more. Now you're gone again for most of the day and your furry loved one may be feeling lonely and a little down. Walking keeps them fit and provides mental stimulation so that poor behaviours don't start creeping in.

4. Fun!
Adding a new activity to your walk keeps things fresh and fun! Take some treats and do a bit of nose work while you're out. Throw a treat into some grass and encourage your pup to "find them". This will enhance their sniffing abilities and provide more mental stimulation.

5. Just be (together)
Not every walk needs to be a time trial. Allow your pup to set the pace and sniff every. little. thing. they find interesting. Don't pull them away, let them sniff to their heart's content. You'll be rewarded with bigger smiles and more energised tail wags :)