The following post contains a paid advertising feature for James Wellbeloved Grain Free Dog Food.
My mum doesn’t normally have guest bloggers on her site but she’s made a special exception for me today. I’m Quito, a 4-year-old Shetland Sheepdog who loves the great outdoors.
Today, I’m teaming up with James Wellbeloved to help promote #NationalWalkingMonth! I bet you didn’t know that May is #NationalWalkingMonth, did you? Well, I thought that was pretty much every single month because I’m a dog and walks are pretty much the best thing ever but I’m happy they’ve set aside a whole month for the humans to enjoy it too.
Aside from rides in the car, my mum and dad, sniffing the cat’s bum and getting treats, playing tug, playing with sticks and when my mum and dad let me sleep with them, walkies are the best thing EVER. (Okay, so I have a lot of favourite things but trust me, walkies rank pretty high up on the best things ever for me.)
Yummy food does too. James Wellbeloved uses only simple ingredients in their dog food, bursting with essential vitamins and minerals and containing highly digestible ingredients – there’s no dairy, beef, pork, soya, eggs, wheat, cheap bulking ingredients or anything nasty like artificial preservatives, flavours or colours.
James Wellbeloved even now have grain-free dog food that is really good for fussy eaters or those with grain intolerances – the range uses a mix of tasty veggies rather than cereal (my mum said it looked like a nice stew!). The kind people at James Wellbeloved let me try it out and while I’m sure mum cares that I’m eating good quality food that gives me plenty of energy and lots of nutrition, all I know is that it was really yummy and didn’t last very long in my bowl.
So because James Wellbeloved really cares about animals and because my humans like to make sure I’m fed well and get plenty of exercise, mum thought I’d make a good ambassador to encourage you to join in with National Walking Month. And if you have a favourite pooch to take along with you, well, all the better because dogs and walks go hand in hand and I promise that your best friend will love it as much as I do.
I always love a car ride but I didn’t know where mum and dad were taking me to celebrate National Walking Month until we pulled through the big impressive gate!
This is Attingham Park in Shropshire and it’s only a 10-minute ride from our house. We love it here because it’s nestled in thousands of acres of forest, fields and trails with lots of wildlife so I wanted to share my outdoor adventure with you today to encourage you to get out for a walk too.
My mum and dad were pretty smart to get a National Trust membership this year which means we get to come here as often as we want. It’s interesting to watch the seasons change and being here in Spring was incredible with everything bursting into life. I was super excited to go in!
My mum said it’s super important to pay attention to the signs. There are designated areas for dogs to go off-lead but in areas where the signs are clearly marked, I stay on my lead even though I’m a good boy. Mum and Dad promise me it won’t be too long before we get to the designated areas where I can be a little more free to wander but until then I stay by their side.
I didn’t mind too much because look! I made a new friend! She’s a sheltie just like me and has a really important job as her human uses a wheelchair and her Sheltie was working today. The lady was really nice though and let us come over and say hello because she wanted to meet me too! I love making new friends on my adventures but I’m only allowed to greet other dogs when their human says it’s okay – my mum always asks because some dogs aren’t very comfortable with other dogs so it’s always good to be nice and make sure first. As you can see, Attingham Park has lots of lovely even paths that which are wheelchair friendly so everyone can join in National Walking Month whether you’re on 2 legs, 4 legs or use wheels to get about!
After we said goodbye to the nice lady and my new friend, we decided to walk all along the river where there was plenty of wildflowers growing. I think I look even more handsome than the scenery, don’t you? I know some dogs really like to go into the water but I’m not as fussed about that. I do like a good muddy patch but my mum said she was happy it was dry today or I would have been covered in mud within the first 30 seconds of our trip!
Dad knows how much I like a treat and James Wellbeloved have some delicious grain-free treats too. You can see how excited I was to have one during my walk for being a good boy!
Finally, we got to a point where the sign said I could come off my lead. Mum and Dad know I’ll come running when they call my name and I don’t like being very far away from them anyway. I did have a rather nice rest in this pretty spot.
Mum even found an amazing stick to throw for me! I love chasing sticks.
As we walked on, the river starts to bend away from the path and we get to a much more forested area where there are lots of lovely big trees.
Mum always has her camera and so is constantly stopping to take pictures! Come on, Mum! There’s more to see!
Of course, when she called to me, I ran straight for her! My mum says I look like a puffball with legs when I run but I was just having so much fun!
Of course, with all that running about and exploring, I get thirsty on long walks and so mum and dad always make sure they have a bottle of fresh water and a bowl so that I can have a drink and stay hydrated throughout my adventure.
Dad puts me back on the lead to cross the bridge because we can’t really see who’s coming from the other side and he wants to make sure I’m safe. Want to see the view from the bridge?
It’s a pretty view but we’re headed to the Deer Park so after Mum snaps a few pictures, we’re off again!
The wild deer who live in Attingham Park are easily spooked so Dad says I have to be on my lead again…I promise not to bark at them but Dad says we’re guests here so we follow all the rules!
Nope, no deer over there…
I think I found them!!
The fawns are all resting and I’m a good boy and don’t bark while Mum zooms in on her camera to take this picture.
We’re almost nearing the end of our adventure as we make our way back towards the main house.
What’s down there?! I want to see!
Mum and I stop to take in the scenery one last time…
We spot a swan having a little swim!
Our walk is nearly over now as we head towards the main house. It’s very grand!
I’ve had so much fun on my little adventure today and I hope you enjoyed joining me today as I shared it with you! Isn’t Attingham Park a lovely place for an adventure?
Thank you so much to James Wellbeloved for encouraging my mum and dad to take me out for National Walking Month and for providing me with some yummy grain-free food to fuel my adventure. Will you be taking your dog on an adventure soon? Where’s your favourite place to take your dogs for walks? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Disclaimer: This is a paid advertising feature for James Wellbeloved but as always, all words, opinions and images are my own (and in this case, Quito’s too who loves their food!). I only team up with brands I love and think you’ll love too! Thanks for supporting the brands that support Swoon Worthy.
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What a well-behaved dog you have – and beautiful too. My pups love my daughter’s 5 acres to roam on when they need more exercise and it has a pond where they can take a swim and get muddy. After a quick bath with the garden hose, they are dried off and allowed inside. Such fun for them ….
Oh what an amazing space they have in your daughter’s property! They must just love that :) (Also – what is it with dogs and mud?! LOL!) xx
Too cute 😎 What a lovely premise for a blog post.
I especially like the photo where Quito is running he looks like he’s crossing his legs!
Nice to see you and Wayne in on the action too.
I think you should a pet cam on Meisha and do a blog from her perspective too 😍
I had to include that pic of Quito with the crossed legs! Too funny bless him! Love the idea of a Meisha-cam although you know how cats are – she’ll decide that’s the day she does nothing of interest just to protest! LOL! xx
Dear Mum & Dad: Thanks for a great day and all those walks. I was so tired and well-fed when I got home, I just went to sleep! You know that crazy lady from across the pond on Cape Cod who just loves me to pieces is going to write to you – right? I know she will ‘cuz she only fed her Shelties the best food, too. (My dogs ate as well as we did.) I wonder if I am as cute as her Sheltie, Viper, was – yeah, I am, I know it! All we sable Shelties are the best!! She had some other Shelties, too and she loved them all – just like you and Dad love me…I am one lucky little Sheltie – now I will be even more famous! XOXOXO Quito
Hahaha!! You are too funny Susan! Love this! Quito sends snuggles ;) xxx
Awesome post! We always narrate what we think is going on in our pup’s head so that made me laugh as I read this. Loved the pics. What a wonderful place to walk. Quito is a lucky 🐕
Oh, we ALWAYS do that with our pets too! In fact, I reckon 99% of pet owners narrate their animals and the 1% is just lying! LOL!! xxx