Rainy Day Walks: A Highland Wet Weather Guide
Let's be honest about where we live: in the Highlands, if you only walk the dog on dry days, you barely walk the dog. Autumn is when the weather starts asking whether you really mean it. The good news is that wet walks are almost always better than they look from the window, and with a bit of kit and a routine, they stop being a chore at all.
Do dogs actually mind the rain?
Some genuinely don't notice. Spaniels, labs and most of the working breeds will happily plough through weather that would cancel a ferry. Others (often the thin-coated, the small and the sensible) act like you've suggested a swim in January.
For the rain-haters, a few things help:
- A decent dog coat. For thin-coated breeds a waterproof layer genuinely changes their opinion of the whole business
- Keep moving. A brisk wet walk is fine; a dawdling soggy one gets cold. Save the long sniffy stops for better days
- Reward the brave. Treats and a cheerful voice in the rain teach the dog that wet walks are still good walks
- Time it. Highland rain is rarely all-day rain. Half an eye on the radar buys you the dry-ish window
The drying-off routine
The walk is the easy half. The doorway is where wet-dog admin is won or lost:
- Keep two towels by the door: one for the initial attack, one for round two after the shake
- A drying coat or robe is honestly one of the best cheap bits of dog kit going. On, walk away, dog dry in half an hour
- Give paws and armpits a proper once-over. Gritty mud between toes and under harness straps is what causes rubs
- Check ears on floppy-eared breeds. Damp ears in a warm house are how ear trouble starts
Mud season is joint season
One quiet autumn note: slippery ground is harder work than it looks, especially for older dogs. Sodden fields and greasy tracks ask a lot of ageing joints, so on the filthiest days a slightly shorter, steadier route is kinder than the full loop.
The Pawkies bit
Rain or shine, the walks happen. We bring the towels, we do the drying-off before the handover, and we pick routes that make sense for the weather and the dog. Your job is just the cup of tea at the end.
Book a walk or get in touch. 🐾