Emma Pritchard finds out how to keep healthy with your four-legged friend – or someone else's! As well as how to reward them with delicious local treats
The days are longer and brighter and everyone has a noticeable spring in their step. It's the prime time to be heading outdoors for a good old-fashioned romp through the countryside – and what better companion than a furry, four-legged friend?
Research shows that dog walkers often have lower blood pressure, a higher immune system and are more physically active, among other benefits. Don't have a dog of your own? Then you can sign up to Borrow My Doggy, and be paired with local pooches on an ad hoc basis, instead!
You can reward your canine walking companion afterwards with wholesome, handmade biscuits from Dominique Pizzingrilli's Surrey-based Little Pet Biscuit Company.
She bakes her doggy rewards every other day in her Epsom kitchen, using popular ingredients such as cheese, peanut butter, banana and aniseed – her own pooches Reina, a four-year-old Fox Terrier cross, and Taffy, a 13-year-old Parsons Jack Russell ensure all recipes are up to taste.
"Box Hill is my favourite place to walk the dogs", says Dominique. "We park at Ryka's Cafe then head straight for the top where you can see for miles on a clear day – from the Denbies vineyards at the foothills to the peak of Leith Hill and beyond. Stunning."
Join Dogfit classes to get fit with your dog around Surrey
