Dog friendly New Forest tips for you and your pet.

Welcome to my dog friendly New Forest tips. We all love our dogs and pets. We want to share great experiences with them. I live here and love dogs, and within this beautiful UK National Park I've lots of dog and pet loving advice for you so both you and your special companion have a great time. I can also share some of the New Forest dog and pet friendly pubs I can recommend, both here and from link. Because there have been dog death scares over the last year or so I've added the info I've found below. Just scroll past it for more dog friendly New Forest tips if you don't need to read it.

The New Forest UK National Park is a fantastic place to live or visit with your dog. There are dangers but if you are careful both you and your dog should be safe, and so should all the animals and wildlife.

What's also great about the area is that you can decide to remain in the forest and explore ancient woodland or wild open heathland, or head for the coast. It's all on offer for you both.

New Forest pony and our Rottie

Archive Info and where it all began
Dog Friendly New Forest - a new disease for UK dog owners? 

May 2017 new Lepto info

New info has come in about your dogs yearly inoculations and the risk of the Lepto L2 or L4 jabs. Please find out more.

March 17 2016

You may have recently heard about 3 dog deaths in Essex which have occurred because of a strain of tic which has been found in Harlow, Essex. Here's some info I've found out.

• This disease has come from Europe and is called canine babesiosis
• It behaves like malaria i.e. the parasite lives in the tick and then enters the dog when the tick bites the dog
• Symptoms: lethargy, weakness,pale gums,red or brown urine, loss of appetite, anaemia,enlarged abdomen,weight loss and jaundice
• In the past these brown ticks have been found in Devon and Wales but they weren't carrying the babesiosis parasite

What to do? 

• Check your dog for ticks daily especially if they have been outside
• If you find a tick , remove immediately. We've got a handy little tool from our Vet.
• Get your Vet to check at any examination and ask/ring to find out what has been found in your area
• Signs of tick borne disease can take up to 21 days to appear so check your dog daily
• Get a tick and flea collar from your Vet - we have just done this

Source: The Daily Telegraph 16 March 2016 

Is it really a dog friendly New Forest after the recent dog death scares?

I'll let you decide for yourself.

Other parts of the country have also experienced this deadly disease and hundreds of dogs are walked all over the New Forest every single day.

As a dog owner I know that doesn't make it any easier to decide to risk your much loved dogs health by walking here. I hope my dog deaths info can help you.

May 2015

I've just read this interesting info from Vets4Pets.  Start from page 32 and read the next couple of pages, it may help you decide whether to visit the New Forest. There's a handy map to show where these incidents have occured, and Hampshire does feature highly.

Update from Anderson Moores 7th April 2015 update
"There have been three further confirmed cases of cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) over the past month (Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and Hampshire). We have also seen two suspected CRGV cases that have survived (from Berkshire and Hampshire). We are not currently waiting on any further pathology results from affected dogs.

A link to the scientific publication on CRGV is provided below. There is a link to a CRGV podcast featuring David Walker on our facebook page"

The advice is still the same, check your dog after every walk for unexplained sores or lesions then act quickly if you're not happy especially if they become lethargic.

I found the Facebook interview interesting as it said they still have no further info but it can be picked up or the dog can develop it themselves.

Archive Information

Latest update from the Forestry Commission

21 July 2014

No new cases of cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) have been identified since early June 2014. Pathology results from two cases (Hampshire and Somerset) have now been confirmed to have been affected by CRGV.

With the recognition of one historical case this brings the total number of confirmed cases nationwide to 44 since November 2012. Any further major developments over the next few months will be posted on the veterinary website. Otherwise updates will be posted on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/VetSpecialists.

Of the confirmed cases, 15 cases have been confirmed in the New Forest and 29 elsewhere.

Update info on New Forest dog walking scare

BBC South update 17 January 2014

There was a small snippet on this programme tonight which didn't really give us much more info but here's some details for you.

• Anderson Moores Vets in Winchester feel there may be a similarity between a dog illness called Alabama Rot and the symptoms New Forest dogs portray.
• This is an e coli based condition which may enter the skin through a skin wound (which we already knew)
• This illness is not unique to the New Forest
• Advice is if you dog has any skin wound do not leave it but seek veterinary advice as it could lead to renal failure.
• Some dogs have survived but sadly the majority who have suffered have not.

Previous info:

Please read this latest article in the Southern Daily Echo about the latest possible dog disease incident.

The New Forest National Parks Authority have lots of the latest doggie news for you 

What are these little piglets all looking at? My lovely Rottie (RIP)

Walking with your dog

Unlike walks in other parts of the countryside you won't encounter stiles or places where you may need to lift your dog over or through. Try lifting a 10 stone Rottie over a series of stiles on the Devon coast path and you know what I mean!

There are areas of bog which are quite deep, I know my son fell in one - goodbye iphone! Please take care and keep your dog under your control at all times.

New Forest ponies, donkeys and cows are usually very laid back but if they have young will always protect them, so please keep your dog close so it doesn't cause danger to itself or New Forest animals.

Try to keep to paths as we have many ground nesting birds on the heathlands. You must only ever cycle on the designated cycle paths. Forestry England cycle map info.

Easiest dog friendly New Forest walks

The easiest dog friendly New Forest routes and trails are on my suggested cycle route paths. I suggest some routes and trails because they are well surfaced and generally flat and even possible for disabled access too.

You are usually not too far from a little New Forest stream or brook and so the possibility of taking a wet, but happy, dog home too is not unusual. The downside of dog friendly New Forest walking is that this is an area where there is often plenty of mud!

All terrain dog friendly New Forest walks

This sounds a bit like an expedition but the New Forest UK National Park really does offer you wonderful walks to explore with your dog. I love and use these 30 walks in the New Forest book which takes you all over the forest, describing differing ability walks, where to park and location references, timings and distance and lots of maps too.

Dog Friendly Tips - 11 things humans do dogs hate

I saw this info recently and thought it was well worth passing on to you. They are worth considering and some are safety points which may even help prevent an accident. 11 things humans do that dogs hate.

Dog friendly cottages to rent

I'd like to suggest you visit Sykes Cottages to browse a great selection of self-catering pet friendly holiday cottages located throughout the New Forest and surrounding areas. From quaint little cottages perfect for a romantic weekend away, to luxury homes suitable for the whole family, where you are sure to have the perfect New Forest break.

Dog friendly New Forest pubs

The Horse and Groom Woodgreen - dogs are welcome in all areas

The Horse and Groom at Woodgreen welcomes dogs in all areas (nice wooden floors all rooms so easy to sweep the New Forest mud up!) They haven't got a website yet as new owners have recently taken over.

SatNav is SP6 2AS Phone 01725 510739

The food is excellent, the atmosphere is warm and friendly and the village also has a lovely shop. See my Woodgreen Community Shop review.

Fritham The Royal Oak (no website) Fritham, Lyndhurst, Fritham, SO43 7HJ Tel: 02380 812606 Right in the heart of the New Forest with lots of lovely walks all around and good, well priced food. If you head down towards Eyeworth Pond you'll encounter mud during winter but if you head off south from the main car park the track stays reasonably easy to walk as its gravel. The Royal Oak expect dogs to be muddy and owners to have muddy boots too. We go here regularly and it never disappoints. You can see my review

We recently visited The Rockingham Arms in West Wellow.  Dogs are very welcome here and can enjoy the scubbed wood floors and lovely decor while their owners enjoy a locally sourced meal and wonderful real ales. After a great meal dog and owner can enjoy a walk across Canada Common which is a bit further up the road and is a beautiful part of the New Forest to explore. Please note due to re-open Weds march 23rd 2016.

I'm going to list more New Forest dog friendly pubs I know of and have tested out. I've tried to cover as wide an area as possible. All are actually within the New Forest boundary too.

More Dog Friendly New Forest Pubs

Brockenhurst The Snakecatcher Lyndhurst Road SO42 7RL Tel: 01590 622348 Find out the history of Harry "Brusher" Mills, the New Forest snakecatcher and enjoy good food, beers and wines too.

Brockenhurst/East Boldre The Turf Cutters Arms Main Road, East Boldre, Brockenhurst S042 7WL. Tel: 01590 612331 We cycled past this pub and it looked very good. If you check out Tripadvisor you'll see the cows that mooch past too!

Burley The Burley Inn, (no website) Triangle, Burley BH24 4AB Tel: 01425 403448 This pub is right in the heart of Burley and allows dogs into a separate part of the pub. Has some good Tripadvisor reviews.

Frogham The Forresters Arms, (no website) Frogham, Fordingbridge, Hants, Frogham, SP6 2JA Tel: 01425 652294I call this the donkey pub as it's a great place to see lots of donkeys milling around waiting for the bar to open!

Minstead/Lyndhurst The Trusty Servant (no website) Minstead SO43 7FY Tel: 023 8081 2137 This is a dog friendly pub in a lovely little village just outside the hustle and bustle of Lyndhurst.

There's even a photo of a dog in an armchair - bit over the top after a long, muddy walk or maybe it was the owners!

I hope you have a wonderful time when visiting the New Forest and that my dog friendly New Forest tips for you and your pet have helped. If you want to Contact me and ask me any questions please feel free. I just want you and your pooch to have a good time here. Enjoy (and bring a towel too for rubbing off in the wet season!)

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