If you love walking your dog and spending time in nature, you’ve come to the right place. Coast and Country Canines is all about helping dog owners enjoy safe, fun and enriching walks while protecting the wildlife and natural spaces we all value. Whether you’re looking for training tips, new walking routes or information about wildlife-friendly dog walking, we’re here to help.
Coast and Country Canines is a project that aims to build a community of like-minded, nature-loving dog owners and walkers who want to help protect our natural world. We want to give people the right information and tools so they can enjoy safe, fun walks while also taking steps to protect resident wildlife.
If you have a look at the Resources tab in the top bar, you’ll find training tips and guides for skills like recall and loose lead walking that help you keep walks wildlife aware. We also provide suggested walking routes, each including places to play, beautiful views and safety advice, as well as information about the local wildlife.
We also attend and host a range of events – you may find us at a community event near you with our gazebo and games, as well as free goodies and resources to take away. Or you could join us for a subsidised dog training workshop delivered in partnership with an accredited, experienced local dog trainer – keep an eye on our events page to find out when and where our next workshops will be taking place.
Coast and Country Canines was created by Bird Aware Solent, a partnership of local councils, Natural England, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the RSPB. We were established because of disturbance to wildlife that happens as a result of dog walking.
As dog owners and dog lovers ourselves, we know that this is not representative of dog owners as a whole and is often due to a lack of information. We believe that by championing responsible dog ownership and giving people the right tools and knowledge, we can make a positive difference together as a community.
Disturbance is anything that causes an animal to change or adapt its natural behaviour. Most of us know that harming wildlife is wrong, but fewer people are aware of how damaging disturbance can be.
The challenge is that wildlife is already facing many pressures, and any additional stress can affect an animal’s chances of survival. For example, animals feeding to prepare for migration or to get through a hard winter may be forced to fly or run away. This not only reduces the time available for feeding but also uses valuable energy reserves.
As dog walkers, we benefit enormously from the natural world. It provides places that are physically and mentally stimulating for our dogs to explore, and spending time outdoors is beneficial for our wellbeing too. Wildlife is a vital part of these experiences, so protecting it is important.
As a community, we can either be one of the biggest causes of disturbance, or make a few simple changes and be part of the solution.
