How we're working with Forthglade for dog-friendly visits

A dog on the lawn with dog treats from the Forthglade range at Ickworth House, Suffolk — A dog on the lawn with dog treats from natural pet food maker, Forthglade at Ickworth House, Suffolk | © Forthglade

To help you get the most out of a visit with your dog(s), we've partnered with natural pet food maker, Forthglade. Together, we're working to make dog-friendly visits at the places we care for the best they can be.

About the partnership

Our partnership with Forthglade is based on our shared love of open spaces and the special relationships between dogs and their owners.

Together we're working to make sure you and your dog(s) get the most out of the gardens, woodlands, fields, parkland and beaches we look after, as well as the holiday cottages in our care.

We're also supporting the co-branded Forthglade range of natural meals and treats, designed to help your dog(s) stay happy, healthy and full of energy for their outdoor adventures.

The contribution that we'll receive from the sale of products in the Forthglade range will go towards ensuring that you and your dog(s) can have a more enjoyable visit at the places in our care.

What's the partnership achieved so far?

Our work with Forthglade has been helping to improve access for you and your dog(s) and make it easier for you to plan a visit to the places in our care.
87 per cent of the places we look after can now welcome pet dogs.
We've also produced a Canine Code and introduced a pawprint rating system, designed to let you see at a glance the facilities on offer for you and your dog(s), to help make it easier for you to plan your day's adventure with us. You can find more information about visiting with your dog(s) on the Visiting National Trust places with your dog(s) page.

How we've been making places more dog friendly

From introducing more dog-friendly trails and dog waste bins to providing wash down areas and drinking stations, we've been making changes as part of the Dogs Welcome Project, to help you and your dog(s) feel welcome — whether you're visiting for the day or staying with us for your short break or holiday.

The Dogs Welcome Project

Discover more about the Dogs Welcome Project and some of the improvements we're making at the places we look after.

A woman washing a dog with a hose — A visitor washing their dog with a hose after a muddy walk | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Dog wash areas

Dog wash areas have been installed at some of our holiday cottages, campsites and places to visit, with more places in the pipeline, so you can wash your dog(s) in designated areas after a muddy walk.

Dog friendly seating area near the café at Lyme Park, Cheshire — Dog-friendly seating area near the café at Lyme Park, Cheshire | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

More dog-friendly cafés

More of our cafés are now open to dogs. Whilst many already allow dogs outside, places with a three-pawprint rating also welcome dogs inside, often in designated areas. You can now check the page of the place you're planning to visit to find out their pawprint rating and the facilities on offer for you and your dog(s) before visiting.

Dog walking in an off-lead area — Dogs running around in a designated off-lead area in Northumberland | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

More dedicated on and off-lead areas

We’ve increased access for you and your dog(s), creating more walks, including off-lead areas at some of the places we look after for dogs to have the freedom of a good run around in a safe and controlled environment. We’ve also improved signage to make this clear for dog owners and people visiting without dogs.

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As well as helping to make visits more dog friendly, we've been working with Forthglade to share tips for walking with your dog(s) at the places in our care. Understanding body language helps us to know how our dog(s) may be feeling, and better understand the dogs we meet on a day out.

Do you speak dog?

It's important to remember that every dog's different. Ask before approaching any dog and respect their space, that way everyone feels happy when out and about. Here you'll find some tips to help you recognise and understand how your dog(s) may be feeling, especially if you've recently become a dog owner.

A still image taken from an animation depicting a dog feeling anxious, with its tail wrapped round close to its body. — An example of a dog showing anxious behaviour | © National Trust

If a dog's feeling shy or anxious

They may hide behind their human, avert their gaze, or roll onto their back. Their tail might be tucked in and sometimes they'll lick their lips or yawn as a sign of stress. Some anxious dogs wear a yellow bandana or lead to indicate 'please leave me alone'.

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A dog's dinner we're proud of

The Forthglade dog food range, which is available on their website, is expected to contribute at least £50,000 to our cause. This partnership will help to make places more dog friendly whilst also balancing the needs of the landscape and surrounding wildlife and those of other walkers and visitors.

The range, which includes natural ingredients such as duck, venison and green beans, will be accompanied by a variety of hand-baked grain-free natural dog treats and a natural dried dog food product. We'll also be handing out free treats for your dog to try at some of the places we care for and our dog-friendly holiday cottages.

View the full range

We’re so pleased to be supporting the wonderful work achieved by the National Trust and thrilled to have the Trust associated with our range of natural meals and treats for dogs. We look forward to further bringing to life the National Trust’s Dogs Welcome activity.