Barney the Cockapoo Super Model

Obviously every dog owner thinks their dog is the best looking hound that has ever existed, but I really do think my cockapoo Barney is a super cute canine.

He was invited by a photographer I know to take part in a shoot she was doing for PitPat, the dog activity monitor and I also applied for him to do some modelling for Berkeley Cole, who make luxury dog beds. I was so proud of how he did in both shoots, luckily he's spent plenty of time at dog school so I can generally get him to behave and do what he needs to do so that the photographer can get the best out of him. He's got excellent recall, and does a reliable sit and lie down, accompanied with a good stay. He's got a good nature too, so he's happy to be around other people and dogs (apologies to the photographer whose bald head he licked when he lay on the floor to get the perfect shot, he only wanted to say hello!)

I thought I'd nip to the PitPat and Berkeley Cole websites today, and I'm delighted to have found Barney's face on both websites, as I thought his photos would only be used on social media. Here he is on the two home pages:

As well as these websites, he's also had his image used on multiple occasions on social media, here are a few examples:

I'm hoping to find more opportunities for Barney to do modelling in the future, but in the meantime you can keep up with what he's up to on his Instagram page (@acockapoocalledbarney) or mine (@rachel_2407).

Alternatively, if you're ever looking for a compliant and cute cockapoo model, drop me a message.

A (dog) walk in the park - Savernake Forest

Savernake Forest, just south of Marlborough, covers approximately 2750 acres, most of which is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Its history goes back over a thousand years and as a result it has a collection of notable trees. Its tranquillity and unspoiled nature are its main draw and as a result there are few facilities, other than a parking area and a few picnic tables.

We visited to do a geocaching circuit and, as a result, used that as a route. We had Barney with us and he had a great time exploring off lead. As it's such a large area we encountered relatively few other people. 

Although we went primarily to do geocaching we had a great walk and will definitely be back with Barney in the future to explore it further.

A (dog) walk on the beach - Sand Bay

Barney loved the beach when we were on holiday in Dorset so I'd been keen to take him back for some time. Unfortunately living in Wiltshire, any beach is a good car journey away. I'd done some research and found a few about an hour away, but one that kept coming up was Sand Bay.

Sand Bay is a long, wide, flat strip of sand and shingle, a couple of miles north of Weston-Super-Mare. Dogs are permitted all year around so it's a perfect spot for a dog walk. The only down-side is the mud flats which you need to be aware of, but they're clearly signposted. 

Facilities are few and far between, but there are car parks and a tea room. If you want more choice, Weston isn't far away. Part of the appeal is that it isn't as touristy as its close neighbour, so the lack of facilities is a compromise worth making.

Barney had a great time, there were plenty of other dogs for him to meet and he got to run, and run, and run. There was one incident where he stole another dog's tennis ball but then karma kicked in and he had his stolen in return. He's not a fan of the sea, so we went when the tide was out to give him the largest expanse to explore. 

We had such a great time there, we'll definitely be back.

A (dog) walk in the park - Stanton Park

Stanton Park is a country park to the north-east of Swindon, it features a large lake and extensive woodland and parkland. Stanton Park was the site of a Roman Villa from around 200 AD, although there is no remaining visible sign today. The park opened in 2000 and has been further developed since that date. 

The park covers 185 acres, its tranquillity and unspoiled nature is the main draw and there are few facilities. The tea room only opens at weekends and the only other facilities are public toilets. However, due to the lack of facilities, parking is free. If you're visiting during the week and need refreshments, there is a hotel nearby which may be worth a try. 

Stanton House hotel, next to the park

It's a perfect spot for a good walk, we often go out through the woods, around the parkland and then back skirting the lake, but there are other paths you can take. The area obviously gets less busy the further away from the entrance you get, so Barney has plenty of opportunity for a good run off lead.

Various options for walks

We've been lucky with the weather on our last couple of visits, but it's a good spot to visit whatever time of year. 

Plenty of space to roam

Thanking my lucky cards that Barney isn't a swimmer!

Beautiful, whatever the weather

Driffield Ring geocaching series

We had a free afternoon one weekend earlier this month and thought we'd do a local geocaching series.

This was a circular series about twenty minutes from home. This is a quick summary in case it's helpful for anyone else considering the series.

Name: Driffield Ring
First cache in series: GC2DCHB
Number of caches: 11
Distance: Approximately 3 miles
Location: Starts from Driffield, Gloucestershire
 

We parked on the main street next to the church and headed back up the street to start the series.

Driffield is off the beaten track, but really pretty with lots of Cotswold stone.

The going was good underfoot!

We headed up a track to pick up the first cache, then instead of carrying on up the track, we backtracked and took a different path behind the nearby houses for the next cache.

Barney did some sightseeing whilst we looked for the next geocache

The next geocache took ages to find, but we eventually managed to narrow it down to the right tree stump. It gave Barney plenty of opportunity to explore the woodland.

The face of a puppy who has discovered every sticky bud in the woodland

We struggled to find a direct route to the next cache, and had to take a detour out into the neighbouring field to avoid a fallen tree. When we eventually found it, we dropped off a travel bug which we'd picked up on holiday in Dorset.

The wood cover made the GPS ping around a bit but we eventually located the next geocache in the next wooded area.

Beautifully planted trees

The next cache took a while to find, avoiding the spikes on the hawthorn and brambles. From here we headed across a wheat field to the next.

Hurry up, guys!

We picked up the cache on the other side of the field and then the cache on an offshoot which was part of the Little Bridges series. From there we made our way back across the field and skirted past a farm. Our luck ran out with the next cache. The clue didn't make sense and with the light fading we failed to find the cache in an overgrown area next to a ford. It wasn't a complete waste though, as Barney waded so far out into the ford, he'd have been swimming if he went any further.

We only suggested he might like to dip his beard for a drink...

We headed down the path to the final cache, which we found fairly easily, although we did almost lose Barney down a hidden ditch.
From here we headed across a field and back to the village.

Barney winding his way home

We popped out of the field next to the church where we'd parked.

So, compared with our plan at the start of the day, this is what we did:

Number of caches: 10

Distance: Approximately 3.2 miles. The map below from my GPS shows our route

Time: 3.25 hours, this shows that some of the caches were a bit of a pig to find, and includes Barney's wade across the ford

Terrain: Fairly flat. A combination of farmers tracks, paths and roads. Dry when we walked it in August, but I'd imagine it could be muddy in parts.

Wildlife: There were sheep in one neighbouring field but no need to enter the field. 

Facilities: None

I'd definitely recommend this series if you're in the area.