5 Best Places to Walk Your Dog In Laois

This month for Operation TransPAWmation, we’re shining a light on all the different ways you can have fun and get out and exercise with your furry friend. Regular exercise is essential to help keep our dogs from gaining excessive weight, and to ensure their overall physical and mental health remains intact. Getting out and about helps keep the brain active, is a great stress reliever and boredom buster; both for dogs and humans!

Check out our blog post below on the best walking trails both you and your dog can avail of in County Laois.

1. Abbeyleix Bog Walk

Starting at the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, this relaxing and fascinating boardwalk takes you and your dog on a journey through forests, bog tracks and interesting historical sites. This 8km trail takes approximately 2 hours to get around, giving you and your pooch a good work-out. Ideal for a Sunday afternoon activity,  this trail is ideal for the whole family. A beautiful and varied environment throughout, your dog will sure have lots to sniff about as he ventures into the beautiful woodlands.

2. Glenbarrow Waterfall Loop

Taking around an hour and 43 minutes to complete, this trail takes you to Glenbarrow Waterfall which is a magnificent 3-tiered waterfall in a natural woodland. Full of bluebells during the spring, your dog will enjoy walking along the river sniffing and exploring what nature has to offer in a blanket of green moss. Make sure your dog is on a leash; although this is a great place to reconnect with nature, the area is filled with wildlife. You will need appropriate footwear in the winter but there are also some sections with boardwalks, but overall this is a great area for both you and your dog to explore.

3. Oak Park Loop

A forest setting consisting of boardwalks, this a great way to get out and about not just with your dog, but the whole family. Offering an excuse for a lovely escapade in the country to stretch your legs and get back out into the realm of nature with your furry friend by your side. There are bird watching opportunities next to the lake where you can see many water fowl. It takes an average of 1 hour 8 minutes to complete.

4. Togher Woods

Togher woods is just outside Portlaoise town and is hugely popular with local walkers and runners. A fantastic area to bring your dog for a walk, there are a coupe of route to choose from, and always something interesting or eye-catching too see along the way. Smaller children will enjoy the mystical sights of the fairy doors, and because of its mainly flat surface, it’s suitable if you have a buggy with you.

5. Capponellan Wood Fairy Loop

Capponellan is an old estate wood near Durrow. Perfect for reconnecting with nature while giving your dog the chance to stretch their legs somewhere new. Keep an eye out for coppiced goat willows and hazel-be sure your dog is on a leash to avoid scaring them! Both are thought to be of considerable age, with much of this site being wooded from the 17th through to the 19th centuries. The trail is flat the majority of the way making it ideal for the whole family. While exploring the forest, you will have the opportunity to get up close with local fauna and flora, as well as giving your dog the chance to sniff around to their heart’s content!

What is Operation TransPAWmation?

Petmania’s Operation TransPAWmation began in 2017 to highlight the rise in overweight dogs in Ireland. Since then we have extended the campaign to a whole-health campaign for dogs and cats, helping 1000’s of pet owners get to grips with their pet’s overall health and wellbeing.

Now in its 7th Year, Operation TransPAWmation is designed to help dog and cat owners identify and make small changes that can help improve their pet’s overall health and wellbeing.

For in-person support on your #PetmaniaOT journey, you can also drop into any one of our pet shops nationwide and speak with a member of our team.