Living Doggishly – The Dog Walking Jacket

In the home of people living doggishly there is, more often than not, a jacket hanging by the door. It will be waiting by the leads, or leashes for overseas friends, it will be above the walking boots and it will be ready for action. You’ll be able to spot it in an instant. It’ll be the one with the paw prints on it and a selection of dog hair. This is The Dog Walking jacket. Big, robust and of uncertain lineage this jacket will have enjoyed many adventures and been through misadventures aplenty. The jacket will smell pleasantly of wet dog, dog treats and of happy times together.

                The Dog Walking Jacket will have been worn by many. It is the one pressed into service by whoever needs to do the midnight dash when the dog gives you the “I could do with a pee,” look. It will have been worn by visitors who want to join the dog walk but may have left their more robust outer garments at home.

                The person who bought the jacket did a very good job. They will have gone through a long list of questions and will have had a check list in their mind when they were selecting it.

                “If I fall over in the mud or the snow, will my keys fall out of that pocket?”

                “That pocket looks like it closes well but does it close well enough to keep in the smell of the dehydrated salmon treats that my dog enjoys?”

                “Exactly how many muddy tennis balls can I fit in it?”

                I don’t know if jacket designers set out to create dog walking jackets. I think in reality they ideate designs in terms of making a jacket for high-end adventuring over tundra and up heady mountains. The storm flaps intended to face gales on the high seas keeping the brisk northerly at bay over the common on that Sunday afternoon stroll. The deep chest pocket designed to keep in survival gear now full of a selection of mismatched gloves.

                The Dog Walking Jacket can come in a range styles and materials, from high-end technical fabrics and contemporary designs to waxed cotton and looking like something from a period drama. For preference I go for tweed. A big part of my own dog walking is watching the birds dash about and I find that the soft rustle of tweed doesn’t scare them off quite as much as the rasp of the more modern and, let’s face it, more waterproof materials.

                If you were to pick The Dog Walking Jacket off its peg, at any moment, there is enough in it to entertain a full fleet of labradors or a squadron of springer spaniels. Held within are whistles, clickers, tennis ball/s, a selection of dog treats and a ready supply of poo bags. The merest twitch of any hand near the flap of the treat pocket is enough to grab the attention of all dogs within a five hundred metre radius. Contained within will be items from loved ones, too. Your finger tips brushing against that slip lead or the conker you picked up from your autumnal walk together in the sunshine will bring back wonderful and splendid memories in an instant.