Published on 13th March, 2023
Bath & West: What gave you the idea for the Big Bark?
Doggy Day Out: One of the best things about having a dog is the amount of fun and new experiences you can have together. Not to mention that you can suddenly meet loads of like-minded owners. That’s why we created the Big Bark events – they provide the perfect place to bring woofers, dog-parents, fun, learning and all-round good-times together in one place!
Bath & West: So, what exactly is so special about coming to the Big Bark?
Doggy Day Out: Well, the Doggy Day Out team always takes a dog-first approach. That’s not to say that humans play second fiddle. After all, we need to make sure the owners are happy otherwise they won’t bring their dogs. No, humans are extremely well-catered of course. What we mean by ‘dog first’ is that doggy health, wellbeing, and welfare are the pillars upon which we create our events.
Bath & West: Okay then, what can we look forward to at the Big Bark this year?
Doggy Day Out: Golly, there’s so much going on. Among lots of other things, we’re bringing back the very popular Have-a-Go sessions this year. Activities include Hoopers, a fast and fun hoop-to-hoop challenge.
Parkour is hosted by Emma from Pawfect Ability. With an emphasis on entertaining your dog in a safe and affordable way, Parkour creates a fun obstacle course out of everyday objects.
Have-a-Go agility will be on offer too, as well as the ever popular Scurry hosted by our guests for the weekend: Town and Country Dog Training.
We’ve included a dedicated puppy zone this year. We know that young dogs need careful consideration when it comes to very physical activity. So this area is especially suited to dogs up to 12 months of age.
Also new for 2023 is the Wags Meet Up where everyone can get together and enjoy some treats, puppachinos, and cakes. There’ll be a doggy-quiz to give the grey matter a workout too. Plus, we’ve asked StreetVet to give a talk on dog health-related matters.
Visitors to Doggy Day Out events will probably know how much we try to support local charitable organisations. Over the years we’ve raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes. This year we’ve chosen St Giles and Ferne Animal Sanctuary. We know how much people enjoy a traditional dog-show with all the fun classes such as waggiest tail and dog most like their owner. As ever, all proceeds raised by the shows on Saturday and Sunday will go to supporting the great work that these organisations do.
And then of course there’s the shopping. The Big Bark brings the very best traders of dog products, foods, treats and apparel together. Much to the delight of both two and four-legged guests who simply can’t resist a good spurge!
Bath & West: That all sounds fabulous. How can people find out more about the weekend?
Doggy Day Out: There’s loads of information on the event page on the Doggy Day Out website. Plus, we’re adding new information as its confirmed. People can find out all about the various ticket options on the website too – www.adoggydayout.co.uk
