"2 Reactive dogs go for a walk " National Dogs in Yellow Day!

Two reactive dogs. Two hopeful humans. One slightly chaotic adventure… 💛🐾

Just a week ago, Rosie and Cheery met for the very first time. Fast forward a few trial walks (and a lot of hopeful planning), and here we were… setting off on our first official “Two Reactive Dogs Go for a Walk” adventure.

Our destination? Cliveden.

A big, busy, beautiful place that—if we’re honest—once felt completely out of reach.

But this wasn’t just any walk. It was part of National Dogs in Yellow Day, organised by the wonderful Sarah at My Anxious Dog. A day that’s all about changing the narrative—showing that dogs who need space deserve to be seen, supported, and understood… not hidden away.

Because the truth is, for so many of us with sensitive dogs, places like this can feel overwhelming. So we avoid them. Walk at odd hours. Stick to quiet corners. Stay small.

But not this time 💛

We showed up in yellow—for anxiety, for past trauma, for nervous systems that just need a little more space—and to raise awareness that reactivity isn’t “bad behaviour.” It can come from so many places… including pain, which is so often overlooked, as well as fear, past experiences, and dogs simply trying their best to cope with a world that feels too much.

And you know what? They can.

And something we didn’t quite expect…

We have been so surprised, relieved, and incredibly proud that Rosie and Cheery have been able to walk alongside each other. They’re never going to be best friends—and that’s absolutely okay—but they’ve quickly learnt that each other is none of their business… and that’s been enough 💛

They can now walk near-ish to one another with no major tension, no big reactions—just quiet understanding.

Now… was it perfect?

Absolutely not 😅

We got lost. Properly lost.

The “nice planned route” turned into “where on earth are we and how did we get here?”—made even more complicated by the fact that our dogs can’t exactly huddle together while we read a map.

(Top tip: plan your route before you set off… and maybe actually look at the signs along the way 🙃)

At one point, we even wandered into an off-lead dog area (unintentionally, we promise), which meant digging deep, being brave, and asking people to pop their dogs on leads so we could pass calmly.

And here’s the beautiful part…

Almost everyone said yes.

Kindly. Without fuss. With understanding.

In fact, it was often people without dogs who had taken the time to learn about Dogs in Yellow that recognised what we needed straight away 💛

The biggest surprise of all?

Only about 10% of the walk felt stressful.

And honestly… most of that was down to us humans, not the dogs.

The rest?

Laughter. Fresh air. Small wins. Growing confidence. And two dogs quietly learning that the world might not be such a scary place after all.

So this is just the beginning…

Each month, we’re heading out on a “big walk” together—exploring new places, learning as we go, and sharing it all to help others feel a little less alone on this journey.

Because you don’t have to hide.

You don’t have to do it perfectly.

And you definitely don’t have to do it alone 💛🐾