National Encouragement Day – A Little Wag of Support  🐾

Today is National Encouragement Day – a whole day dedicated to cheering each other on. And honestly, who does encouragement better than dogs? They don’t care if you’ve had a bad hair day, or days in my case, if you've got toothpaste down your top. . To them, you’re brilliant, full stop.

I reckon we can learn a lot from that.

A Wobbly Start

When I first set up Muddy Paws Adventures, I thought it would be simple: grab the leads, head out with the dogs, enjoy the fresh air. Easy, right?

Well… not quite.

Behind the scenes, there was a fair bit of wobbling. I remember one particularly grim Tuesday – grey skies, rain coming in sideways, me trudging home with mud up to my knees and only one new client. I honestly thought, what am I doing? Maybe I’d been daft to even try.

That night, a friend messaged. Just a quick, “You have a deep connection with dogs. People will see it – keep going.”

It wasn’t a long pep talk, but it gave me the nudge I needed. The very next day, I got a booking. One became two, two became four… and now here we are, knee-deep in muddy paw prints, with a business that makes my heart full (and my washing machine work overtime).

Encouragement is Like a Treat Pouch

Think of encouragement like the dog treats we carry on walks. It doesn’t take much to hand one out, but the effect is massive. Dogs light up, tails wag, confidence soars.

Humans aren’t so different. A little “you’ve got this” or “well done” can turn a dreary day into one where you find the energy to keep going. It’s not fluffy – it’s fuel.

How We See It on Walks

I see encouragement all the time out on our adventures.

• A nervous pup takes their first jump over that scary log because the others are cheering them on with waggy tails.

• A client beams when they see photos of their muddy, happy dog having the time of their life.

• Fellow local dog walkers share tips and give each other a boost on tough days. We send each other voice messages daily on our group WhatsApp.

It’s these little nudges that make the difference – in dogs and in people.

Passing It On

So today, let’s take a leaf out of the dogs’ book: encourage freely. Tell your mate they’re smashing it.  Cheer on the small business you love.

Because encouragement spreads like muddy paw prints – it gets everywhere (in the best way).

🐾 Thanks for reading, and thank you to everyone who has ever cheered Muddy Paws Adventures along the way. Your encouragement means the world – and it keeps us going, even on the muddiest of days. ❤️