The best places to exercise with your dog in London

There’s no need to head out of London to take your pup on a bracing seaside-style walk. Set on the edge of Ruislip Woods, this 60-acre lake is surrounded by a golden stretch of sand. The main beach is a dog-free zone, but there’s a separate sandy foreshore where your canine companion can run riot and paddle in the water.

Get dizzy with your dog as you try to navigate Crystal Palace Park’s network of head-scratching hedgerows. Hidden away near the park’s north lake, the Victorian puzzle of pathways has been baffling Londoners since the 1870s. Find out if your furry pal can sniff out the centre. Then see what they make of the park’s 30 full-scale dinosaur statues.

Put your pooch through their paces in not one, but two dog exercise areas at this patch of London greenery. Each one is fully enclosed with concrete tunnels for pups to scurry through. The café even has a special section for dogs and their owners.

At just under nine miles long, and stretching from Limehouse to Paddington via Camden, Islington and Hackney, Regent’s Canal’s towpath is a deliciously scenic place to bond with man’s best friend on a sunny day. Amble westward from Limehouse Basin admiring the pretty lock-keepers’ cottages and charming barges. Reward your hard plodding with a sit-down in The Narrowboat pub in Islington, which is equipped with blankets and biscuits for your beloved hound.

After a dog walk with a view? You’ll be hard pressed to find a better spot than the 196 acres of leafy parkland surrounding Ally Pally. Climb all the way up to the lofty location of the People’s Palace and you’ll be rewarded with an astounding panorama of the city skyline from Canary Wharf to St Paul’s and the Shard. Once you’ve had an eyeful, show your cute canine around the woods, ornate gardens and boating lake.

There are plenty of opportunities for a stonking game of fetch in Epping’s 6,000- acre forest. Your doggy date will love roaming this beautiful expanse of native trees on the border of Essex. Ramble down one of the many walking routes and look out for peacocks, lakes, Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge and hundreds of wild flowers.

Think your dog could give the pooches at Crufts a run for their money? Hit up River Lee Country Park’s dog agility course. Over 500 metres, there are 10 obstacles to set your pup’s tail wagging, including jumps, hoops, high-walks and an A-frame. Once you and your four-legged friend have conquered the course, explore the rest of the park.