Applegarth Sniffari – A pooches play park
Applegarth Sniffari – A pooches play park
Applegarth Sniffari is a brand new, secure outdoor play area that is sure to get your best friends tail wagging!
Judith Nicholson opened the dog park at Heads Nook in Brampton in August 2023 when she realised the area was severely lacking in secure open spaces for dogs. It was also a means of generating an income for the small holding which has been run by her family since 1965.
Judith said:
“We have had animals my whole life and this small holding means a lot to me and my family. Something which we noticed over the years was a huge increase in sheep worrying as well as other issues that came down to a lack of knowledge and information on how to behave when out in the countryside – i thought the Sniffari was a great way to not only keep the animals fed and happy, provide space for dogs to run freely but also educate people on how to be safe when out and about in Cumbria around livestock.”
Sheep worrying is an issue that is raised year after year especially during lambing season when spooked sheep can spontaneously abort their offspring. Sheep worrying does not only refer to a dog physically biting or chasing the sheep either – just the act of a dog running around loose can cause them to scatter and as mentioned before abort the foetus they are carrying.
This has an immense effect on the sheeps health as well as costing local farmers alot of money in losses and vet bills as well as time and hard work spent raising the animals. Luckily at Applegarth Sniffari all of Judiths sheep are not bothered by dogs as they have grown up around Judiths own dogs, this provides the perfect opportunity for those with reactive dogs to do some livestock desensitising.
The sheep are visible through the fence but obviously every precaution has been taken to ensure they cannot gain access to them. Judith said:
“My sheep really don’t even react to dogs anymore – and what we have found with the park is that even reactive dogs may initially be interested in them but as they spend more time in the park they become much more occupied by all the smells and toys around them, which is fantastic because they learn to be in the presence of sheep without becoming fixated.”
Over the next year there will be lots more going on at Applegarth Sniffari including dog happy hours, puppy socialisation, agility courses and lots more. Keep your eyes on their social media accounts for upcoming events.
Something which Judith is very keen to do is give back to the community by offering a free session once a month for over 65’s to come and meet up, let their dogs play and socialise and also socialise themselves, Judith said:
“There are a lot of older people in the community here that are lonely and don’t have as many opportunities to get out with others, this free session is available to anyone over 65, whether they have a dog or not that would like to come and just have a chat with others and be around the dogs!”
If you have a dog that loves to run but has bad recall or is reactive or is a breed which cannot be off lead due to recent government announcements then contact Judith today, Applegarth Sniffari allows your pooch to run free, in a secure and safe environment.
For dates and information on whats coming up this year at Applegarth Sniffari please visit their website www.dogsniffari.co.uk and follow them on facebook
To learn more about what’s happening follow Cumbria Guide on our social media
