Dog walking with a baby

We have a six and a half year old Dalmatian called Jack, who we have had since he was a puppy. He needs a substantial walk each day, and so I have been trying to find the ideal walk in South West London for a big bouncy dog (with a naughty streak when it comes to discarded food) and a baby in a pram. I have considered a baby carrier on and off, but have yet to find the right one, that I could easily use on my own and that my daughter would be happy in.

The equipment:
Bugaboo Gecko in red (bargain from ebay - an old model, the Maclaren doesn't cope too well with rough ground such as grass)
Hunter Unisex-Adult Hunter Original Tall Wellington Boot in blue
Dog Poop Bags Degradable x 250 in black.

The contenders: Tooting Bec Common, Wimbledon Common, Streatham Common & Norwood Grove.


Tooting Bec Common

There are two busy roads that run through this common, and a main road the runs around the edge. For this reason Tooting Bec is the least ideal place to walk my dog. He would happily run across a road if he thought that there was even a small crumb of food on the other side. He is an idiot. It does however offer many flat paths for the pram, and a cafe with outdoor seating that is often full of dog walkers, and people with young children.

Wimbledon Common

In the search for a common with less roads we went out to Wimbledon. This is a great walking place for all of us, the only disadvantage is the distance from our house, and the number of picnics in the summer holidays. There is a car park by the Windmill, on Windmill Road, where you can pretty much open the boot and let the dog straight out into a field. Even if I go here every day of the week I can choose a different route to walk, which helps to keep the dog interested. Some days we visit the lake and look at the ducks, on freezing days we head straight up a long path and back again. They don't have many dog poo bins here, which is a shame, and I am often pushing the pram through poo...


Streatham Common & Norwood Grove

This is much nearer to us, and if you continue from Streatham Common into Norwood Grove gives a good walking area which is fenced in, hurrah! It is very muddy up there at the slightest drop of rain, which can make it hard going with the pram, but you do get excellent views. The car park now shuts at 3.30pm though, which is not so useful..