Dalesway Caravan Park

Three and three quarter miles one way, around two hours, following the Pennine Way north over Eshton Moor and then dropping to the young River Aire at Newfield Bridge for an easy riverside mile into Airton. Start at Gargrave church and finish at Airton green; the 210 bus between Skipton and Malham calls at both, so you can walk it one way and ride back rather than doubling the distance. This is grazing country from end to end and lambs are in the fields from March, so keep the dog on the lead; the Aire is shallow and gravelly here and gives a good drink and a paddle, but the stiles are the catch - a run of squeeze stiles and stepped wall stiles that a heavy dog cannot manage without being lifted over.

Six easy miles in about two and a half hours: canal towpath west past the Bank Newton flight to the double-arched bridge at East Marton, then back on the Pennine Way across drumlin pasture that turns to deep mud after rain. Start from the free car park in Gargrave village centre opposite the village hall, a few minutes from the station on the Leeds-Morecambe line. The field return crosses working sheep and cattle pasture with several stiles, some of them narrow stone squeezes with no dog gate, so a large dog will need lifting more than once; the towpath half is stile-free and there is water at the canal edge, though the banks are steep.