A COUPLE and their pampered pooch are enjoying England's longest dog walk by embarking on a hike along the South West Coast Path.

Wives Rachel Leigh, 34, and Jill Pearson, 36, are stomping their way along England's longest marked footpath, with Pomeranian cross Arnie, which starts in Minehead.

They are carrying all their supplies for the 630-mile walk on their back - including little Arnie whose legs are usually too tired to walk. 

The couple have modified a child carrier for him, covering the leg holes so he can lie down and even adding a special pillow.

They've taken 12 weeks off to do the walk - which they are half way through - and took on the challenge due to their shared love of the outdoors and as a mental-health boost.

The pair say walking takes longer with Arnie as they are stopped up to 50 times a day by people who want to give him a cuddle.

They said the scariest moment was when they nearly lost their tent off a cliff in the wind.

The highlight was finding chocolate and bananas in an honesty box after days on end of lentils and porridge.

The South West Coast Path stretches from Minehead, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset.

Rachel, from Denham, Buckinghamshire, said: "People are so excited to see him that we get stopped between 20 and 50 times a day by people asking about him and what we're doing.

"He's high up so and gets the best views.

"It's very funny because lots of people go past making kissy faces at him, but he's at Jill's head level, so it's a bit strange for her."

Rachel and Jill set off from Minehead on their epic journey on August 13, four months after they got married. 

The trio have almost reached the half-way point, at Coverack, Cornwall, and expect to finish their journey at the end of October.

Rachel and Jill, from near Derry, Northern Ireland, usually live in homes they find on Work Away and House Sitters - earning money as yoga teachers and artists, and have a van they sometimes live in.