About
Muddy Boots & Coffee
Thrive together, wherever life takes you.
Hi, I’m Angela Watson.
People often ask, “How do you always find the best places to stay?”
It started in a tent with the dogs. Then a van. Over time I realised that a proper bed, a hot shower, and a welcoming place aren’t luxuries – they’re self-care.
Here, the focus is on comfort, big dreams, and finding joy together in everyday life. I’m sharing the best dog-friendly cottages, barns, and retreats in the UK – wonderful places we’ve personally experienced and loved. Unique spaces that let us thrive together, and practical insights from life on the road.
Founder of Muddy Boots & Coffee, Angela Watson, is an executive coach and designer of learning experiences. Now a championship dog sport competitor, travelling the UK with her golden retrievers, going wherever the dog shows take them, whilst sharing the places that make life and performance on the road more comfortable.
We are part of a growing community of competitive obedience people who care deeply about dogs and train ethically. We drive muddy vans and cars across the UK to walk round a square. We get up at dawn and drive for 3 hours for a training round. We analyse heelwork over coffee in a chipped mug. We camp under the stars and stay in wonky cottages and we believe competitive obedience is an art form. We love precision. We love partnership. We love the discipline of it. We take training seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.
I left my old life behind at 40 and rebuilt it from scratch – it’s been a rollercoaster for me but through this I’ve discovered dog sports. Starting with pet dog training, then rapidly ramping it up to Competitive Obedience trials, and now qualified to compete in the Royal Kennel Club Obedience Championships. Life with dogs has quickly become my favourite form of adventure: the special bond with a dog, life on the road, the competitions, and the pursuit of a dream.
How Muddy Boots & Coffee Was Born
One muddy winters day, after years of struggling to figure out how to squeeze my obsession for dog sports into whatever spare time I could find…I had a brainwave. And it changed everything. I now do what I do with Muddy Boots and Coffee – helping others as a result.
One February afternoon…(no blinding light, just a nice coffee), I had a thought…’what would happen if I truly committed?’
And from there, life began to rearrange itself around the dream.
Around dog training days and unhurried mornings. Around travelling and staying in places that restored rather than depleted. My work began to fit into my life, not the other way round.
I’ve since been working with clients online, teaching lessons at my paddock, and going wherever the dog shows take me – with my dogs, a laptop, and a nice place to stay.
Along the way I’ve come to understand that comfort, beauty, and wellbeing are not selfish indulgences. They’re the foundation of everything I’ve put into Muddy Boots and Coffee, everything that let’s us thrive together every day.
Our Competition Journey
The Dream is Happening!
This is the story of leaping all in to follow a dream and how Home is everywhere we go together. It began on that February afternoon when I decided to commit to my championship dream with Berty. From there everything fell into place. Every trip, every training session, every cottage we stay in, every client I work with – all of it exists to support that journey.
This is how we’re doing it.
At The Paddock
Where we train and prepare.
When we’re not travelling, this is where we train, learn and prepare for the next leg of the journey, on our own or with friends, and coaching others to support their journey and ours.
On The Road
Our office, adventure, and classroom.
The travel part of the journey includes getting lost, sitting in traffic, overcoming breakdowns, finding places to stay, and documenting and sharing the journey through photos, stories and videos.
In The Ring
Precision, partnership, and passion.
Competitive obedience isn’t just sport – it’s an art form. Every trial teaches lessons about focus, flow, and self-discovery. These lessons inform everything I share on Muddy Boots & Coffee.
Coffee With Angela
Pick your adventure below:
BOOK
Podcasts, interviews, talks.
Available for podcasts, interviews and speaking engagements. Hear stories, share ideas, and get a peek behind the scenes. Grab a cuppa and let’s talk.
DISCOVER
Dog-friendly stays & consulting
Discover cottages, barns and retreats, tested and Muddy approved. Want advice on making your own property dog-friendly? Let’s talk.
EXPLORE
1:1 Sessions
Available session times are typically Tues – Thursday between 10am – 1pm on Zoom. So put your kettle or coffee pot on and lets get started.
Muddy At Home
Our Home
We purchased a 16th Century country cottage in 2006, full of wonky beams and wonky walls. Our own cosy retreat after weekends away – dogs sleeping, coffee brewing, life slowing down.
Mark
My better half. Restoring vintage camera’s and making life work around chronic pain. Teaching me love, patience, persistence, and the true value of humour.
Jasper
The ultimate slow burner. Half show lines, half working lines, teaching me the power of the long game. Still strutting his stuff at age 10, proving that introverts have substance AND style.
Berty
Berty the powerhouse. From working lines, full of va-va-voom. Qualified to compete at the RKC Obedience Championships bringing power, precision and just enough polish but keeps me on my toes.
Muddy Boots & Coffee 