Hong Kong offers an abundance of places to take your dog for walks

If you have a dog, you probably have to take it out for a walk at least a couple times a day. For Kirsten Mitchell, she takes her seven dogs out for a walk four times a day. Once at 6.30am for a quick 40 minutes, then at about 9am for a long two-to-three hour hike, next at about 3.30pm, and finally at 6.30pm for their last walk of the day.

'They are all toilet-trained and I like to keep it that way,' Mitchell says. Close to her home in Mid-Levels, the area is packed with high-rise buildings and a maze of busy streets However, as Hong Kong is still about 70 per cent farmland, hills or country parks, Mitchell says there is an abundance of places to walk your dog. The only trick is to find them among the concrete jungle. 'Some people have no idea there are so many walks around [Mid-Levels], you don't have to go to Sai Kung,' she says.

One of Mitchell's favourite short walks is along Lyttelton Road up on to Babington Path, then up to 105 Robinson Road where there's a slope in which no cars are allowed. 'Here they can have a little run around for about 15 minutes,' she says. To return, she walks up to Conduit Road, then back down Kotewall Road.

For longer walks, the Morning Trail is partially shaded with a steep gradient in parts. To start, walk up Hatton Road and when you reach a junction (a signpost will display a map), you can turn right to walk to Pok Fu Lam and all the way to the Riding Stables, or you can keep going left. 'There's two or three directions you can go from here. There are so many different directions, it's like a vine,' Mitchell says. 'It's a nice way to explore and see where you end up. As you get halfway up, you'll get to a flat green open area - a great place to run around.' This walk will also take you by Lung Fu Shan Country Park.

At the top of the path is the Peak Loop, a one-hour circular, with spectacular views of the city along Lugard Road which was built in 1908. It's mostly flat with some shaded area, but it's a well-known route and very busy on the weekends.

To come down, dog walkers could head to Pok Fu Lam Country Park from The Peak. Walk down Peak Road from the Peak Galleria, then look for a sign that says Pok Fu Lam Country Park after a few metres. There will be a gate blocking vehicle access. After about an hour through the dense jungle, you'll reach Pok Fu Lam, near Pok Fu Lam Reservoir inside Pok Fu Lam Country Park. An alternative way down from The Peak is on Old Peak Road, which starts below The Peak tram station with stairs to the left. Starting in Jardine's Lookout is a pleasant two-hour walk called Sir Cecil's Ride, which is mostly flat and shaded. The easiest way to get to the start is by taxi at Mount Butler Road, just past Mount Butler Firing Range. Walking uphill on the left, there is another small path on the left when you hit the Mount Butler Receiving Station, then follow the signs to Tai Fung Au leading you up to Mount Parker Road and down King's Road in Quarry Bay. Amid the forest, you'll notice lakes and streams. Be careful your dog doesn't drink water from these since they may contain leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that can cause chronic kidney damage and possible death.