Walkies

"Has it been fun to be a real dog?"

Writer: Nicola Bryant

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: DWM 633

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, K9

Synopsis

With the Doctor needing some seclusion, he programmes the TARDIS to take Peri on the most incredible dog walks in the universe. 

Verdict

Walkies was a good little short story to serve as this month's Brief Encounters in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine! I am so happy wth this new feature that is a redo of one from the 1990s in the same manner and what better way to have a Peri story than Nicola Bryant as the author! Who knows the character better than the woman who played her? I think it's lovely to be getting brand new prose and I think this is the perfect opportunity to give actors the chance to write for their characters. Keep it coming I say and I just love getting new content. This is only two pages long and barely takes ten minutes to read, but it doesn't feel like a quick thing and that's great. The illustration to accompany the story really helps with the visualisations and I just love the idea that was central to things here. Peri was out exploring the universe on dog walks and as a canine owner myself in the past year, it's a good way to explore. I've found myself off the beaten track on a number of occasions and I like to just walk without really knowing where I'm going so having the TARDIS programmed to explore a number of exciting and appealing locations would be right up my alley! Peri was enjoying things but I think it's safe to say she had come to the end of the enjoyment. She was ready to do something different and who could blame her. I think it's lovely that K9 featured here and I can't actually imagine the robot dog getting on all that well with the Sixth Doctor. Here he was though basically used to babysit Peri while the Doctor had some time alone. That felt very apt for the sixth incarnation. He does like to ignore his companion from time to time so having her confront him about that at the end was pretty fun. The central premise though of K9 being a real dog was incredible. How has that not been done before? It's so obvious and yet it's nothing I've ever considered. I saw the illustration and the name of the story when flicking through the pages of DWM and just assumed we'd be catching up with an older Peri post-The Trial of a Time Lord after she'd settled down back on Earth somehow and gotten herself a canine friend. That was far from the case though and that was actually all the more fun. I'm not sure she was as attached to K9 as the Doctor thinks she was, but she certainly had some sort of love for the dog in naming him Frisky when her old dog was called Whiskey. She could never replace the original and I liked how obviously emotional she got about that. Her family dog clearly meant a great deal to her and it was obvious how strong her missing feelings were. I love the idea that she and K9 have gone for a walk on Rhossili Bay and Aber Falls with both of those being great locations in my homeland of Wales. I haven't actually taken my dog to either of those though! I need to amend that. I thought having much of the second page inside the TARDIS but in a natural landscape like the desert was good although the Doctor wasn't exactly likeable in how off-putting he was towards Peri. It was time for K9 to go away now and the robot dog accepting that from his master was nice in terms of friendly obedience, but he pointed out how much this might hurt Peri. It almost feels like we need a part two with them potentially going to get a real dog from Battersea! The very idea of one running around the TARDIS with this incarnation of the Doctor in particular is good fun. Definitely don't get a cocker spaniel. Overall, a very fun little read! 

Rating: 8/10