Having started D4Dog walking in May of 2021, I had intended to give a 6 month update on the experience and journey (literally and metaphorically speaking.)

Walking dogs has been a revelation, in many ways, there are so many unexpected events, pathways and emotions, not to mention learning about the area we are lucky enough to live in and call home – is there a better part of the world than South Devon – maybe, but I doubt it!

In seven months I have built up a solid client base of Owners and dogs, who allow me to walk their dogs, with a variety of regularity, some every day of the week, some occasionally as needed. What I hadn’t expected when starting Dog Walking, was the emotional connection with the dogs – it might just be me(!) But the speed with which the dogs become part of the D4Dog family has surprised me. But it’s definitely in the plus column!

I have been extraordinarily lucky with the weather, there have been a few days of heavy rain, some cold days, but so far the weather has been wonderfully moderate and frankly dull. However I know that the climate tends to balance out, so dry mild autumn may turn into cold wet winter.

The biggest change/news is the decision to develop our Dog services to include Training and Behaviour work. It was a natural progression as many owners discussed training and a number of our ‘walking dogs’, given the nature of the walking service we offer, had a few issues such as ‘pulling on the lead’, and ‘reactivity to other dogs’. Meeting owners walking their dogs whilst out with client or our own dogs, led to conversations and the topic of training and behaviour modification would come up again and again. So I made the decision to enrol on some formal courses to complement and deepen the knowledge and experience I already had.

One of the biggest realisations was just how relevant my previous career as a Teacher and subjects of expertise – especially developmental psychology, is to dog training and behaviour modification. I knew those years of teaching Pavlov, Skinner and Thorndyke would pay off…

Being a good trainer, requires being a good teacher. Being a good teacher is harder than it seems, but nearly 30 years of teaching young adults and adults of all ages is a good foundation for successful dog training.

Training and behaviour modification is a team effort, there are three key elements, the dog, its owners/family and the trainer. Everyone of these components needs to work together, if the trainer fails to effectively communicate with either the dog or its owners/family, then the training is going to be less effective than it would be, if they’re all working together.

Thats why our ethos, our motto, for D4dog Training and Behaviour is Happy Dogs, Happy Owners, Happy Days!

When I started D4dogwalking 4 months ago, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. After almost 30 years working and training in education, I was used to the security of set pay, PAYE, familiarity and clearly defined roles and expectations – with a fixed annual calendar of immovable events…

How quickly we forget those formerly ridged rules and rituals! I can honestly say I did the right thing setting up D4dogwalking! Whether or not I’ll say that in another 4 months – when the weather is apt to be wetter, colder and darker (seasonal change…) only time will tell.

So what have I learnt? I really do like dogs – which is a good thing! The skill set required to care for dogs is closer to the skill set for caring for young adults than I had initially assumed! A good pair of comfortable boots and decent socks are an absolute must. The weather is always there, whether it is too hot, too wet or just right. Dogs generally don’t care about the weather – with a few notable exceptions who really don’t like the rain!

I have learnt so much about individual dogs, their personalities, interests and behaviour. I have met some fantastic owners, who clearly love and adore their dogs and want the best care for them. One of the best things about this role, is that dogs show their affection very clearly and I admit I get a warm fuzzy feeling when a dog is clearly excited and happy to greet me before we go for a walk.

I have also discovered so much about the area I liven and have lived in for many years, new paths, walks, sights and experiences.

I am now walking a huge variety of dogs, from Dylan, probably the smallest of my charges, to Zeus and Loki – mixed husky crosses – who just want to pull and pull, Ollie, the nervous Lurcher to Loki the Labrador/Rottweiler cross with the strongest prey drive I’ve ever encountered and of course Rex and Margo, Doberman puppy and Cocker Spaniel who enjoy nothing so much as chasing each other along the banks of the River Dart.

In total I now walk around 15 dogs on a regular basis, with another 10 on an occasional basis. most walks are an hour with a small number of shorter and longer requests to suit the owner and needs of the dog. Some days are busier than others, Thursdays are for some reason my busiest day, regularly booked solidly from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm.

Moving forward, we are going to look at expanding the offer of services to include some basic training and guidance once I have completed the appropriate qualifications and training.

So to sum up. Never been happier in my work.

Well I certainly timed the opening of D4dogwalking well, it feels like it simply hasn’t stopped raining since May 4th!

But I am confident that I absolutely have done the right thing – business is building nicely, I’m meeting some amazing dogs and their owners. Walking the dogs has been great if a little wet underfoot!

Bradley woods and Bakers park seem to be the favourite routes so far, and with the blue bells out and the wild garlic scenting the air and the leaves on the trees a bright almost luminous green, the countryside is looking amazing.

Probably the biggest difference (apart form the mud!) Is the amount of water flowing down the streams and rivers, so different from April.

Biggest change for D4dogwalking, has been fitting the Twistep to the Mercedes Estate – this is such a clever piece of kit, it is a step that allows easy access to the rear of the car for dogs of all sizes – rated up to 120kg. It then swings under the car, out of the way, when not needed or driving – no more lifting pups up, or carrying large ramps that take up space in the car and bring mud and worse into the interior!

Looking forward to meeting and walking a few new customers this week, the order book is filling up nicely! Still spaces available so if you are interested in our professional dog walking service please contact us by email, phone or message. Until next time.

Jessie a collie cross had a lovely time in Bakers Park and Bradley woods today. We started with some recall tests and obedience training, once they were passed with flying colours Jessie was able to fully enjoy the walk.

The park was quite quiet, but she was able to say hello to a few new doggie friends before moving on to explore the woods, she clearly enjoyed the new scent and roaming in and out of the River Lemon.

There and back again for an hour and a half walk – (map only shows the return trip – so around 3.4 miles) – Jessie probably managed around 2-3 times as far.

Seems we have timed the opening of D4dog walking to coincide with a change in the weather – its warmer, but after several months of clear dry weather, May has turned wet!

Not that the dogs seem to mind of course! In fact with a lot more water in the streams and rivers they seem to be positively enjoying splashing about!

So quite a lot has been happening – May 4th was our official start date. We are pleased to announce that we are covered by Petplan Sanctuary insurance to ensure our clients have complete peace of mind while we walk their dogs.

Petplan Sanctuary provides the following benefits in case of the worst case scenario –

Public Liability (£5,000,000)

Professional Indemnity (£100,000)

Loss/Theft of Keys (£10,000)

Per animal Care Custody & Control of Animals (£1,250)

Custodial Responsibility (£10,000)

obviously we hope we never need to use this service – but it is important to have it their – just in case.

FOR OUR CLIENTS REASSURANCE AND PEACE OF MIND

Duration: 23/04/2021 to 23/04/2022 

• Public Liability (£5,000,000)
• Professional Indemnity (£100,000)
• Loss/Theft of Keys (£10,000)
• Per animal Care Custody & Control of Animals (£1,250)
• Custodial Responsibility (£10,000)

As long term owners of large and giant breed dogs, we have learnt that in many ways our pups are not really seen as ‘dogs’ by many of the services that support dog ownership. Pre-the modern click button 24/7 online world, finding toys, beds, collars that were suitable for giant breed dogs was hard, sometimes impossible. I’m glad to say that things have improved, however finding some one to look after a 95KG mastiff let alone two with a combined weight of 150KG+ has remained a challenge. Very few services seem to cater for ‘our size’ of dog, looking through the online adverts for dog walkers when planning a holiday, brought home the fact that many walkers seem to be set up for small to medium breeds and others specifically exclude certain breeds such as German Shepherd, Rottweiler etc and when we ask about English Mastiffs – well lets just say, we have struggled to find some one we would be comfortable with to leave our dogs with…

So wondering if there is a gap in the market we are launching D4Dog walking on the 5th May to provide a dog walking service that is designed for the larger breeds and they don’t get much bigger than Mastiffs!We will cover the TQ12 Post code and adjacent areas of TQ13, TQ9, TQ2 & TQ3.

Based on the experiences we have had over the last 20+ years of owning Mastiffs we have;- A large vehicle to carry dogs – Classic Mercedes E class Estate. Large water bowls, large bottles of water. Strong shock absorbing leads. Extra large poo bags, because – well you need them! Large towels.