Bright Pups Dog Walking & Sitting

24/09/2026

🥂 🌻 Mrs & Mrs 🌻 🥂

A massive congratulations to the newlyweds, Emily and Federica!

On 1st September, I had the absolute pleasure of chaperoning sweet little Alba so she could be part of a very special day.

I’ve been walking Alba for around a year now, and I first met Emily when she filmed the Bright Pups promotional video. What started as working together turned into a friendship with them both, so being trusted to look after Alba and help her be part of Emily and Federica’s wedding day felt extra special.

And, against all expectations, Alba somehow understood that the day was not about her, and allowed the brides to be the centre of attention for the day.

Anyone who knows Alba will appreciate what a significant achievement this was.

She looked absolutely gorgeous, behaved like a little superstar and, most importantly, got to be there for such an important moment with her mummies.

Thank you both for trusting me with your little lady on such a special day. It was a genuine privilege to play a small part in it.

05/09/2026

Common misconception: “Dog walking is easy.”

Sometimes, it absolutely is. But there’s another side to professional dog walking that you don’t always see.

Coming up to my third year of running Bright Pups, I’ve learnt A LOT. From finances and tax to dog behaviour, risk management and how quickly an ordinary walk can change.

One of the biggest challenges? Other people and their dogs.

As professional walkers, we get to know the dogs in our care. Their body language, confidence, triggers, recall and reactions. On walks we’re constantly watching our surroundings, assessing approaching dogs and deciding when we need to create distance.

It might look like a walk around the park, but there’s a lot of mental risk assessment happening in the background.

On Thursday, I was walking a slightly nervous dog when a medium/large off lead dog came running from behind and hit me with enough force to completely floor me.

The owner hadn’t been watching where their dog was and seemed largely unconcerned by what had happened.

My first thought was if the dog in my care was OK and thankfully, they were.

I thought I was too, until the next morning my little finger had turned blue.

Minor Injuries confirmed I’d fractured my finger and damaged the ligament. The fracture had caused my finger to rotate out of alignment and I narrowly avoided surgery to have it pinned or plated.

So when people question what makes a dog walker a “professional”, this is part of the answer.

We’re responsible for somebody’s pet. We assess behaviour, manage interactions, make judgement calls and anticipate risks.

This time, I was the one the dog hit. Had it hit the nervous dog I was walking instead, the outcome could have been very different. It’s also why professional walkers carry appropriate business insurance. An accident can quickly become a serious issue with huge vet bills.

Dog walking can be easy.

Professional dog walking is taking responsibility for what happens when it isn’t.

23/08/2026

🏝️ Beach Vibes 🏝️

We had a different kind of vibe this weekend.

We trialled an Adventure Walk day at the beach with Lottie, Mungo & Maud.

Now this has got me thinking of maybe adding this into the Bright Pups mix because we all had a blast!

Watch this space… new things are coming!

21/08/2026

And that’s a wrap for this week!!

We have been busy!

And by busy, we mean sniffing everything, running around like looneys, welcoming back some faces we haven’t seen for a while, and generally making the most of being able to walk without melting.

After weeks of planning our lives around the temperature of the sun, the cooler weather has been VERY welcome.

Safe to say, normal dog walking services have resumed (for now 🫣).

Have a lovely weekend from me and this week’s very busy crew.

18/08/2026

🚨 UPDATE RE YEARS FRESH FOOD 🚨

If you feed your dog Years fresh food, please read the below…

⚠️RECALL ALERT: YEARS RECALLS ALL FRESH DOG MEALS⚠️

Years has announced a voluntary recall of all Years fresh dog meals with immediate effect.

The decision follows a growing number of reports of dogs developing sudden bilateral dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS) whilst fed the food.

According to Years, its investigation has identified a potential link with buckwheat, an ingredient used in all of its fresh meals since the start of this year.

If you currently feed Years
Stop feeding all Years fresh meals immediately.
Do not feed the meals to any other animal.
Follow Years' guidance regarding the recall, refunds and collection of unused food.

Symptoms to watch for
If your dog displays any of the following symptoms, contact your veterinary surgeon as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly reduce the risk of permanent damage.

Redness or inflammation of the eyes
Thick eye discharge
Frequent blinking or squinting
Pawing or rubbing at the eyes
A dull, cloudy or dry appearance to the eye surface

For full details of the recall, including advice, refunds and FAQs, please visit:

https://www.years.com/pages/care

We'll continue to monitor developments closely and will share further updates as more information becomes available.

16/08/2026

🐾 Weekend Vibes 🐾

Yesterday, we took Lottie along to an agility class ran by Spot That Dog - Training and Services

It’s the first time Lottie has tried one of these courses out and it’s safe to say, it was a mixture of fun and chaotic.

With her being part cocker spaniel, she is very energetic so I think with more time and practice she will absolutely smash this! I did also learn that when she gets a bit frantic (jumps up/stops listening) this is down to frustration and not over excitement which is now something we will be working on.

Classes like these are a great way to let out some of that energy and another means of enrichment.

Thank you Shannon for a fun class 🙌🏼

12/08/2026

🥂 Mr & Mrs 🥂

A huge congratulations to Laura and Charlie on their wedding on Saturday. I hope you both had the most wonderful day and enjoyed every second of it.

I also want to say a very heartfelt thank you for asking me to be a small part of such a special day by being Henry’s wedding chaperone.

I first met Henry when he was just four months old, and over the past year I’ve been lucky enough to watch him grow from a little puppy into the very lovely, very excitable and very strong boy he is today. So when Laura and Charlie asked if I would look after him at their wedding and help make sure he could be part of the celebrations, I was genuinely so excited to say yes.

The whole day was beautiful. The setting was incredible, made even more special by how much the place means to them, and it was so lovely seeing Henry surrounded by so many people who clearly adore him.

My job for the day was essentially to make sure Henry could enjoy being part of everything without his excitement becoming quite as involved as he might have liked. We had walks, plenty of guest introductions, photo opportunities, a lot of enthusiasm, and then finished the day with dinner alongside Benji and Betty, who I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time and were both absolute sweethearts.

It was my first experience of wedding dog chaperoning and I couldn’t have asked for a nicer couple, dog or wedding to start with. I had such a lovely day and feel incredibly grateful that you trusted me with someone so important to you on one of the biggest days of your lives.

Congratulations again, Laura and Charlie. Thank you for letting Henry, and me, share a little part of your special day.

11/08/2026

Tomorrow, something pretty incredible is happening….☀️🌙

We’re getting our biggest solar eclipse in nearly 30 years, with around 93% of the Sun covered here in Bristol at its peak.

For us, that’s a proper “you don’t see this every day” moment.

For your dog? There’s a very real chance they could not care less 😂

Dogs obviously don’t know why the daylight has suddenly dimmed, but they may notice that it’s changing much faster than usual and at a time when it would normally still be light.

Some may become a little more alert, confused or unsettled. Others will probably carry on with far more important things, like investigating a smell that apparently wasn’t there five minutes ago, trying to get hold of something they shouldn’t while your attention is diverted, or resuming the belly up position because how dare you be looking at the sky instead of giving tummy rubs.

If your dog does seem a bit unsettled, keep things normal. Stay calm, offer reassurance if they want it, or distract them with something familiar like a toy.

I hope you all get a chance to enjoy just how incredible our universe can be tomorrow 🩷

10/08/2026

🎈 If Bright Pups had a hot air balloon… 🎈

Over the weekend, we saw the hot air balloons come alive again at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta.

The Fiesta has been part of Bristol since 1979, and is one of our biggest traditions. Thousands of people head over each year and naturally, some people bring their dogs along too.

But it’s worth asking: would your dog actually enjoy being there?

Crowds, music, announcements, other dogs, unfamiliar smells and the sudden noise of balloon burners can be an awful lot for a dog to process.

Think about walking through a packed crowd too. Most of us are looking ahead, not down. For a dog at ankle height, that’s a lot of feet, legs and people moving around them.

Some dogs will cope perfectly well, others may be showing signs of distress. I know an event like that would not be Lotties idea of a fun day out!

And coping isn’t necessarily the same as enjoying it and we need to recognise the signs that they’re trying to communicate to us.

Warm weather, hours outside and all that stimulation can add to the pressure too.

We all love including our dogs in the things we enjoy, but sometimes the best decision is asking whether we want them there more than they actually want to be there.

With that said, I hope you all enjoyed watching the balloons and had a lovely weekend!