Offering a specialist & bespoke service helping reactive, nervous & difficult to handle dogs. đŸ
Testimonials from my clients can be found in my 'Testimonials' album in the photos section of my page. Welcome to K-9 Companion, a well-established and highly reputable Professional One to One Dog Walking service direct from your door. I offer a specialist bespoke service to all my clients, I do not offer group walks, and I will only walk or care for a maximum of two dogs from the same household at any given time. I specialise in dogs that donât do well around other dogs, dogs that can be difficult to handle, and dogs that can be wary of people. Building a relationship on the foundation of mutual trust and respect, and creating a bond with the dogs I spend time with is very important to me. Working with dogs for me is much more than just putting a lead on a dog and taking them for a walk; itâs about understanding their behaviour, the way they communicate with us and other dogs. Itâs about recognising and understanding what each dog likes, dislikes and what environments and situations they feel comfortable and safe in. I also have a very keen interest in many aspects of the overall health of our dogs, from nutrition to illness and how these can affect behaviour. Keeping your dogs safe and helping them to feel relaxed and cope with any fears they have is extremely important me. I apply the knowledge and experience I have gained through attending courses, seminars, many hours of research on dog behaviour and the general well-being of dogs, and the actual hands-on experience I have gained over the years working as a professional dog walker to each walk I do. I aim to help every dog get the very best of the time I spend with them. Not all dogs get along with other dogs, and thatâs ok. With many dogs you can slowly work with them to help them feel more at ease around other dogs, but some dogs might never be fully comfortable around others. As an owner, or dog walker, you very much have to respect this and make sure these dogs have the space they need where they can feel safe and less stressed. Exercise is a huge part of a dogâs life; it contributes to their overall well-being, physically and mentally. It stimulates their senses being able to get out and explore the world around them. There are many forms of exercise I can offer your dog; it could be a walk or run on or off lead, scent games allowing your dog to search for hidden treats inside or outside the house, playing fetch or chase, a game of hide and seek with one of your dog's favourite toys, playing tug, or a mix of all of the above. Taking part in more than one form of exercise with your dog and having that interaction with them helps build a better bond and can help with any behavioural issues your dog might have. Choosing the appropriate type and level of exercise for each individual dog is extremely important and should never be overlooked. What is good for one dog may not be good for another dog, and this has to be taken into consideration for the overall health of each dog. Any form of exercise or play has to be done correctly and carefully to prevent injury. All dogs are given time to sniff when out on their walks, this is extremely important, and research has shown how beneficial this is for our dogs. It is also very important for dogs to be able to relax and practice being calm. On some of my walks, we might take a little time out, to just be, just watch the world go by, and practice being calm. If dogs don't have the opportunity to do this it can contribute to behavioural problems. Because I only work for one client and their dog(s) at a time, I accept all dogs no matter their breed, size, temperament, whether or not they have been spayed/neutered and whether they are on a regular vaccination schedule or are titer tested. My only exception to this; I will not walk extreme brachycephalic dogs, as I am strongly against the cruel practice of breeding dogs with such obvious health issues. At the end of the day, it is your dogâs safety, happiness and well-being that is of paramount importance to me, and I feel confident by offering the bespoke services I do, that your petâs needs are always going to be met! I am DBS checked, fully insured and have attended courses, seminars, webinars and workshops on:
âą Canine Behaviour & Communication
âą Canine First Aid & Wellbeing
âą Raw Feeding & Holistic Medicine
âą Dog Law
âą Dog Bite Prevention & Behaviour
âą Canine Auto-Immune Disease
âą Handling & Training Reactive Dogs
âą Canine Aggression & Rehabilitation
âą Complete Canine Wellness
âą Building Your Dog's Confidence
âą Arousal, Anxiety & Fear
âą How to Enjoy Stress-Free Walks with Your Reactive Dog
âą Nutrition & Behaviour
âą Dog to Human Aggression
âą Separation Anxiety
âą Loose Lead Walking
âą BMA Mantrailing
âą Introduction to Wildlife Detection Dog Handling
âą Trailing Challenges for Operational K9 Teams
âą Introduction to Fire Investigation Detection Dog Handling
âą Breed and Predatory Motor Patterns
âą Canine Trauma First Aid
âą Rethinking Heat Injury in Working Dogs
âą Emergency Defensive Dog Handling
âą The Importance of Interactive Play in Dog Training
âą Protecting Your Reactive Dog: What Every Owner Needs to Know About the Law
To read what my amazing clients have to say, please click on the 'Photos' section at the top of my page, and then click on the 'Testimonials' album. For all new enquiries, it is usually best if you can please message me your name, address, telephone number and requirements. If you can't message me, please feel free to leave me a voicemail with the above information, then I will get back to you as soon as I can. I donât answer my phone while walking or caring for dogs, unless itâs from a client whose dog I am walking that particular day. I take what I do very seriously, so when I am spending time with clientâs pets, all my attention is on them, and not talking on the phone. (K-9 Companion is a registered Trade Mark, Trade Mark No. UK00003728570)
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Now you know about my business, here is a little info about myself:
Iâm Andy and I am the owner and sole dog walker at K-9 Companion. I have always loved dogs, having grown up with them in our family, to being trusted to look after friends, neighbours and relativesâ dogs over many years. My passion for working with dogs took me to Alaska several years ago, where I spent time working as a sled dog handler. During this time, I not only learned how to run teams of ten Alaskan Huskies each day on a sled, but how to look after and care for over twenty very energetic dogs. I was also able to learn about, and personally experience the special bond between a musher and their dogs. The amazing couple I had the pleasure of working for also lived with a wolf hybrid who was very much part of their family, he was the most loving animal who got on well with all the huskies. Getting to spend time with him at the end of the day was an experience in itself. Running dogs in the wilds of Alaska was an experience I will never forget, and something I will always look back on, and hopefully something I will do again one day. I always try and learn as much as I can about every aspect of our dogs, where they came from, their behaviour, how they communicate, what is healthy for them, and what is not. I love being outside walking in nature and wanted to combine my love for the great outdoors with my interest and love I have for dogs. I also wanted to help those dogs out there that donât do well around other dogs, and are in need of the individual care, attention and understanding that I provide with my bespoke one to one services. Bringing all this together is what led me to set up K-9 Companion and why I continue to offer the specialist services I do.
