09/06/2026
A candid look behind the scenes and why the dog walking role is such a tricky one to balance.
First, we want to say an enormous thank you to the to our clients who are absolute gold. I hesitated writing these posts, but honesty is the best policy as I see SO many discussions on forums written by burnt out business owners because there is a lack of understanding around the struggles and pressure of dog walking. It is a very time sensitive role. You bounce from one house to another without a hope of ever getting a food or toilet break.
We have kept the smooth flowing side of our dog walking arm. But we do NOT advertise and haven't taken any new walking clients in a year.
Our clients support us, you understand that we are a family business home-educating Jack and his social challenges, while managing personal health worries, and you treat us with incredible kindness. You make what we do worth it.
But lately, we’ve been reflecting on the reality of running an ethical walking business in an ever-changing landscape.
In nearly four years of business, we have *never* had a single month where a client wasn't affected by unexpected life changes, meaning our business income fluctuates instantly. If a client is made redundant- then we are too. Usually, immediately. And that's happened well over 10 times since we started. We rarely just have one loss, they tend to come in multiple.
We totally GET why the dog walking service has to be the first to go. But it makes this job very unpredictable. Very unpredictable.
Combined with a very short operational 'lunchtime' window where everyone needs us at once, running a sustainable service requires immense flexibility and mutual trust.
We completely understand why many local walkers end up taking out huge groups of 10 to 12 dogs or utilising freedom fields. The financial instability of this industry is incredibly stressful, and packing groups is a logical way to mitigate constant losses. We see why people do it, and we constantly have to scrutinise the financial viability of dog walking ourselves.
However, because of our specific business model and training focus, it is *not* how we choose to operate.
Because once you understand canine behaviour and risk, you cannot unknow it. 🧠
We also hold a combined 30 years of policing experience. I spent the final two years of my police career interviewing owners whose dogs were deemed 'dangerously out of control.' So I can see this role from every single angle.
I know firsthand how easily an owner can find themselves in that terrifying position. It doesn’t take an aggressive dog; I’ve had to interview devastated owners simply because their overly enthusiastic, friendly dog lacked recall, ran up, and accidentally knocked over a frail older woman. I was torn between the reality of a pensioner and how dangerous a fall is at that age. And an owner in floods of tears as she didn't mean for her over stimulated dog to run over with such zest and leap on an old lady. But you can see how easily this can happen, right?
When large-group walks go wrong, they go wrong at a catastrophic level. Let's not mince our words. Dog fights can be fatal. To humans and other dogs. Walking dogs is a risk. It's also incredibly physically demanding.
Because we know this, safety, welfare and legal protection are at the absolute forefront of what we offer.
Our history and background are something you simply cannot easily replicate in a standard dog walking service. Sure there are teenagers offering to undercut us. Let them.
We don't pack vehicles full of dogs for hours, and we don't watch the clock. ⏰
Dog walks are about their level of fulfillment. Dogs don't work to a rigid clock.
We only offer the specific walks we offer—our schedule isn't a menu of 30, 45, or 60-minute time slots. We offer walks.
We aim for an hour, but it is variable because our walk doesn't start until your dog’s paws actually hit the ground out of our vehicle. Your dog isn't spending their time trapped in transit while we do a massive pick-up route. The "golden triangle" we cover is tiny, to ensure we aren't transporting for long periods. It is all strategic, it isnt coincidence.
Rooted in our Canine Behaviour College clinical behaviour methods and concept training, we understand how the canine brain works. We don’t just walk dogs; we read them dynamically every single second:
We recognise the shifts: We instantly read fight, freeze, fidget, flight, or total shutdown.
We know exactly why a dog is barking, who is reactive, and whose arousal levels need to be actively lowered with targeted enrichment.
We choose welfare over the clock. If a dog is fatigued, overwhelmed, hot, or off-colour, we adapt the walk immediately.
We offer integrity, fairness and safety: We carefully choreograph our groups so no dog gets jumped on or overstimulated. Everyone gets an equal, safe, and fulfilling experience. We ensure compatability in age, size, energy levels. It takes very strategic planning.
Matt has never taken a day sick in nearly 4 years so as to not let people down who rely on him when at work.
He doesn't like to take leave except for the one week at Christmas when most people are off. Can you imagine the unrelenting commitment 12 months of the year? It does lead to incredible burn out.
We charge per walk, not per minute, because true canine welfare and absolute safety cannot be measured on a stopwatch.
It doesnt mean your dog is short changed and the above should explain why - but I will explain again. We understand canine behaviour and what fulfillment looks like. We understand enrichment. We understand arousal levels. We understand it all because we've spent thousands of hours (and pounds!) qualifying in this area.
We choose to dedicate our energy to the wonderful clients who value this elite level of expertise, respect our boundaries, and trust us completely to keep their dogs safe and legally protected.
Sure you could go and find a 16 year old walker and everyone has the right and we never stop anyone who chooses their walker according to monetary value..it really depends on what you see as the value.
But please do not devalue us and what we offer. We aren't anywhere near charging for walking services what I have seen other walkers charge and certainly it doesn't reflect oir knowledge.
We've continued with the clients that we feel flow well and we have good continuing relationships with. We are, after all, incredibly loyal.
It doesn't take a huge discussion to know who values us. The ones who do -already know our value and don't question it.
If we have to explain it, then we aren't the right fit for you. It's very simple and not open to debate.
Thank you for supporting an ethical, highly specialised, family-run business! ❤️
