Canine Care Circle

18/07/2026

When dog sitting looks boring!

The truth is most sits should look like this.

Content, relaxed resting dogs.

Of course there are walks, activities etc to break up the time, but dogs should be able to rest and a content dog will spend most of the day resting.

When a dog can't settle...

When you try to make a work call and suddenly they're barking, chewing something they shouldn't, scratching furniture or getting Zoomies....

When you planned to work from home but every time you try, the dog is 'playing up'....

When they've had a walk and you think they should be resting, but they keep bringing you their ball or a toy and can't sleep...

When 3hrs+ walking/exercise a day isn't resulting in a 'tired' dog...

Many people go in to dog sitting expecting to work or get on with their day, and sometimes that's possible.

More often than is recognised or spoken about, the dog is struggling, and it can cause frustration in the human and more shown behaviours from the dog in a cycle.

These are the kinds of topics we can discuss and seek answers for in the Skool Community.

Find a supportive community and answers to your questions that you can make changes with straight away through understanding a dogs needs and language.

16/07/2026

The first part of a series of booklets is coming soon!

The initial part on a subject that's very much misunderstood and ESSENTIAL to living and working with dogs:

Connection

💜

12/07/2026

Things to avoid when greeting any dog, but especially an unknown dog:

Quick, face on approach.

Reaching over them from any direction

Petting them on the head (please just don't)

Leaning your face in close to theirs

Another misconception: you do not need to put your hand out, they can smell you fine even at a distance. People often don't realise that by putting their hand out, they also start bending over the dog and moving forward into their space which comes across as a threat.

If you're not comfortable with dogs but ok to greet them, simply stand, talk to the guardian and let the dog sniff/move around you.

If you don't want an interaction, tell the guardian and keep your distance, a typical lead is 6ft but do keep aware.

If you are comfortable with dogs AND the guardian is happy for their dog to greet you, follow their directions.

The best way to greet a dog, who is safe to greet you AND you have the guardians consent: kneel down sideways to where the dog is. Talk to the guardian rather than focus on the dog. Let the dog move around you. Don't reach out to touch the dog. If they want physical interaction, they'll come in to you clearly. Follow any updated instructions from the guardian.

Of course, how you are feeling is usually more important than whether you stick a hand out. Dogs read nervous systems and facial micro expressions and intent very well. If you 'confidently' stick a hand out, and inside you're terrified, it's more likely to be a problem, especially if the dog is also nervous.

If you find this useful, and want to know more why dogs want to sniff your face or groin, why they jump up, why you won't get the same response from every dog, ear and body language to read how a dog is feeling, and more detail about how to greet and build safety with a nervous or cautious dog, join my Skool community and enhance your knowledge, your business (if you work with dogs or want to) and your life with dogs. 💜

Join the community today. 💜

Https://www.tinyurl.com/caninecarecircle

Support for Dog Sitters, Walkers , Fosters and Guardians . Level up your knowledge and get real life advice to enhance your daily life and work!

12/07/2026

The place for:

Dog Walkers
Dog Sitters
Dog Foster carers
Guardians/owners

This page is a stepping stone to the growing online Skool Community, an interactive space supporting dog professionals and guardians in learning more about the dogs in their care.

Tailored advice to your specific situations, with tips you can implement straight away!

Network and find your tribe! You're never alone with a community to call on.

Coming Soon: Classroom lessons on dog body language and communication.

Join the community today: https://tinyurl.com/caninecarecircle

11/07/2026

𝘿𝙤𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 & 𝘽𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨

This week I've been made aware of 3 different incidents of bites or near misses related to dog walkers and sitters.

One entered a potential new clients home, and immediately leaned over the dog to pet them on the head. Fortunately this was a 'close call' and no actual bite occurred but the guardians were clearly very worried and anxious about whether they had an aggressive dog.

They don't.

Next, I see a post on a local noticeboard, another walker sharing photos of a bite and a rather scathing post placing full blame on the dog in an 'it came out of no-where' explanation.

It's incredibly rare for a bite to actually come with zero warning signs, it's a unicorn event.

Another I see from the US on a post, another close call where a dog walker was with a dog they'd known for about a month (4 visits), they leaned in and over the dog to get a selfie video, and the dog (who the video clearly showed expressing signs of discomfort, but not that the walker noticed) turned and snapped at his face.

Again, the dog gave the warning signs, they were missed.

The thing is, these dog walkers and sitters, like many new professionals and a lot of dog guardians, didn't know what to look for. They haven't been told, they haven't learnt from other professionals or courses, they've only really known their family dogs and friends dogs.

I LOVE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO WORK WOTH DOGS! I truly want to help more people succeed.

I get why they didn't see it coming, but this shows that there's a big gap in knowledge with people who love dogs, want to work with them whether it's to work with dogs full time or to gain a part time income, but in reality, there are 'accidents' that happen every day from a lack of knowledge of canine language and body language.

This is one of the reasons I've created the Canine Care Circle . This is an educational community on Skool where dog walkers and sitters who are looking to improve their skills can come and learn these basic, in addition to getting advice on the dogs they're working with first hand, while it matters. Not theory they may never put into practice, but real information they can start implementing straight away.

We will also have 2 live video calls a month, because working with dogs can often feel like you're working alone, and having a community to share experiences with is a great place to gain confidence and find your circle of like minded people.

It's a judgement free zone, we only know what we know up until the point we learn something different. No one is going to be made to feel bad because of any past activity or incident based on something they didn't know at the time.

You will also have access to the Classroom where I'll be adding bite sized courses.

15 VIP members will also be part of a whatsapp group chat where you can get real time advice and be part of a small but focused community.

Network with professionals near and far - we all have our own skills and to know who you can refer to locally, and get referrals, is a great thing!

This will be leading to a future directory site. I have many discussions with other professionals who all agree on one thing: We can't find appropriate sitters for our dogs! It's incredibly hard! By being part of this community, taking part and on a learning journey, you can be recognised for your growth and compassion and recommended to those who need help with their dogs.

Fantastic option for dog foster carers looking to grow their knowledge in helping dogs feel safe and settling in.

Not just for dog professionals, if you're a dog guardian and wanting to learn more, get tailored advice or simply want a community where you can feel part of something (and for my clients, see a variety of advice from me!), please feel free to join.

Advice is dog centered, kind, empathetic and honest, including when I believe you need to seek something different to what I can offer. 'balanced' people looking to change their approach also welcome.

Comment "Care Circle" below and I'll send you the link (or pop me a DM if you prefer or want more info).