10 reasons why I either get up or hide under the duvet!

Recently I was contacted by some one wanting to set up a dog walking business and she said "What are the 10 best things about being a dog walker?". The question caught me off guard and I could only think of a couple off the top of my head....mainly because I don't think about why I do it...I just do it. So for any one wanting to give this a go here are my 10 reasons why I enjoy getting up every morning....as well as 10 reasons why I want to stay in bed :) For any of my clients reading this...here's a little insight into how my day goes when you are out working.

PROS
1. The most obvious....I get to spend all day with dogs....big dogs, small dog, young dogs, old dogs, champion dogs, Heinz 57 dogs, clean dogs and dirty dogs. Just as obvious is that this is only a pro if you like dogs...so it is a requirement of the job!
2. I get lots of extra exercise and fresh air.
3. I meet new people every day, most of which have a similar interest...dogs.
4. I get to drive a big van!
5. I have a constant supply of kisses readily available for when I'm feeling down.
6. In theory; I could work it around other commitments such as kids, part time job, college...right until I opened a Day Care Centre that is!
7. I now know Barnsley 100 times better than I thought I ever did.
8. I love a challenge and training a dog is an amazing feeling.
9. I get to wear my "scruffs" all day...although a few of my clients have made the comment "Do you own anything other than your uniform?"
and 10. I just love getting a bit dirty some times!

CONS
1. POOP! No way of getting round the fact that I have to pick up about 30 poops a day.
2. I have to walk all the dogs in rain or shine....or fog...or snow...or gale force winds!
3. PAPERWORK...there is far more paperwork than you would expect and it has to be right.
4. I had to get through the tumble weed stage...those first few months were tough.
5. I am solely responsible for that dogs well being during my slot...which is great, but also a little scary as that dog is some-ones "baby". But that's what drives me to do everything properly.
6. I sometimes feel like a prison warden clanging about with hundreds of keys tied to every limb
7. My feet hurt at the end of each day.
8. I walk so many dogs I sometimes forget which dog is mine...luckily he recognises me well enough!
9. .............hhhmmmm

Well, there must be more pros than cons to this job cause I'm all out of ideas :)

Poorly pup

Today has been a bit of a strange day having to doggy-sit one of our dogs who is feeling sorry for himself. Charlie is one of our Day Care dogs and has just had his first birthday. Good news was that he received some toy balls as lovely presents, bad news is that his lovely balls are no longer present!

(Charlie is the big fluffy thing, the little fluffy thing is Kendal; my puppy)

One of the requirements of Day Care is that dogs over 1 year old have to be neutered or spayed. The main reason is to prevent un-expected litters. But having entire dogs causes problems with scent marking and possibly aggression (especially if we have any bitches close to season). So un-fortunately for Charlie he had the snip on Friday. As he can't do any strenuous activity he has been in the office most of the day...all the staff have been caring for him in shifts (and making sure he goes outside for the toilet too). He has been trying to help me with my office work...he is an excellent shredder, I just need to teach him to read so he only shreds the right bits!!!

Catch up...

I started this blog to write about important issues related to what I do...but I'm not a journalist and trying to write accurate and well thought out pieces proved to much to do around running a business (and a family).....hence nothing new on here since last JULY!!!

So I will just keep these short and sweet :) I will share with you the ups and downs of trying to get a business up and running through the middle of a recession, the transformation I have gone through from being an employee, to then being self employed and then being an employer and of course share some of the funny antics my furry friends get up to.

There has been a lot of changes since last July....I am still crazy about dogs (or is that just crazy???) but in the last 5 months I have also squeezed in getting a puppy, opening a Doggy Day Care Centre and getting married! All of these actions are huge commitments, life altering and expensive!!! But I would not change any of them for the world. Hope you enjoy hearing about what we get up to :)