h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dog training and dog walking? Do you have a kennels too?

I really don't know where you find the time to fit it all in!

ooh, a visitor. Come in, I'll just move these and you can take a seat. ?

Yes. I am a dog walker. That's what I spend most of my time doing, so that's what I am. That includes looking after dogs at home, who can't join walks for one reason or another, or it's an occasional evening visit, cat sitting, and puppy care when they are too young to join group walks. I'd like to change that to dog trainer, so I spend most of my time dog training and do some walking to fill in, instead of the other way around, which is why I am working through the Kennel Club Accreditation scheme for Instructors (KCAI).

It's slow going because the training club I attended wouldn't let me join their instructor programme, so I had to join a school an hour away to go through theirs, only because I have a full time job (40 hours a week average off peak and that's without all the paperwork) I can only get over there once a month, maybe. So I'm going to India. It still doesn't address the issue of learning to instruct a class, but my heart is with residential training. So I take your dog, teach it all the stuff you want it to do, and the stuff that is important that you haven't thought of, then I spend as much time as you need, teaching you to handle your dog and maintain the behaviours I've taught it.

I don't have kennels, but I do have a reasonably good sized garden and a not-too-small house so I have a boarding licence and dogs come to stay in my house with me. I'm limited to 2 dogs (although the vet who checks me allows me to count two toys breed dogs as 'one dog') at a time. I am really only supposed to have one family's dog/s at a time, but I argue that as I rarely take in dogs that I don't walk they all know each other well enough that I can overlap if needed and he agrees, although hasn't ever written it down. Despite many phone calls. So I overlap at weekends which is when one is likely to not quite have gone home before the next one wants to come in, but I NEVER exceed my numbers.

If you want to see how my days go, here's one typical day (summer). By November I can't do that last walk as it's too dark. http://diary-of-a-dog-walker.blogspot.com/2010/11/day-in-life-of-travel-kennel.html

Well, you did say exactly...

And I find time to fit it all in by...






not doing anything else.



I had a life, I just turned my back for a minute, and now I can't find it...

blimey - what a great job but oh my... you must be so busy.
And you really must like dogs

I really like the sound of the India thing.

But blimey! I can't cope with 2 girls and a you must have the patience of a saint.

Yes, I *really* like dogs, always have. I like them even better when they are trained.

I don't have a lot of patience, some of the dogs wind me up something chronic and I get frustrated with them, but I've learned to take them home and tell Mum & Dad they don't suit my style of dog walking and here's two weeks notice.

I don't think I could have done this when Teenacher was younger, I'd have felt too guilty being so busy, when I'm home as well as when I'm out. I never take him out anymore, or on holiday! Trouble is, school holidays are my busiest time, often out working 12 hour days. Couldn't do that with a littlie!

Goodness yes. In a lot of ways it is so much easier when they are bigger. I have the same thing - when they were small I used to dread school holidays. But now I have a teenager (love your "teenacher" by the way, that totally fits the bill) and a nearly-teenager they just want to hang out at home without me anyway.

I love the look of dogs, and I love the idea of having a dog (probably something like a giant Schnauzer) but - I just absolutely can't stand the smell of dog.

Teenacher is glad I'm out of the house half the time, as that's 'the only time I get to use the Playstation and watch what I want on telly'. We only have one tv you see!

Shame about the dog thing though. I recommend loosing your sense of smell, as the dogs are worth it! Although I'd quite like mine back and am wondering if it will return in India.

Or even losing.

I wish I didn't have such a sensitive schnozz! I'm the only one, apparently, who can tell when the cat has used his litter tray...

But no dogs for me - nobody is at home all day so what would we do with it?

Just ask my customers.

Although I can't see the point of getting a dog if you're out at work all day long. I've never done it, I've got all mine when I've been not working, or just casual work. Scamp excluded, I was working when I got him, but dog walking. So he just comes along!

Just don't tell my customers I'm of that opinion.

the actual walking was the only bit of having a dog (we had a German Shepherd called Spot for a while, but he went into the army because our circumstances changed and I couldn't take him to work any more)

I used to take him out for a lovely long run morning and evening and it was great. took him out in the afternoons.

He was one fit dog!

Yes he must have been! My heart sinks when people tell me they run with their dog. They don't like the enforced 'go-slow' as I wander around the park.

I used to walk fast but I just can't anymore as I do too many walks. Actually I think it's the driving and in and out of the van collecting that's tiring, not the walking.

that was back in our army days when did lots of silly 40km run things (and longer)

Now I'd be lucky to be able to stagger once around the (very tiny) village

I don't know how anyone can . After 5 mins I'm almost dead and have to walk again!