The Wag-A-Lot Blog

The next block of puppy classes begin this Wednesday at 7.45pm in Merton, Near Bicester.

Contact me for details :-)

As you may know, I have been training and caring for dogs for about 15 years now and have a huge amount of experience with a variety of dog breeds. Whilst on paper being a dog walker may appear simple, if done properly it is far from easy. 

All dogs have needs and, like people, these differ depending on their life experience, personality and also genetics. Being a dog trainer enables me to be identify these needs to make safe and sensible decisions on where to walk the dogs in my care, how to group these dogs and also helps with areas such as difficulties walking on the lead and recalls etc. 

During my initial consultations, I aim to find out as much as I can about your dogs strengths and weaknesses so I can make essential decisions on how their walks will be done. Dog walking is fantastic but isn't easy and dog walkers do need to have a high level of competence dealing with dogs to ensure the safety of those in their care is maintained. 

Over the past couple of weeks I have decided to explore the beautiful countryside around Bicester and the nearby villages with all of the Wag-A-Lot dog walking clan. It has been lovely to walk through a variety of different places and has been great for the dogs too, they always seem extra bouncy when they are somewhere new. 

Below are a few photos of the new places we have been to.

Setting out on these little adventures and exploring such beautiful places with dogs is the best thing about being a dog walker. Being at one with nature and seeing the joy on the dogs faces is fabulous - I love it. 

I'll keep you all updated with our scenic walks as the weeks continue!

What an exciting week we have coming up, on Thursday our first ever Wag-A-Lot puppy classes start and we already have 4 fantastic puppies attending. 

The idea of the puppy classes is to give each puppy and their owners a firm basis of puppy training and provide them with the knowledge to turn their puppies into wonderful dogs.

Offering more than simple obedience techniques, the puppy training will also cover aspects such as getting puppies to focus, be comfortable around livestock and traffic and socialisation skills too. 

There are now only 2 spaces left so if you are interested in puppy training, contact me on 07706 008265 as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 

You can find out more about Wag-A-Lot puppy classes on our puppy classes page here. 

Keep following our blog to find out how the first class goes on Thursday! 

The Wag-A-Lot agility classes have been so popular that we now have two beginner agility classes running each week, on Mondays and Wednesday. The handlers and dogs in each of these groups are just fantastic! We have such an array of different breeds, from a Chihuahua to a German Shepard x Belgium Shepherd - all of which are having so much fun learning how to jump the jumps and go through the tunnels. 

Wag-A-Lot agility classes are based on fun and positive reinforcement to train the dogs so treats and toys are really important in order to reward all good behaviour. This means that dogs WANT to learn and ENJOY learning which makes the experience for dog and handler so much more fun. 

Here are some photos of Monday evening agility classes. 

 We currently have one space available on Monday and Wednesdays so if you are interested - please get in touch!

So these past two weeks really have been 'typically British' in terms of how quickly the weather can change - one minute you have 30 degree heat - the next you need your umbrella! When walking dogs it is really important to take this into consideration as the weather should have a big impact on the decisions you make as a professional dog walker (or indeed as a dog owner).

In the heat, I would avoid walking around lunchtime when the sun is at it's highest, choosing instead to have either an early morning walk or early evening walk. I would also try to walk near water where is possible so that the dogs can cool off and also have lots of fun!

Below is a video of Henry and his friends cooling off during their walk in the heat this week.

As is to be expected, the heat hasn't lasted so back to the brollies it is! When it is raining I try to walk in areas that don't accumulate too much mud (although in the winter this isn't really possible) and, particularly if it is windy, I'll avoid area...