Mike The Dog Walker

08/16/2024

This post is a huge shout out and thank you to Peter McMurchy and my clients for their generosity.

As some of you may know I had the ol hit and run trick pulled on me sometime last week and was left with a nasty scratch on my new vehicle... I tried not to let it get to me but I won't lie it definitely stung a little seeing how I just bought this vehicle 2 weeks ago..

Peter who is one of my first clients when I became a dog walker took it upon himself to reach out to the rest of my clients and explain the situation and actually raised the money to get the scratch fixed!

I was totally caught of guard by this act of kindness and generosity shown by everybody and I can't thank you all enough for what you've done!

Another big shout out to Frizzles Auto Body for getting it back to me a day earlier than expected!

08/15/2024

08/09/2024

Cutest pictures of the day 🥰 the next profiles I do will be about these 2 best buds 🥰

08/09/2024

Happy 5th birthday today to my buddy Nico! 🥰

08/08/2024

She may not be very big but she's fast! No balls are getting by her!

08/08/2024

Just a half day today, big thanks to my morning clients who accommodated me so I could take the morning off, it was a huge help! Thank you!

08/02/2024

I'm officially a professional now 😜

This is actually a huge accomplishment for me, I set this goal 5 years ago and It's pretty much been achieved right on schedule, today the final part of my plan has been complete.

The goal was that while I was paying off my car I would save up enough money to buy a new one straight up by the time the car was paid off, the other part of the goal was to have my logos put onto the new vehicle so I could be a driving advertisement and this major goal has been officially completed today!

I have a couple other ideas for something for the back doors that I'll share when it's completed 😁

08/01/2024

Today's profile features Barry and Calvin.

Calvin
Mastiff
Born Rocky point P.E.I

I had to include Calvin in this as he was such an important dog to me. He was one of my first dogs I started walking when I became a dog walker.

Calvin passed away earlier this year at the age of 9 and we miss him so much.

I'll never forget the first time I met Calvin. After his family contacted me to begin walking him we set up the meet and greet, when I arrived and turned the corner to head into the backyard I was shocked to see what was standing there waiting for me, He was the biggest dog that I've ever walked still to this day. I was told before I came over that he was a bit iffy with new people especially men but he seemed to warm up to me very quickly and came over to me with one of his toys in his mouth. I spent some time with him that day and the next day we started with our walks, we wondering how he would respond to me coming into the house alone but he let me right in and we became great buddies at that moment 🥰

Calvin was a gentle giant to those who he trusted and I was lucky enough to be one of those very select people. He was also a 200 pound body guard, he was the only dog outside my own that ever protected me from a dangerous situation when an aggressive off leash dog came running at me, Calvin placed himself right in front of me like a shield when he noticed this dog running towards me, thankfully the dog stopped dead in it's tracks when he saw Calvin and eventually turned around and left us alone. I later told the story to his family and they simply said

"He's excepted you as part of the family"

It was a really amazing feeling to have a dog that wasn't even mine willing to protect and defend me like this, Calvin was just doing his job, protecting his friend and to him a family member, it's something I'll never ever forget.

Calvin was also just like any other dog, he loved his walks, he loved to explore, one of his favorite places to go was the baseball field down the street, he would walk around the area looking for baseballs that were hit over the fence to bring home, he reminded me of the dog from the movie the sandlot 😄 once we'd finish our walk he would always want his post walk belly rub 🥰

During his last couple weeks of life he wasn't able to go for his usual walks anymore, sometimes he couldn't even get up to go out in the yard for a quick p*e break.. on those days I would just lay on his bed with him on the floor and give him some love and company, Calvin was usually my last walk of the day so many times I would stay longer than usual, I felt he deserved that, he was such a loyal friend and I wanted to be there for him like he was there for me.

When I became a dog walker one thing I didn't think about coming into this was that I was going to deal with losing my friends.. it never gets any easier.. getting those messages that one of your buddies has passed away is so deflating.. it's like losing one of your own dogs.. I'm with most of these dogs 5 days a week, sometimes more, the bond you create with them is something very special.. I miss and think about all the dogs that have come and gone in my life and cherish the memories I have of them all.

A bit after Calvins passing I got a message from his family telling me about a new dog they were bringing home to join the family, they were wondering if I would be able to start walking him when he arrived home, and into my life came Barry 🥰

Barry
Bassett hound
9 months old
From Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada

It was quite a change going from a 200 pound mastiff to a stubby legged Bassett hound puppy whose ears were too big for his body 😂 but I'm so happy to be part of Barry's life and watching him grow into the ears 😂 he's quite a character! He's just a big eared happy goofball who is lovin life 🥰

He's very different from Calvin, besides the obvious genetic traits, as mentioned earlier Calvin was very selective about who he let into his life, Barry is the complete opposite, especially with dogs, Barry's mothers quote sums up his personality perfectly

"He's every other dogs best friend whether they want to be or not"

He's definitely dog crazy! I just recently learned about a friend he has down the street who is also a basset hound named Sonny, we walk by everyday to see if he's out so they can have a little play time 🥰

There is one thing I've noticed that Barry and Calvin are starting to have in common, Calvin would like to gather baseballs to bring home where Barry seems to enjoy collecting sticks 😄

I walk Barry on pretty much the same route as I walked Calvin, he p*es on the same fire hydrant, explores the same areas, it always brings back great memories of my time with big Cal and I love watching Barry explore the world in the same places as Calvin did.

I look forward to spending more time with Barry and creating our own special bond like the one I had with Calvin, I love seeing his own goofy personality develop and it's been a joy to watch him grow into those ears 🥰 I'm very happy to have had these 2 special boys in my life 🥰

07/31/2024

Today's profile is going to feature a birthday girl! Today is Rosie's 6th birthday 🥰 Happy Birthday Rosie!

Rosie
6 years old (today)
Border Collie
Born in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Rosie is another dog that I've known since she was just a puppy. She's been with me pretty much from the very start since becoming a dog walker.

She is an incredibly smart dog! I honestly can't think of anything she can't do, it always amazes me when I'm trying something new with her just how quickly she figures it out! The only thing she wants to do is please you.

Rosie LOVES to play fetch with anything! She'll literally play fetch all day if you wanted to 😄

We also enjoy going to the skateboard park in the off season when nobody is using it and she turns it into her own personal obstacle course, she loves to run up and down the ramps and criss cross between all the railings, this is another activity she would do the entire day with you.

Rosie is an all terrain dog and she'll go out in any weather conditions, snow storms, pouring rain, It doesn't matter what's going on outside, she's always ready to go!

She LOVES to meet people, she's very social and gets a lot of compliments about her 2 different colored eyes. When it comes to other dogs she prefers to be around dogs that give her some space, she enjoys walks with her little friend Roxy as they are both very similar in that aspect. When it's play time she definitely prefers it to be one on one so she can have your full attention.

I have loved watching her grow and learn over the years and look forward to our daily adventures 🥰 happy birthday to this special girl 🥰

07/30/2024

More doggo profiles coming soon ☺️ I've had a busy weekend and a busy couple days, I'll get back to writing them very soon 🙂

07/26/2024

Double basset trouble 😜

Barry having some play time with his buddy Sonny from down the road 🥰

07/25/2024

Today's dog profiles will feature Flo (Elusive and Dante who are up in doggie heaven) and Bruce.

Flo
Grey hound
11 years old
Born in Texas U.S.A

Flo along with her sister Elusive and cousin Dante were some of my first dogs I started with when I became a dog walker. They come from a long line a successful racing dogs, Flo and Elusive both set track records down the states and have a combined total of 29 first place finishes from 2013 until 2016

They were adopted by their current family and brought up to Canada where they lived amazing lives 🥰 sadly Elusive and Dante have both passed away and are greatly missed.

These days Flo lives with her new brother Bruce and sister Daisy.

Flo is very calm and patient but also has a big personality, she's definitely the boss of all the dogs 😄 like most dogs she gets very excited when it's walk time but once on her walk she just takes her time to explore and search for that perfect spot to do her business 😄 she loves to get close to you and is very affectionate, she's absolutely one of the sweetest dogs you'd ever meet 🥰

Bruce
Doberman
4 years old
Place of birth unknown (somewhere in Europe)

Bruce is a former South African military explosive and ordinance dog. He was adopted by his new family and brought over to North America just about 2 years ago.

Bruce understands both English and German, he is highly intelligent, very loyal and protective once you gain his trust. He is definitely a dog that would put himself in harm's way to protect you if he felt there was a threat.

Bruce is also just like any other dog, I felt very comfortable with him from the moment I met him. He is really just a big lovable goof who loves to be pet and hugged, he gets very excited to go for his walks, he gets along very well with his sisters Flo and Daisy. He is adjusting very well to his new environment with his new loving family who take great care of him and have done a lot of training to help him adjust to his new surroundings

07/24/2024

The next profile I'll do for today is for my buddy Apollo 🥰

Apollo
Golden retriever
5 years old
Born in Hazelbrook, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

I've been with Apollo pretty much his entire life 🥰 I started with him when he was only a few months old when I first became a dog walker, it's been so much fun watching him grow up in front of my eyes.

Apollo is your typical golden retriever, he's big, he's goofy, he's very loyal and very intelligent and he's wants to be everybody's best friend 🥰 he always greets me at the door with one of his toys when I show up for his walk.

He absolutely loves to meet people and dogs on his walks to the point where he can be almost stubbornly social 😆 he'll stop dead in his tracks when he wants to meet a person or a dog even if they're on the other side of the street, he just sits there hoping that they'll come across to see him 😆

He's very playful and has a lot of energy, he loves a good stick, loves playing chase, fetch, running in big wide circles, digging and rolling around in the grass.

My first walk with him was on a Sunday when he was just a little fluffy puppy, he was soooo cute! I took him to the Queen Street Sunday market to socialize him and he got so much attention! Everybody wanted to meet this adorable little fella and he loved every minute of it 🥰 he's been a very special friend since that first walk 🥰

You can find us on our daily walks either downtown or at Victoria Park in the woods, if you see us out come over and say hello, it will make his day!

07/24/2024

Something fun I'm going to do on my page, I'm going to do some profiles and some stories about all the dogs in my life.

I figured I'd start with my boy and tell the story of how he came into my life ☺️

Norman
Fox Red Lab
2 years and 10 months old
Born in Rustico, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

"Little" Norman or Norman the 2nd, came into my life 3 days after my old boy "Big" Norman passed away, losing Big Norman was one of the hardest days of my life.. it was like there was a huge piece of me that was gone..

A friend of mine reached out and told me he knew a guy in Rustico that just had a litter of Labrador retriever puppies if I was interested, I thought about it over the weekend and that Monday I went back to my regular walking schedule because I knew I couldn't just stay home, the house felt so empty.. while out walking the dogs I quickly realized that I did need another dog in my life so I gave the guy a call with the puppies, he said he had 3 yellow labs left and 1 fox red lab, this was the first I ever heard of a fox red lab, turned out they have very similar colors to big Norman, a reddish brown, I told him the story of how I just lost my dog 3 days prior and how the fox red lab was the same color as my old boy, after the story he told me that he would put the fox red lab aside so nobody else could see him because he felt there was already a connection between me and the puppy. I went out to see him the next day and as soon as I picked him up I knew exactly what his name was going to be.

Norman is a very important name to me, the name is a tribute to my great uncle Norman Campbell who was a veteran of the second world war, he landed in Normandy on DDay with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, I was very close to him until the day he died in 2001. It was also a tribute to my old boy Big Norman who was such an amazing dog and one of the best friends I'll ever have in this life, so I wanted to pass that name on to little Norman, along with the name little Norman also wears big Norman's old harness and I use the same leash, I'm a big believer of energy and passing that energy through items, little Norman is definitely living up to the name.

Little Norman even has his own song, when I got in the car with him the first song on the radio was "here comes the sun" by the Beatles, which was very fitting, everything felt so gloomy and sad when Big Norman passed away.. but when little Norman came into my life it was like he brought the sunshine and happiness with him, he was exactly what I needed during that was time in my life 🥰

07/24/2024

Say hello to my new pal Diesel ☺️

07/24/2024

Barry has been playing with this stick at the park lately, today he decided to take it home ☺️