Bicester Companions

18/10/2023

Somebody did not want to get out of bed! 😄😴

18/10/2023

What a face! 🤣🐕🧡

13/10/2023

Billy enjoys his head scratches! 😻

12/10/2023

So this is how squirrel watching works! 🤣

12/10/2023

01/10/2023

The Oxford Dog Training Company is a fantastic way to set your puppy up for success!

Anthony is a great person to help you understand your puppy's needs, and help you as their owner with socialising, obedience and more.

Book now to give your puppy the greatest start in the big world!

01/10/2023

The kiddies are Helping out at trow pool on behalf of BicesterCompanions.

13 poo bags and old damaged fold out chair later!

Beau and Teddy had a great long walk with it too! 😍

Well done kiddies, super proud of you!

30/09/2023

A great post from another pet care professional, couldn't have said it better myself!

PLEASE SHARE & HELP SPREAD THE WORD

🐶LICENSED BOARDING & DAYCARE 🐶

I thought i would write a piece on licensed boarding , what it means , what you should expect and how to find a licensed carer for your dog.

I felt it was a good time to do this after a couple of bad experiences I’ve personally been involved with recently, causing dogs to be seriously at risk of loosing their lives or serious harm 😩
I wanted to explain how it works and what we should expect when finding paid care for our dogs.

To put it simply , anyone offering to care for your dog either during the day or overnight in their own home must by law be licensed.
This license is gained from their local council and is an in-depth look at if someone is suitable to care for dogs in their own home or a commercial setting.

A physical inspection takes place as well as the person applying submitting a whole heap of policies/ procedures and proof that they are deemed capable enough to provide the service your dog deserves.
The council inspector will look over the potential carers property and outside space and make a decision based on their findings and advise of any changes that need to be made to meet their strict criteria.
Once a licence is granted ( it will be for 1,2 or 3 years and with a star rating ) the carer can offer their services.
Anyone offering daycare or boarding must by law add their licence number to their advert/ website or social media.

As an owner you MUST ask the question - ARE YOU LICENSED ?

🐾 Ask to see the license ( it’s a physical piece of paper!)
🐾Ask them to show you their insurance certificate ( no license no insurance !!)
🐾 Ask to see their first aid certificate and dog related qualifications
🐾 Ring the council and ask them to validate the person you are considering
🐾 Have a look at their social media / website

Even if your chosen person is through a third party for example ROVER ,BARK HOLIDOG ,GUDOG & PAWSHAKE they MUST still have their own license, just because they have signed up means absolutely nothing !! These companies do not do their due diligence unfortunately!!!

As dog owners we must take full responsibility for the care we chose for our dogs.
Do your checks , visit the person and their home. A trial before any booking is a licensing requirement. If this is not offered run for the hills !!!

I do understand it’s sometimes difficult to find care and it’s tempting and convenient to let your dog go to someone because they seem “ nice “ or a friend used them or they train dogs or they have the availability but simply put that’s not ok and it’s not good enough.

Please also note your own dogs insurance is very likely to be invalid if you need to claim and your dog was in the care of an illegal boarder.

I am happy to chat to any owner to advise further and recommend some excellent legal boarders to you 🐶

Just also to add DOG WALKERS are still currently unregulated 😩
As a minimum they should have insurance, transport dogs appropriately ( so in crated vehicle or on crash tested harnesses ) and be walking groups of no more than 6 appropriately chosen dogs regardless as this is most likely the maximum their insurance will allow regardless of walkers present ( some local councils only allow a maximum of 4 dogs per person)

22/09/2023

Today is PDWA National Dog Walker Appreciation Day so here's a Shout Out for all the wonderful professional dog walkers out there! 👏👏👏💙🐾

“You are just a dog walker!” – we get told this all the time!!!

In actual fact, we are so much more!

We are trusted guardians who bond, exercise and enrich a dog’s life in all weather!

We enable owners to work or socialise with the knowledge their dog is exercised safely if they themselves have no time, energy or are too poorly to do so themselves.

Not just walks ! We provide enrichment and quality time.

We give owners peace of mind their dog’s welfare is paramount and adapt our days to ensure this during inclement weather for example.

We risk assess constantly but if an accident does happen we are first aid trained to look after dogs in our care.

We keep up to date with PSPO’s, Dog Law etc.

We build relationships with our dogs and know their “normal” so we can recognise changes such as tummy troubles, new lumps, different gait or mood etc., and report them swiftly.

We learn as much as we can about canine communication, seasonal hazards, breed traits and find suitable outlets for each one where we can.

Many of us go on to become groomers, pet nutritionists, trainers, behaviourists, pet photographers etc.

We love the dogs in our care. We laugh at their antics, we worry when they are poorly and we cry when we lose them.

We are so much more than “just a walker” and never doubt that.

So……..
Dog Walkers: tell us who you are and where you are based! (members and non-members welcome)
Owners: if you have dog walker help, flag them here and tell us what you appreciate the most about them!
Comment ⬇️

21/09/2023

Zoomies! 😆

17/09/2023

Well, even though he is a big boy now, he still looks like a little baby! 🥹

17/09/2023

🐈Alfie, 🐈‍⬛Casey, and Pippa🐱

Such a sweet trio!

Alfie took about 4 days to feel comfortable and curious enough to come and say hello! And that is okay! I think watching and having the support from his two sisters helped him.

Casey, the black fluff baby, is a very social butterfly 🦋 loved all the fuss and attention I could possibly give! Unfortunately, she does have to take medication twice a day, and what a bonus was that she was such a good girl taking it!

Giving cats medication can be quite stressful for us humans and mostly the cats, but Casey took it like an absolute trooper! 😻(Thanks for not ripping me apart!)🤣

Lastly, little Pippa!

What a cute little face! 😍
This little beauty has had a neurological disorder that has left her with a permanent head tilt! But this little lady does not let it stop her from doing anything!

I think she definitely uses it to her advantage, trying to be cute to let her out in the garden!!
🤣 (didn't work, though!)

17/09/2023

Pebbles 😻

So proud of this little girly! This was the second lot of visits for her, and she came out of her shell massively!

In her old house, she spent most of her time enjoying the outside world. She was very timid and wouldn't come close to me, just meowed at me from a distance 😊

Now, this time round, it did take a few days for her to come close, but we eventually got there.

Now she will let me fuss her on her own terms of course, and even though she gives me the death stare most of the time, I think she secretly liked it! 🤣

Super proud of you, Pebbles! What a beautiful girl 😍

15/09/2023

First day back with these absolute beauty's!

Roy was that excited he gave me the biggest AWWWOOOOS I have ever heard!😍

Oh, how I wished I videoed it! 😖

Lili was too busy playing to have her picture taken! 🤣

14/09/2023

What a beautiful Trio! 😍

I find it crazy how all three cats have such different personalities!

Reggie, the short haired calico is always the first to come and say hello! She walks around with no care in the world and will rub at your legs, waiting for strokes!

Louka, the black and white fluff ball, is a tiny bit shy, but as soon as he hears me preparing his food, he is straight there by my side meowing at me! 😆

Fancy, the long hair calico is super shy!
Over the last few visits I have had with her , I needed to be extra careful with this nervous little girl.

It is completely normal for some cats to hide away and not want to come near you. In these special cases, I like to take my time and not rush. Sitting at a distance, Building a bond and trust is my number one priority, Not swooping in just to get that perfect picture!

We still have a way to go with Fancey, but that's completely okay! She will say hello when she is ready!

13/09/2023

Sometimes, all you need is to lay down and enjoy some love and fuss! 😊

13/09/2023

It's times like this I love my job!

In a world that is so busy and fast-paced, I manage to get a moment like this!

No one around, just my dogs and I. We were all so calm and relaxed enjoying our surroundings on our walk that we had the most beautiful sighting of this deer. He just stood there so calmly eating away watching us.

It was a truly beautiful moment! 😍 🤎

12/09/2023

The face of pure bliss! 😍

12/09/2023

Some great enrichment for Pepper!

She has definitely got the hang of this now! 😻

12/09/2023

Some of Sunny's many faces! 🤪

12/09/2023

When you try to blend in with your surroundings!

Not sure it's quite working there, bud! 😅

11/09/2023

Soooooo this is how Larry's walk went! 🤣🤦‍♀️

11/09/2023

When you need to wash the cats bowls and this is waiting for you! 😬😫

Thank goodness they had a second sink! 🤣

11/09/2023

Even though it's a little fuzzy, I think this is the best picture I have managed to take of this little pudding!

Billy is definitely not one for staying still. He is always on the move, making it harder for me to get a good picture for his dad! 🤣

But what a handsome and sweet boy he is! 😍

11/09/2023

On a very rare occasion, we have a day where we can go out for longer than the usual time!

We most certainly made the most of this day! First we went to a place that had some lamas and sunny made new friends. Then we went down to the woods for the longest walk you could imagine and done blackberry picking!

Sunny had a great time, as did myself and the kids! We even took some blackberries home for Sunnys family to enjoy!