Dogsonwalkabout

26/03/2025

Sometimes our "walks" go a bit sideways 🤣🤣

25/03/2025

Advise from a labrador.....

24/03/2025

One of the first mistakes we often make when bringing a dog into our family is choosing the breed and individual based on its looks & availability rather than seriously considering the breed characteristics and how they will fit into our lives. Sometimes we get lucky & get an "ease" dog, but it's so important to research the needs/traits of the breed you are considering.

Everyone who is thinking of getting dogs should read this because you need to understand this reality:

***I am a 21st century dog.***

-I'm a Malinois.

Overskilled among dogs, I excel in all disciplines and I'm always ready to work: I NEED to work.

But nowadays I get asked to chill on the couch all day everyday.

-I am an Akita Inu.

My ancestors were selected for fighting bears.

Today I get asked to be tolerant and I get scolded for my reactivity when another approaches me.

-I am a Beagle.

When I chase my prey, I raise my voice so the hunters could follow.

Today they put an electric collar on me to shut up, and you make me come back to you - no running - with a snap of your fingers.

-I am a Yorkshire Terrier.

I was a terrifying rat hunter in English mines.

Today they think I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

-I'm a Labrador Retriever.

My vision of happiness is a dive into a pond to bring back the duck he shot to my master.

Today you forget I'm a walking, running, swimming dog; as a result I'm fat, made to stay indoors, and to babysit.

-I am a Jack Russell.

I can take on a fox, a mean badger, and a rat bigger than me in his den.

Today I get scolded for my character and high energy, and forced to turn into a quiet living room dog.

-I am a Siberian Husky.

Experienced the great, wide open spaces of Northern Europe, where I could drag sleds for long distances at impressive sp*eds.

Today I only have the walls of the house or small garden as a horizon, and the holes I dig in the ground just to release energy and frustration, trying to stay sane.

-I am a border collie

I was made to work hours a day in partnershipwith my master, and I am an unmistakable artist of working with the herd.

Today they are mad at me because, for lack of sheep, I try to check bikes, cars, children in the house and everything in motion.

I am ...

I am a 21st century dog.

I'm pretty, I'm alert, I'm obedient, I stay in a bag...but I'm also an individual who, from centuries of training, needs to express my instincts, and I am *not* suited for the sedentary life you'd want me to lead.

Spending eight hours a day alone in the house or in the garden - with no work and no one to play or run with, seeing you for a short time in the evening when you get home, and only getting a small toilet walk will make me deeply unhappy.

I'll express it by barking all day, turning your yard into a minefield, doing my needs indoors, being unmanageable the rare times I'll find myself outside, and sometimes spending my days sunk, sad, lonely, and depressed, on my pillow.

You may think that I should be happy to be able to enjoy all this comfort while you go to work, but actually I’ll be exhausted and frustrated, because this is absolutely NOT what I'm meant to do, or what I need to be doing.

If you love me, if you've always dreamed of me, if my beautiful blue eyes or my athletic look make you want me, but you can't give me a real dog's life, a life that's really worth living according to my breed, and if you can't offer me the job that my genes are asking, DO NOT buy or adopt me!

If you like the way I look but aren't willing to accept my temperament, gifts, and traits derived from long genetic selection, and you think you can change them with only your good will, then DO NOT BUY OR ADOPT ME.

I’m a dog from the 21st century, yes, but deep inside me, the one who fought, the one who hunted, the one who pulled sleds, the one who guided and protected a herd still lives within.

So think **very** carefully before you choose your dog. And think about getting two, rather than one, so I won't be so very lonely waiting for you all day. Eight or ten hours is just a workday to you, but it's an eternity for me to be alone.

Credits goes to the respective owner ♥️...!

22/03/2025

This dogwalker is still battling to find her photography mojo...but here are a few recent shots

21/03/2025

It was lovely having Lennie join us for a few walks. He's a lovely boy you fitted right back into the pack again.

08/03/2025

Never a dull moment.....

04/03/2025

We had an incident....

02/03/2025

Someone recently posed the question "how are you identifiable as a Dogwalker" I can sooooo relate to these replies:-

* People don’t recognise me if I brush my hair & put clean clothes on

* Leggings are worn for 4 days, no point in getting a clean pair dirty within the first hour

* Some of my work collegues are so happy to see me that they p*e themselves.

* Nobody wants to travel in my work car apart from the dogs and me.

* No one recognises me without a dog...I'm the equivalent of Clark Kent in the doggy world.

* You find yourself shopping or visiting the Dr with several leashes around your neck

* When your fingers are dirty and you're not sure if it's mud or poo and you catch yourself sniffing them!

* Nice freshly used poo bags keep my hands warm.

* You are frequently heard saying
"Put your lipstick away!"
"Can we all stop hu***ng please"
“Aw come on! Don’t p*e on your brother!!!”

* I’m mistaken for a homeless person, (no offence to any homeless people).

* Half of the contacts on you phone are dogs (easier to find than the actual client name).

* 99.9% of the photos on your phone are of dogs.

02/03/2025

The sheep were still in the fields at Barnsness but we enjoyed a sunny pre-Spring walk around the shoreline...

25/02/2025

Trying to teach Zambi not to carry / chew sticks is going well with these 2 roll models 🙈🙉

24/02/2025

Sometimes my photography mojo goes AWOL for a while. It always happens at about this time of year! Please bear with me if I don't get as many photos of your gorgeous dogs as normal.

20/02/2025

When you try do "p*ek-a-boo" training with your pup whilst you're looking after your mates German Shepherd & you land up with 2 dogs in p*ek-a-boo position! 🤣🤣

20/02/2025

Bloat, also known as gastric torsion or gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), is a life-threatening disorder that happens when a dog's stomach fills with gas and becomes twisted. It is one of the most rapidly life-threatening conditions in dogs and it can kill in a matter of hours without veterinary intervention, so it’s important that pet owners know the signs.

WHAT CAUSES BLOAT
The causes of bloat are not really understood. It is thought that if there is enough room in the abdomen for gas-filled organs to move, then occasionally they will & this is why bloat is more common in deep-chested dog breeds.

Feeding little and often may make it less likely and lower fat food is also advised. Strenuous exercise after feeding if also considered a contributing factor (so please avoid feeding your dogs less than an hour before I pick them up for their walk).

Eating rapidly is another risk factor, so it is a good idea to consider using a slow feeding bowl if your dog is a fast eater.

Anxiety may also be a factor as animals usually swallow more air when they are anxious. This is known as aerophagia (literally "eating air") and it is most often seen in stressed, kennelled dogs. The excessive air intake can cause the stomach to balloon.

SYMPTOMS TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
• If you notice a distended/bloated stomach, seek advice fast
• Dribbling or drooling
• Breathing difficulties, the expanded stomach prevents the dog from breathing normally
• Anxiety
• Trying unsuccessfully to be sick
• Pain around the stomach

WHY YOU SHOULD SEEK HELP FAST
If the stomach twists it can reduce blood flow resulting in the dog's stomach wall to start dying (necrosis). This can lead to perforation and fatal peritonitis.

Once the vet has managed to at least partially decompressed the stomach (thus allowing breathing to improved), the next step is likely to be surgery to untwist the stomach. The vet may also fasten the stomach it to the inner abdominal wall to help prevent GDV happening again.

Do you know how to spot bloat in your dog? 🤔 It can be life-threatening when a dog's stomach fills with gas and becomes twisted. It mainly occurs in deep-chested breeds, but it's good to know the warning signs.

B is for breathing problems
L is for a large stomach
O is for an over-production of saliva
A is for agitation
T is for trying to vomit.

Help raise awareness of the dangers of bloat by sharing with your dog-owner friends 🐾

If you'd like to learn more about Bloat in dogs, watch our latest webinar: https://bit.ly/49kU39a

15/02/2025

I enjoyed spending time playing with the gorgeous Merlin. He's an indoor cat which meant I had a "captive model" to photograph and this boy sure knows how to hold a pose! 😍 He'll be ecstatic that his family are now home.

06/02/2025

Surf patrol last Tuesday .....the walk that "triggered" last week's drama of the dogwalker that couldn't walk 🤣.

04/02/2025

Merlin has recently joined the Dogsonwalkabout family. Isn't he gorgeous?

02/02/2025

Chinese whispers....

01/02/2025