Dog walking, equine services, and house sitting in the Caistor area and surrounding villages
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We are home from another lovely week in the Lakes! I’m always so sad to leave 🥺 Back to normal from Monday morning, and regulars should now have received an email with the updated price list, with effect from 1st October. If not please check your junk box. If you’ve not had one and think you should’ve done, pop me a message with your email address and I’ll get it sent out this weekend 🐾
🙈⚡️Thunder and lightning ⚡️🙈 Couldn’t have timed that any worse for poor Grace and Kwali today 🤦🏼♀️ If whilst out walking we get caught in a storm, we will return to the car, home, or safest place to shelter until it passes. Even the best trained dogs can panic and bolt in a severe storm like this so they will all go back on lead for the remainder of the walk. I LOVE a good thunder storm, but sadly our dogs don’t always feel the same way! I wasn’t so keen on the hail that followed this one though, it was a bit brutal!😬
Dog walker problems… taking a video to perfectly show Holly’s mum how much her recall has improved after a little blip, only to find your camera lens is all smeary with hot dog sausage 🙄😆
Just a little reminder that if you notice that your dog is at all unwell for any reason, you MUST let me know prior to me coming to pick them up to help prevent the spread of any infectious diseases. Kennel Cough is the classic one that’s always lurking, and every so often there’s a spike in cases. If your dog is showing any signs of a runny nose, actual cough, or even just unusually lethargic and under the weather, please let me know so that I do not mix them with any other dogs, and that I leave yours until my last visit. In an ordinarily fit and healthy dog it will normally pass without complications, but it is vital that I am aware, to minimise the risk of spreading it further 🤧
Miles obviously telling Bruno all about the fish he caught last weekend… 🎣 Mate it was *this* big 🤷🏽♂️
OOPS! I have completely forgotten to send last week’s invoices out 🤦🏼♀️😆 The weekend was crazy busy covering yards while the world went to Burghley, and I have just finished a 3 week housesit so got carried away cleaning 🧹🧼 and sorting all my washing out ready for my hols (have I mentioned I’m going on holiday🤪). Because this week is only a short one I’ll put both weeks on one invoice which I will send out on Thursday, along with the updated price lists. Cute pic of Faithful to distract you from my uselessness 🥰
Monday morning madness with Holly, Bruno and Faithful 🤪
I’ve been awake for houuurrrs 🥴 I’m the worst sleeper ever so I think that’s why I don’t mind staying in so many different places. I wouldn’t sleep well if I was at home so I might as well not sleep well somewhere else either 🙈🤣 Starting a busy morning off with 2 of my favourite things- a pile of snoozy Labradogs, and coffee ☕️
And that’s a wrap on another bonkers busy day🥰 The weekend is also booked up with lots of extra horses as the equestrian folk of Lincolnshire are all on the annual pilgrimage to Burghley 😆 Hope everyone has a fab time and eats, drinks and spends too much 🛍️🤩
Procrastinating as I ought to be poo picking and not editing videos🫣 but how floppy are horses when you see them in slowmo?!?😆
Who remembers Truly from the start of my house sit?? Hopefully, expectantly waiting for pears to fall off the tree…🍐 Well here we are, 2 weeks later, now joined by Spice 😆 I promise she has moved. A little bit…🤣🤦🏼♀️
Morning! Just a little reminder I’ll be on hols (again - I know🫢) 12th-22nd September 🥾⛰️🐾
This was on my memories this morning 😆 Also means it’s 5 and a half years since Wags & Nags went from a little niggly idea I had that I just couldn’t shake off, to being a (more than) full time fabulous way to earn a living! 💕
I’m going to miss seeing the sunset from my bedroom window when I finish this house sit🌅
🤎
🎭Best Actor award goes to… 🥁
🎉BOW STRINGER 🎉
This kid needs an Oscar🤣 👏🏻 Same as last night… I fed him at 6pm and he’s lying to his mum again!!!
Loving this new found friendship between Reg and Holly 🥰 🌾
Turning up to walk Dottie this morning wearing matching socks, reminded me of times I have unintentionally dressed like my clients 😆
Bow’s mum and dad both had shifts that clashed tonight so I went at tea time to let Bow out and feed him. His mum’s just got home and now he’s telling her lies!!!! 🤥🤣
2 trips is for amateurs 💪🏻😆 💩
It’s been a busy bank holiday Monday!
🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶
🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛
🐟🐡🐟🐡🐟🐡🐟x🤷🏼♀️
🐍 (plus a wild one!)
🐔🐔🐔
I’ve just been for my fortnightly sports massage and feel like I’ve been hit by a 🚂 😵💫 So it’s quite nice to have a nice steady walk out with these 3 old friends to unwind before heading back to my house sit…💤💤💤
🐾Happy International Dog Day🐾
My mixed bag of dogs over the years! All very different, all taught me very different lessons. Very lucky to have had them all in my world, however long or short our time together was 🥰
Tandy - Border Collie
Lolly - Black Lab
Damson - Working Basset Hound
Cole - Yellow Lab
Emmy - Terrier
Faithful - Basset / Kerry Beagle
Bear with, this is a long one and it’s honest 😬🫣 put the kettle on…☕️😆
While I was on my hols it gave me lots of headspace to evaluate the business and think about what’s working, what’s not working, and where I can make changes without impacting on clients too much. Going forwards there are going to be some price changes. While some services will remain the same, others are going to go up a little.
This is always really difficult for a small business as a lot of us suffer with ‘imposter syndrome’, where we constantly question whether we deserve to be where we’re at, or have we landed here by total fluke 😬 I have to remind myself that my career path has always been animal related. I have an honours degree in Behaviour and Welfare, and I have many many years experience as a professional groom and dog owner. By no means am I taking anything away from those who have had a career change later in life, but animals have always been my passion.
I really struggle when new businesses set up out of nowhere and copy my pricing. You cannot expect to leave school and charge what I charge. Nor can you suddenly decide that you quite like dogs (and how hard can it be🤷🏼♀️) and charge what I charge. And yet many people do. So I feel my pricing is fair, based upon my qualifications, knowledge and experience. BUT then I feel the pressure of having to live up to that! And yet I’m not a vet or a dog trainer, and yet it seems sometimes I’m expected to be - for a fraction of their prices🙈 There is also the expectation that when you have a price increase, that people want to squeeze more work out of you. If you go to Tesco and their apples have gone up a bit in price, you don’t get more apples in the bag… it’s the same thing with us freelancers🤪
One of the major changes I’m going to be making is that I will no longer be offering 1 hour dog walks. This may only be during the Autumn and Winter, and I may bring them back next Spring, but I’ll assess it again nearer the time. It’s so difficult trying to fit everyone in when the days are so short, and I either need to reduce the number of clients I see, or I keep all walks at 30 mins, so that seemed the better option!!
The price per hour for horse services will go up a little, but I will keep the current price for those people who don’t require a full hour’s work. I’ve always had a minimum price of 1 hour for horses, but I’m going to shorten this to 30 mins at the current rate, so that those who only need a quick visit aren’t affected by a price increase. There will however be a slightly reduced rate for those who need AM and PM visits.
I’ve spent a lot of time writing and rewriting the new price list, trying to keep it fair for everyone, but most of all trying to be fair to myself. What I do may seem like a dream job to many people, and while I absolutely love my work, it is physically and mentally exhausting at times. I put myself at massive risk of injury every day, I work in all weathers, and last Winter was super tough. It really took its toll on everyone I know who works outdoors. I work long days and then also the majority of time I’m also working evenings, so I get very little time to myself, even making routine appointments or booking my car at the garage is virtually impossible. This isn’t a sympathy post, just trying to highlight how much this job impacts on my life, and yet a lot of people still treat it as my hobby and not my career and sole income 🙈
When I’ve re-read the new prices again for millionth time and decided I’m happy with everything, then I’ll post it on here, and also send a copy out with invoices. It will come into effect from 1st October (excluding bookings that have already been made). Going forwards if anyone wants to make any changes to their regular bookings then let me know and I’ll do my best to accommodate. If anyone losing their 1 hour walk wants to add in an extra day somewhere then that could be possible, equally if anyone is struggling with a price increase and wants to swap a walk for a home visit, that’s also possible.
Sorry for the looooong post, and I know lots of you will say zero explanation was needed - my business / my rules lol… but I know other small business owners who will totally understand my need to rabbit on justifying myself 🙈 Thank you all for your ongoing support, you really all are the bestest bunch 🐾
This is literally hours of entertainment for Truly 😆 Just staring at the pear tree waiting for one to drop off 👀 Now that they’ve picked all the ones within easy reach it’s just a waiting game now… 🍐
Galba Road
Market Rasen
LN76GN
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Standard benji, always happiest when wet and muddy 💦🥰
ATTENTION ALL OWNERS OF MUCKY MUTTS, PONGY POOCHES, DIRTY DOGGOS AND HORRIBLE HOUNDS (oh I just think it’s just me with a horrible hound actually🤣) I have a new gadget 💦🤩🚿
A very Autumnal looking pack and a stormy sky 💦🍂🍃
Doubt it’s going to last but what an absolutely gorgeous morning🥰 🍂🍃
You’ve got one job Barry 🤣🤦🏼♀️
Safe to say it’s damp and breezy out 🫣💦 Currently having a nightmare day as all the level crossing barriers are stuck down across the whole area so I’m trapped the wrong side of the tracks from the majority of my lunch time jobs!😬 Bear with me today and I’ll get to everyone as soon as I can. Luckily I’m the right side for home so I’ve at least got a cuppa, but EE is also down so hanging around here where I’ve got WI-FI for any updates. Should’ve just stayed in bed today 😐 Here’s Miles and Faithful enjoying their walk without a care for the weather 🤣
Took Miles and Faithful to the dog park yesterday to let off some steam 🤪 thank you Paw & Co. freedom field 🐾
Back awaaaaay from the cockerel 🐓🤣 Always have to remember to have wellies on for this one as he’s jumping quite high now 🫣🤣 Imagine waking up every morning and just being this mad at the world 😳🤣 Have a day off, it’s a Sunday 🥴
Think Minnie is feeling unfit after taking time out for her maternity leave - it’s usually her who instigates the zoomie games!
One last pupdate from this week as by the time I’m back from hols they’ll have gone to their new homes 🥺 Will miss the chaos and the puppy snugs, but looking forwards to having Minnie back out on walks with us again 🥰
Hope no one has melted this weekend 🫠 fingers crossed for a more normal week! Still too muggy to walk Faithful yet this evening, she hates this weather, so putting her kibble in her treat ball means she has to work for her tea. My skirting boards take a battering whenever we do this but it’s a good exercise to keep her occupied for longer when we can’t get out for a walk until a bit later!
📢 Did someone say fressssh graaassss???📢🤣 Fat kid problems 🤣 When you’re paddock is strip grazed but the newly opened bit is at the top of the hill 🐎💨
Lovely start this morning, not yet 7am and it’s already muggy though! 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Digging?! Who’s been digging?! 🤷🏼♀️😍
😎 Bruno, Jerry and Faithful got a steady one in before I gave up and did the last few home visits 🥵Nice to have a pootle about mainly in the shade, Jerry needed a lead on to stop him flying about though 🤦🏼♀️🤣
Really annoying but also too funny to stop him 🤣
Feeding time at the kangaroo zoo 🦘🤣 This dog just kills me every time I stay here 🤣 I’m 5’4 for those that don’t know me 😆
Saturday pupdate! If I was choosing from this litter I’d definitely pick him 🤎 he looks like he’d make a perfect friend for faithful 🤣🤣 #ifyouknowyouknow
Just why🤦🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤣
I’ve been warned about this guy previously but we’ve not had the pleasure of meeting until today🤣🐓 he was next to the gate I was fetching the horses through and while I was closing it he leant through the fence and grabbed my shoe lace 🤣 think there’s a bit of little man syndrome going on here 🤭🤣
It’s good to have my car back! Means I can get the crazy gangs back together again 🤪 Benji’s happy it’s rained so he’s got mud to play in 🤦🏼♀️🤣
I haven’t posted a pupdate for a couple of weeks because at that age they’re just a pile of fat fluffy sausages that don’t really do a lot… but considering when I left on Thursday they had eyes mostly open but not focusing, now look at them!!! They’re turning into proper little people 😍 they’ve all had their first taste of mashed up pup food just now as well and 2 in particular were really keen to get stuck in. Going to love seeing these guys grow and develop!🥰
How to keep a Clio occupied in the sunshine 🤣☀️💦
