27/08/2025
Today I received this message from a member of the public. They were greatly concerned about the dog in my boot.
As you all know, I take dog safety very, very seriously, and I wanted to explain how I transport and care for my dogs.
My car is split up into three gated sections. The dog in question was in the boot as she has a bite history. She doesn’t travel well in the car and for safety purposes she is separated from the others.
I only walk six dogs at a time. My car is set up for six dogs – one in the passenger seat, three in the back seat, and two in the boot.
I also carry in my boot my training kit. It is a set of plastic drawers that contain items essential for me to do my job. In it is my first aid kit (for me and the dogs), my wet weather items, items like business cards, my microchip reader, spare poo bags, and my muzzles which take up a lot of space.
If there is only one dog going in my boot, the drawers stay in. Dogs can lie down in, and turn around in the space. If I have two dogs in the boot, I take the drawers out and leave it at my clients house. I have attached a photo of the set up for clarification.
The dogs will pant after a walk. That is completely normal and unavoidable. I start at 7am most days, to ensure my last walk is finished before the hot weather comes out. When transporting the dogs, I have the air con on high, especially on a warm day, and most certainly after a walk. I do not roll the windows down for safety reasons. I prefer the dogs to stay in the car when I am driving.
The dogs are in my car for a maximum of thirty minutes. Being in a confined space, such as my car, is a given. I have to transport them somehow – and I liken it to a crate.
This post is not intended to shame the person who messaged. Any comments saying anything rude will be deleted. It is about transparency and to educate everyone – clients, members of the public, that I take dog safety incredibly seriously.
A fellow dogwalker suggested tints to help keep the sun out. I used to have tints – the dog dribble on the windows destroyed them, but I could look into other options.
I think I do things pretty well, but if anybody has any suggestions I am always listening, as receiving these types of messages is an opportunity to learn and improve.
