WALKING AND DROP-IN SERVICES
WALKING AND DROP-IN SERVICES
For prices please see our SERVICES page - for more information please contact Martyn on 07838153552 or use the contact page
Woodland walks
Woodland walks
We have some wonderful woods approx. 500 m from our house - a small, mature piece of woodland offering plenty of shade in the summer and good mixture of dense woodland and open glades.
We also use other wooded areas, for example Slindon Woods and smaller areas of tree cover on the local farmland walks.
Beach walks
Beach walks
We have the Felpham and Middleton-on-Sea beaches (mixed sand, pebbles and rocks) close by.
We love to take beach loving dogs for a walk and run along the sand at low tide, a paddle in the shallow waters at low tide and (for those real water babies) a swim if the conditions are suitable.
Farmland/Countryside
Farmland/Countryside
There are many local areas of farmland and countryside at our disposal within relatively short distances.
We regularly walk dogs on the countryside between Felpham and Barnham and sometimes drive to other locations a little further.
These are great for dogs requiring more exercise and they provide for a faster pace, longer distances and a sense of being on expedition for small groups of dogs.
We provide walks to cater for all types of dog from short pavement walks to much longer walks to the countryside, woods and/or the beach. We fully understand each dog is different and so we match their walks to them individually taking into account the walks you normally give them and any special circumstances at the time (e.g. recovering from surgery or illness, old age or very young dogs).
FIRST VISIT:
We never take on a contract to walk a dog until we have met them and you and, most importantly, they have met us and are clearly happy to be walked by us - we do this mainly by visiting you in the first instance to meet you and the dog and to take your instructions (we ask lots of questions, for example; what type of walk they like, about their recall and any quirks they may have - most have some!).
AFTER THE FIRST VISIT:
Then, once we have agreed a contract with you, we take your dog for a walk (usually a day or so later) alone and never off- lead on the first walk. If your dog is OK with other dogs we will, on their second walk and with your signed agreement, walk them with up to 3 other dogs chosen as having similar needs in terms of distance, type of terrain and temperament etc.
Once past this point we can continue walks as appropriate to your dog but are always able to adapt to changing circumstances as they arise.
FAQ's
Prices: For a single dog walked with other dogs we charge £15 for a 1 hour walk (this includes pick up and drop off within a 5km radius of our address). For an additional dog from same household we charge an additional £8 (again if with other dogs - we only walk a maximum of 4 dogs at the same time). For a solo walk (i.e. walking your dog without other dogs - maybe because of behaviour difficulties, old age or puppyhood) we charge £16 and we charge £10 for half an hour solo walk or drop in service. Our walks are typically 1 hour (and never less if that is what has been paid for) but can often go over time (we have been known to be out for as much as 2 hours on a one hour walk!) but we don't charge extra if we choose to walk for longer than the allotted time.
Collecting your dog : We would normally collect your dog from your home or other agreed location and if this is within 5 km of our address the pick-up and drop off are included in the price agreed (longer distances are charged a small amount to cover petrol and additional time on an individually agreed basis). We can also hold your house keys if required and we have enhance DBS checks and insurance to cover this - in this event we run through with you things like where to leave the dog(s) when we return them, any areas that are 'off-limits' in the house etc.
Returning your dog to its home: We return your dog to your home and either hand it over to you in person or leave it at your address if we hold the keys. In either event we give your dog a brief shower and towel rub down where necessary so they are not too muddy on their return (if they have been to fields or woods etc). We will let you know of any adverse events during the walk and often general feedback about the walk - good or not so good.
Special conditions/adverse events: We take the utmost care of all dogs (indeed all animals!) but even with the best provisions possible things can go wrong. We are both dog first aid and CPR trained and have many years experience with dogs so for most mishaps that may occur we are generally OK to deal with directly. For more serious events (requiring a visit to the vets) we will make efforts to contact you first before doing anything else. In the extreme event we deem your dog needs veterinary assistance urgently and we cannot contact you we will firstly attempt to have your dog seen by your nominated vet or, if that proves impossible, our own choice of vet.