Our daily walks are packed full of fun and are a great way for your pooch to get some great exercise while socialising and bonding with other members of the group. Our pack walks are perfect for friendly well-socialised dogs who enjoy being in the company of other pooches. My Sheltie Frasier and I travel around the local area to collect each member of the group and then head off to our destination. I don’t see any point in pavement walks and always go somewhere super fun (and safe) to have our adventures. Bournemouth and Poole have so many amazing outdoor spaces for us to explore on our daily walks, a few of our favourite spots include Delph Woods, Canford Heath, Upton Country Park, Stour Valley Nature Reserve, Hurn Forest, Hengistbury Head…and many more.
Whether we are at the beach, exploring a local heath or hiking through the forest the Collar Club pack get plenty of exercise, play and fun on their daily walkies. Group walks are a great way for your dog to get some exercise and make some new friends at the same time. I only accept well socialised friendly dogs in my group walks to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all. I know each member of The Collar Club pack well and take the time to get to know each dog as an individual, this way I can monitor groups and personalities to ensure optimal fun for all. We really do have a great time on our adventures and are always happy for new friends to join in the fun, you can check out our Facebook and Instagram pages @collarclubpetcare to see our members smiling faces on their Collar Club adventures.
For any new pooches looking to join The Collar Club pack on our walkies I would recommend booking at least one walk per month as this gives your dog a change to fully integrate and get to know the other dogs that they will be going out with. I find that new members quickly get used to the pack commands I use when out on our walks such as ‘wait’, ‘stay’, ‘come’, ‘steady’, ‘sit, and ‘this way’. These basic commands help ensure group safety and general attentiveness while we are out. I never have any trouble keeping the dogs focused on me because I bring all the fun and they know it.
Our morning walk goes out at approx. 10am, midday walk approx. 12:30pm and the afternoon walk at approx. 3pm. The intervals give me time to collect everybody and get somewhere nice and safe for our walkies. After a decent hour hike I will take everyone back to their homes and settle them in for a rest. We always do a full hour at our destination, and to be honest I often go a bit over. I love being out with the dogs and enjoy interacting with each of them during our walk. Some walking trails happen to take us a bit more than 60 minutes and I always aim to give your dog the best time possible when out with me.
I never take out more dogs than is recommended by the Kennel Club, Bournemouth/Poole Councils, or my insurance. Our average group size is four and the maximum number of dogs I take in any of my groups is five (plus my little man Frasier.) Any more than six dogs being transported and taken out together by one dog walker to me seems irresponsible, unprofessional and unnecessary. I can promise this does not ever happen with me. Frasier and I will never take more than five other dogs with us on our daily adventures, so you can be sure that I am giving your dog plenty of individual attention and I am always able to keep an eye on everybody during the walk. I pride myself on doing everything right am super conscientious and provide the best possible care to the animals I am lucky enough to spend my time with. I genuinely love all of the dogs I get to see, and with regular walks the relationship can be something quite special. The joy on their faces when it is their time to come out for another adventure with me and the pack is truly amazing. I started The Collar Club because I wanted to provide a genuine, honest, reliable and professional dog walking service in Bournemouth and Poole for local people and their pets. I am fully insured for the dog walking and pet care services I provide. I am also pet first aid trained and always carry a fully equipped pet first aid kit in case any of the dogs in my care were to scrape a paw or injure themselves while out exploring with me.
I love the social nature of what I do, getting to meet pets and their owners and other dog walkers who share my passions. I personally love it when two dogs get together and have a real tear around, playing hard and having the time of their life, burning up all their energy and coming home to a well-deserved rest. Sometimes dogs just click and give each other permission to play, both having a really great time. Of course not all dogs are up for this type of play. Some dogs are naturally calm or timid, some too young, some too old. Dogs have the same broad spectrum of personalities that we humans do, so it is important to take this into consideration when out with our dogs. Dogs personalities are constantly monitored in my groups so that the right mix of characters are put together to ensure optimum enjoyment for all. I also offer solo walkies for dogs who like to have some personal attention and would not enjoy the group environment. I started my business because I love being around animals, caring for them and having fun with them. I wanted to be there for other owners so that when they can't be there themselves I can help to give their pet the exercise and attention they deserve.
Having been in business since the beginning of 2017 I have built up an amazing pack of regular dogs who join me for group walks at various times throughout the day. The dogs have all gotten to know and trust me very well and all have a great time regularly socialising with each other. Special friendships do develop between certain dogs and it is truly lovely watching them bond with each other. They really have an awesome time running around together, sniffing, playing, chasing, fetching and enjoying each other’s company.
I have included a few photos from our adventures to give an idea of what we are all about and I hope that this initial post will help dog owners decide if The Collar Club will be a good fit for you and your pooch. I am always updating The Collar Club Facebook page and adding new pictures to the #collarclubwalkies tag on Instagram so owners can see their pooch out having fun with their Collar Club friends on their adventures.
Thanks for reading 😊
Sarah. H The Collar Club – Dog Walking & Pet Care