Group Walks

Group dog walking is a passion of ours, and we work really hard to change any negative perceptions people may have about it. The videos we share demonstrate the high level of trust between ourselves and the dogs we walk, which allows us to have complete control and achieve a 100% recall rate. Allowing a dog to walk without a lead is a big responsibility and shouldn't be taken lightly. Along with Sadie’s 11 years of professional experience, both with her own dogs and our clients', have enabled us to create a positive and incredibly beneficial group walking experience. This is where dogs learn boundaries and good manners, not just from the handler, but from their furry friends as well.

We prioritise a careful selection process when pairing dogs for their walks. In order to create a safe and nurturing environment, we carefully match nervous dogs with confident and older dogs, allowing them to build confidence. This approach ensures that dogs who may be overly socialised and exuberant, albeit harmless, are walked on a lead around more confident dogs. By limiting their interaction with other dogs during walks, this method ultimately helps them to enjoy their exercise and explore various scents in a more calm and controlled manner. This helps establish a positive mindset for them, which will facilitate the progress of recall training in the future.

Recall is taught from the very beginning, with dogs remaining on a lead at this point. If they pull, a head-collar is used, allowing us to maintain control. Head-collars can look a little daunting to some owners but rest assured, dogs get used to them quickly and when used correctly, they make a huge difference to a dog’s attitude. The next stage is to switch to an extendable lead or a trailing long line – once confident with the progress made, we will start to let them off. At this point, owners are invited to join the Saturday morning Dog-Social class or book in for one-to-one walks to begin the transferring of new skills we’ve taught your dog, over to you.

It's really important to us that keeping your dog safe is our top priority. Before your dog can join us on these walks, we need to spend some quality one-on-one time with them. This way, we can get to know their personality and figure out what makes them tick. It's all about building a strong bond and finding out what motivates your dog.

Motivation is key for the dog to be interested in working with us, and it can vary for each individual. Some dogs enjoy working for toys or food, while others simply prefer a nice cuddle! During our initial one-on-one walks, we can really get to know your dog and understand their needs, which helps Sadie tailor their training to their unique personality. Once we've built a strong foundation of trust, if appropriate Sadie will introduce Duke, her eight-year-old Giant Schnauzer, to our walks. Duke has been joining Sadie on her walks from a puppy and his amazing social skills & strong bond with Sadie have had a positive impact on all the dogs he's met throughout his life. The way your dog interacts with Duke will show us what we should focus on in the future. If they need more confidence, then taking more walks with Duke would be helpful. On the other hand, if your dog is ready, they might be able to join us on a group walk right away. It really depends on the dog.