Meet The Team

My journey into the world of dogs began in 2011 when I got my first dog - Esta, an English Bulldog. I was lucky to grow up in a home that loved dogs, but it wasn't until I had my own that I truly became passionate about learning everything there is to know about dogs. At the time, I was working at a bank and feeling unsatisfied with where my career was heading. Having Esta in my life inspired me to make a big change. I quit my job, enrolled in a two-year Canine Care course at Writtle College, and started my own dog-walking business. I dove headfirst into learning everything I could about dogs and realized that this was my true passion and profession. I haven't looked back since.

When my second dog, Duke the Giant Schnauzer, came into my life in 2015, I really started to expand and improve my skills. He opened my eyes to a new perspective on dog behaviours and fuelled my desire to keep learning more. In addition to my dog walking, I had the opportunity to gain valuable experience for 5 years at a reputable dog training school. It was a privilege to be part of a highly skilled and collaborative team of dog experts, and I greatly expanded my knowledge. It was here that my enthusiasm for Agility emerged, which eventually lead to my teaching of it. 

Combined with the growing success of my dog-walking business, I have since experienced a multitude of breeds and personalities, dealing with issues of separation anxiety, dog-to-dog aggression, aggression towards people, resource guarding, general guarding, and more. The importance of effective interaction between humans and their dogs cannot be underestimated, misinterpretation can, and does, cause a multitude of problems, leaving both parties feeling confused and frustrated. Walking dogs off-lead, for example, requires dedicated training and can sometimes be mistaken as an easy process. Maintaining control of your dog while surrounded by distractions in the form of other dogs/animals/people is of paramount importance, of which I have unfortunately found to be a rarity in practice. 

I have since re-homed two more dogs, Ralph the Pug, and Marley the French Bulldog. My own little pack have individually taught me so much and brought so much happiness to my life. My absolute mission is to transfer the knowledge I’ve gained over the years to ensure a content and happy dog means a content and happy owner. 

As Dog Social has grown, so has the vision behind it. I’ve built a team of dog walkers that I’m incredibly proud of because I know this industry doesn’t always have the best reputation, and I’m working hard to change that. Dog walking isn’t just about exercise it’s about safety, structure, trust, and calm handling. We hold ourselves to a high standard, and that runs through every part of the business.

We now hold weekly training sessions as a team to reflect, build skills, and make sure we’re constantly improving. I provide hands-on support, debrief after walks, and work closely with the team to ensure consistency across everything we do.

Now, with well over a decade of experience behind me, I still believe every dog has something unique to offer and I still feel incredibly lucky that this is my job.

Brad was employed as a quantity surveyor and was also a skilled joiner who, demonstrating remarkable courage, made the challenging choice to embark on a path that would provide greater personal fulfilment in his professional life. Over the course of almost ten years, Brad and Sadie have shared a partnership, with Brad consistently offering his support to Sadie whenever required. After the pandemic, we recognised an opening to expand from being a solo entrepreneur to establishing a collaborative team, Brad played an indispensable role in enabling us to achieve this significant milestone. When Brad met Sadie there was no other option for him but to fully embrace dogs. After all, he lives with a fantastic Giant Schnauzer, so it was almost imperative for Brad to be a dog enthusiast. Brad has had dogs all of his life & is a natural. His other love is his 5 year old French bulldog Marley which you will often see riding around with him in the van. In addition to assisting with the overall running of the business, Brad is tasked with the collection and secure transportation of dogs to and from their homes in a prompt and proficient manner.

 Behind the scenes, Sadie's mum Mandy plays a big part too helping out with admin and keeping everything running smoothly. She’s always supported the business from day one, and we are so grateful to have her involved in the team. 

 Kimberly is a key part of the Dog Social team and brings a calm, grounded presence to every walk. She has a brilliant instinct with dogs and takes the time to understand each one as an individual. Kimberly has built great relationships with the dogs in her care and is always working to maintain the structure and standards we value as a team. She’s reliable, thoughtful, and a real asset to what we do. 

Becky's entrance into Dog-social was quite unexpected, but it turned out to be one of those absolutely brilliant moments where everything fell into place. She made the decision to leave her position at the Bank of England in order to pursue a career that would allow her to live an authentic life and concentrate on her passions. Becky has shown so much progress in her interactions & handling of the dogs within a really brief timeframe & we are so excited because of this. She has demonstrated exceptional patience and has developed some really lovely relationships with the dogs. Becky has prior experience in fostering dogs, and coincidentally, one of the dogs she fostered ended up becoming a permanent resident. Benson, a 7-year-old labradoodle! He really enjoys his new professional role as his mum’s right hand man and has seamlessly integrated himself into the team.