Sophie

At the start of 2024, my childhood dog of over 12 years old passed away. I miss her dearly, as well as the companionship, trust and all-round adoration we had for each other. I would love to give my passion for animals and dogs in particular to families/individuals who need a helping hand with their pets. I will absolutely not discriminate against any breed of dog, and I am here to walk, feed and entertain dogs of all sizes ages and personalities.
As I was raised with my childhood dog in the house, having a dog around is all I know. I am very familiar with the requirements of both young puppies to the more complex needs of senior dogs. I have also had experience with caring for close friends' dogs, both house and dog sitting for weeks as the owners are away on trips. I find it easy to adjust to the personalities of new dogs, and I thoroughly enjoy making the effort to learn new pets' needs and characters.
I am 23, and a recent graduate from university. I currently work part-time in a school with flexible hours to work around. I have the majority of the working day free as most of my work at the school starts in the afternoons. I am an incredibly outdoorsy and sporty person, hiking and climbing are keen interests of mine. I love to explore, through walking, cycling, and running. I am an enthusiastic driver also, and I am used to driving with dogs secured in the car to new locations for exciting new walks. I am happy to walk both longer and shorter distances, as well as on walk training if needed.
I look forward to meeting some lovely dogs, to get them out of the house and join me on my outdoor adventures. I know the importance of the outdoors for the dog's well-being as well as my own. I acknowledge the importance of trust between myself and the owners and this is a responsibility I take very seriously. I have strong, open communication and will make an effort to reassure owners of the safety of their beloved pets in my care.

Services:

- My services include up to two walks per day of around an hour each max. I know the Newbury area well and know many good places to safely walk dogs.

- For walks, my availability is very good up until around 3 pm.

- I can give oral medication to pets if required.

- I would only board one dog at a time.

- I'm more than happy to wash/ bathe pets/ dry them.

- I can help with basic dog training, at home or on walks.

- With home visits, I will have to arrange with owners my availability, but I would be happy to do other tasks such as watering plants etc.

Time/ Living space:

- I work part-time in a school and would be out for 3 hours in the afternoon.

- If I have a dog boarding my house, I will walk them before I go to work. If needed I can then do an evening walk once I am back from work too.

- I live in a house with my two parents, one of which works at home throughout the week, so the house is rarely empty. This allows pets to be let out to the pet-safe garden while I am out of the house.

- There are no other pets in the house, and no children.

- Dogs are allowed on the sofa and upstairs as long as that works with owners.

- There is a small room downstairs in the house where dogs can sleep if they are used to crates or open beds this is alright.

- The garden is fully fenced, with a grass lawn, and a protected pond. There are side gates that can be safely shut and locked.