Walking the Dog

24/09/2026

🐾 An End of a Truly Wonderful Era 🐾
After starting Walking the Dog in 2008, we quickly realised what a special job this is. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and it is with heavy hearts and immense gratitude that we announce we will be closing our doors for the last time on Friday, 18th December.
After that day, we'll hang up the leads, pack away the muddy boots, and I’ll finally be giving my 54-year-old Achilles a well-earned rest! 🥾🍂
The past 18 years have been the happiest and most rewarding of our working lives. It’s been an absolute privilege to know so many wonderful dogs and the families who love them. What started as a business became so much more. We’ve shared countless walks, muddy paws, and wagging tails, and we’ve been incredibly lucky to become part of your lives.
With our boys now grown up, Carol and I recently discussed our next chapter. We assumed retirement was a few years away, but we’ve decided the time is right now to downsize, make that rural move we've dreamed of, and enjoy an earlier retirement. At long last, our own dogs will get the undivided attention they’ve lacked as clients’ dogs always came first! 🏡🌳
Entrusting someone with a beloved pet is never easy, and we've never taken that for granted. Every dog we’ve cared for has found a special place in our hearts. They were never just clients—they became extended family. We’ve celebrated puppies, shared in funny quirks, and sadly, said goodbye to some. Every one of them has left paw prints on our hearts. 🐾❤️
Thank you for your friendship, loyalty, and support. We will miss seeing you all more than words can express, but we leave with wonderful memories. Thank you for letting us be part of their lives.
With sincere thanks and best wishes,
Gavin, Carol, Josh, Dan, & our pack: Finlay 🌈👼, Jess 🌈👼, Bertie, Miss Chip, Hettie, Rocco & Tarsha. 🐶
EndOfAnEra

24/09/2026

After starting Walking the Dog in 2008, we very quickly realised what a special job being a dog walker is. Sadly at some point all good things must eventually come to an end and with that we have to let all of our wonderful clients know that we will close our doors for the very last time on Friday 18th December 2026.

After which, we will be hanging up all those leads, putting away the walking boots, and finally give our 54 year old (and well used) Achilles a well-earned rest.

Looking back over the past 18 years, we can honestly say they have been the happiest and most rewarding years of our working life. It has been an absolute privilege to get to know so many wonderful dogs and the families who love them.

What started as a business quickly became so much more than that. We’ve shared countless walks, muddy paws, wagging tails and happy memories, and we’ve been incredibly lucky to become part of so many of your lives.

With our boys now grown up and enjoying careers of their own, Carol and I recently spent some time talking about what we wanted from the next chapter of our lives. Although we always knew retirement would come one day we assumed that would be in a few years’ time. However, we’ve decided the time is right now to downsize our lives, move rural as we have always wanted to do (though Scotland will have to wait for another 3 or 4 years 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿), and enjoy a much earlier retirement than we had originally planned. Our dogs at long last will get the full attention they have perhaps lacked over the last 18 years as clients’ dogs have always come first.

Entrusting someone with a beloved family pet is never an easy decision, and we have never taken that trust for granted. Every single dog we’ve cared for has found a special place in our hearts. They have never simply been clients’ dogs to us—they have become part of our extended family. We’ve celebrated new puppies, watched them grow older, shared in their funny quirks and unique personalities, and sadly, said goodbye to some along the way. Every one of them has left paw prints on our hearts.

Thank you for your friendship, your loyalty and your support over the past 18 years. Without you, Walking the Dog would never have become what it has. We will miss seeing you all far more than words can express, but we leave with wonderful memories and immense gratitude for having had the privilege of caring for your amazing dogs.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for letting us be part of their lives.

With our sincere thanks and very best wishes,

Gavin, Carol, Josh, Dan and of course Finlay 🌈👼, Jess🌈👼, Bertie, Miss Chip, Hettie, Rocco and Tarsha.

Walking the Dog

22/08/2026

It's hard to believe a year has passed since you left us, Finlay. Every day has been so hard knowing your paw prints won't mark the sand next to me at Loch Morlich again. While it gets a little easier day by day, I'll never stop remembering you and the things we shared. Today, as your family remembers your life and passing, it's also Tarsha's birthday, a day she never expected to see. I know you would have adored her, and I wish you could have met her. Fly high, my gentle giant, until we meet again at that bridge...wait for me there. 💔🐾🎂

03/07/2026

...and now with sound...sorry I uploaded a video with no sound....now the band get to be heard!!!

Though our precious wheeled warrior Tarsha has a Gotcha day of 13th November, we really have no idea of her birthday. The Dog Meat Trade Dachshund Rescue vets thought she was around 5 years, and her UK vets think she was more 4 years old. We need to give her a birthday to celebrate her life, her official birthday as it were...well, if it's good enough for the King 😅🥰🥳!

So, in consultation with Tarsha, we have selected August 22nd. This is also the 1-year anniversary of our beautiful gentle giant Finlay passing. So we can commemorate his passing with a joyous day, remembering him not just with tears (as there will be plenty, as there always are... boy, how we miss him so much!) we can also celebrate Tarsha's arrival and her 'second chance' of life with joy and happiness.

This is the birthday Tarsha never expected, an unexpected bonus birthday, as she should have died on those streets from where the wonderful www.dmtdrsg.org rescued her.

I know Finlay would have loved Tarsha 🥰, and I know he would want us to remember him by also celebrating the new life that we have been able to give her. Thank you, Finlay, for those 16 wonderful years. Let's see how many more wonderful years we can now share with our Tarsha ❤️ our most special little girl.

03/07/2026

I absolutely adore this little girl; gorgeous Mochi. Please watch out for her adoption info through the Dog Meat Trade Dachshund Rescue socials. Look at those gorgeous ears. Can't wait to see her story's happy ending when she arrives in the UK and her forever home.

02/07/2026

...and not to be left out the little ladies Hetts and Miss Chip feeling crafty's Furever Resin thank you

02/07/2026

Rocco and Bertie too. Tags from feeling crafty's Furever Resin

02/07/2026

Look who is getting their very own handmade resin tag from the wonderful Tee at feeling crafty's Furever Resin....and of course it had to be in Tarsha's signature colours! Tee is brilliant and though new to resin I think this is superb....shes even handpainted her in her wheels. Tee also make clay sculptures Feeling Crafty's Clay Minis so Im pondering getting one of little Miss Speedy Wheels. Booskips Pumpkin The Wheelie Westie Warrior

Made this one for a Daschund with a wheelchair
Isn't it just fab!