As more employers issue return-to-office dates for staff, new pets” target=”_blank”>puppy<
“You can’t leave your dog for too long on its own. They need to exercise and they need company,” she explained in a video call. “They get bored or frustrated if they’re not fully exercised and have lots of social interaction with their owners and with friends.”
Professional dog walker and author Kate MacDougall tells Fox News that pet parents who plan on returning to work should have a plan in place for their dogs. (Katy Raffin/Telling Tales Productions)
MacDougall, who left her position as a Sotheby’s junior staffer in London to start her own professional dog walking company in 2006, reiterated that many of the “destructive” or “aggressive” behaviors she’s seen in dogs stemmed from a lack of exercise and socialization.
While puppies do show bursts of energy, they usually require less exercise than older dogs do since they sleep for long spans of time. Similarly, senior dogs may not need to be walked for long if they show signs of slowing down, she explained.
DOG’S BEGGING ROUTINE MAKES THE PET A VIRAL STAR
To find a quality dog walker or sitter, MacDougall recommends consulting family-and-friends” target=”_blank”>friends and family<
When interviewing a dog walker, MacDougall says it doesn’t hurt to ask where your dog is going to be walked, the routes that will be taken, or see if there will be any changes in routines. Inquiring about sitting services or sharing dietary requests are notable discussion items as well.
“I think that it’s most important that you feel at ease with your dog walker and that you’re going to trust them to come in and to your housea> and look after your dog cause it’s a big thing,” MacDougall says. “They are family members. So, I think the trust thing is really the key part to it.”<
Currently, MacDougall is a proud owner of a Jack Russell terrier and dachshund, and she lives in Oxfordshire with her two dogs and husband.
Kate MacDougall’s book "London’s Number One Dog Walking Agency: A Memoir" is being released in the U.S. on July 6, 2021. The memoir chronicles her experience as a professional dog walker and other pet anecdotes. (William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers)
She’s chronicled her colorful dog walking career in her new book, “London’s Number One Dog Walking Agency: A Memoir,” which was released Tuesday, July 6.
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“As soon as I started doing the dog walking, I realized that there were so many interesting characters and stories and I think being a dog walker, you have this amazing little insight into people’s lives,” MacDougall tells Fox News. “The book is very much a sort of love letter to London.”
