Currently recruiting for a Pet Carer role at Walk the Dog

Do you love animals and being outdoors? If you are interest in animal care, welfare and management? If the answer is yes, then why not join our team.


We are currently recruiting for a pet carer. Job requirements include:

• over 18 years of age
• hard working
• flexible
• passionate about animals
• hold a full clean drivers licence and own transport
• enjoy being outdoors and walking whatever the weather
• ideally certification in Animal Care/Management or Behaviour
• have experience of petcare or working with animals
• live in the Berkhamsted or surrounding areas (less than 20mins)
• available between the hours of 9.30am to 4pm
• willing to learn about animal first aid and animal behaviour

The Pet Carer role includes:
- dog walking
- pet care and feeds for small companion animals while owners are away (incl. weekend work)
- assisting with Walk the Dog events, workshops and fairs (ad hoc bases)
- assistance with Walk the Dog Puppy School (ad hoc basis)
- dog sitting

Contract is pay as you earn.

If you would like to apply for the role of Pet Carer, please send an up to date CV with minimum of two references to; Walk the Dog, 15 Hillside Gardens, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2LF or email us at info@walk-the-dog.net

Walk the Dog Newsletter - Winter 2010

Dear friends,



‘Tis the season to be merry and for snuggling down with our pets as we look forward to some festive fun. We’ve got a bumper packed winter issue with advice on ensuring your four-legged friend stays safe over the festive period and we meet fitness guru Andi Vincent-Jones, who shares her top tips for avoiding injury from dog walking - advice we follow at Walk the Dog. Plus, we’re delighted to launch our very own cartoon series created exclusively for Walk the Dog by artist and illustrator Ellen Tozer. And, we have all our news and a great Christmas recipe for your furry friends. Thank you for your support this year, we’ve had a blast working with you and your pets. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2011.

Click here to read the latest copy of our Walk the Dog newsletter for Winter '10.

Walk the Dog focus on Pet health - Forever Living products made with aloe vera

Walk the Dog, the Berkhamsted based award winning pet care company sells Forever Living products. Pet health is of prime importance to us at Walk the Dog; we use a holistic approach to dog training and we wanted to reflect this in the products we also sell. Therefore, all our products our made from only natural and pure ingredients.
Aloe Vera flourishes in warm, dry climates, and is often mistaken for a cactus, but in fact it is a member of the Lily family. When the plant is mature the contents of its leaves, a mixture of sap and gel, can be harvested, preserved and bottled as a nutritional drink or combined with other ingredients to produce topical creams and lotions to nourish and improve the skin. As a drink Aloe Vera works with our immune system, replenishing nutrients from the vast range it contains, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Poor diet, stress, caffeine and over-processed foods can all lead to less than tip-top health. Aloe can help redress the balance with its wealth of essential nutrients.
The Aloe Vera plant is suitable for adults, children and animals and is known to provide the following benefits:


- combating the signs of ageing
- improving health and vitality natural cosmetics
- excellent quality and kind to skin
- skincare and specialist skincare
- personal healthcare - tooth gels, shampoo, deodorants
- animal care health products
- cleansing courses
- weight loss
- probiotic support to the immune system
- bee pollen for energy

To purchase our pet care products log onto http://www.walk-the-dog.net/ and visit our products page.

Understanding your cat

Ever wondered why your cat eats grass or wags its tail? Here’s a brief run down on common cat behaviours, to help you understand your feline friend.

• A purring cat is not necessarily a happy cat. Cats purr when in pain, distressed or giving birth. Cats in pain will purr when approached by people; this suggests cats purr to show they’re friendly and approachable - ready to be comforted or helped. Kittens purr to communicate to its mother that it’s well and content.



• Kneading is when a cat extends and retracts its claws – this usually happens when resting on its owner's lap. This behaviour comes from kittenhood. Kittens knead their mother while suckling to make the milk flow more freely. Adult cats do this when they feel safe and contented. If a cat dribbles or sucks at the owners’ clothes whilst kneading or purring, this is an indication that the cat may have been taken from its mother too early.



• Eating grass often occurs when your cat needs to clean out its stomach by vomiting (e.g. get rid of fur balls). If your cat doesn’t have access to grass, house plants or anything similar will be eaten! It’s been said that cats eat grass to obtain Folic Acid, something that cats need in small quantities for its well-being.



• Taking food out of the bowl and eating it off the floor is very common. Two theories as to why your cat behaves this way are that cats find the pieces of food too large, put them outside of the bowl so it’s easier to chew into smaller pieces. Or if the cats’ whiskers touch the side of the bowl, he may find this uncomfortable to eat, so he’ll scoop the food out.



• A wagging tail could mean your cat is angry or he’s feeling indecisive – the cat wants to do two things at once and cannot make up its mind which action to take.



• Cats bury their faeces so as not to demonstrate its presence to more dominant cats; a dominant cat will leave its faeces uncovered. A cat kept on their own will bury its faeces in the litter tray, suggesting the cat feels its owner is dominant. But in households with more than one cat, you’ll often find one or two cats leave their faeces uncovered, while the rest will cover it up.



• Cats greet one another by rubbing their faces, so when yours stands on its back legs, he’s simply trying to reach your face! This greeting is only done to humans the cat trusts. Cats have scent glands on their temples, around the mouth and base of the tail. If a cat rubs itself against you, it’s rubbing off its scent, saying "this is mine".