Let The Dogs Out offers a high quality day care & home boarding service in Cockenzie, East Lothian tailored specifically to the needs of greyhounds and other sighthounds.
catering exclusively for sighthound breeds – greyhounds, lurchers etc.
friendly, experienced professional who really cares about dogs
longterm sighthound owner with lots of hands-on experience
a service for those living or working in East Lothian, providing a home environment in which your hound can rest and play all day in the company of other sighthounds, on a regular or occasional basis, including walks and plenty of cuddles
a much kinder alternative to boarding kennels, where your hound can relax and enjoy home comforts, individual attention and the company of their own kind whilst you are away for anything upwards of one night, including walks and plenty of cuddles
For more information about the services provided please click on Day Care / Boarding.
Over the years Let The Dogs Out has evolved to fit both the changing needs of my clients and my own experience. With years of experienceworking with, rehabilitating and learning from sighthound breeds, I feel I am ideally positioned to understand and cater for the personality & behavioural traits these dogs tend to share. To that end, Let The Dogs Out will now provide day care & home boardingservices tailored specifically to the needs of greyhounds and other sighthoundsexclusively.
Earlier this year East Lothian council launched a voluntary ‘approved user’ accreditation scheme for professional dog walking companies. I’m pleased to say that Let The Dogs Out meets all the criteria required & has been granted approved user status by the council.
Day care spaces
We currently have day care spaces available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays. This is a flexible service so your dog(s) need not come on the same day every week. Further details about this service here.
Welcome on board Gizzy!
Gizzy is the newest member of our canine family. He is a one year old Podenco Andaluz, adopted from Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary in conjunction with SOS Animals UK, & has slotted right into our doggy household. He just loves playing with the younger/more energetic dogs! Here’s a little video of him playing with lurcher Floyd, who comes for day care each Wednesday:
Since setting up Let The Dogs Out in June 2009, it has always been my intention to pursue my studies in animal behaviour, an area which I find fascinating. Up until now, although I have read avidly on the subject & attended various dog behaviour seminars & training workshops, time & finances have not allowed me to do anything more formal.
However, at the end of last year I finally got the wheels in motion & am delighted to announce that I have now been accepted to study for the Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour Management. This is a distance learning course which, together with practical experience, will prepare me to work in the role as canine behaviour advisor.
My hope is that with time I will be able to add this service to my existing dog walking, day care & home boarding services. Wish me luck!
Let The Dogs Out has moved to East Lothian! I regret leaving our South Edinburgh clients behind, but am pleased to announce that my partner & I have bought a property in Cockenzie, & are now settled there with our 3 dogs, Molly, Sandy & Dennis. There are beaches & fields a plenty right on our doorstop & ready for your dogs to enjoy!
I am very sad to announce that we lost our old dog Max to cancer earlier this month. If it weren’t for Max’s inspiration I would never have set up Let The Dogs Out in the first place, & he has been a constant companion to all the dogs I have looked after over the years. He will be sorely missed.
However, Molly & her 2 new greyhound companions, Sandy & Dennis (adopted from Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary) are ready to welcome new doggy friends onto their walks & into their home. I am delighted to now be able to offer dog day care & home boarding services in addition to dog walking. Please check my revised rates & also my availability, & please bear with me while I update this website to reflect the changes in my service!
As reflected in my calendar, I will be unavailable for dog walking on the following dates over the next 6 month period:
Mon 23rd – Fri 27th May
Fri 3rd June
Dog boarding
I am happy to offer a home boarding service for existing clients’ dogs at a cost of £25 per night. I only ever board one dog (or one family group of dogs) at a time & dogs are cared for as my own. Please ask for further details if you are interested.
As reflected in my calendar, I will be unavailable for dog walking from 22nd December ’10 to 5th January ’11 inclusive. Many clients will likely be on holiday at this time of year anyway, & I hope this gives those who are not plenty of notice to make alternative arrangements for their dogs if necessary.
I am now operating at almost full capacity on most days & therefore clients who use my service on an occasional rather than a regular basis may find that I don’t always have availability, particularly when requests are made at the last minute. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is for the welfare & safety of all clients’ dogs that I must limit the number walked on any particular day.
Lately I have received several enquiries from people who are in the process of setting up their own dog walking businesses, or perhaps just considering the idea of becoming a dog walker, asking for my advice on how to go about it. So I decided to write a blog post covering some of the basics. My ten top tips for starting your own dog walking business are based on what has worked for me.
Let The Dogs Out has been operating for a whole year & it’s time to renew my dog walking insurance. I have chosen to take out a policy with Pet Business Insurance this year.
My cover includes:
Public Liability (injury to persons & damage to property) up to £2 million (for any one accident or cause)
Care, Custody & Control (accidental loss of or injury to animals in my care) up to £5000 (per animal)
Key Cover (costs incurred due to loss of any keys entrusted to me) up to £2000 (per year)
This cover compares favourably to that previously provided by NARP (which I used in the first year).
During my first year I have found that many clients (& their dogs!) value the social aspect of the walking service I provide. Under my new insurance, I will now have the flexibility to walk dogs in groups of up to 6 (previously 4), where appropriate.
Should you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Photocopies of my insurance documents are available to clients upon request.
