Meet Nikita, the 16-year-old dog saved by new Milton Keynes pet ambulance service Waggin 'N' Walkin

Written bySCOTT KIRK

26/06/14 Pet ambulance - 41 Ardwell Lane, Greeleys, MK12 6LTSylvi Nichols Jayne Coleman from Waggin Walkin, which offers a pet ambulance service, with Nikita5 Images

A MILTON Keynes dog walker is taking on a much more vital role in helping look after owners’ much-loved pooches.

Jayne Coleman has set up a pet ambulance or taxi service to take ill dogs to the vets, and it has already been vital in saving the life of 16-year-old Nikita.

The Samoyed, who is blind and deaf, was passing blood just two weeks ago and owners George and Sylvie Nichols feared for her life.

With their own car in the garage getting repaired, Sylvie, 68, called Jayne, who promptly turned up with her Waggin ’N’ Walkin van, and got her to Ashton Lee vets in Newport Pagnell, where she was treated for cystitis.

Now that she has been on antibiotics Nikita is cured, leaving her owner extremely grateful.

“I thought Nikita was on her way out,” said Sylvie.

“Since she has been on antibiotics she has been marvellous and it’s wonderful that Jayne offers this service.”

George added: “It’s nice to know the service is there.”

Jayne, a first canine responder, said the idea for a pet taxi and ambulance service came about after receiving a phone call through her dog walking website to see if it was a service offered.

The Milton Keynes Animal Ambulance founder Ian Fletcher died last year, which means that the city has had no such service until Jayne came along.

But it may not always end as happily as it did for Nikita.

“I know there will be some pets that don’t come back.

“I appreciate that it is a sad fact, not all pets return from the veterinarians after their visit, but people can rest assured that we are compassionate and sensitive to your needs and will do all we can.”

Vets who recommend the company include the Milton Keynes Veterinary Group, Bletchley - Best Friends Veterinary Group, and the Astonlee Veterinary Hospital and Surgery.

For more information on the company, go to www.wagginnwalkin.co.uk.

Read more: http://www.mkweb.co.uk/News/Meet-Nikita-the-16-year-old-dog-saved-by-new-Milton-Keynes-pet-ambulance-service-Waggin-N-Walkin-20140627080000.htm#ixzz3673xcEzW

Hiring a dog walker is the ideal solution for your dog while you are out at work all day

 Do you work full time?

Is your dog left home alone all day? 

The stresses and strains suffered by pets when they are left alone all day

 The idea of getting a dog can be difficult to resist; after all, who wouldn't want to be greeted by a friendly face when returning home at the end of a long day?

 But when you choose your pet it's important to consider how they will feel when you are away from home for many hours at a stretch. Some types of pet manage perfectly well but otherwise suffer when they are left on their own all day.

 We take a closer look at the stresses and strains suffered by pets when they are left alone all day.

 The concept of time

It can be easy to dismiss the stress that can be caused by leaving pets alone all day, after all when did you last see your Labrador wearing a watch?

 However, both dogs and cats have an internal body-clock and even though they may not measure hours and minutes in the same way as humans, they are aware of the passage of time. 

                                                                       Pets can struggle living on their own.

 Scientists have suggested that animals use a variety of clues to help them to determine what is expected to happen and when. Some of these indicators may not be immediately obvious to humans but play a part in the way in which pets recognise time.

 What this means is that if you don't return home when expected, your dog or cat is likely to experience significant anxiety, even if they have plenty of toys, food and water. They may not be in immediate danger but they will be craving the most simple of things: your companionship.

 Of course, being late home is not the only time that your pet may feel agitated. Being away from them for long periods on a regular basis, such as going to work all day, can also create stress and strains.

 Doggy depression

Of course it's essential for all animals to be provided with the right kind of companionship and social interaction, but for many dogs, their primary input may come from their cage mates rather than you. 

 A quarter of the eight million pets dogs in the UK are estimated to be suffering from depression, caused by being left alone for long stretches at a time.

 It's far easier to spot problems in a dog that is destructive, chews furniture, defecates, barks or howls for long periods during your absence. All of these can be indicators that your pet pooch is struggling to cope when you are away for several hours.

 However, just because there is no obvious behaviour an outburst doesn’t mean that your dog is dealing well with your absence.

 Hidden cameras have picked up previously unseen behaviours such as relentless pacing, circling by the door, constant quiet whining or even self-mutilation such as chewing their paws.

You might imagine that your dog enjoys the chance to kick back and relax without you there but far from spending the day chewing on their toys, napping and generally savouring their freedom all the signs suggest that your pet will feel distressed until your return.

 In fact, a recent study suggests that leaving a dog at home alone all day can result in an animal so traumatised that it is comparable to a child who has been abandoned by its parents.

Conclusion

Coming home to find the house torn to pieces, accidents waiting for you on the living room carpet or even neighbours complaining about your dog barking all day may be the last thing you want to deal with after a long day at work. However, it's worth stopping to think about what might be causing those behaviours and whether your pet could be trying to show you just how much they are suffering.

 Even if your pet's behaviour seems immaculate, you might still want to consider how they are feeling when they are left alone during the day. A rapturous welcome home every evening might be lovely but is it really fair to leave your pet pining all day long?

 There are many resolves to this problem for example using a doggie day care service especially if you have an active puppy or hire a dog walker, a dog walker will come to your home usually in the middle of the day and take your dog for an hour long walk returning your dog tired out and ready to sleep during the afternoon.

 If you do opt for a dog walker be sure to check that they are insured, have had a criminal record check carried out and check out references to give you peace of mind.

 You can find a local professional, registered pet sitter or dog walker by inserting your postcode at www.narpsuk.co.uk

Responsible Dog Walking

NarpsUK have terms and conditions in place for its dog walking and pet sitting members, two of these conditions is that no more than 4 dogs should be walked at one time and that only dogs where you can guarantee their recall should be let off leads.

These terms and requests of cooperation are not there to annoy or to be ignored; they have a significant purpose in terms of safety and fun for you, the dogs and other people.

As you’ll know, parks and recreational grounds are available for everyone to use, including those without pets, and those who don’t like or who are scared of dogs. They’re often used by young children and families as well as pet people and equally passionate other dog walkers. Because of this it is vital that all dog walkers stick to the high standards and terms set out by NarpsUK.

Explanations for the standards and their enforcement are expanded below:

Groups of dogs can be intimidating to other dogs. They can encourage aggression, fear and/or unwanted attention, potentially leading to fights, bites and dogs becoming frightened to walk in the area. Any more than 4 at one time is deemed unsafe for one person to control. You cannot always judge and rely on a dog’s temperament; even the most placid and friendliest of dogs can switch their behaviour very quickly should they feel threatened or overwhelmed.

Some people and children are not ‘pet’ people and can feel uncomfortable, panic-stricken and scared around dogs. It can’t be assumed that others using parks enjoy dogs or enjoy being around them, nor is it fair to do so. Everyone has the right and freedom to use parks and recreational grounds for their personal or sporting use. Dog walkers should not spoil and ruin this time for other people, children and their parents.

To a person or family who are not used to or are scared of dogs, it is truly frightening and intimidating to be approached by dogs, particularly if the walker does not understand.

A group of dogs running towards children and or any person can be seen as unsafe and threatening. The person or people are unsure what to do, where to go, how to behave or react. Screaming, shouting and/or running away is often a reaction of a scared person or child, but this will alert the dog or dogs who can switch into protective or fear mode… cue more potential aggression, bites or dogs becoming frightened themselves.

The physical effects on children, adults and the elderly results in an increased heart rate and an increased breathing rate, and fainting can occur at its extreme level. They do not know if these dogs will attack them, bite, growl or knock them over, and it is unacceptable to place a fellow person in this position. You understand the dogs you’re working with, but they can see things very differently.

The elderly and children are particularly vulnerable. A single incident with a dog can leave a child with a lifelong fear of dogs, making a significant impact of their lives now, and in the future. Those of us who enjoy the company of dogs would not wish this on anyone. Dogs who are circling, running around, charging and jumping up is immense fun for the dogs and you as walkers. For the elderly and children (and parents) however, it can be terrifying - not to mention dangerous; they are easily knocked over, leading to injuries such as bruising, scratches, cuts, dislocations and broken bones. (As you’ll be aware, bones and joints of children and the elderly are not as robust as adults and are easily damaged.)

Joining with other dog walkers dramatically increases these problems. Attention must be on your own dogs at all times. If you are distracted by, for example, talking to other dog walkers and their group of dogs, your own group in question may be causing frights, stress and chaos with other people and families. Being unaware of your group’s behaviour and whereabouts increases the likelihood of them defecating in unsuitable areas and you not picking up their faeces. The potential for you to miss cries for help or requests to recall your dogs is huge.

Dogs must only be let off their leads if you are 100% CERTAIN you have complete control and faith in their recall ability. The consequences of not having this self-assurance results in accidents, injuries (dog and human), fights, lost dogs, defecating in unsuitable areas, zoonotic diseases infecting the public, and people being intimidated or scare. Some will avoid the park or areas completely.

As a professional dog walker you’ll understand that walking dogs on behalf of their owners is a responsibility and honour they have entrusted you with. Taking the same relaxed approach as you might perhaps with your own animals is not sensible or safe. There are numerous further incidents which can also occur, the majority of which are preventable and containable by staying within the guidelines set by NARPS UK.

It is possible that in the future separate walking areas within parks and recreational grounds may be created. Until such time, NARPS UK wishes everyone safe, fun and professional dog walking. If you have any questions or concerns about this information, please contact www.narpsuk.co.uk or call our customer service team on: 01322 683 564.

A trademark is a way to legally protect a brand or symbol and it shows that the item has exclusive properties and it belongs to the owner. This means it cannot be copied in the same form, at least not legally. The symbol used to indicate ownership of the item is ™, and if this has been officially registered it is a Registered Trademark which then has the symbol ®. The difference between these two forms of protection is that a ‘TM’ is a simple trademark, and while this can be registered with local authorities or be in the process of being officially registered, it does not offer as much protection as a Registered Trademark which has been officially registered – and accepted – by the national patent office.

A trademark shows a product belongs to one source, and a good trademark makes the company easily distinguishable, (think of McDonald’s big ‘M’).

Any new logo, name or symbol designed and developed by a person or company can have the ‘TM’ symbol, but unless it is officially registered a competitor can and may produce something similar, (or even the same), and while the ‘TM’ article was the first on the market, this is not always easy to prove without the further proof of registering it.

Once registered, another company cannot produce the same item using the same name and logo, so it protects the manufacturer or inventor much more than the unregistered TM.

Basically ‘TM’ suggests the item belongs to someone, while ® shows it to be legally the property of another, that is the reason registering your Trademark is a good idea. You are legally protected and your brand is as safe from imitations as you can make it. If someone does set out to copy your Registered Trademark, you can legally prove this is a copy and potentially damaging to your business.

In the members area is the full version of this Information Sheet which covers:

-       Trademarks, Patents and Copyright

-       What can Trademarks be applied to

-       Before Applying for a Trademark

-       Costs and the Application Process

-       Trademark Scams

-       What we Recommend

Login to the NarpsUK members area today to download the latest Information Sheet

Are you looking for a -Dog Walking Job?

Dog walking can be a great career and a lucrative one too, if the idea of having a dog walking job excites you and you have a genuine love of dogs then you will love every minute of it.

There could be many reasons why you are looking for dog walking jobs but the main one is usually when people are looking to earn some extra money, and why not, dog walking jobs can be very lucrative - try out our pet sitters and dog walkers income calculator to estimate how much you could earn from dog walking:  https://www.narpsuk.co.uk/calculator/calculator.html 

Do you need to have experience in dog walking? - the simple answer to that question is YES, no one is going to give their beloved dog to a stranger without doing thorough checks first and they are going to want to know what experience you have and how trustworthy you are.

If you don't have any experience in dog walking then before offering a dog walking service you need to get yourself some first, you can do this by offering a free service to friends and family or by getting in touch with your local boarding kennels and offering your services for free. You should also seek out some 'dog walking' books or take a dog walking course - having a qualification behind you is a great way of showing credibility.

So now you have some experience - what's next?

If you don't want the responsibility of running your own dog walking service and would prefer to work for a company then you need to seek out the dog walking businesses in your area via Google or by popping into your local vets and looking on the notice boards, contact them and ask if they are looking for help and tell them what you can offer.

Next you need to get yourself a basic disclosure criminal record check because for dog walking you will probably be holding the owners keys to collect their dog while they are at work, you can apply for this yourself via Disclosures Scotland via their online link at a cost of £25.00 http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/apply-online/ you will need to hold this whether you are working for yourself or if you have a dog walking job.

OK, so now you have some experience and you have your criminal record check, lastly you need insurance, there are many insurers who offer dog walking business insurance and if you join NarpsUK you can get this for just £71.55. If you take a dog walking job via a company then they will already have insurance that covers you too.

So now you are ready to go, you now need to market your services and sell yourself to potential customers. Get some flyers made up (these are free to NarpsUK members), put the flyers in local pet shops, dog groomers and vets, in fact put them up where ever you can. Get your details on pet related websites that offer free listings, if you join NarpsUK you will get extra work from there.

Most dog walkers charge between £8.00 - £15.00 per hour depending on which part of the country you live in. You should Google the term 'dog walker' with your town name next to it to look at other dog walker's websites to find out how much they are charging or you could use the NarpsUK post code search facility to find a local dog walker and check rates. Most dog walkers do not walk more than four dogs at a time, once or twice a day, be sure to pair them up so that the two dogs walking together are compatible. We do not recommend that you let dogs off leads and remember you will need to take dog mess bags with you to clean up dog mess.

You can get all of the forms and contracts you will need by joining NarpsUK too

Now if you are serious about a dog walking job then now is the time to start