Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Dog Walking Survey Results

Published on April 27, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: animals, dog walking service, dogs, let the dogs out, national association of registered petsitters, pets, results, survey, survey monkey, walk.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in my Dog Walking Survey, the results of which are now available & summarised below:

200 people completed the survey.
Most people own 1 dog.
Most people do not currently use a dog walking service but would consider using one.
The most common reason for using a dog walking service is being at work when the dogs need to be walked.
Most people heard about the dog walking service which they use by word of mouth or the recommendation of a friend.
The single most important quality looked for in a dog walking service is a friendly caring walker. Positive testimonials from existing clients & lots of experience walking dogs are important too.
Most people think the duration of walk provided by a dog walking service should be between 30 minutes & 1 hour.
Most people using a dog walking service pay around £8 per dog per hour.
Most people think £7 per dog per hour is a reasonable price for a dog walking service to charge.
The most attractive service to be offered as part of a dog walking service is that the dogs are walked by the same person every time. Other attractive services include dogs always walked on lead, discounts for more than one dog, last minute / emergency booking available, & dogs walked in a variety of rural locations.
Most people would prefer to pay for a dog walking service by cash.

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Let The Dogs Out

Published on April 24, 2009 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments Tags: animals, business gateway, dog walking service, dogs, let the dogs out, market research, national association of registered petsitters, survey, survey monkey, walk.

I am very excited to be in the early stages of setting up my own dog walking service! Thus far I have come up with a catchy name (‘Let The Dogs Out‘), applied to join the National Association of Registered Petsitters, & attended a number of local Business Gateway workshops. I am hoping to begin accepting clients in June this year, but first I need to do a little market research.

Please help with my DOG WALKING SURVEY!

I want to make sure that the service I will provide is of the highest quality & that it meets dog owners’ wants & needs. I would be really grateful if you could spare a few minutes to help me with this, by completing my 10-question survey, which you will find here. For those of you who are interested in the results of the survey, I will be publishing them here on my blog in the near future.

Thank you for your help!

In Memory of Brandy

Published on April 17, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: animals, brandy, dogs, family, memory, pets, walk.

brandybandw1 One hot summer’s day in 1996, Mum rescued a young black collie-cross from our local dog pound in Dundee. His name was Brandy & he was to be our devoted family pet for the next 13 years. We don’t know much about Brandy’s history before he came to us. However, he filled all five of our lives with lots of happiness, until sadly he passed away earlier this month.

Our first family dog, I will never forget the way he used to climb up on your knee on the sofa when Mum & Dad weren’t looking, the way he would wait outside my Mum’s door every morning for her to come out, the way he hated baths but loved to run around & get the whole house wet afterwards, the way he welcomed you home regardless of how many months it had been since he last saw you, the way he used to run round in crazy spirals when you let him off lead at the park, the way he pretended to hate the cat but would jump in to defend him if he ever thought he was hurt, the way he hated fireworks so much he would go & hide in the shower cabinet, the way he would chase (& retrieve) stones thrown into the heather or water, the way he was madly possessive over his toys & bones, the way he would roll over on his back for you to rub his tummy, the way he would put his paws up on the window ledge & gaze into the kitchen from the back garden when we were eating dinner…

There are so many happy memories from the time he was with us. I have chosen just a few of my favourite photographs from over the years:

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The sparky young pup who bounced into our lives in 1996

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Curled up on his favourite beanbag (before he burst it!)

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Playing fetch on the beach with Mum

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Peeping into the kitchen window the way he always did

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Completely relaxed & asleep on the sofa on his back

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Bounding through the heather on his favourite walk at Carrot Hill

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A group walk along the Grassy Beach: he really was part of the family

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Hill walking with Mum & Dad

With Thomas, the cat he grew to love

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A final trip to the aptly named Loch Brandy

Goodbye Brandy. You’ll always be ‘my best boy’!

Roots, Shoots and Leaves

Published on April 11, 2009 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments Tags: earth, etsy, gardening, growth, horticulture, plants, seedlings, seeds, shop, vegetables.

Last year, after moving out to the countryside, we tried growing some of our own vegetables from seed for the first time. We harvested, among other things, copious amounts of beetroot, broad beans & lambs lettuce. Apart from the superior quality & taste of our produce, I really enjoyed being actively involved in the whole process from preparing the earth before sowing the seeds to harvesting the finished articles!

Spurred on by last year’s success (all be it probably due to beginners’ luck!), we decided to grow even more of our own vegetables this year. After discovering a wonderful online seed catalogue, I got a bit carried away & ended up ordering Ottobrino Romanesco Cauliflower, Long de Meziers leek, Sutherland Kale, Cupidon Bean, White Beetroot, Belleville leaf sorrel, Cultivated Rocket, ‘Bianca Riccia da Taglio’ Salad Endive, Finissimo small leaved basil, Gigante di Napoli flat leaved parsley, Coriander & Wautoma Cucumber seeds!

To start with, this meant some more raised beds would need to be dug! Luckily Martin obliged & we now have two 6′ x 8′ beds all ready to receive our little seedlings once they’re mature enough to be planted out. For now though, we have tiny wee beetroots, French beans, leeks & cucumber sprouts pushing up in our makeshift greenhouse (a sunny window ledge backed with some reflective silver cardboard & regularly misted with water!).

I love watching the amazing transformation from seed to seeding & onto fully fledged vegetable. I was thinking about this process whilst browsing Etsy the other day, & found these beautiful items, all evocative of plant development & growth. (Please click on each picture for more information about the item & its creator.)

Featured: Planting Flowers in Fresh Soil-HAPPY HAIR SNAP CLIP BARETTES-Fabric Covered Buttons by FlyingButtons; Seedling-print by PaisleyBeatle; Ruby Red and Pewter Branching Cuff Bracelet by UnaOdd; asymmetrical foldover .. fresh sprout .. 4 pocket messenger bag by cipolla; Olive Branch Birdseed Envelopes by SarahShannonDesigns; I Like Dirt Handmade Bath Soap with Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil. Double Size Bar by BathLife; the red earth enamel earrings by huffalo; Garden Soil and Shoots handspun Cormo, Merino wool and silk yarn by artemisiaink; Sprouting Seed Saving Envelopes by ranunculae; Organic Jacob’s Cattle Bean ‘Heirloom’ 1 Ounce , 50 Plus Seeds by EcoOasis; Modern Gardening plants T by Ahpeele; Your Roots Are Showing Flowerpot Wrap by SeptemberHouse

A huge thank you to the wonderful Etsy artists who have given permission for me to feature their work on my blog.

A Windy Walk on the Beach

Published on April 7, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: animals, beach, Bilsdean, dogs, foster, greyhounds, John Muir, max, molly, pets, photographs, running, torres, walk.

This weekend we took the dogs for a super walk at Bilsdean Beach, which forms part of The John Muir Way (a continuous path linking Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders.) The sun was shining on East Lothian, & although it was very windy, the dogs seemed to think it was warm enough for a paddle in the sea!