Paws n Relax Harrogate

Look at me pretending the treats aren’t there 🙄😏

There’s a strange kind of quiet that comes with being a dog walker and working with older dogs.

I’ve been working with two older dogs for years now, and that time changes the bond completely. You don’t just see them occasionally, they become part of your routine, part of your week, part of your life. Same doors, same greetings, same little habits you start to know off by heart.

One week you’re part of their everyday rhythm, same walk, same excitement, same routine, same happy faces waiting at the door. And then slowly, things change. Their needs shift, their bodies slow down, and suddenly you go from seeing them all the time to only occasionally, or not at all.

It’s s**t!!! There’s no softer way to say it.

We don’t always get a goodbye, just a gradual fading from “see you tomorrow” to “he can only manage short strolls” to maybe not seeing them on walks anymore at all. And dog walkers miss our dogs more than people probably realise. They’re not just “clients” or “walks” they’re part of your daily life, your routine, your little connections that make the job what it is.

Right now, I’ve been working with one of those older dogs who’s recently stopped wanting to walk. No obvious reason, no clear injury - just a change. One day he was happy to go out, and now he just… won’t.

So we’ve gone right back to basics. No pressure, no expectations. Just sitting together, rebuilding trust in small ways, and letting him set the pace.

Lots of positive reinforcement. Lots of treats. Even more cuddles than usual.

If he doesn’t want to walk, that’s fine. We just try make being outside feel safe again, something calm, something good, something worth choosing.

And maybe one day he’ll decide he wants to try again. Maybe he won’t.

But for now, we show up anyway - consistently, quietly, and kindly because that’s what they deserve… and because when you’ve known them for years, you don’t just miss the walks. You miss them. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Pretty lady 💅😻

⛈️⚡️just us in a little stormy⚡️⛈️

☔️

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Cannot believe the amount of dogs down at Knaresborough waterside! Fluffy dogs, curly dogs, black dogs, old dogs, big dogs, frenchies and pugs!!! One in which had been out in the sun for so long that he/she ended up being sick!!!!

Are people okay???? wtf is wrong with you all!!! It was above 30 degrees with hardly any shade at all… it was massively uncomfortable for myself let alone a dog!!

Everyone knew the forecast! Keep your dogs at home!! If you’re visiting for the bank holiday weekend with a dog then tough s**t… change your plans to suit your dog!

This gives me confirmation as to why I don’t go anywhere in this sort of weather….. and why I hate people so much!

Poor dogs man 😢