Welcome to the Jogging Dog Blog!
A quick Introduction to start. Im Dom Hodgson, I'm 33, of average height and weight, probably above average fitness and probably below average looks ; ) I had a good, well paid job which put food on the table but in July I quit it to run with dogs! Over the time that this blog is going I will share the highs and lows, no lets be positive the highs and the even highers that I experience on my journey starting my own Dog running/walking business in the North East of England.
I've heard it said that if you are planning on starting your own business you should do something that you are passionate about. I guess this is so if you are unfortunate enough not to make any money from your venture then at least you will still be happy doing something you love! A romantic view this may be as, no matter how high your 'Job Satisfaction' is, this alone will be unlikely to provide sufficient payment with which to pay your weekly bills. And I can guarantee your mortgage provider will be completely disinterested in how wonderfully happy you are at work and require you to be able to show a steady income of sterling before they allow you to borrow for your dream house. Still it is thought we spend about 99,000 hours of our lives working so it would be nice to think we are in it for more than just the money. I am, anyway, hence the career change.
Why Dogs I hear you say? Well why not? I will answer back! For some their passion might be baking cakes, taming lions, selling antiques, teaching children, fixing cars, driving buses etc. I love many things but dogs and being in the great outdoors are high on my list, so the two passions go together as dog walking. I have seen with my own pack that if you provide the right level of exercise you will get a calm well balanced dog in return. I want to help those people who want to experience the joy of sharing their lives with a dog but for one reason or another are unable to provide enough exercise.
I bet you love dogs, maybe you don't but even if you don't I bet you know someone that does. The North East of England, after Wales, has the second highest percentage of dog owners in the UK with about one in five homes/families owning at least one dog, thats a lot of dogs and a big market for me to aim at.
I aim to be the best dog walker/runner/exerciser in the country! A lofty ambition but you've got to have a goal. ( You can't score without one) I will take my clients dogs on a different walk every day, no, a different adventure every day! I have spent many months planning and putting in place everything I can think of to make this business a success. Is it perfect? No. Am I perfect? No. Will I make mistakes? You betcha! But I think as long as I remember to put the exercise needs of the dog first then that is a great place for me to start.
Wish me luck and hopefully there will be some interesting stories (and adventures) to share along the way.
Dom
http://www.packleaderuk.com/
