Russell M.
Russell M.
Highlights
Pet care experience
Retired Service Dog Handler
Hi, I’m Russ and as the headline says, I retired from the Police two years ago where I was a Police Dog Handler for almost 25 years during which I have trained and worked normal police dogs as well as drug and explosive search dogs. I have had my own dogs all my life and am happy to accommodate any breed. I have two boys aged 19 and 16 who live at home with me who also love dogs and enjoy different dogs company. Our home is open plan, dog- friendly, welcoming and very clean. Whilst your dog is with us it will be made to feel as welcome as possible, and part of our family, be it for an hour or a fortnight! I won’t accommodate loads of dogs at any one time just to make money as I far prefer giving quality time to one, two or three dogs so we all enjoy our time together. Far better and more enjoyable for them and me! Any questions or specific requests, just ask! I am flexible and happy to accommodate with regard to circumstances, details, times etc.
Qualifications
Pets
Safety, trust & environment
I have a fully fenced rear garden that is secure with astroturf, smooth paving and gravel to suit your dogs natural needs! My large open conservatory is given over to just me and dogs, allowing access to the garden. I am very lucky that within a few minutes walk from my house I have parkland (less than 100 metres away), lakes, open fields and miles of public footpaths and I enjoy using all of them. In addition, I rent a local secure field in order for my houseguests to play, exercise and socialise.
Ratings and reviews
We were a bit nervous to leave our dog to begin with as she usually stays with family whilst we are away however Russ put us at ease straight away. He did a couple of meet ups beforehand to get to know our dog and he took her out on a walk the day before we left so he wasn’t a stranger in our house. She was really well cared for and we received updates and pictures throughout our trip of the long fun walks they went on. I’m pretty sure she didn’t want us to return and would have happily had him as her new owner. Russ was really respectful of our house and left it clean and tidy. I would happily recommend him to anyone who needs a pet sitter!
Russell is friendly, reliable and more than anything great with dogs! He recently looked after our German Shep Cassius and he could not have hoped for a better dog sitter. He communicated well and was flexible and made the week feel very stress free. Cassius cannot wait for his next visit and we couldn’t recommend him highly enough 😊
Excellent service. Really happy.
It was our first time leaving our precious doggie Newt, and Russell was very kind by meeting us at our house ahead of the booking. Newt loved him instantly and it looks like they had a great time together while we were away. The communication was brilliant throughout, and our house was left absolutely spotless. All in all, it was a first class service!
My dog is a rescue dog and I wanted him to be happy whilst I was away, especially as it was quite a long time. With Russell I was confident that he would be treated like his own dog (home from home). I had regular updates with pictures which showed he was enjoying himself and making lots of friends. And of course when I went to picked him up he was sulking and did not want to leave. I will certainly be using Russell again.
This was our first time in using Rover and we were feeling a bit anxious about leaving our two dogs and someone we didn’t know living in our home. Well I think we hit the jackpot with Russ, not only was he was very experienced in working with and owning dogs, he really went out of his way to make the transition as smooth as possible. He came over and met with us all a few weeks before we were due to go away, and it was clear to see from the start how well he engaged with the dogs and us and was prepared to answer any questions we may have had. The communication from him was excellent, ensuring that were kept in the picture as to what the dogs had been up to and where they had walked. He sent us pictures and videos of their adventures, and they clearly loved being with him. Russ also went over and above our expectations by offering to drop us off and collect us from the airport, saving us both time and money. Russ has a lovely warm and friendly personality and made everything so easy for us. I will not hesitate to call on his services again. We came back to a clean house, and fresh milk and bread. Although our dogs were pleased to see us when we got home, they looked very disappointed that Russ wasn’t with us. A BIG hit with the dogs and with us and he deserves this 5 star rating.
Calendar and availability
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 |
Schedule
I am available most days and nights due to retirement. I am currently not working through choice and enjoy meeting and having different dogs around me (far more than I do people if the truth be known…..)We have a relaxed and flexible family environment for your dog to enjoy whilst staying with us. My boys are as keen as I am to accommodate and enjoy dogs within our home.
Prices include all fees.