Sonya M.
Sonya M.
Highlights
Pet care experience
Experienced dog lover
Hi, I’m Sonya—a lifelong dog lover offering a genuine home-from-home experience in the beautiful Forest of Dean. My home has direct access to the forest from the garden gate, along with plenty of secure outdoor space, giving dogs the opportunity to explore, sniff, play, and relax in a safe, natural environment. I have experience caring for dogs of all sizes, ages, and personalities, and I’m confident handling both small breeds and larger, more energetic dogs. Every dog is treated as an individual, and I always adapt their care to suit their routine, personality, and needs. Whether it’s feeding schedules, medication, favourite walking routes, or quiet time, I’ll do my best to keep their stay as familiar and stress-free as possible. Dogs staying with me become part of the family rather than staying in a kennel environment. They receive plenty of companionship, enrichment, exercise, and opportunities to rest, all in a calm, structured home where their wellbeing always comes first. From September, I’ll be studying for a degree in Animal Behaviour & Training, building on my passion for understanding canine behaviour, welfare, and positive training methods. I’m committed to continually developing my knowledge so I can provide the very best care for every dog I look after. I know how difficult it can be to leave your dog with someone else, so I’ll keep you updated with regular photos, videos, and messages, giving you complete peace of mind while you’re away.
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
Thanks Sonya for helping us out and looking after Yuki at quite short notice, it was great to know he was taken care of while away for the day.
We couldn’t be happier with the care Wilf received. He was clearly very happy playing with Sonya's dogs (thanks Pepper!) and well looked after. Communication was excellent, and we received regular updates, photos and video which gave us complete peace of mind. We would definitely recommend Sonya to anyone looking for someone reliable, caring and trustworthy.
Wow, what can we say! We are blown away by Sonya’s love and care. It was Biff’s first overnight time away from us, ever, and for an anxious dog, that was a tricky ask and quite daunting for us as owners. Sonya was so accommodating and conscientious, suggesting a little pre-visit to meet Biff and he then had a lovely chilled 24 hrs in her care. Thank you so much!
5 stars! ⭐️ We feel so grateful to have found Sonya to look after our 8-month-old Cocker Spaniel. She took very good care of him with plenty of play, cuddles and mental stimulation, while also helping him settle for naps and keeping him cool during the hot weather. By day 2, he couldn’t wait to get through her door! He clearly had the best time and enjoyed spending time with her dogs too. Highly recommended, we would 100% book again! 🙏
Sonya went above and beyond to ensure Bear was as comfortable as possible. Thank you so much
Great sitter!! Made sure I was constantly updated, would definitely recommend. Will be booking again. Thank you Sonya!
Calendar and availability
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Schedule
I’m fortunate to be at home full-time, which means dogs in my care receive plenty of attention, supervision, and companionship throughout the day. I live in a peaceful rural location with secure outdoor space where dogs can safely explore, play, and relax. Every day is built around the dogs’ needs, including walks, enrichment, feeding, rest, play, and one-to-one attention. I’m also happy to follow your dog’s usual routine as closely as possible, helping them feel settled, comfortable, and at home while you’re away.
Where your pet will stay
Home characteristics
Safety, trust & environment
Your dog’s safety, wellbeing, and happiness are always my highest priorities. Dogs stay in a calm, structured home alongside my own friendly, well-socialised dogs, where they receive plenty of companionship while still having space to relax if they need it. I supervise all interactions carefully and separate dogs whenever appropriate, such as during mealtimes, rest periods, or if a dog simply needs some quiet time. Owners are very welcome to bring their dog’s own bed, crate, blankets, or favourite toys to help them settle into a familiar routine. My home is surrounded by secure rural land, giving dogs plenty of opportunities for safe outdoor exercise, enrichment, sniffing, and exploration. Every dog is treated as an individual, and I’ll always follow any instructions regarding feeding, medication, exercise, training, or preferences to ensure they receive the highest standard of care.
Pets
A typical day
A typical day starts with a walk straight into the beautiful Forest of Dean from my back garden gate. Dogs can enjoy woodland adventures, sniffing, exploring, and plenty of mental stimulation before returning home for breakfast, rest, play, and enrichment. Throughout the day, I tailor activities to each dog’s age, fitness, and personality, whether they enjoy long walks, gentle strolls, playing with toys, practising training, or simply relaxing. Every dog receives lots of individual attention, affection, and care, so they leave happy, content, and looking forward to their next visit.
- 0 to 7 kg7 to 18 kg18 to 45 kgover 45 kgSonya can host up to 4 pets per night
- Before your dog’s stay, I’d love to learn as much about them as possible. Please let me know about their personality, daily routine, favourite activities, feeding schedule, medical needs, medications, allergies, training cues, recall, and how they get on with other dogs and people. If there are any fears, anxieties, or behaviours you’d like me to be aware of, just let me know—every dog is different, and the more I know, the better I can tailor their stay to help them feel safe, comfortable, and at home. As our walks often take us straight into the Forest, it’s helpful to know whether your dog has experience around wildlife such as deer and wild boar. Their safety always comes first, so I’ll adapt walks to suit each dog’s confidence, recall, and training.