Paws Indoors provides discreet and secure one-on-one dog walking, pet-sitting and property-care services in Newcastle Upon Tyne and surrounding areas.

We use unmarked vehicles so as not to alert anyone to an empty property. Your home and pet’s safety are our priorities and you can relax knowing that we are fully insured, (Cliverton: ‘Dog walking, pet sitting and pet taxi insurance cover’).

We also provide a key holding service so we can support you in the event of an emergency, even when we’re not pet-sitting for you.

A Brief History of Pet-Sitting..

Circa 1990, my partner Mary Ward and I thought we were inventing a new ‘neighbourly service’. At the time, pet-sitting services were only provided by expensive, live-in house-sitting companies. However, by the turn of the century the market for pet-sitting and dog walking had begun to grow. It seemed to appear from nowhere but probably came over with the Internet and the discovery that businesses were already well established in the U.S.A.. We can attribute the conception of pet-sitting as we know it today to Patti J. Moran, C.E.O. Pet Sit International. She established the first pet-sitting business in North Carolina in 1983. And, in 1987, she wrote the first book on the subject: Pet Sitting For Profit.

At around the same time, (maybe a little later), we were drafting our own Pet Visitors Handbooks… and running a network of pet-sitters across the North East of England.

Mary toured the region, giving live talks, radio and TV interviews, promoting this novel idea and arguing the case against catteries and kennels. Meanwhile I was writing for (and about), the UK pet industry.

Recently we have reined in our activities but continue to provide an experienced and reliable sitting and one-on-one dog walking service in and around Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Dog Walking

THIS IS CALLY. She is a Welsh Springer and she happens to be the current face of our Paws Indoors Facebook campaign. Not every walk ends up in the Cheviots [pictured] of course. I occasionally invite her to keep me company on a Sunday tramp around the hills. Mostly however, I pick her up for our regular weekday lunchtime walk and we noodle about on the moors and in the woods and fields of beautiful Newcastle. From time to time we also do breakfast and the odd afternoon tea.

I don’t think I could introduce One-on-One dog walking any better than this:

“It is all about finding the time to spend with your dog.”

We can provide walks at most times of the day however we find that we mainly cater to owners who work and can’t get home to give their dogs that very important lunchtime break from the house. I personally invest a great deal of time in the dogs I take on. As such, I prefer long term, regular walking agreements. And whether it is myself or another walker, our goal is to become part of your dog’s extended family.

Collaboration & Trust

Maybe your are thinking of One-on-one dog walking as being an ideal extension to your dog and puppy training classes. As your dog walker I want to know about any classes and the methods you are using to guide your dog’s behaviour. We don’t want to be communicating mixed messages. For example, I tend to walk heel to my left, but if you are to the right, then I or any dog walker should adopt your stance.

Dog walking, that is to say very good dog walking or just a really good dog walk is based on collaboration and trust. Your dog must feel safe with you. If something unexpected and frightening happens, you want your dog to come to you rather than run away or drag you off on the lead.

To get there, you need to have a bond of trust. That’s what I am looking for in your dog (and it is also why I prefer long term and regular walking agreements). But trust doesn’t come on a plate. You must both work together in equal measure.

Good dog walking doesn’t involve chatting on the phone or reading texts. It isn’t about a tangle of leads pulling in all directions. Nor does it involve a Sergeant Major shouting at his troops on the drill square. But equally, in my view, it is not a training class. For me, a really good dog walk involves fun, exercise and the reinforcement of the strong bond of trust between me and your dog.

Prices

Cat Sitting

Cats! – I’ve visited more cats than any other animal, well over a thousand individuals, (and over 50,000 cat sitting visits). And yet they remain a puzzle to me. You’re blessed with a living, breathing (and sometimes lethal), work of art when you live with a cat. Here, Patsy [pictured] and her sister Eddie

For the pet-sitter, cat sitting is a rollercoaster ride from one cat to the next. It’s a joy!

Routine

As the seasons move from one to the other, so our cats vary slightly, their daily routine. Routine brings surety and security to their territory. It makes little difference to each individual cat that its territory is within the bounds of a house or house & garden or that it covers a much wider area. It’s the routine that is important and for that reason we must do our best as cat-sitters not to disrupt it.

The challenge for the cat-sitter is to figure out how best to work to the routine of your particular cat. I often find myself discussing with the owner the personality and temperament of a cat as much as any other aspect of his or her care. A highly strung but shy youngster with access to the outdoors is a very different prospect to a gregarious old, housebound Tom, for example.

When we interview each other about the best care for your cat we will look at all options and carefully address any potential problems. I expect a first meeting between an owner and myself to take at least 45 minutes,

Cats! – I’ve visited more cats than any other animal, well over a thousand individuals, (and over 50,000 cat sitting visits). And yet they remain a puzzle to me. You’re blessed with a living, breathing (and sometimes lethal), work of art when you live with a cat. Here, Patsy [pictured] and her sister Eddie (see: Home Page), are recent additions to our private collection of gorgeous kittens..

For the pet-sitter, cat sitting is a rollercoaster ride from one cat to the next. It’s a joy!

Routine

As the seasons move from one to the other, so our cats vary slightly, their daily routine. Routine brings surety and security to their territory. It makes little difference to each individual cat that its territory is within the bounds of a house or house & garden or that it covers a much wider area. It’s the routine that is important and for that reason we must do our best as cat-sitters not to disrupt it.

The challenge for the cat-sitter is to figure out how best to work to the routine of your particular cat. I often find myself discussing with the owner the personality and temperament of a cat as much as any other aspect of his or her care. A highly strung but shy youngster with access to the outdoors is a very different prospect to a gregarious old, housebound Tom, for example.

When we interview each other about the best care for your cat we will look at all options and carefully address any potential problems. I expect a first meeting between an owner and myself to take at least 45 minutes, (often longer).

A Cat Sitting Visit..

Each visit involves a quick check of the house looking at security and for any signs of sickness, soiling or even hunted prey and any damage your cat may have caused.

We’ll give your cat some play and attention and grooming, and check them over for any signs of harm, symptoms of illness or infestation. Food bowls will be cleaned up and food and water changed and litter scooped or replaced and any mess cleaned up. Any mechanical fittings – like cat flaps, food timers, cat water fountains will be checked.

If we know that someone else is also visiting the property we will carry out a full check of windows, doors and appliances as if this was our first visit. If we are handing over to a friend or family member we’ll confirm that they have taken over before signing ourselves off. We like you to confirm your return at the end of a booking.