Benefit from walking with one of our good-natured dogs.
Let us come to you with one of our good-natured dogs for a relaxing hour of companionship, fresh air and adventure.
They love young people and adults alike.
Dog walking can ease feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression and stress.
The emotional benefits that a dog can bring to someone are well known. Dogs can help to increase self esteem and confidence and they heighten your happy hormones!
Mindfulness is a buzz phrase at the moment, especially on TikTok and all the other social media. Dog walking is a wonderful opportunity for such mindfulness. It helps you to focus your attention on you and the dog, thus alleviating the pressures of life.
It is also an opportunity for a little bit of exercise. Maybe you will reach your 10,000 steps during one of our walks!
June Special Offer
£20 per person
£35, for 2 people at the same time
Our staff are extremely experienced with people with
mental health concerns and other disabilities.
Both staff and animals are fully insured
Written by one of our current students:
Depend on a Dog HOW SPENDING TIME WITH DOGS CAN IMPROVE MENTAL WELL-BEING
Many people ask, “What’s so good about a dog?” well, I have the answer for you.
There are lots of ways that prove dogs are beneficial for people struggling with mental health and lots of them are shared by everyday people. A select amount of people have chosen to share their personal experiences with dogs and mental health, and here is one of them.
‘My name is Lucas and here’s how spending time with a dog can help you feel better; I suffer with autism, and I get severe anxiety when I am unsure and I feel like bad things will happen, but now I have Ellie. Ellie is my chocolate Labrador who I got at 3 months old……she is now 3 and still helps me every day. She can sense when I start feeling uneasy and worried and she instantly comes over to me knowing that I am struggling. She is a very comforting dog, she’ll muzzle up to me and lick my face when I am upset, and no one makes me happier. She is probably one of the funniest animals I have ever met, and she always makes me laugh.’ That is just one of many stories from people all over the world, who all agree that there is nothing better than a dog for comfort.
Recent statistics show that in the past 2-3 years mental health has severely gone downhill. Since Covid-19 and lockdown happened, people’s mental wellbeing seems to have taken a turn for the worse. These studies show that things such as anxiety and low mood have increased from lack of social interaction and having to isolate from friends and family. Teens have increased stress levels from not being able to sit exams, having to do work online and a strange return to school with masks being worn in classrooms and corridors, always washing your hands and being in year bubbles. Statistics show that every 1 in 4 people from the age of 16 and over suffer from mental health issues/disorders in England each year, and 1 in 6 suffer weekly. However, it is shown that coping strategies which consists of animals being therapeutic are highly effective.
Having or looking after someone’s dog has many positive effects; here’s a few; walking a dog gets you exercise and fresh air which is proven to release endorphins in your brain which are chemicals that increase our mood, stroking a dog is proven to lower and slow down your heart rate, which naturally makes you calmer and dogs are very aware creatures so they can sense if you are upset or worried and will respond to that by trying to comfort, distract or clam you down. Now why wouldn’t you want that?
Personally, I think that dogs are the best because they don’t judge, or talk, or tell you what to do. Dogs can just sense something is wrong and give you unconditional love. They can’t advise you, but sometimes all you need is someone to care, and a dog will always care. They’re great if you can’t access external support, such as therapy medication etc. But even if you can access or do have access to those things, sometimes a dog can give you what you need, that a human can’t. They motivate you to get outside or get up in the morning and they may help you feel less alone, or make you sympathise towards them so then you feel like you have a duty to care for this lovable creature and you can’t abandon that responsibility. They also probably make you feel less self-conscious because walking a dog probably makes you feel more normal than randomly walking alone.
To conclude, everyone should try their best to access a dog because honestly, they have an impact which nothing can compare to. They’re harmless gentle creatures that will always be the furry friend you need.