< class="main-container">

About Mary & Mary Walks Dogs

I have always had a love for small animals. Over the years as a family, we have enjoyed so many lovely pets including cats, hamsters and guinea pigs. Once I had adopted my own puppy in 2005 I embraced that life-style change that so many will know about. I have grown to love walking locally, as well as further afield with my beloved golden retriever Tommy. Sadly we lost him in early 2019. He was a super friendly easy natured dog and the family favourite at all times. Despite all our intentions we found the house too empty without a dog so our new puppy Bluebell arrived in March 2019. She's a lab retriever cross, a super star and joined our family perfectly. To our surprise in 2020 – we decided to take another puppy – Betsy – Bluebell’s half-sister! And once again we found ourselves with another perfect dog! They are such lucky girls – coming to work with mum has never been more fun, they just love daily sociable walks with their many friends.

Over time, I have become friendly with other dog owners and walkers and started to understand how rewarding it is to befriend many other local doggies! It is amazing how they recognise you after a few fun times outside and a bit of love and affection. I have often walked other dogs just for fun, my own dogs just loved some mates to play with. In 2016 I homed little beagle called Slinky for a neighbour as a favour. I was amazed at how quickly I became attached to him, and enjoyed the extra dog in my life.

I was so sad to say goodbye to him after 9 months when he returned to his home and family in Japan. This started my interest in becoming a dog walker. To be honest – I love dogs and I love walking. I firmly believe that joining a walking group is fantastic for dogs too. They get to make proper regular friends and even become familiar with other regular walkers too. I am also a keen jogger all be it quite slow! I keep fit with running Parkrun most Saturdays and completing longer runs such as half marathons.

I am originally from Tonbridge and lived in London for a while to train as a nurse. I have a long career in varied nursing posts both locally and previously in London. I apply the same professionalism to my working as I did nursing. I have a DBS check and dog walker insurance with Cliverton Insurance. This covers pet care including travel, loss of keys and public liability. My family are also covered by this insurance and will sometimes walk with me, especially my husband Jim at the weekends. I have a natural affection for caring & nurturing pets as well as people. I am trustworthy and reliable. I have undertaken an accredited Pet First Aid Course. Your pet will be in safe hands.

Background Image

Testimonials


  • Lovely Mary has walked Basil many times for us and I will definitely be using her again. Basil actually gets excited to see her now and I know he has a fantastic walk with her. Mary is 100% reliable and 100% trustworthy and I cannot recommend her enough (and neither can Basil)!
    Emma & Basil, Tonbridge

  • I have known Mary for four years now through walking her dog Tommy, and could not recommend her highly enough. Not only has she helped me with my dogs but she has also become a very close friend which is amazing. Mary is fantastic with dogs and has a great natural approach with them, which the dogs pick up on and it really seems to put them at ease. Being a dog walker myself I don't think I could be a pickier customer, so recommending Mary so highly is a great testament to her skills and manner. I have complete confidence in her ability to handle anything thrown at her, she is very resourceful at problem solving, and coming from a nursing background you can be sure that your dogs are in very safe & caring hands. Mary is very reliable and professional but friendly at the same time, which makes her the perfect dog walker. Don't hesitate to call her for help with your doggies!
    Pippa, Snuffie & Rolo, London

  • Our beloved Millie is known for her 'tricky' nature so we knew we would need someone special to walk her. We are so grateful to have found Mary, only she could love and care for Millie as much as we do.
    Marnie, Martin & Millie, Tonbridge

Contact MARY

How the Walks work

On weekdays I usually start collecting dogs for the first walk around 10am and then for the second walk around 12md. Each walk lasts for around one hour. I walk friendly doggy groups with a maximum of six dogs at a time. These are a great way to socialise your dog and break up the day. I walk in various local parks and woodland such as Haysden Lake Country Park, Tonbridge Park, Dene Park, Southborough Common, Swanmead, and many others. I am always looking for new places for walking. There will be opportunity for off lead play and exercise, in safe and secure areas. I can offer occasional weekend walks for regular clients. All walks will last at least one hour and collection and delivery is added onto their time out. I have roomy divided Barjo cages in my car to keep the dogs safe while travelling.



Your dog will only come off the lead with your permission and I will be taking your advice regarding re-call habits and training vocabulary. Safety is high priority for me so I will ensure compatible groups and assess for re-call carefully before taking any dogs off lead. If at times you require your dog to remain on the lead that’s fine too. I keep alert with a close eye for potential dangers and take action to avoid harm.


I coax, pet, sooth, and reward dogs to encourage good behaviour and discourage tricky behaviour with diversion. For some dogs, there will be settling in phase, but most just fit in and enjoy meeting their new friends right from the start.


Walking times are an estimate of the time we start the hour walk, so you need to add on the collecting and drop off times. Please note – times are a guide only, allow a window of up to 2 hours for collections/traffic/doggy delays/etc.

Background Image

I cover areas in a radius around Tonbridge, Hildenborough, Leigh, Southborough, Bidborough, St Johns, and others. If you do live a little further away, get in touch and we can see how the service may fit for you.

Contact MARY

Any Questions?

  • Will my dog get a full hour's walk?

    Yes! He/she will be out in the fields and woods nearby for a full 60 minutes. The collection and drop off rounds are added on and where you live will depend on how long it takes! Occasionally unexpected events take place such as an emergency, sickness (me or a dog), traffic accidents causing delays, etc, and I need to make reasonable adjustments to the time we are out and about in order to get round to every dog that day. We may also be out for longer on other days so it all evens out. These days are exceptional.

  • How will I know how my dog is getting on?

    I will let you know by text or Whatsapp later in the day– you can leave messages for me and I can keep you posted on how the walk went etc. If I have any concerns that your dog may be unwell, or that I notice another problem at your home I will contact you as soon as possible.

  • What happens if there is an emergency?

    These are rare but if one does occur, I am used to remaining calm, prioritising and acting efficiently in a crisis. I attended a certified Pet First Aid course in February 2019. Obviously my priority is to arrange medical help for the dog concerned as well maintain the safety of all the dogs in my care. I would try to contact you first but if time is critical I may have to take your dog to the nearest vet to ensure treatment is commenced straight away. I have public liability insurance, but the owner must understand that they would be liable for any vets fees. I do make every effort to be cautious and conscientious about potential hazards and try to prevent incidents before they occur. Getting to know your dog well, and taking information from you will enhance that level of safety. Encouraging good recall and friendly socialization will help this too.

  • What about terrible weather?

    We walk whatever, I’m not one for fair weather walking only! Some times to be honest it is not good for the dogs to be out too long if extremely cold or hot. On the very occasional days of heavy snow it may not be possible to get to your dog. I will try to walk to those within reach, see them, let them out, and give them some attention. Realistically it’s unsafe to walk on icy pavements with dogs on leads too. Of course, it’s likely you may be at home too that day so it probably won’t be a problem. In the case of very hot days we will take a more leisurely walk, find the shade and maybe a bit of a dip to keep things cool. I carry water in the car to offer the dogs at all times.

  • What if my dog is very wet and muddy?

    Well, mine always are! They love to swim or wallow in the local lakes and streams. Realistically I can’t wash the dogs at your home as there will be others waiting in my car on my drop-off rounds. So I have a very effective large portable water sprayer to rinse off muddy paws and tummies and I will give them a good towel rub too. If you lay down some towels and restrict some areas for after the walk this should keep things in check. If a dog is particularly dirty – some do love a bit of rolling in dubious mess – I will try to clean this off. We would discuss all this when we meet.

  • What if I have to cancel a booking?

    Plans do change but I ask where possible to please give me 48 hours notice or longer if you can. Spaces are limited so I can use free spaces easily if your dog doesn’t need them. If you are cancelling a long-term regular booking – it would be good to know in advance. I can plan for other bookings if I know a dog will be coming off my books. I do prioritise my regular doggies so please keep me posted on your plans. Having said all that – I do understand that things can also change at the last minute too, so let me know anyway so that I don’t make my way to see you dog unnecessarily, as this would be charged.

  • What if my dog is unwell?

    If you know your dog is poorly – do let me know! Its not fair on them or the other dogs to take them out under the weather, and infections such as upset tummies, etc can spread to other dogs so please let them stay at home for a day or two to recover. Your dog should always have his/her vaccinations annually and I strongly advise that they have the kennel cough vaccine in addition with those because they are regularly spending time with other groups of dogs. Kennel cough is a bit like doggy flu and can spread quickly. If you dog has a persistent cough you should have him checked and isolate from other dogs for a week or so.

Background Image

Mary's Price List

Here are the prices for my services which will be updated with notice. If you've got any questions, just get in touch.

FeesFirst DogSecond DogThird DogFeesOne DogTwo DogsThree Dogs
Walk£13£9£13Walk£13£22£35
Weekend & Bank Holiday Walks£17£11£17Weekend & Bank Holiday Walks£17£28£435
Higher Mileage (over 4 miles)£1 extraHigher Mileage (over 4 miles)£1 extra

Contact Mary

Enquiries

Make contact with me by email, facebook or mobile. We will arrange to meet together to discuss the type of service you are looking for, and of course I will be able to meet your dog, I will provide you with an information pack and a booking form to complete should you wish to use Mary Walks Dogs.

Details

Call Mary on 07736 418450
mary@marywalksdogs.co.uk
Facebook