Danielle Wilson’s day starts early. But instead of donning a uniform or some corporate attire and starting a long commute to work, the Tarrawanna resident pulls on her joggers, grabs her furry friends and heads to the bush or one of the local beaches and runs amok. Sounds like the perfect job? Welcome to a day in the life of a dog walker.
Dani has been running Pawsome Fun, her dog walking, doggy day care business for about four years. It started off small with a couple of clients here and there when she was the full-time carer for her parents. Once they moved into residential care, Dani had the opportunity to do what many of us dream of, turning her love of dogs into her full-time job.
“I’m so proud of myself for what I’ve achieved in this time," she says. "It’s not always easy running a small business with so much competition out there in the Illawarra, and to continue to strive in creating fun and happiness with my doggies and being the silliest dog walker out there.”
Dog walking is not just about, well, walking dogs, though. You also have to be part chauffeur, with Dani picking up clients (the fluffy ones, not the human variety) in small groups starting from 7.30am. But she has to be part psychologist and part matchmaker as well.
“You have lots of dogs with behaviour issues or anxiety, which is common these days, and you have to be on the ball with who to place with who on the walks,” she says.
In Dani’s case, she’s also part photographer and her images of dogs mid-leap, legs akimbo, running with their new favourite stick or bouncing with their buddies have made her as popular with the humans as she is with her four-legged friends.
It’s not all fun and games, though. Looking after the canines of chaos five days a week can be exhausting and let’s not forget the literally ‘crappy’ aspects of the job. On top of that, Dani recently suffered her third broken toe in two years, thanks to some particularly enthusiastic stomping dogs.
It’s all part of the many roles that make up what has to be one of the world’s best jobs and Dani wouldn’t have it any other way.
To enjoy more of Dani’s fabulous doggy photos or to learn more, head to Pawsome Fun.