Marley and Fi

Thanks for visiting the Marley and Fi website. I hope you find all the information you need and if not then please don't hesitate to call me or send an email with any enquiries.

Marley and Fi is an established dog walking and home boarding business in the Westhoughton area of Bolton. Aswell as providing a very reliable and personable dog walking service, I also have a 5 star rating from Bolton Council for the Home Boarding of dogs.

About Fi

Since being made redundant from the Forensic Science Service I have been running and growing Marley and Fi into a small business that I am very proud of.  As a busy mother and dog owner myself I understand the pressures of today's working family and appreciate that everyone's personal circumstances are very different, as are their dogs!! I relate to the guilt that comes with not being able to fit everything into one day and the admission that sometimes we need a bit of help.

Unfortunately, more often than not, it is our four legged friends that draw the short straw! Dogs are highly social animals that love company, routine and exercise. They may well receive lots of treats and love and affection when you are at home, but no mental stimulation or human contact for long periods of time, along with not being able to go to the toilet for a big chunk of the day can be detrimental to their physical and mental well being.

A dog that is sufficiently exercised will be more tired and relaxed about being at home alone until their owner comes back. I'm a strong advocate in people not getting dog's if they are going to be at work all day and don't have the time to commit to taking the dog for a good walk first thing in the morning and the finances to pay for a dog walker or doggy day care for daytime stimulation. It is cruel and not fair on the dog!

I am well read in many different aspects of dog training, behaviour and psychology. I am particularly interested in T.Touch, this approach helps animals overcome health and behavioural issues through gentle but specific exercise and massage. I attended a course on Canine Confidence and Dog Reactivity at Dog’s Trust and learned how to recognise the early indicators of stress and fear in dogs and subsequently apply techniques to minimise their anxiety. I have completed a course in Basic Animal First Aid and I am currently working through a Canine Behavioural Science Higher National Diploma.

Being a big animal lover I currently support various charities including: RSPCA and Dogs Trust - Combatting Dog Fighting.

About Marley

Marley is my business partner and greatest confident. He is my superstar 7 year old Schnoodle who never back chats, is always happy to see me and always eats his dinner - I wish the same could be said for the rest of the family!! He has grown to be a happy, confident and sociable little dog who has made lots of K9 friends over the last few years. He has been really helpful in socialising dogs who are a little shy and uncomfortable in certain social situations and has proved to be very tolerant of puppies pulling his ears and the likes!

That is him at the top of the page and lots of other photographs can be seen of him on the gallery.