Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who
see dogs not as toys or tools, but wise souls worth our respect and care.
I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host.
I talk to poor some humans, people who do great work for dogs and their people.
So come and join us for today's conversation.
Anke: Hello.
Hello, hello and welcome, Lauren.
I'm super excited to have you here.
Lauren: Hi Anke.
Thank you.
I'm really looking, I've been really looking forward to this.
Um, my name's Lauren, obviously.
Yeah.
Anke: Well, thank you.
Well, let's start out, you know, let people know where that
beautiful accent comes from and what's your business with dogs.
Lauren: Uh, thank you.
Um, so I'm from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
And I am the owner and founder of Fleet with Luna, and I do dog.
I start off with dog walking.
Um, I still do that and I do one-to-one dog training as well.
Um, I started out about eight years ago.
Um, whenever I got, whenever I got, well, Luna, um, she was a We rescue.
Um, so her mom, she was founded astray.
Pregnant.
So she was in the pound and we weren't even expecting, um, the
get Luna, but didn't even know if there was any pups left.
So we just went up not expecting anything and we got her.
Um, so it all really started with her taking her to puppy classes and was
with my old dog too, my German Shepherd.
He had a lot of issues and didn't want to repeat any same mistakes with Luna.
Learned a lot from him.
Mm-hmm.
And yeah, after taking her to the puppy classes, that really got me
into the dog training and started the dog walking first to give me more
experience, and I gradually built it up.
Anke: That's fascinating.
'cause I think a lot of people might have this idea of like, oh, I really
enjoy this, but, uh, not many people actually do, you know, so, and the
dog walking it does make sense.
And still, my, my little business mind is going, how do you get somebody to
trust you with their dog when you sort of first starting out, when you don't really
have much experience how, you know, how.
Lauren: Um, well before I started I got my DBS police background check.
Um, so I got that and I got my insurance and, uh, got a couple of qualifications.
Um, my first aid.
And then it started off very, very local, um, word mouth, and
then through people in the park.
And then I got reviews and I just gradually built it up
really, really slowly over time.
And so whenever I go to the meet and greets, I bring everything with
my, all the qualifications and the certificates and photographic id because
I could just be a stranger lying Yeah.
Into their home.
So I bring everything with my.
Anke: Oh, that's such a, that's such a good point because like, see,
I'm just so thinking, like, I'd be like, I'd be such a horrible client.
It's like, I'd be so, yeah.
I'd be so worried to kind of leave my job with somebody.
Lauren: But, um, it's, it's really, really, um, surprising.
Nobody ever asks for them.
Oh yeah.
So I have to give it to 'em and tell them to go through it.
Have a look.
But we'd have a, we quick flick through and they would be happy.
Um.
They base their decision on how the dog reacts to me.
If the dog likes me, then they're happy.
They don't want to know, they don't need to know anything else.
They just base their opinions on me, based on their dog.
Anke: Oh, well that's a smart move.
I think it's a smart move.
So what, what made you then, you know, so also you started out sort
of thinking like you wanna kind of get into the doc training and, and so
what do people, like, what's the most common thing people come to you for?
Lauren: Um, it would be mainly their dog ping on the lead.
And I get a lot of dog on dog reactivity would be those main two.
Um, sometimes it would be separation anxiety, but that's very, very rare.
Um, but I am really glad it is those, because those are my two
favorite, um, fields to work in.
Like I love teaching my sidewalking.
And I love helping with reactivity.
It's really, really satisfying.
'cause some of it's like the reactivity is really slow progress.
Yeah.
I mean, if you see the owners put in the work and you see it gradually happening
and the difference over time, I love that.
Mm.
Anke: And it does make sense.
You know when, when you think about when, when you kind of
have the walking as the base.
Mm-hmm.
You know, so obviously it's those two things that happen on a walk.
Right.
Lauren: Yes.
So it's
Anke: almost like, you know, like you, you could be like,
on like peaceful walks, right?
So that's almost like the, the headline in a way.
What's your, what's your favorite case?
What's the kind of the most kind of emotional or the most impactful
transformation you've experienced in a, in the client store?
Lauren: There's been a few.
There's been quite a few.
Um, there's also been ones just with dog walking class.
There's been quite a few transformations as well.
Um, just trying to have a wee think.
There was one dog, um, when I first started walking 'em, uh,
was just initially as a dog walker was really reactive and.
Um, permanently jumping and everything.
Um, so I was walking him for quite a while.
I do walk and train as well, just normally on the walks.
And I, I just, I told the owner everything that I had been doing,
and she was a planner as well.
I've been walking the dog for two years now, two and a half years.
Um, and.
Ever.
She's been doing the training, she's been sending me videos 'cause I
only walk the we dog once a week.
Um, so there's a great difference in a, now he's a lot more calmer and all
the stress signals have all gone down.
The Panton stop and the frowning, like he still has moments, like he
still has his bag bursts every now and again a couple of times a month,
but it would be every single day.
Wow.
And they have really, really put in the work.
Anke: Wow.
So they basically, you, you work with the dog, then you tell the owner what
to do, and if they continue on the same, you know, basically pulling
on the same string, then you really, really see, see the different, you
know what I, what, what struck me about this was like if I have a dog.
Who, who is really reactive and really pulls.
It wouldn't occur to me to throw a dog walk under the bus.
You know?
I would sort of think like, oh my God, I need to kind of get my dog
some help with this first before I can get some, before I would kind of
like put this on onto somebody else.
So it feels to me it's like, is that common?
Lauren: Yes.
That's really funny.
Um, I was talking to my sister about that the other day.
Um, 'cause it's been really warm weather, so I've had to wear shorts and
my legs have bruises, cuts, scratches.
I get everybody else, all the other dog walkers seem to get really
calm dogs and they do group walks.
I get all the, I get all the weak, perky dogs, so just all come to me.
So it's all solo walks.
I think, I think I'm a magnet.
I must send out some beacon that attracts them.
Anke: Oh, that's funny.
That is funny.
But see that's the thing is like I wouldn't, I wouldn't have even
thought that that was a thing.
Like I would've thought if I come to a dog trainer.
And, um, and have a dog that's like reactive and really kind of pulling on
the leash that I'd go and say, well, hey, can we like do some training first?
And then when the dogs kind of, you know, more easily, easily, you know, like, does
better with the walks, then I would go like, now you could go take him for a walk
and not like, Hey, I can't handle him.
You go do it.
Right?
I mean, it feels a little bit like that.
Lauren: Yeah.
Um, but at least I can't complain.
It least, at least it's not boring.
Anke: Yeah, no.
And also you get clients from it, right?
So it's almost like, you know, if you can, if you can make some, actually, I remember
speaking to somebody, she did that, she had walks and then she would kind of
train them on the walks and people would go, oh my God, what you do to the dog?
Like, he doesn't do whatever he used to do, and so they'd
hire her on the back of that.
So it's, it's a valid strategy for you, right?
It's just like kind of a weird thing from the owner perspective, but, um.
You were mentioning something I'm really curious about, like you say like, okay,
yes, it's about the dog and you know, we also kind of wanna take care of the owner.
Mm-hmm.
Tell me a little bit more about that.
Um,
Lauren: because being a dog owner, um, if your dog is struggling and has
a lot, a lot, like a lot of issues and you don't really know where
to turn, it can be very isolating.
And if you don't know what you need to research.
You can find any information online, um, really detrimental
information and you think you're doing the best, um, that you can.
And then further down the line, maybe a few years later, you find
out that what you've been doing has been harmful, and that can be
really traumatizing for the owner.
It's really, really hard to get past that.
Um, luckily with sous.
Like whenever I had my German Shepherd, it was like over 15 years
ago, um, there was the, that dog show dog whisper and I would watch it.
I never applied anything, thankfully.
I never applied any of the, the methods or nothing 'cause
it just, it didn't sit right.
But I still didn't know enough.
Um, I wasn't able to walk him or anything.
He was still really, really happy indoors.
But that's something I still feel really, really bad about, that he didn't have.
What could have been the full quality of life.
Yeah.
And so I know if I had applied those methods to him back then
today, I think I would need therapy.
I would feel so, so
Anke: bad.
I mean, do, do, do owners talk about that?
Like when, you know how, because I mean, I remember like I.
Yeah.
You know, well, the, the first two, they, well, they were all found in
the street, but like literally they had to kind of survive on their own.
So they were like, just like, okay, food, rubbish, whatever.
You know, like one was kind of like, you know, sort of, and, and
it was kind of, I remember feeling like really embarrassed, you know?
I felt really embarrassed walking, like, and you kind of could feel like the eyes,
like people watching you look can't even control dog kind of thing, you know?
Yeah.
And so there's, there's this, and then you get like.
People dropping comments.
Oh, yes.
You know, and you get all the advice.
Mm-hmm.
And, and the stuff that isn't said and all, all of that.
So it's, you know, and then sometimes there's, it's kind of almost like, oh,
for God's sake, all I wanted was like to have a nice chill walk with my dog.
Like this is what I signed up for, kind of thing, you know?
Mm-hmm.
So what else is there that people.
You know, I mean, these guys haven't had like major kind of issues,
but like that leash pulling stuff, that was the thing, you know?
And then one wasn't happy alone, and like he'd scratch
on the door and the neighbors.
So it was just that embarrassment, that constant sense of being judged
by, you know, people around you.
Yeah.
That wasn't fun, you know?
Yeah.
So, I mean, what are your, what do your clients tell you in
Lauren: that?
They, some of my parents, they would say that they do feel, um,
embarrassed and they would dread, they would dread walks and some of
the dogs, um, there was one dog.
It was really, really big.
And the owner would feel like sick with dread at walking the dog.
Yeah, I mean, especially a big dog.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Because, um, this dog was, this dog was a rottweiler, um, nearly 60 kilos.
And yeah, so the owner was, uh, I felt, I felt so sorry for Okay.
So, and the garden was quite small, so, uh, there wasn't even like, no.
The makeup for walks, uh, big garden.
But she, she had a lot of, um, she met, she felt quite embarrassed and she got
a lot of the comments and all, and the unsolicited advice and the funny remarks.
So is he taking you for a walk?
Anke: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
For sure.
So, so how, like, what tips would you give somebody?
Or like how do you support clients in, you know, through that?
Lauren: Um, well for, for the likes of that, um, like when they're For
the half a garden, I would tell them.
Don't put so much pressure on yourself to walk the dog every day
if it's causing you so much stress and, and cause a dog stress too.
Um, I always recommend just start practicing indoors just a few minutes
here and there, so if you're really busy, it's not gonna take up a lot of your time.
So it's so easy to practice everything indoors and in your back garden.
Just gradually build back up the box.
Um, but I, I tell owners, I mean, I've felt the same way as well.
Walking even still nice sometimes I walking dogs and I get a lot of comments.
Like, I walk a, do a Doberman once a week and every week I hear that dog
taking you for a walk and everything.
Yeah.
Like,
so.
But now I don't purchase goes over my head.
I'm just like, ah.
Anke: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think it's, it's that, it's like, you know, you can't go every time you
punch that look in the face, you know, so you can't kind of punch everybody
in the nose releases stupid comment.
So it's like you have to kind of learn to, not, to not let it affect you, you know?
But it, um, yeah,
Lauren: I'm sorry.
At the very start, it used to bother me, but now I just don't care.
I just laugh and be like, yeah.
Anke: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I think it's that, even, even that feeling that, oh, it's not
just you, I think that makes a big difference already, you know?
Yeah.
Like, it's like, because everybody, it's always, you feel like it's,
everybody else has these lovely, you know, calm, chill dogs that just, and
I used to get a lot of slack with, um.
Like a German friend of mine, she'd always say, oh, well my dog, I, I used to kind
of, I, I would never put a leash on her and she would just kind of walk beside me.
And I do that with Leo, and I can kind of scream, I can scan all
the rubish bit around the area.
Yeah.
You know, I'll, you know, so it's like, but she'd always
like, yeah, well, you know, like.
You know, there is that, like, she'll say that, but the, there is
the judgment that comes with it.
It's like, oh, you have your dog on the leash and that's
just not fair and whatever.
You know?
So there's like that little phrase can set off a whole bunch of, you know, yeah.
So, yeah.
So, and sometimes you might kind of interpret stuff into it that
wasn't even meant, or sometimes Well, yeah, those subtle kind of
digs were actually there, you know?
Mm-hmm.
But I think it's.
Well, you know, every person and their dog is, is their own little universe, right?
Lauren: Yeah.
Um, like even though I'm dog everything, like I've got my baby
Luna and that way dog, she's bunkers.
Um, she is great like the majority of the time.
She's great.
She sleeps a lot and all, but she is very reactive.
Indoor standing noises, I'd say just getting better.
Um, she's brilliant now on her walks and everything, she gets very easily.
Overstimulated and she picks up on the emotions of everybody around
her and everything and mm-hmm.
So even, even as a dog trainer, I mean,
Anke: I wish, well, I think even as well, especially as a dog trainer, I'm just
thinking, it's like, well, the pressures on you more than, because there's that
thing like, well, you should know better.
Like, you know, is that, do you feel the pressure that as a dog trainer I should.
Lauren: Sometimes I do, yes it does under my head.
Um, but with dogs, um, it can be genetics as well and environment.
And I do the best that I can do and she's a very happy wee dog.
Um, so I did choose to feel like that not so much now, and I think.
It's easier to relate to owners and then it makes owners feel more
comfortable too when you admit that, that Yeah, my dog's not perfect either.
And I think a perfect dog doesn't really, uh, like a, a stable dog
or like a calm doesn't really, they're quite rare come by.
Every dog's gonna have a way, a quirk.
Anke: Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
And I think it's also like what.
Your level of tolerances or what you expect from your dog?
I think there's a lot there because you know, I can, I can kind of say,
well, I've got a perfect dog, like, she's perfect for me, you know?
Yeah.
You know, but, but yes, she does get overexcited and yes, when there's somebody
at the door, she does bark and you know, it's like where other people goes, oh
yeah, but she's a barker, she's this, you know, so it's like, for me, she's perfect.
I don't care, you know?
Yeah.
So it's like, it depends on what you expect from your dog as well.
Lauren: Yeah.
Do you think
Anke: people expect too much from their dogs?
Lauren: I think so.
Yeah.
Um, like for me personally, like for Luna, I don't expect anything from her.
As long as she's happy and safe, I'm fine.
I have no expectations and she can do whatever she wants as long as
within the realms of safety and her happiness that I'm happy by.
Um, but I think owners do put a lot of pressure on their dogs, especially.
In today, like how said's changing and it's a lot more of an urban environment.
There's too much going on for them and they get too overstimulated and all.
And owners put too much pressure on themselves as well.
Like so many times hear people saying I need to walk again.
Was Dog walking yesterday?
It was really warm, so it was a 15 minute walk in the shade.
And I have heard people talk and had this sweet, tiny black dog saying how
he needs to walk his dog every day.
And that's a lot of pressure.
And then it's, I think it's too much expectations for the dog.
'cause even people need to take a wee break sometimes.
So the day.
And I think dogs like to have a wee break where they're not expected to do anything.
Anke: Yeah, totally.
I totally agree.
I mean, I've seen it with my.
I mean, it was still a small town, but in the historic part of town
where it was called Little Alleyways, and it was like a lot of noise
and a lot of whatever, you know?
And now where it's just totally, it's outta town.
It's rural, all quiet, like, it's like day and night for the dogs, you know?
Especially this one.
It was literally, you would like, is that the same dog?
You know, who would pull like crazy on the lead?
And here he's like, oh.
You know, like he was, I mean, it makes, it makes such a difference,
but that whole walking, like you've gotta walk the dog every day.
It's very common, isn't it?
Mm-hmm.
I mean, I've been a little sort of more like, like not obsessed because I do have
a garden now where, you know, they can run around and play and so there's not a.
When I lived in a place where they literally had to go out to pee.
Yeah.
Well then there you have to take them out, right?
Yeah.
So, but for a lot of people, I also say this like, oh yeah,
but my dog needs exercise.
Mm-hmm.
What's your, what's your response to that?
If they say, well I have to take him out three times a day because
you need to burn off energy.
Lauren: Um, I'd suppose, I mean, if it is a very high energy dog,
the cans are prerogative, really.
Um.
But I also give them suggestions of indoor activities that can
do enrichment, um, sniffy games and puzzle toys and puzzle mats.
And you can even do that with objects you have around your home.
Like if you get an empty cardboard toilet roll holder, put a trade inside and
fold up each hand and give it to them.
I do loads of them with Luna sometimes.
Or if you get a tile and you scatter treats and you roll the tile up.
Treats in each, um, each layer of the room.
They love that.
And we basic agility things in the garden that the dog can use.
And you can get dog friendly bubbles.
So there's loads and loads of stuff that you can do indoors
and in your garden with your dog.
And it would have more fun.
There's won't be, it'll change up their day wouldn't be as repetitive.
Um, so I, I give the owners loads of suggestions of stuff that they can do.
Instead if they are putting that much pressure on themselves.
Anke: I love that.
I love that.
I love the variety piece because I often think that my dogs actually, so
they get more entertainment running around and, and I've got this little
trampoline and, and the big girl, she loves jumping on that, you know,
so it's like they actually get more.
Variety and more free play here than like on a walk where you
always have to be two big dogs.
So you can't just let them, you know, you know, scale the other little dogs.
And, um, so they actually have a lot more freedom here.
You know, they get a lot more exercise and a lot more free movement than
they would if we, if we walk outside.
Mm-hmm.
So that, I don't, that they don't go outside, but it's
just like not as kind of.
Not this kind of strict obligations of, oh, we've gotta go three times
a day kind of thing, you know?
Lauren: Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Anke: Definitely.
Yeah.
So where do you see yourself in, like, where do you see you,
yourself and your business?
Like what's, where you headed?
Like where do you see yourself in a couple of years?
Maybe
Lauren: a couple of years.
Um, in a couple of years, I would like to have my substack really take off.
And for it to be a good, stable income.
Um, I really, really like that.
And, uh, reach out the more people and more adult owners and hopefully
it's hard to describe, like dilute the misinformation that's online, like help do
that and I mean, it's a win-win all round.
Um, if I was able to make a stable income off that.
I could work and travel at the same time.
That's something I've always wanted to do and I've always been
trying to come up with ideas.
How can I work with travel?
And I think this, I think this could be it.
So, so tell us a little
Anke: bit about the Substack, because may not, you know, I mean, I know what it
is because that's where we met, so Yeah.
You know, we're on the same platform there, but, um, it's, uh, you know,
maybe not, like not everybody listening might know what Substack is like, and
you know, that also answers the question where people can go and connect with you.
So, from that point of view, please go.
Lauren: Yeah, so I do, um, I think it's quite like a, like a
newsletter, a publishing platform.
Um, so I ho I do a free post every Sunday.
Um, I, I do it on a range of topics, um, between, um, the dog training
theory and training, tips and advice.
And every Wednesday.
Um, accidentally ended up creating mini courses, something I've always
wanted to do, and that's what I've been doing all along every Wednesday.
So every Wednesday I have a mini course that I try and keep quite
short as to not overwhelm the reader.
And in that I do a wee tracker sheet with a can recorder, dog
progress throughout the week.
And then subscribers can contact me with any questions.
Video updates, one-to-one advice once a month.
Um, on Substack.
I'm called Lead with Luna.
I love
Anke: that.
Yeah.
That's it's, and yes, do we do, go ahead, follow her, because,
you know, it's, um, yeah.
Great content.
So I'm, you know, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, um, follower, so yeah, we'll pop the
link below in the show notes, obviously.
So it's always gonna be below, if you're listening here or on YouTube,
it's always gonna be just right, right below the video, the link.
Go, go and follow Lauren.
Well, thank you so much.
Thank you.
Is there somewhere else where people can go and find you?
Like a website or like also where are you working locally?
I don't think we actually said that.
Lauren: Um, locally in Belfast, Northern Ireland, um, I work in
mostly North and West Belfast.
Anke: Alright, well thank you so much and uh, yeah, and I'll, we'll obviously stay
in touch and we'll see each other on Yes.
On Substack because I do think your, your mission would definitely
need that, you know, have to dilute all the bullshit that's out there.
So, yeah, thanks for coming and I'll to speak to you again soon.
Lauren: Okay.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for having me.
Thanks so much for listening.
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That's A N k E at Soul touched by dogs.com.