Walkies with Joanne Dovesi.

“The common theme to dog walking is mud, and I always seem to be covered in it! I have been a dog walker for many years, and I love it. Having been brought up in the countryside in Dumfriesshire, amongst livestock, horses, and pets, I have always had a strong affinity for animals, especially the canine kind.

“a good understanding of yoga would be helpful”

I walk a great group of dogs, ranging in size from the Dachshund to the Dobermann, they each have their own little, (and big!) characters. Walking four or five dogs on the lead can get tricky. Energies are high at the beginning of the walk and juggling leads in one hand, a latte in the other and managing to pick up poo is a challenge in itself. Leads get tangled so a good understanding of yoga would be helpful for the positions I get myself in to. I regularly get, “you’ve got your hands full” comments from passersby, who chuckle at my antics. I live in Edinburgh, and you’d be surprised what an abundance of wildlife surrounds us. I am lucky enough to have the Hermitage of Braid on my doorstep. After starting my walk and all the dogs have done their ablutions, I am left carrying a handful of poo bags, and whether the poo bags are lavender or vanilla scented, believe me, this scent rapidly disappears. I hurry to find the nearest bin and there are not many. We make our way to Blackford Hill where the views of Edinburgh are breathtaking. The dogs always have a mad twenty minutes racing around. The wind at the top of the hill always get them over excited and there are the usual squabbles before they all calm down. I have a black Labrador of my own, who always comes on the walks. She is such a sweetie, a gentle soul, who acts like Mum to the group.

“should not wear lycra, as it leaves little to the imagination”

My daughter has a hamster, and she lets him run around on her back. She takes no notice, a few sniffs and her head goes back on her favourite cushion to continue her nap. And that’s where she stays until she hears the rustling of a crisp packet. During our walk, I always see the same people. The joggers, who I sometimes think, should not wear lycra as it leaves little to the imagination. The lady who looks as though she is heading to London Fashion Week and so does her dog.

Walkies

with Joanne Dovesi

I’m amazed that she is still immaculate by the end of the walk. When I see her getting a latte that’s when the word “treats” comes in very handy, as I dread to think what would happen if the dogs went bounding over to her.

“usually leaves me drenched!”

Making our way back down the hill, we head to the nearest burn where the dogs can have a well-deserved drink and a frolic in the water. This gets rid of some of the mud and usually leaves me drenched. I’ve seen a lot of wildlife on my walks. The deer grazing by the woods, the otters in the burn, which was a surprise and the heron who regally stands waiting patiently by the river for a passing fish. As well as little field mice who don’t seem to show any fear towards me, as they scurry around between my feet. The dogs are always too slow to catch them. A cheeky Labradoodle, Hector, has an obsession with birds and always thinks he can catch them, and of course, never does. His brother, Hugo, does the same thing with squirrels and stands guard with a hopeful look in his eye at the bottom of the tree waiting for a squirrel that never appears.

“That old familiar smell of Eau de Dog fills the air”

A spritely Irish Terrier, who is the Alpha Male of the group and can be quite bossy at times, came across a dead bird. Thinking that he would toss it about a bit and then eat it, I was surprised that after sniffing it, he started to cover it with leaves using his nose. He was very gentle and showed such tenderness towards it. Quite the opposite to his usual boisterous self. When the walk comes to an end, it’s time to get all the dogs back to the car for home time. At the beginning of the day my car looks, well, not too bad. Seats have been cleaned the night before and towels have been washed for the day ahead. Then it’s unleash the hell! Although I’ve tried to get most of the dirt off, the remainder ends up on windows, doors, in fact, everywhere. And that old familiar smell of Eau de Dog fills the air, along with a few wafts of the usual gases that are released when the dogs are asleep and not from me, I might add. 2020 was quite a year and I had noticed a quietness in the surroundings locally to me. I appreciate the wildlife and the peacefulness of nature and know how lucky I am to have a job that allows me to experience joy and fulfillment, even during these uncertain times.”

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