Supporting You with Your Anxious Dog in London

At Scamps and Champs South East London we are receiving more and more enquiries from owners of dogs who are anxious, and who want to know whether we have the knowledge and experience to care for their pet.

This is an area of service that some of our pet carers have particular experience of and they also have the patience to slowly build a trusting relationship with the anxious dog. The support we can offer for these dogs has to be carefully planned in close collaboration with the dog’s owner, and for the most anxious dogs, we have to start slowly building the relationship some months before the owner plans to leave the dog alone in our care.

Beautiful Spanish Podenco, Rufus, is a great story showing how both owner, Clare and one of Scamps and Champs South East London’s pet carers, Klaudia, have worked brilliantly together to build up Rufus’ confidence, with the ultimate aim of Clare being able to leave Rufus whilst she goes out for whole days, either for work or for other reasons.

Klaudia started visiting Rufus in his home a few months ago. Visits about 1-2 times a week were arranged when Clare was there. Klaudia started by just being in the same room as Rufus and Clare, ensuring that she moved slowly and quietly around him, as new people, loud noise and quick movements were very frightening to him. Rufus loves a sausage and Klaudia began to win his confidence by slowly feeding these to him.  Although treats don’t always work with Rufus, he gradually allowed Klaudia to stroke him and in time would also stay in the room with Klaudia without Clare being there.  Now, Clare explicitly tells Rufus she is leaving the room or house and repeats Klaudia’s name to him.  Last week, when Klaudia arrived, Rufus came to meet her and wagged his tail and allowed her to stroke him immediately! It is still a challenge for Rufus when Klaudia arrives and Clare isn’t there, but he is gradually reducing his fears and they are now going to work on Klaudia letting Rufus into the garden and getting him back into the house on her own.

Klaudia, who is delighted that Rufus is accepting her, says the key to giving him confidence is to be patient and relaxed and not to rush him. She knows Rufus’ triggers and the signs of anxiety in him; no eye contact, jumping back, shaking and freezing. Close collaboration and planning between owner and pet carer is key and ensuring that you are gradually working towards key goals.

Ultimately we hope to be able to offer dog walking services to Clare for Rufus and to be able to pet sit in the house if Clare needs to go away.

Rufus’ story is just one from several dogs we are slowly getting to know and love at Scamps and Champs South East London.  Please contact us to find out more about how we can support you with your anxious dog.

For a detailed quotation, please contact us for further information.

Scamps and Champs South East London are members of the National Association of Registered Pet Sitters and the Pet Industry Federation. Contact Scamps & Champs via our online form, to check availability and make a booking.

Welcome Helen – NEW Pet Care Services in London

We are excited to announce that we have yet another NEW Scamps and Champs Branch opening mid-August, the very first to be situated in our capital city of London! Our new Branch manager Helen lives close to Greenwich and will be running our new Scamps and Champs South East London Branch!

Scamps and Champs South East London currently covers the following boroughs: Greenwich, Lewisham, Bromley, Southwark, Lambeth. Helen will also have teams expanding to cover many other London Boroughs: Tower Hamlets, City, Westminster, Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Islington, Camden, Barking and Dagenham, Enfield and Epping Forest.

Helen and her team will be offering the following caring and reliable pet care services; dog walking, dog home boarding, cat sitting, overnight cat sitting and a wedding pet chaperone service.

“I’m Helen and run the South East London branch of Scamps and Champs. I’m really excited to be providing high quality pet services to pets and their families in South East London as part of the Scamps and Champs family. We offer dog walking, home boarding for dogs, pet sitting and a range of other services.

I grew up with cats and kittens and have always had animals in my life, including rabbits, gerbils and a couple of stray dogs I adopted for a few days until they found their owners again. We have 2 cats now; an elderly, kind, one-eyed ginger cat called Honey, who is 17 and an 8 year old tabby called Sissy who regularly wakes me up to be fed by standing on my head.  Although we don’t own a dog we go walking with friends and their dogs whenever we can.

dog walking in south east london, dog home boarding south east london
Helen Cunningham – Scamps & Champs South East London Branch Manager

We are lucky to have kind family and friends to look after our cats when we are away. I understand how important it is to have people who you can trust looking after your animals when you aren’t able to, ensuring that they are cared for either in your own home or with one of our home boarders, going for walks every day or just being visited for company and a cuddle. We can provide a personalised service which meets your needs with a team of people who we have carefully selected and know will take excellent care of your pets, and who you will meet personally before our services start.

My background is in senior positions in healthcare and education and I have a City & Guilds Certificate in Dog Walking. My fantastic team and I are fully vetted and insured, DBS checked and completely committed to your animals’ welfare.”

Helen will be recruiting for her South East London team soon and will be seeking caring and experienced; dog walkers, dog home boarders and pet sitters. If you think this could be you please apply here.

Best of luck Helen and welcome to the Scamps and Champs family!

If you are interested in checking availability, making a booking for mid August onwards please complete our online form.

You can also contact Helen to make an enquiry via the following email address: selondon@scampsandchamps.co.uk

Finally don’t forget to follow Scamps and Champs South East London on Facebook!