If you’re a dog walker or pet pro who’s trying to juggle everything – clients, invoices, kids, school runs, clubs, family, dogs, actual sleep – this one’s for you.
In a recent episode of The Pet Business Wellbeing Podcast, I spoke with Shelina Duke (Shelina the Poodle Trainer) about something that rarely gets talked about honestly:
👉 What it really looks like to run a pet business
👉 While also being a full-time parent / guardian
👉 And still trying to look after your own wellbeing
Shelina didn’t just slowly “grow into” this juggle.
Her whole life changed in one day.
When life changes overnight
Shelina was working as Head of Primary in a special needs school, deeply invested in her pupils and her leadership role.
Then her sister sadly passed away.
Almost overnight, Shelina became the full-time guardian of her young niece.
No gentle ramp up. No slow introduction to parenting.
Just: here is a grieving child, here is your grief, here are your ten dogs, here is your demanding full-time role… now somehow make it all work.
Many people in that position might have completely crashed.
Shelina made a different choice:
“I knew something had to change. I couldn’t be the head of primary I wanted to be and be the present guardian she deserved.”
So she did something brave and frankly, quite radical.
She decided to leave teaching and go all-in on her dog training business.
Not “sometime in the future”.
Not “when things calm down”.
Right then.
From classroom teacher to online poodle trainer
Before going full-time, Shelina was already running her training business around her job:
- 7:30am–5/6pm in school
- Evenings spent doing 1:1s
- Weekends filled with classes
(If you’re a dog walker doing “just one more” evening walk or a Sunday meet-and-greet – you’ll recognise that pattern.)
Her original plan was to leave teaching in five years’ time.
Life brought that forward.
She made the decision to niche right down into her true obsession:
Poodles. Only poodles. All online. Worldwide.
That meant:
- No more dashing to in-person classes every evening
- No more relying on local clients only
- The ability to structure her diary around school runs, clubs and bedtime, not someone else’s timetable
And because of her background in teaching and SEN, her clients didn’t just get “dog training”.
They got patient, structured, compassionate teaching for humans too – especially those who are neurodivergent themselves.
Grief, support and the power of community
I asked Shelina how she coped in those first months of grief, guardianship and business-building.
One of the things that got her through was, surprisingly, her clients.
Right after her sister died, she ran a round of her barking program for poodles. She told the group what was happening in her life and gave herself permission to be honest.
When her niece had a meltdown before a session and she felt too emotionally shaken to teach, Shelina messaged the group to cancel.
Their response?
“Please look after yourself.”
“Do what you tell us to do – take a break.”
“We’ll be here when you’re ready.”
They reminded her of the very wellbeing advice she gives them.
Sometimes community isn’t about huge masterminds or shiny memberships.
Sometimes it’s a small group of dog guardians on Zoom who cheer you on when you’re barely holding it together.
Building a business around the school run
Fast-forward to now and Shelina has designed a business that genuinely fits around her niece and her dogs.
A snapshot of her current rhythm:
- Mornings: a little bit of content or messaging before her niece is up
- Before school: being fully present – breakfast, getting ready, connection
- School hours: the main work block for clients, content, admin and mentoring
- After school: school pick-up, snacks, decompressing, clubs, dance, swimming
- Evenings: a couple of online classes a week, while family supports with childcare
- Weekends: dance clubs, shows with her poodles, some gentle catch-up work in the gaps
She’s very clear:
“Her business fits around her. She doesn’t fit around her business.”
That distinction is huge.
Dog walkers often tell me they feel like their business is the boss:
- Walks from 9–3
- Evening pop-ins
- Weekend sits
- Admin squeezed into late nights
Shelina has flipped that.
Her niece, her dogs and her health set the structure first – then the business slots in.
Letting go of guilt (the hardest bit)
If you’re a parent, carer, or guardian, you’ll know all about guilt:
- Guilt for missing a school event
- Guilt for answering emails while your kid watches TV
- Guilt for switching your phone off during “work time”
- Guilt for saying no to extra clients when you could squeeze them in
Shelina learned to get really honest with herself about this.
Instead of trying to be everywhere, she chose one fully present moment at a time.
Her suggestion (and I love this):
“Choose ONE thing you’re going to be fully present for.
Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, shut the laptop and show up for that moment.”
That might be:
- The walk to school
- The drive to football or dance
- Bedtime stories
- Sunday breakfast
Once that feels safer and more normal, you can add another “fully present” block.
It’s the same with dog walking clients, by the way.
You don’t need to reply to messages from the van at every red light. You can have one or two protected admin windows where you respond with your full brain, instead of a frazzled half-reply mid-walk.
What dog walkers can take from Shelina’s story
You might not be a guardian to a young child, but you might be:
- Supporting ageing parents
- Coping with chronic illness or pain
- Managing your own neurodivergence
- Dealing with grief, burnout or relationship stress
- Trying to be there for your kids and your business
Here are some gentle, practical takeaways from Shelina’s journey:
1. Your life gets to come first
It’s okay to design your diary around:
- School runs
- Medical appointments
- Rest days
- Therapy
- Your dog’s needs
Your business is there to support that, not erase it.
2. Online and group offers can create breathing space
Just like Shelina moved into online poodle programmes and memberships, you can:
- Add a group dog-walking Q&A call each month
- Run a workshop for your clients about recall, reactivity or separation
- Offer virtual check-ins or training walks with video follow-ups
Recurring income and non-hour-for-hour work can reduce the pressure to fill every slot with walks or visits.
3. One supportive community can change everything
Shelina’s small programme group carried her through some of her hardest weeks.
Your version might be:
- A mentoring space
- A peer WhatsApp group
- A wellbeing-focused Facebook group
- A small accountability pod
You don’t have to carry the emotional load of this work alone.
4. You’re allowed to change your mind
Shelina’s plan was: stay in teaching five more years.
Life said: actually, no.
If your original plan was:
- “I’ll walk dogs forever”
- “I’ll never outsource”
- “I’ll work every Saturday – that’s just how it is”
…you’re allowed to evolve that.
If you’re trying to juggle it all right now
If you’ve read this with a knot in your stomach because it all feels very close to home – you are not failing.
You’re a human, running a business, caring deeply for animals and people. That’s a lot.
If you’d like some extra support:
- 🆘 Download the free Pet Pro Rescue Plan – a gentle, practical starting point if you’re feeling overwhelmed or close to burnout.
- 🐾 If you’re a dog walker thinking about your next steps in business, you can grab my free
- 5 Steps to a Successful Dog Walking Business guide here.
- 💬 And if you’d like a safe space to talk about all of this with other pet pros, you’re very welcome in
- The Pet Business Wellbeing Circle on Facebook.
- Connect with Shelina (The Poodle Trainer):
👉 Facebook
👉 Instagram
👉 Website
👉 Poodle Friends Facebook Group
You do not have to choose between being there for the people (and animals) you love and running a meaningful business.
You’re allowed to build something that fits your real life.
And you’re allowed to start small – one present moment at a time.
