Cheltenham born and bred, retired Mike first fell in love with dogs when he was 14. Although the family had their hands full with 2 cross breeds, he insisted on walking the local neighbours’ dogs as well as he enjoyed canine company so much.

He owned his first dog just after he married, a beautiful Golden Retriever puppy named Lady. He took her to the local training classes and as they both enjoyed it so much he continued training with her for over 2 years. They entered all the local dog competitions against various training schools across Cheltenham, Cirencester and Tewkesbury and won many of them.

Mike never really got over the loss of Lady who sadly at 13 years old, passed away. However, he never really likes to be without a dog he finds their companionship very rewarding; and all of the lucky dogs that board with him have such a great time having long walks, some even learn new tricks to impress their owners with on their return. It has
to be said that Mike has such a gentle nature with the dogs that they warm to him instantly.

As with all Host Families, Mike has ample space in his home and a secure garden for any size dog. He spends a lot of his time with his guests and is always very sad when it’s time for them to go home. Fortunately, he gets to see the same dogs again and again at the owners’ request.

Mike says, “I love all dogs of any size or breed and I seem to bond with them very quickly.” He continued, “I decided to take up home boarding because as much as I love dogs, I wouldn’t want to go through the heartache of losing one again. I’m enjoying my retirement and having the occasional doggie guest fulfils my passion without the commitment. It gives me a perfect excuse to get out the house whilst getting some exercise and where possible, I enjoy using some of my simple training techniques which is always rewarding.”