About Us

Welcome to Bishopton Dog Walking Services, where loving pet owners  can be reassured that their pet is in safe and trusted hands and will receive due care and attention, whatever pet service they require….

From dog walking to puppy visits, a trip to feed the cat or rabbit, experience Bishopton Dog Walking’s unique appeal – and place yourself and your very special pet in the heart and soul of Renfrewshire’s premier pet service.

Please do browse our website, call or text us on 07949 348575 or email us using our contact form on the contact page to speak to us about any aspect of the services we provide.

About me!

Hello!  My name is Jamie Shanks and I live in Bishopton.  I’m a dog owner too.

Me and my own dog Ruby

I’ve had plenty of experience with pets as I’ve owned dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, fish and rabbits.  I’m 33 years old and I’ve been dog walking and caring for pets professionally since May 2010.  Before I started dog walking I was a carer and have worked in Stobhill NHS as a medical illustrator!

I’d thought about becoming a pro dog walker for a few years as I love the company of dogs and like working on my own, but had always been intimidated about being self employed.  In Oct 09 I became unemployed and after a few months of only getting one job interview I began to think about becoming a dog walker.  During February and March I decided to go self employed and told the job centre that I was going to become a dog walker and was ready to sign off straight away but it took another two months for them to sort out the working tax credits so I could ‘sign off’.

On May the 10th 2010 I went to the job centre for the last time and signed off.  On the train from Bishopton to Paisley I watched the trees fly by as an unemployed man and then just an hour later I sat on the train on the way back home and watched the same scenery go by as new self employed dog walker – scary but exciting stuff!  Being my own boss and owning my very own business felt amazing and empowering but there was a major problem – I had no dogs to walk and had no money to invest in my business.  I had to let people know that Bishopton dog walking services existed and were ready to roll, so I made all my own leaflets and posted them through every single door in Bishopton and saved up to get business cards.  With no car I borrowed a bike from my brother so I could cycle to my pets.  A few weeks passed since I posted my leaflets but I never received a single phone call and things looked pretty gloomy to say the least.  Then one day the phone rang with someone asking me to walk their dog.  They were from Renfrew and their dog was a show cocker spaniel named Jay (you can see him here).   Jay and me are very close and since June 2010 I have walked him 5 days a week, every week.

My old car

As summer turned to autumn and I found more dogs to walk and pets to care for I saved up and bought a very cheap 23 year old Volvo estate.  It was a very nice looking car with a massive boot and came with all the toys including heated seats, which were a god send for the winter of 2010.  Sadly the ownership of that car came at a price.  Because I never drove far I didn’t think that owning a car (especially a v6) would be too expensive, but it was.  In the end and with many repairs to the vehicle I had to let it go.

For over 6 months I went back to using the bike, but eventually and after a bit of saving, I bought another car.  In October 2011 I bought a 2005 Chevrolet estate, which drives like new and is a lot more suitable for dog walking and is invaluable now that summer is over and it has become wet and dark.

Walking dogs from Renfrew, Bishopton,Erskine and Langbank was getting too much especially the time and cost it took to get to dogs and I knew I needed to localize the area.

My new estate. I now walk dogs and look after pets in Bishopton, Linburn, Erskine, Langbank and Inchinnan. To see a small selection of the dogs I walk please visit the gallery.

In October 2011 and after the owners of some dogs I walked in Renfrew no longer required a dog walker, I decided to let Renfrew go and concentrate on the Bishopton and Erskine areas.  It was such a tough choice, but I knew that eventually I would either have to choose Bishopton/Erskine or the Renfrew area and that there would come a point where I couldn’t do both.

In the afternoons (2pm +) I visit Langbank and walk dogs there, I’ve met and chatted to many Langbank dog owners and I even meet up with an owner every time I’m down there so her young lab can play and socialize with the dogs I walk.  If you’re a dog owner from Langbank then there is a good chance I’ve spoken to you while our dogs have played together.

I am fully insured with a disclosure Scotland certificate to show new clients.

I hope you enjoy the website.

View my map in a larger map