A Family, a Failed MOT and Ten Acres of Woodland

How it began

Danielle started Love of Dogs in 2015. It was not a long planned venture. A failed MOT unexpectedly pushed her into starting the business, and what began as a way through a difficult moment turned into a career built around dogs.

Over the years since, Danielle has worked in training and behaviour for 11 years, specialising in reactive dogs, and previously trained assistance dogs from Dogs for Autism. Marcus supported the journey throughout, quietly and completely: dogs in the family home, reports written late in the evening, clients looked after when Danielle could not be in two places at once.

The gap nobody was filling

Working with reactive dogs day after day, Danielle noticed something that kept coming up in conversation. Many of her clients had not taken a holiday in years. Not because they did not want one, but because they could not find anywhere they trusted to look after their dog.

These were people who had done everything right. They had put in the training, the management, the patience. And they were still stuck at home, because handing their dog to someone who did not understand them felt unthinkable.

Two separate dreams

Marcus had always dreamed of living in the middle of nowhere. Danielle dreamed of creating something special for dogs. For a long time those looked like two different plans that would have to take turns.

Then a client at Danielle's training field happened to mention that a boarding kennels was for sale. There was no grand strategy behind what happened next. They went to look out of curiosity, and knew from the gate that it was right.

Everything into it

They sold their home, moved their girls and put everything they had into creating the holiday destination they had imagined. Not a bigger kennels, and not a smarter one. Somewhere with enough land and enough quiet that a nervous dog could have a genuinely good week.

Marcus later joined full time. He is particularly natural with the dogs who struggle with strangers, largely because he does not push. He waits, he lets the dog decide, and dogs who have written off most new people tend to make an exception for him.

Where we are now

Love of Dogs is still a family business, and it is still deliberately small. We have a small, dedicated team who treat each dog as an individual, learn their routine and notice when something is slightly off. We know every dog who stays here by name and by character.

We are licensed by West Lindsey District Council under licence AWL071, and hold a 5 star council rated. We care about those things. But the measure that matters most to us is simpler than that: a dog who walks in without hesitating, and an owner who finally took the holiday.