We are a husband and wife team, affectionately known as 'Auntie Debs' and 'Uncle Mark' to our canine clients.
Debbie set up as a professional dog walker in autumn 2023, originally trading as DG Walkies.
Mark started helping out with ad hoc bookings but gradually took on more and more dogs once he retired from the world of counselling in 2025.
We rebranded as Canine Couple in spring 2025.
We absolutely adore dogs!
Debbie grew up with Boxers and crossbreeds and everyone in her large family is/has been a dog owner. Mark grew up with cats but can talk to any animal!
Lavender - our Collie cross from the Dogs Trust - was the first dog we had together. She was at the heart of our family for 10 years.
Arlo is a typical Cockapoo and has us wrapped around his little paws! He'd had two homes before he came to us, so it was third time lucky and he's definitely in his forever home.
We met at The Body Shop HQ in 1992, both working in the Corporate Communications department and then the Founder's team.
We became a couple in 1994 and married in 2000, in Tobago.
Debbie set up her first business in 1998, working in environmental consultancy. Mark worked in London at Interbrand.
We moved to Stratford in 2003 and set up a communications consultancy together in 2004, writing for and training big corporate clients in the UK and EU.
In 2018, we closed the business, quit the corporate world and went volunteering with orangutans and elephants. When we came back, Mark retrained as a counsellor and Debbie swapped the office for the great outdoors.