Who are we?
Hi, we are Ieuan and Lisa!
We wanted a place to help dogs and owners have a great time together, for them to go out and have time together, Somerset soft play will hopefully encourage owners and dogs to have a great time together. The benefits for the dogs also speak for themselves from confidence building, socialisation, bonding with owner(s).
We wanted to bring something new to the area, something fun and a safe space for people to enjoy with their dogs. I put the idea I had to Ieuan and between us we added more ideas together and that’s how Somerset soft play come about .
What does Somerset Soft Play want to bring to the community?
A safe and secure place, which is dry, well lit in all weathers, in the summer we will have a good cooling system so that dogs can enjoy exercise even when they can’t typically go out on their walks due to heat and in the winter, it’s a well lit, dry place that isn’t covered with mud that’s fun and enriching for the dogs.
We want to offer a space that all dogs can enjoy, whether they are social and love spending time with other dogs or they enjoy having fun on their own. A space for people to socialise in a safe space to enjoy with their dog. A space for dogs to get the enrichment that is so good for their well-being, being given an opportunity to gain confidence and all of this in any weather.
How did we come to work with dogs?
Ieuan: My dog George, I adopted him about 5 years ago, at this time, looking back I would have said I was a lover of dogs but o wasn’t good with dogs. All we know is that he was taken from his mum when he was around 5 weeks old and locked in a kitchen for 2-2.5 years.
When I adopted him he had a wide variety of behaviour problems, I looked for trainers, found one and they wanted to use aversive methods on him, I wasn’t comfortably with this so I went to another trainer, they recommended aversive methods again and I thought there had to be a better way, I started studying positive dog training and behaviour and after a few years I built the confidence (or stupidity) to leave the army and pursue a career in dogs, training, care. That lead me to opening up Pawsitive life dog daycare and training hub.
Lisa: I have had the privilege of growing up with animals and having them around me all my life, this has included Dogs. After working with horses and dogs, I then took a step back from working with animals . I soon learnt that it wasn’t for me and in this time of not working with animals I went on to further my education within dogs. I knew I had to work with animals again so I started up my own pet care service in 2019, following by becoming a canine nutritionist earlier this year. I love what I do, I feel so very privileged to spend my days with dogs and other animals and have the trust of all their owners.
Do we have our own Businesses? Yes!
Ieuan: I run Pawsitive life Doggy Daycare and Training Hubwith a great team where we offer a wide variety of services from daycare, training and dog grooming.
Lisa: I run two other businesses that I am very proud of. LB Pet Care Servicess: offering dog walking, home visits. Bliss Canine Diet & Nutrition : offering advice and support in canine diet, nutrition and overall wellbeing as well as healthy treats.