We all need a smile and something to cheer us up at the moment and if you’re anything like us, seeing doggies cavorting and running around the countryside without a care in the world, it’s just the tonic that’s needed and we have been enjoying the Insta Stories from Dogs of Henley to give us that fix.

So we thought we’d find out a bit more of what it’s like to be in charge of the cutest Henley residents on a daily basis.

We started by asking how Dogs of Henley come about and how is it different to traditional kennels or doggie daycare?

James left his last office-based role in 2016 and then did a short bit of work for a local dog walker before leaving to travel in the US. While away, he did a lot of research and realised that there was a gap in the market for a family run daycare that could offer dogs a lovely place to spend the day while their owners were working/busy. He also realised that allowing dogs to socialise all day long together was so important for their development.

He said, because we run Dogs of Henley from our house, we not only walk our dogs, but also encourage them to be themselves when they are with us throughout the day. They have the freedom to play with their friends in the house or the garden or to have a snooze together after a busy day in one of the beds we have in our kitchen. All of that is so important in teaching dogs how to interact and, when you consider that most of our dogs start with us as puppies, the social element of daycare is an essential part of their development.

As well as daycare, we also provide a luxury take on overnight boarding. Having looked at all the options available locally, we realised that everything was pretty much kennel based and we wanted to offer a home from home boarding environment, which is totally different to kennels. This means that dogs stay with us in our home and are treated as part of our family, the same as our daycare.

What’s your Favourite aspect of the business? Our favourite aspect of the business has to be the time spent outside walking with the dogs. We live in one of the loveliest parts of the country and getting to explore the local area with our furry companions every day is a dream come true. That and getting to meet such a variety of dogs, most of whom start coming to us when they’re literally just a few kilos of fluff. It’s wonderful!

Do you have a favourite dog? We couldn’t possibly choose a favourite, as all of our dogs are just so cute and adorable! And as a family, we are all animal mad and that isn’t just limited to dogs – we are also great admirers of horses, cats, rabbits (not to mention Lola, a wonderful little hamster owned by James’ niece)

Where is your favourite walk? Any walk when it is not absolutely pouring with rain is great! It’s difficult to choose a favourite as we have four main walking locations that all offer something unique. It’s wonderful to live in an area where there is such extensive countryside.

Dogs of Henley Instagram page and stories are very popular why do you think that is? I think the popularity of our Instagram page is down to our very cute fluffy models and a bit of lucky photography (when you take enough photos, one is guaranteed to be a winner!). We also try to keep our content fun, particularly our stories, which tend to be focused on the dogs enjoying their walks in all the lovely locations around Henley. We are nowhere near the popularity of some other pretty impressive pages!

For more information on Dogs of Henley and what services they offer visit dogsofhenley.com