About Us
My Story
I’ve grown up around dogs for most of my life—first with Chester, a boisterous but lovable chocolate Labrador, and then Barney, a super-affectionate (and very clingy!) blue roan show cocker spaniel. In 2023, my partner and I welcomed our first dog together, Bertie—a sensitive golden show/working cocker spaniel cross.
Our journey with Bertie has taken us through a wide range of training experiences. We started with weekly puppy classes and eventually progressed to gundog training to help manage his strong prey drive. Bertie struggles with confidence around other dogs, so we’ve put a lot of focus into using positive reinforcement techniques to make his walks less stressful and more enjoyable.
It’s been a challenging road at times, but we’ve surrounded ourselves with supportive, knowledgeable trainers & behaviourists and have learned so much about setting dogs up for success by teaching them to make the right decisions.
Being the owner of a sensitive dog also opened our eyes to how difficult it can be to find a reliable dog walking service that truly caters to individual needs—especially one that offers dedicated 1:1 walks instead of large group outings. That’s when the idea for Hounds on Tor was born. – Sam
Why Hounds on Tor?
As most Devonians will know, a tor is a large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a hill summit. These can be found all over the country but are prevalent around the Devon area, specifically Dartmoor.
There is even a well know spot called Hound Tor where a granite landmark can be found along with traces of historic stone huts nearby, dating from the Bronze Age. I wanted a name that was different from the everyday dog walking brands but also wanted a touch of Devon added in! While tors are found primarily in Dartmoor, my dog walking services are based in Alphington with a focus in the Exeter area.
Having my own dog has allowed me to discover many great locations for peaceful walks where dogs can sniff, explore and run around to their hearts content!
