A doggone good job

Alicia Robinson

Newport Beach businesswoman Regina Consoli basically leads a dog’s

life.

Actually, she spends her life leading dogs around. But she likes

it that way. A lifelong animal lover and avid walker, Consoli decided

a few months ago to turn her passion into a business and opened Club

Canine, a dog-walking service she runs from her home.

She offers group walks of different lengths for up to four dogs at

a time, shorter walks especially for puppies and nature and beach

outings during which dogs get to play and get dirty.

The key to her business is the personal attention each dog gets,

Consoli said.

“You never see me walking down the street with like eight dogs on

each hand, being pummeled down the street,” Consoli said. “I’d say

90% of the dogs that I have right now, they are these families’

children and I treat them as such.”

After working as a makeup artist and in property management,

Consoli spent time as a stay-at-home mom with her four children, but

eventually she was ready to go back to work.

“I needed something to do for myself that I was going to enjoy but

that didn’t monopolize my time so I could still spend time with my

family, something that I could smile as I walked out the door and not

go, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to go to work,’” she said.

At first she wasn’t sure if a dog-walking service would be needed

in the area, but when she took her own dog out for a walk, neighbors

started asking if she could take theirs along and even suggested she

start a business.

Most of her clients are people too busy with work or for medical

reasons are unable to walk them as often as the dogs need, Consoli

said.

Getting regular exercise is important, because when dogs don’t get

it, they often have behavior problems such as excessive barking,

destructive chewing and digging or hyperactivity, she said.

Well-exercised dogs tend to be calmer and better behaved, she said.

Club Canine client Lauren Mulholland can attest to that. She

spends a lot of time working and isn’t always free to take the dog

for longer walks or to the beach.

“I love when [Consoli] comes and walks my dog because my dog

doesn’t freak out when she comes home and get too excited,”

Mulholland said.

Her dog Molly came from a shelter and was afraid of men, possibly

because the dog was abused by previous owners, Mulholland said.

Consoli has helped train Molly to trust men more by getting the dog

used to her husband.

“She’s really given my dog a lot of confidence,” Mulholland said.

Consoli runs the business by herself, walking between five and 20

dogs a week. Her favorite parts of the job are the trips to the beach

and the woods because the dogs get to run around and interact with

other dogs, which they really enjoy, she said.

“You can literally see them smile,” she said. “There’s no better

job in the world, that’s for sure.”

Club Canine can be reached at (949) 515-4600.