When you find yourself saying, “I Need A Dog Walker,” you’re not alone. Many dog owners eventually face the challenge of finding a reliable and qualified individual to care for their beloved pets. The Whole Dog Journal recently published a helpful article on what to consider when hiring a dog walker, highlighting that virtually anyone can claim to be one, making your selection process crucial. To ensure your furry friend is in safe hands, knowing how to choose a qualified professional is paramount.
WDJ recommends asking intelligent questions like: “If your company has multiple employees, who will actually be the person walking my dog?”, “How many dogs do you walk at once? How do you choose which dogs walk with each other?”, “What kind of training do you have for walking multiple dogs at a time?”, “What happens when you can’t make it?”, “What kind of experience do you have with dogs?”, and “Where will you go on your walks? Will you be taking my dog to the dog park?”. These are all excellent starting points and should absolutely be part of your initial conversation. As someone with extensive experience in dog walking, I want to offer additional insights to guide you in your search, ensuring you find the best care for your canine companion. Trusting someone with your dog and your home is a significant decision, much like considering the incident of the dog in the night time – it requires careful thought and due diligence.
How to Find a Reputable Dog Walker
Finding a dog walker can start with an online search. Reputable companies with multiple employees typically have a website showcasing their services. However, some of the most skilled and reliable dog walkers might not heavily advertise online. Therefore, always make an effort to ask for recommendations from trusted sources.
Your vet tech, groomer, dog trainer, local pet store owner, or even rescue and shelter workers are excellent resources. They often know who the best local professionals are, and who they themselves trust with their own dogs. Inquire if their clients, especially those with dogs similar to yours, have particular recommendations. You can also explore resources like the DINOS website, which lists individuals proficient with dogs that require more personal space.
Many exceptionally skilled dog walkers operate discreetly, often working part-time in related fields like vet clinics, grooming salons, or animal shelters. These individuals, much like myself, who might also engage in other animal-related work, could be the perfect fit for your dogs. When you “I need a dog walker,” you’re looking for someone who treats it as a serious commitment.
It’s generally advisable to choose someone who considers dog walking a significant part of their livelihood, whether full or part-time, rather than a student, retiree, or a child who simply loves dogs. The commitment involved in showing up consistently, every single day, for months or even years, is substantial. You want a professional—someone intrinsically motivated to fulfill their responsibilities, regardless of challenging weather conditions.
Solo Walkers vs. Dog Walking Companies
People frequently ponder whether to hire an independent dog walker, like a solo “artiste,” or a larger dog walking service. It’s difficult to definitively state one is superior, as both options carry their own risks and benefits. For instance, there’s always a slight chance your dog might spend an afternoon engaging in unexpected activities if you haven’t thoroughly vetted your choice.
Therefore, begin by assessing your own needs: What kind of relationship do you desire, and what type of service does your schedule demand? To generalize broadly:
- Solo dog walkers are akin to shopping at a local, independently owned store: they offer highly personalized relationships and flexible service, but come with individual quirks and varying availability.
- Dog walking companies are more comparable to shopping at a larger retail chain: they provide increased convenience and often more accountability, but typically have more rigid rules and less personalized service.
Both options can be excellent. The key is to select the one that best suits you and your dog. Remember, oversight in the dog walking industry is often minimal; bosses rarely observe their employees in action. Consequently, the individual walking your dog—whether self-employed or working for a service—will be alone with your dogs most of the time.
This isn’t meant to cause alarm, but rather to highlight the unique nature of this profession. Aside from other dog park patrons or the occasional watchful neighbor, no one is typically supervising how your dog walker interacts with your pets. This underscores the importance of thorough due diligence during the hiring process.
A humorous New Yorker cartoon by Edward Frascino depicting a dog walker with multiple leashed dogs.
Tips for Meeting Potential Dog Walkers
Once you’ve identified a few promising individuals or companies for your “I need a dog walker” search, the next step is a face-to-face meeting. This initial interaction is crucial for assessing compatibility and trustworthiness.
1. The Free In-Home Consultation
A free, no-obligation consultation at your home is essential. This “meet and greet” allows everyone—you, your dogs, and the potential walker—to interact in a familiar environment. For larger companies, sometimes only the owner or manager attends. Insist that the primary walker, the person who will actually be spending time with your dog, also be present.
2. Observe Their Interaction with Your Dogs
During this initial meeting, keenly observe how the dog walker interacts with your pets. Unless your dog is naturally fearful, they should generally take to the dog walker quite quickly. Dog walkers often carry the scents of other canines and might even have treats readily available. Dogs typically respond positively to this. And the dog walker? You should see genuine joy on their face. Meeting new dogs is genuinely exciting for dedicated professionals.
Handling Fearful Dogs
If your dog is apprehensive around new people, pay close attention to the dog walker’s approach. Are they attempting to force an interaction, or are they patiently allowing your dog to initiate contact, perhaps by sitting on the floor and calmly conversing with you while your dog cautiously investigates their presence? A respectful approach is key.
For exceptionally shy dogs or those with unique behavioral quirks, it’s perfectly acceptable to request a second meeting. You might have to pay for this follow-up, but it can be invaluable to observe the dog walker interacting with your dog again, with you present. If you see some progress or feel confident in the walker’s abilities, then proceed. Sometimes, shy dogs are less inhibited when their owner isn’t around, which brings us to an important point. You might also want to read the best book to read before getting a puppy if you’re a new owner.
Dogs Behave Differently When You’re Away
It’s vital to remember that dogs often exhibit different behaviors when their owners are absent. A friend with three large, boisterous dogs assumed they would create a huge commotion whenever someone approached the door, enough to deter any intruder. Yet, when I arrived to walk them, all three dogs were surprisingly quiet. This highlights how a dog’s demeanor can change.
Your dogs might be bolder or shyer in your presence. Friendly dogs might bark and growl at the door when alone, while usually shy dogs might feel more confident engaging with a new person for a walk when their owner isn’t there. At some point, if you feel comfortable with the dog walker, you’ll need to allow them to arrive alone and observe the outcome.
An illustration of a dog walker with a group of dogs on leashes, all looking excited for their walk.
3. Go on a Walk Together
If your dog is comfortable with it, ask the potential dog walker to accompany you and your dogs on a short walk during the initial meeting. Unless your dog is exceptionally calm or a “robot,” you’ll want to see how the walker handles them in an active setting. Have the dog walker put on your dog’s harness/collar/leash and take a brief stroll together.
If your dog is reactive, this step is non-negotiable. Anyone can talk a good game, but that doesn’t mean they can maintain composure when your reactive dog encounters a trigger. A group walk will allow you to witness their real-time interaction and handling skills.
4. Be Honest About Medical or Behavioral Issues
When you’re thinking “I need a dog walker,” honesty is the best policy. Be completely transparent about any medical conditions or behavioral issues your dog may have. You need to ascertain if the dog walker possesses the necessary skills to work with your specific dog, and they need to be able to make an informed decision about their capabilities. A good dog walker understands their limitations. It’s a sign of responsibility if they decline to work with an aggressive dog because they feel they lack the specific expertise. Therefore, do not conceal any information.
Avoid sugarcoating your dog’s issues just to secure their services. This is unfair to the walker and potentially unsafe. If hired, they will enter your home alone, and it could be dangerous if you fail to mention, for example, that your 110-pound dog might be loose and has a history of pinning strangers against walls. This is the moment for complete honesty. Develop a management plan for future visits to ensure the dog walker can enter your home safely and with minimal stress for everyone involved. For instance, if your dog is fearful, you could plan to leave their harness on so the walker doesn’t need to touch them much during the first visit. If your dog is overly excitable with strangers, plan to crate or gate them away from the door. These are important discussions to have at this stage.
Furthermore, the more information you share, the better you can gauge their experience and skill level. If you mention your dog is reactive, a competent dog walker will likely have many follow-up questions to understand your dog’s specific triggers, identify the safest walking routes, and discuss your existing training plans. If they merely state, “Oh, I know how to walk reactive dogs,” without showing interest in your individual dog’s needs or asking pertinent questions, it’s best to move on.
A New Yorker cartoon by Lee Lorenz showing two dogs at the end of their leashes, looking weary after a walk.
5. Confirm Their Presence and Activities
When you say, “I need a dog walker,” you also need to know they were there and what happened during the walk. I personally leave a detailed note after every walk, affectionately dubbed “The Poop Diaries” by my clients. After 15 years, I’m proud to say I’ve likely penned the dog walker’s equivalent of “War and Peace.” While writing a detailed note takes a minute or two away from the dogs, and not every walker shares my enthusiasm for creatively describing “deposits at the turd bank,” communication is vital.
Many dog walkers use convenient, pre-printed checklists. These post-it sized reports allow them to quickly confirm:
- Poop – check
- Pee – check
- Butt Scratches – check
If they don’t provide written notes, ask how you’ll know they visited each day and how you’ll receive updates on your dog’s activities. Some services go to great lengths to provide proof of service, using GPS tracking or apps. While you shouldn’t be overly demanding, it’s perfectly reasonable to request some form of confirmation that your dog walker showed up and completed the service.
6. Verify Their Professional Credentials
A professional dog walker should have their “professional goods” readily available. This includes liability insurance, references, a detailed service contract, and clear, written policies and rates. Regardless of whether they are self-employed or work for a company, all reputable dog walkers should possess these. Before hiring, you’ll want to understand: their cancellation policy, daily and weekly rates, accepted payment methods, their typical arrival window, who is responsible for vet bills if your dog is injured, and any other relevant policies. All this information should be in writing.
Ultimately, there comes a point where you must trust your chosen professional, give them the keys to your home, and let them get to work. It can be daunting to entrust a stranger with your beloved dog and your personal space. I’m often surprised by how quickly clients have handed over their house keys after just 30 minutes of meeting me. Frankly, it’s an honor to be given that level of trust. Good dog walkers understand this responsibility and will do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable and confident in their services.
In the end, when you’re thinking, “I need a dog walker,” go with your gut feeling and choose the person both you and your dogs genuinely connect with.
Finding a trustworthy and skilled dog walker is a process that requires careful consideration, but with these guidelines, you can make an informed decision that ensures your dog receives the best possible care while you’re away. It’s an investment in your dog’s well-being and your peace of mind.
