What to look for in a dog walker

[Kimmikins]

What do you look for in a dog walker?
Do you expect them to have any qualifications or references?
What's been your experience with hiring a dog walker?

If you're a dog walker, do you have any criteria for new clients? What would make you turn a potential client away?

[kristina]

Wouldn't really have a clue as never used one but I would love some one right now to walk Xena for me as I am still too poorly to take this pup out  My neighbor calls herself a dog walker/sitter although she takes her own dog out (Brew) for 5mins at a time--truth-- I walked him a couple of miles last summer when I looked after him for the weekend,incidently Brew has a dislike for Xena and goes for her if they meet up on the very rare occasion they do.
Qualifications? you would have to pretty fit and have the love and knowledge of all dog breeds, trustworthy and reliable as these people are mostly key holders to your home but also I would wonder--(thats because I have mistrustful streak) whether they do actually walk these dogs they could just stick them in a van and go sit in lay by some where!!who would know?? not like your dogs are going to say anything when you get home are they??Think a good reputation is a very much a key issue and one that I would be looking at as more people are relying on Dog Walkers to take there pets out.

Totally no offence meant here to any of our professional people on this forum whatsoever just an opinion. Kristina

[Kimmikins]

I was impressed with Sara's dog walker when she said that she'd have to meet Sara first - an interview, I guess you could call it. She knew loads of places to take the dogs, depending on whether she had dogs that could be trusted off lead or not (she's the one who introduced us to Toplands, one of Sara's favourite places) and wanted to know all of Sara's cue words for toiletting, recall etc.
I found her via an internet search, but was impressed with her website, which included pictures of all the dogs she cares for. And she's got a FB page, where she regularly posts pictures of the walks she goes on and the fun all the dogs are having.
She'd also leave little notes for us on the side, telling us how Sara got on, what she got up to etc. It was really sweet!

[kristina]

Now that sounds like a good person and how lucky you found her,not sure I could afford the fees they charge but worth every penny for some one you feel comfortable and happy with.Kristina

[Jordan]

Definately got a good one there Kimmikins.

I've never used one either but I sometimes meet one of our local ones, she definately walks her charges, never really had a chance to speak to her so apart from that i know nothing about her, but from what ive seen she is a good one unlike the 'girl' i met a couple times in the wood that tells me she is a dog walker......picture this.... Young girl with white spotty trousers, smart jacket, wearing pumps and carrying a floral umberella, her charges one on lead one off out for maybe 15 mins exercise and her blowing a whistle, giving it a long blast ever other minute ..........because the one off lead keeps going out of sight!!!! She was complaining it never comes back.........i'm not surprised..........never seen her again, defo wouldn't let her near my dog.

[baileysworkworld]

I always do a meet and greet when I go and visit any new client in their home.

Having spoken to them on the phone first, I will often walk straight in to the house, and take the dog straight out. I tell the owner I am going to take them on a walk to see how we get on. This way I can get a picture of how the dog is.

It is fairly pointless for me to do a initial walk with the owner as many dogs behave differently without owners present. From my limited experience, the good ones misbehave and the bad ones are angels!!!!!

Also, I usually explain my procedure to the clients on the phone so they will already have told me anything they feel important. I say that I will be gone about an hour and if there are any problems I will call straight away, but if they don't hear anything, all is good.

I take them with Bailey and one or 2 others who are very well behaved, and I take them to a suitable place where I can let the others straight out of the van off lead (they will do their own thing and not bother new dogs) so I can concentrate on the newbi.

I start off on a short lead and see how the dog is on this, if they are pulling back nervous, pulling towards the others wanting to play, or paying attention to me. If they are pulling back, I will rarely let them off. If they are pulling forward of towards the others then I progress to a training line or extendable.

Then I see how they react to my voice and body language, I do lots of running away, crouching down, calling the others, treating etc.

If all good I then let off. All this usually with in 5 mins or less. I do have a rough idea from the owners what they may be like. If they havespent a lot of time with one person they are less likely to cope with me first time out. If they are young and get little dog interaction, chances are they will be all over my dogs and stay with them, if they are used to being walked by lots of other people as in a big family with teenage kids or friends then they are likely to be ok.

For the first few walks I do a lot of recall work, treating, holding and releasing, running away, feinting if needing. I try and read each dog as it needs and work to that. I am also really QUIET. I find that people who call and call their dogs when off lead are a) making them deaf to recall, like a nagging wife, the more you say the more the dog will switch off and b) acting like a fog horn! You are making it very clear where you are so the dog is able to carry on sniffing in that bush or playing with it's friend.

I tend to be quiet, saying as little as possible, only calling dogs by name when I know the recall is good and they know me well.

Other than that, I tend to whistle lowly, and if they are going in THAT direction and I want them to turn and come in MY direction, I will just go the way I want and they will come running.

My ways work for me.

Once I have done the first meet and greet walk I take them back to the owners and go in for a chat, I give then forms to fill in and we sort out what they want me to do. This procedure is usual for walking, boarding and day care. My saying is - If I can walk them, I can have them - all other problems fade in to insignificance if I can walk them successfully.

[baileysworkworld]

Jan 26, 2014 19:14:14 GMT kristina said:

 but also I would wonder--(thats because I have mistrustful streak) whether they do actually walk these dogs they could just stick them in a van and go sit in lay by some where!!who would know?? not like your dogs are going to say anything when you get home are they??

Believe me, my owners know the days that I have been. Some say their dogs don't even get up out of their beds to greet the owners when they get home.

Others say that on the days I am not their, the dogs pester for walks where as the days I go, they don't.

I don't do much dog walking - most of my dogs are day care, which means I am out walking them but they are with me all day so get mulitiple walks. Out of the few I do just do a lunch time walk for, 3 are at home with the owners all day as they either work from home, or are unwell so I take the dogs out but see the owners each day anyway.

Also, at the moment, the mud does give it away a bit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


:

[kristina]

I truly have every respect for you Liz as your reputation says all has also given me when or if ever I need one what to expect from a professional dog walker and one that really cares,not like the one that Jordan has pointed out.Kristina

[Dani]

 . . . . . . . I am currently working out whether my wages would  warrant a trip to Lizz's place . . . . . . and then on to Scotland   


My main priority at the moment would be the size of the dog walkers arms     . . . . .  give us 6 months and I may come back with a different answer lol !! I know how to keep his attention . . . . then again,we went into Plymouth on Boxing day (oooh yes,push the boat out lol) our little town is never that busy,hubby was DEAD impressed by Dodge's behaviour,as soon as I went into any shop with the son = Dodge sat and his eye was on the shop door until I came out again . . . . he had dogs walk past him and had NO reaction whatsoever    !!!!! . . . . .  so I am really intrigued as to how Dodge would react if somebody else would take him out for a walk to be honest !!

[Kimmikins]

So, we can add the following to the list of what to look for:

~ meet "n" greet: Make sure the walker gets on well with the dog and vice versa. Discuss personality/temperament of dog etc.
~ explanation of policies e.g. how the walker operates
~ test walk without owner

baileysworkworld, Lizz, if a potential client were to call up (ignoring that fact you're full, lol!) and say that their dog can't be trusted off lead, what would be your response/consideration?

[baileysworkworld]

I would ask why and want the details. I would take it on if all else was fine. For example, I had one dog (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) Toby, and the owner said she never let him off the lead as he would never come back.

He was fine with the other dogs, really sweet, not a problem otherwise. I asked if we could do a month or so of regular walking, and see how we both felt after that. I would take him out with other dogs and once in the park, have him on a extendable lead.

Well, he was fine. not once did he ever get to the end of the extendable lead, I never needed to pull him back, he would run a little distance from me, then run straight back and run around me. It was clear that he didn't get walked much.

After a month or so I explained that I really thought he would be fine off lead. I explained why I thought this and how he was when out with me. She trusted me to give it a go and he was off lead from that day. Never a problem, didn't even interact much with the other dogs, just ran in that direction, ran back, ran around me, ran in another direction, ran back etc!!!!

He was PTS aged 4 about 18 months ago

I have one dog who is (according to owners) fine off lead, good with dogs etc. He is a Cairn Terrier, old, mid teens, and entire. One of the only entire males I have. He is one of my only dogs who I keep on lead most of the time. He is fine with any dogs I take with him, but if he smells (senses, hears, sees) certain other dogs across a field, through a hedge or just knows that they are across the park he is off - Trots off very fast to go and see who that dog is, if it is another entire male he starts to pick a fight (never really does anything, just struts round it growling - he used to do it to a Alaskan Malamute on a weekly basis ten times his size!!!) if it is a female he humps. He also plays the I am a old dog, can't hear yooouuuuuu card!

I got fed up of chasing him through bramble bushes so I now keep him on a lead! His owners think he is an angel, they think it is hilarious!

I do have a few dogs who are no the best off lead, but I just play it by ear, take it day by day and if I feel they are not listening, paying attention on that day, they go back on but it is not very often. It is more a problem with the few older ones I have such as Dylan the dawdling lab who I 'misplaced'. I now have an ancient greyhound who we (me and owner) think is going a little senile, he will just walk in one direction and keep going, like he forgets where he is, who he is with and where we are all going. He is back on lead for at least a week or 2 and then I'll see how he is going.

I have only one dog who is defiantly never off lead and also never allowed near any other dogs. His owner says he is very aggressive. He is terrified of everything, he is a GSD cross and is 9 years old. He is very reactive if we see other dogs on a walk (I walk him around the roads, I would never take him to the park as there is too much of a risk of other dogs running up to him). 2 weeks after she had him, 4 years ago, he got hold of another dog and put it in the vets so I understand why she says, that is, this is how it is, he does not go near other dogs.

I really feel that he is very fear based in his behaviour and that with work, he could at least be walked with another dog on lead. However, his owner isn't looking for help with his behaviour, she just wants me to help with his walking routine when she is busy. And it would take a long time, he is 9 and it would be very stressful for him initially so you would really have to consider how worth it it would be.


Sorry, slightly off thread, in answer to your question, if a new client rang with that request I would probably take the dog, on lead for a trial period of time and after that see if there is any way we could work toward the dog being off lead. I would never let a dog off lead without owners consent, but I would much rather have all my dogs off lead if possible so I would always be aiming to work towards that goal.

[Kimmikins]

Another fantastic answer...you're hired! You can come to the South Coast, right?

[baileysworkworld]

Ha Ha Ha

I'd love to! But it would mean not doing my own lovely wonderful pups for the day, so sorry, I can't.

It is such a pity as I am getting calls every week and have to turn people away, it is really frustrating. Often I am reluctant to ask what dog they have got as I don't want them to think I am saying no because they have a certain breed. I struggle when they have a Pointer!!! Really hard to say no in that case.

I have not been taking on new dogs over a year,

I am not taking on new dogs,

I am not,

Not,

Not.





Had a new dog come for a trial yesterday!

[Adrianne]

Liz, its time you took on some work experience students..you are gong to need to expand!

[Adrianne]

I film one of my dogs when she is on pack walks, so that the owner can see how she is ..especially the first 5 mins when her behaviour is at its most exciteable..the owners all do the walks with us apart from this one, (she is very unwell and disabled and doesn't get to use the woodlands and hills)so I take responsibility for her dog.
its a great way of showing clients how it really is .. its useful too to look back upon and maybe see things going on that you might have missed otherwise.
Photos are good, but footage I find is so much more real.