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How To Find a Great Dog Walker
Hiring a dog walker is a very important decision a family must make. You need to find a dog walker that is knowledgeable, caring, trustworthy and most of all, reliable. Below are some tips on finding a GREAT dog walker!
Training
A passion for dogs is a must, but not enough on its own. Ask your prospective dog walker about what they’ve done to train and educate themselves about dog behavior, body language, and human training methods to keep your dog safe and your liability protected.
Insurance
Many professional dog walkers have an insurance policy in case something happens to your dog while under their care. Find out if the dog walker has insurance, just in case. Additionally, some cities and towns have ordinances that require dog walkers to be licensed. If your locality requires a license, make sure your dog walker has it.
References
After meeting or speaking with potential dog walkers, ask them to provide the names and phone numbers of other former and current clients. Be sure to ask about their punctuality, honesty, and reliability.
Personality
Once you believe you have a good match for your needs and the needs of your dog, it’s a good idea to meet with a potential dog walker to get to know him or her more personality. Be sure to bring your dog along for the meeting so you can make sure it’s a good match. Always trust your gut instinct.
Reliability
Whats the point in hiring a dog walker to care for your dog, if they call in sick
or don't show up all the time? Ask if the dog walker has an assistant walker
to cover their walks in case they are sick. Also, be sure to get their references
and actually speak to their current dog walking clients. They will be able to tell
you how reliable he/she is!
Special Needs
Some dogs become stressed when they are surrounded by a group of other dogs, and other dogs have medical or health issues. If your dog has any special circumstances or issues, ask if the dog walker has ever worked with another dog with similar issues.