How on earth do you choose a dog walker for your furry family member?
There are now so many dog walkers in Coventry to choose from where do you start? You have your recommendations from friends, but now you need to filter them down and find the right one for you!
You are entrusting someone to care for your precious pooch, but also giving them a key to your home.
There are some very important details that they should have for definite set up in their business, but also what else can you ask?
Here I have given you my vital questions that you need to be asking your potential Dog Walker!
- Are you fully insured, DBS checked and first aid trained?
You may be surprised how many companies don’t have adequate insurance, which should at least include lost or theft of keys, property damage, care, custody and control of animals.
Do they have a DBS certificate you can see and you can request they bring it to the meet and greet with them, this is not a unreasonable request, you are letting them have a key to your home.
What first aid course have they attended? Was it with a veterinary nurse? There are first aid courses you can complete online, but does watching a video really prepare you for a real life situation of bandaging a wriggly dog? I suspect not.
- What experience do you have with (insert your breed )? Are you confident in handling my dog?
You may have a large breed dog and want to be sure they have experience in handling larger breeds or a spaniel that just loves to run off and chase squirrels. Ask them a simple question such as ‘Now that you have met him and heard more about his traits, what sort of things would you need to think about when walking him?’ Can they provide suitable games for on your dogs walk? They need to give your dog the best experience they can on their walk!
- What methods would you use to manage behaviour?
You want to be sure that they do not use aversive methods to manage any behaviour at any time. You want them to be ethical and use reward based, force free methods! You don’t want to find out they have been shouting at your dog just because they wouldn’t get in the van – if a dog doesn’t want ot do something we need to look at the why and not be forceful.
- What would they do if they bumped into a reactive or aggressive dog on your dogs’ walk? Do they understand dog behaviour and body langauge?
Are they able to answer your questions about how they would safely manage your dog in public? What would they do if certain situations arose? Do they understand dogs body language? Our dogs tell us a lot through their body language, so your dog walker needs to be able to interpret it. When they have had enough of play, when is it jaw fencing or when the play gets too much. They need to be able to manage the dogs well and understanding dogs is a massive part of this!
- How many dogs go out on your group dog walks and how do hey dogs travel to get there? When does the walk start?
You want to know how many dogs go on these group walks and how they match the dogs up together, there is also a legal limit in Coventry of 6, but I often come across much larger groups of dogs.
How do they get the dogs to the walk? Do the dogs travel in crates and do they have their own crates to travel in? I wouldn’t want my dogs travelling in crates with dogs they don’t know, this could potentially cause fights and end up with a dog injured. Some dogs that live together don’t like to be put in a crate together, can they accommodate this?
Does the walk start on collection in the van, or does it start when they pull up at the park? This is super important as your dog may be spending a long time in the van and not being walked – you may think they are having a 1 hour walk, when really it is only 50 minutes or less!
The bear minimum they should bring with them is a contract, a key release form and medical permission form if needed. They should have also provided you with their Terms & Conditions and have told you of their cancellation policy – any company that can not provide this you need to be wary of.
- You also want to know what time frame they will be arriving to collect your dog for their walk and have this agreed between you. Who will be walking your dog? The same person each day?
If it is a larger company this may change daily, but smaller companies your dog will become good firm friends with their dog walker! Do they have cover for holidays and sickness? They should always make you aware if someone is walking your dog that day, or for a few days so you know who they are out with! You should be told of any changes and kept up to date!
- Where will you dog be walked in Coventry? road walks? parks? a private field?
You should know where they are taking your dog to and what they also do on their walks.
What games do they play? Do they practice training for you? Do they play scent games? What do they do to interact with your dog? Can you go on a trial walk with them? There shouldn’t be an issue with this as you want to be reassured that your dog is safe in their hands and having the best time ever whilst you cant be with them!
By asking these super important questions, you are building up an opinion of the dog walker and whether you can trust them to care for your dog in the best possible way!
You must be able to trust your dog walker and build a good relationship with them. They should be compassionate, dedicated to their job and have good intuition to giving the best care for your dog. You want a professional who is entirely motivated to hold themselves accountable to their job, no matter what the weather we get, come torrential downpour or sunshine!
At Carrie’s Canines & Friends our adventures and it our missions to provide your dog with the exercise, stimulation and fun they need to leave them relaxed and content when we return them safely to your home. Check our more about our Adventures here