Dog Walker Dilemma

[SaddlePsych'D]

Again...

After stopping our previous dog walker, I've kept looking and had a couple of companies in mind should they have availability, and months later they have a space for Ivy to go solo and/or in a small group locally. Brilliant! I thought, except...

Ivy won't blooming go out with her! She lets her get collar and harness on then plops down on the floor to lay down. Ivy used to do this with OH and I, but she is unrecognisable from 6-months ago when she was refusing basically all walks. Now when I say 'Ivy would you like to go for a walk?' and pick up the harness, she's there and ready to go. And we go!

Ivy gets really excited when the dog walker arrives, seems very happy with her, and I'm happy with how the walker interacts with her plus she is good at communicating with us. I've supplied treats to help with reward/encouragement to get Ivy to the door, suggested just 'hanging out' with her on the door step with treats, and I been out for a walk with them (leaving part way through and they managed to do a good loop without me). I thought we'd cracked it but today another message with a pic of Ivy dressed up to go and laying on the floor refusing to move.

It's not essential we have a dog walker, Ivy tolerates being on her own at home very well. It would take some pressure off me 2-3 of my 4 working days (I do have flexibility to do half/half at home/in office or go in office later/come home earlier), and just because Ivy tolerates being on her own doesn't mean she won't really appreciate some company and an extra walk. I like this dog walker and keen for it to work but trying to work out what to do is starting to add to the stress instead of taking the pressure off like I hoped. Any ideas?

 

[AmyMay]

How many times have they met?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

How many times have they met?

I think about 8 times now.

 

[AmyMay]

I think about 8 times now.

Would she be happy to do a half hour play and hang out in the garden?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

She's been staying to keep Ivy company and will try to get Ivy out in the garden if she can, at least just to go to toilet. We don't have much of a garden to play in though. I've been making up Kongs so that there's a frozen one there ready to give to Ivy.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Can you go out the door with her just to get her out? Goose still does this sometimes-with us! But leaps up to go as soon as we leave the house so we just pop a lead on as soon as he leaves the doorstep. Really weird when he loves his walks and knows exactly what it means to go in the car. They both cringe when I'm putting on collars/harnesses. I have never hurt them in doing so. Odd boys. Bear can't wait to have his collar on/get out the door-rears like a pony!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I can try that. Last week I did one lap of the block with them, no problems getting out. I had to get in my car to go to an appointment then they went to do another lap, then Ivy took the walker on a slightly longer loop which was great!

It was a bit like that when Ivy started walking with OH and I again after her period 'on strike'. One day after much hanging around on the front door step, taking me across the street and back to the front door, she just took me off on a big walk and things really improved from there.

 

[Jenko109]

You could ask that the walker does half an hour of training instead?

Sit-stays, down-stays, some impulse control etc. Plus some on lead bits like calling to front and then teaching her the heel command, loose lead walking in the house etc. Tire the mind for now and as the bond grows between them, hopefully she will become happier to take a walk with her.

 

[TGM]

Does she actually need the extra exercise? (Ie is she overweight or hyper?) If not why not just get the walker to give her a toilet break and company for half an hour?

 

[AmyMay]

Does she actually need the extra exercise? (Ie is she overweight or hyper?) If not why not just get the walker to give her a toilet break and company for half an hour?

This is what I’d be doing.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Does she actually need the extra exercise? (Ie is she overweight or hyper?) If not why not just get the walker to give her a toilet break and company for half an hour?

I think she will benefit from the exercise although the toilet break and company is okay, I just know when she's worked out that the walker is going to take her to one of her favourite local green spots she'll love it. Not that she seems unsettled, I just thought a few more opportunities to get out of the house in the daytime would be great for her. There's also been times recently where I have struggled to get out with her every day for various reasons (illness/fatigue and anxiety taking her out at night where we live/not feeling safe out with her after dark). Some of that will ease as the evenings get lighter but to know that 2-3 days we've got the bonus daytime walks I think could really help in those weeks where it's been difficult. Ivy seems fine, no behaviour concerns even when she went through her phase of refusing all walks. I guess I worry about her being bored/depressed from not much going on in the daytime. Dog-cam shows she is being pretty stereotypical Greyhound when I'm out though, snoozing away for hours!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Toilet break and company is not enough for mine, obviously a greyhound is different.

I don't think my dog walker is actually walking mine recently, they come home sparkling clean, no thorns, bone dry, slightly bonkers. We're meeting a different walker on Saturday.

 

[poiuytrewq]

My parents dog was like this for years with me. I’d go and sit in the kitchen and she‘d cower under the table or in her kennel. Strangely she was ok with me as long as they were home. In the end I kind of gave up. It was such a waste of time driving over and not even being able to get her out for a wee!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Oh no! Bless her.

We had a little progress today. Walker arrived while I was on a work call and Ivy did her usual get dressed and lay on the floor routine. My call finished and I got my coat on as if to go out too. 'Ivy shall we go for a walk!?' and she was up and to the door with us, and then I sent them on their way, sneakily staying behind. Apparently she didn't even look back once they were out! I was there when they got back this time, don't know if that makes a difference but I hope it reassures Ivy that this new person isn't going to take her away. Maybe dogs don't think like that anyway, I'm not sure!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Minor rant about a not irresponsible owner, but dog walker we were going to meet on Saturday to trial. The woods we use (and she uses) are two halves separated by a no exit very quiet lane. We go right, pups know the route and if they get distracted, they know the path to follow. The dog walker uses the left hand woods. She wanted £30 to walk all 3 together, we pay this now, it’s a fair rate, imo, it’s a 4 mile drive there. (£20 for a walk in the park, a 5 minute walk). Really, I’d prefer the park, it’s fully fenced with 5ft metal railings, some woods and is safe. She’d prefer the big woods. I’ve told her no, but I’m a little taken aback that she doesn’t want to use the park (she’s local) or get £30 for taking them to the other side of the woods. She says the left side (Hertfordshire council) allows 5 dogs so she could walk mine plus 2 others but the right (Woodland Trust) only allows 4. Pretty sure Hertfordshire council limit is 4, but hey ho. We’ll find someone else who wants an easy £30.

A friend (out of my area) is a dogwalker and does multiple walks a day, singles, doubles, groups. I dunno if this one wants to do as few as possible.

As an aside, Goose has a tracker on his collar because he sometimes crosses the lane. My OH is putting it on him tomorrow when the current dog walker has them. It will be active so we can see if he’s left the ‘safe area’-100 metres from the house.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Oh no! Bless her.

We had a little progress today. Walker arrived while I was on a work call and Ivy did her usual get dressed and lay on the floor routine. My call finished and I got my coat on as if to go out too. 'Ivy shall we go for a walk!?' and she was up and to the door with us, and then I sent them on their way, sneakily staying behind. Apparently she didn't even look back once they were out! I was there when they got back this time, don't know if that makes a difference but I hope it reassures Ivy that this new person isn't going to take her away. Maybe dogs don't think like that anyway, I'm not sure!

None of my dogs, who are very happy and sociable, would be super keen to go for a walk with someone else if I was at home. Maybe it is something as simple as that, or just that she still feels insecure away from home.

CT would you generally be happy if a walker did take another dog with your guys, surely 3 medium to large dogs is enough. I know I am very lucky that I have a field for mine to run in if someone else is looking after them, but I really am paranoid about others having responsibility for my dogs. I see so many things about dog walkers that make me wince, including stuff they proudly post on their own social media. Flexi lead attached to a headcollar anyone ?

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

None of my dogs, who are very happy and sociable, would be super keen to go for a walk with someone else if I was at home. Maybe it is something as simple as that, or just that she still feels insecure away from home.

CT would you generally be happy if a walker did take another dog with your guys, surely 3 medium to large dogs is enough. I know I am very lucky that I have a field for mine to run in if someone else is looking after them, but I really am paranoid about others having responsibility for my dogs. I see so many things about dog walkers that make me wince, including stuff they proudly post on their own social media. Flexi lead attached to a headcollar anyone ?

Trouble is, since the loss of Aunty B, fabulous next door neighbour who would dog sit on the occasional day, we need someone because on 3 days a month or so, we’re both out 7-4 and can’t get home at lunch. We don’t have a dog flap anymore. I don’t mind them going out with other dogs, but at the prices we’re paying, I’d think a dog walker would be fine to take them out without other dogs.

As an aside, I was up at 2am with waves of back pain then went back to bed at 6 so called in sick to work. The dogwalker messaged to say she couldn’t come today so I decided I’d have to take them out. Met a bloke with a rescue who played nicely, then a beagle, then a collie and a cavalier. All dogs played nicely for ages while we chatted/walked. I have a recommendation for a new walker. I was thrilled that Mitch was really brave with the dogs and practically on one bloke’s knee: they were mutually adoring!

Current dogwalker is insured, dbs cleared, uses the collars/harnesses combinations we ask, always says how much she loves them. They’re very easy dogs. Ideally, I’m hoping we’re wrong and that they are being walked.

 

[twiggy2]

I used to go and spend some time with a dog that was home alone for a few hrs a outlet of days a week, the dog hated walking but loved to play and have company.
You could try walking with them a few times or just introduce scent work and the like, scent work can be done in a small area and also be used when out and about to build confidence once Ivy gets the idea of it.

 

[splashgirl45]

If I was paying someone to walk my dogs I wouldn’t expect them to walk others as well unless I was asked.. I have 3 and would want the walker concentrating on mine and not being distracted by other dogs. My friend who has 2 dogs and I walk together a couple of times a week but we have both agreed that if one of us is not well or can’t walk, we would take each set of dogs separately we feel it’s not a good idea to take 5 with one person

 

[SusieT]

£30 for 3 large dogs is not very much... I'd be expecting that to be walked with other dogs (Which I wouldn't want). At todays prices I'd be expecting to pay a minimum of £40 to have 3 dogs walked or £30 for a visit with no outing...
Not sure why the disagreement over walking area - it does sound like she was at least trying to be legal which is good i.e. not walk too many for her licence?

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

£30 for 3 large dogs is not very much... I'd be expecting that to be walked with other dogs (Which I wouldn't want). At todays prices I'd be expecting to pay a minimum of £40 to have 3 dogs walked or £30 for a visit with no outing...
Not sure why the disagreement over walking area - it does sound like she was at least trying to be legal which is good i.e. not walk too many for her licence?

Large dogs? Have you seen a picture of Goose?!

Given she lives a 2 minute walk from us and she dictated the prices, I'd say it's fair. I don't want my dogs walked in the left hand woods, it's where Bear disappeared. There are muntjac.

 

[Red-1]

Minor rant about a not irresponsible owner, but dog walker we were going to meet on Saturday to trial. The woods we use (and she uses) are two halves separated by a no exit very quiet lane. We go right, pups know the route and if they get distracted, they know the path to follow. The dog walker uses the left hand woods. She wanted £30 to walk all 3 together, we pay this now, it’s a fair rate, imo, it’s a 4 mile drive there. (£20 for a walk in the park, a 5 minute walk). Really, I’d prefer the park, it’s fully fenced with 5ft metal railings, some woods and is safe. She’d prefer the big woods. I’ve told her no, but I’m a little taken aback that she doesn’t want to use the park (she’s local) or get £30 for taking them to the other side of the woods. She says the left side (Hertfordshire council) allows 5 dogs so she could walk mine plus 2 others but the right (Woodland Trust) only allows 4. Pretty sure Hertfordshire council limit is 4, but hey ho. We’ll find someone else who wants an easy £30.

A friend (out of my area) is a dogwalker and does multiple walks a day, singles, doubles, groups. I dunno if this one wants to do as few as possible.

As an aside, Goose has a tracker on his collar because he sometimes crosses the lane. My OH is putting it on him tomorrow when the current dog walker has them. It will be active so we can see if he’s left the ‘safe area’-100 metres from the house.

I would not be surprised if the dogs did leave home, for a drive in the car and a two minute poo stop. Will the GPS give accurate routes taken, or just an alert if they leave the 100m?

As far as the other one goes, if I trusted them, I would pay the extra for the 5 dog fee, so £50 for the walk, but then insist on the woods of my choice.

I would not have mine walked with others. Just think if one of the others lost it, like the recent case.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I would not be surprised if the dogs did leave home, for a drive in the car and a two minute poo stop. Will the GPS give accurate routes taken, or just an alert if they leave the 100m?

As far as the other one goes, if I trusted them, I would pay the extra for the 5 dog fee, so £50 for the walk, but then insist on the woods of my choice.

I would not have mine walked with others. Just think if one of the others lost it, like the recent case.

The dog walker walks from her house, it's literally 2 minutes from us. Don't know what you mean re a 5 dog fee? The lady for Saturday wanted to be able to walk 5 dogs, so two on top of mine. I don't mind them being walked with others once I've seen the dynamic, but I would think that any reasonable dog walker would do more than one walk a day so would take out multiple dogs without having to double up although this seems to be very varied looking at the walkers I see. She was also wary of taking un-neutered dogs, in case they have a go at others. So far, the youngsters have shown that they are intimidated by other dogs being too boisterous/bigger and have not ever had a pop at other dogs. Maybe she has experienced this, but only Bear will have a pop if another dog gets very seriously in his face and he's neutered. He normally completely ignores other dogs.

For now, we are sticking with the current one who we'll check via the GPS next time we use her (end of the month). She is aware that Goose has a tracker, it's very obvious. We just haven't turned it on when she takes them because we aren't there to track him. If she isn't walking them, we will swap who we use. The GPS tracks him once he leaves the 100m around our house and shows where he is/where he's been.