Is it time to license all dog walkers ?

BBH

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Was watching a news article last night about this poor lady who lost her French Bulldog when it was attacked by two others in a van belonging to a dog walker.

Now some dog walkers are fantastic whether licensed or not but the industry does seem to have more than its fair share of people out to make a quick buck.

Some complaints I've heard are dog walkers taking far too many dogs at once and not cleaning up after them.

Dogs being walked at 8.30am an hour after the owners have gone to work only to have to be home alone from half nine till gone 6.00pm when owner comes home.

Dog walker not turning up at all.

You don't know who on earth you are letting into your home.

Dogs are walked in groups irrespective of breed needs ie Bulldogs expected to walk same pace and distance as Springer Spaniel.

I'm sure there are others and equally there are some fabulous dog walkers but is it time to raise industry standards.
 

CorvusCorax

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It's not a bad idea. Anybody can seem to set themselves up as a dog walker. I nearly ran over a husky a while back that flew straight in front of my car as part of a pack of about eight offlead dogs.

And I've already mentioned the people that walk a pack of five or six aggressive sods who they cannot control, one of whom was very rude to me when I suggested he keep moving rather than sit all the dogs down in a Mexican stand-off.

I often think about giving mine to some of the newly established dog walkers or doggy daycare places in town to see if it prompts a nervous breakdown (he likes to eat sofas and chew the static agility equipment :p)
 

BBH

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I think the control aspect is important especially as a lot of dogs are walked in public places. You cannot control multiple dogs off lead if it kicks off and even on lead I struggle to walk my 3 on a lead for personal recreation never mind dogs who don't always know each other.
 

EllenJay

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I don't think licensing helps - surely it should be down to the dog owners to ensure that their beloved pooch is looked after properly. From my point of view I would make sure I vetted the dog walker personally, and would choose the best person regardless of whether they had a licence.
 

MerrySherryRider

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No. World's going mad with red tape, no wonder people are beginning to act like idiots.
Personal responsibility and commonsense seems a lost art in these nanny state times.

Just choose a dog walker you can trust.

No licence will make someone sensible or caring enough to take charge of a dog when the owner is away.
 

shadowboy

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I think it's difficult to make 'decent' money from dog walking ours has to employ 2 others to help her manage the numbers I'm not sure how expensive the licensing process is but I'm sure it would make it difficult for her. I can't recommend a better walker. Highly professional but only takes max of 5 at any one time and they are walked in smaller groups first/ on their own to establish their needs. I think the owner should takeoff effort researching their walker. Mine visited us before walking and also started by only doing individual half hour slots to get the measure of the dogs before doing the one hour mixed slots.
 

CorvusCorax

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Yes but how do you find someone you trust and not fall for the waffle, I know of one with a super website and a lovely FB and all these listed qualifications but doesn't know one end of a dog from another when you talk to them.
 

MerrySherryRider

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Yes but how do you find someone you trust and not fall for the waffle, I know of one with a super website and a lovely FB and all these listed qualifications but doesn't know one end of a dog from another when you talk to them.

The clue is in the 'doesn't know one end of a dog from another when you talk to them'.

Super shiny websites only fool the lazy and the stupid. Neither of whom should own a dog.

Or inflict extra premiums on everyone else.
 

CorvusCorax

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It follows through life though. I never get past the first sift for a lot of jobs because I don't have a uni degree or a relevant qualification. I have just done the job since I was a teenager. The jobs get given to people with certificates in a frame, but who struggle to write in a straight line or put a sentence together.

Likewise, this person is more likely to get a dog walking job because they have a list of three-letter acronyms as long as your arm and an indoor space with jumps and tuggy toys, me, I just spend my days in the wet and the mud tramping the hills or standing in a training field :p
 

MerrySherryRider

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Well, I'd go for the person who goes tramping across muddy hills.:D Some of these web sites of doggy day care places are a bit weird.

These qualifications don't really mean very much except that the trainee has learnt about H&S and racism in the work place.

Show me a tired, muddy dog and I'll show you a happy dog.:D
 

ladyearl

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No, but I do think owners should research their walkers better. I am one and I'm very transparent have invited new owners to join me on walks before starting etc. I would always visit the dogs in their home. I have insurance, police checks and first aid training. Lots of experience (nine years so far) and will spend happy hours talking to owners about their dogs to establish which groups to walk them with. I am always surprised that people are surprised when I produce my docs and ask them to fill informs and sign contracts etc. If I was handing over my dog to a relative stranger I would be grilling them and checking up on them but many owners are quite naive and trusting.

I see a lot of the "type" that people object to but tbh they will still be who they are and not bother getting a license. It will be people like me who do all the dotting the tees and crossing the ayes etc. and there's precious little money in it (if you do it like I do) as it is!
 

Elsiecat

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No. World's going mad with red tape, no wonder people are beginning to act like idiots.
Personal responsibility and commonsense seems a lost art in these nanny state times.

Just choose a dog walker you can trust.

No licence will make someone sensible or caring enough to take charge of a dog when the owner is away.

This!
I bet the government would bring in Dog Walker license along with extra taxes :eek::D
 

Superhot

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I believe that dog walkers insurance restricts the number of dogs walked at any one time...but then I guess those who have insurance would walk dogs responsibly anyway. Why do the few ruin it for the many???
 

ladyearl

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I believe that dog walkers insurance restricts the number of dogs walked at any one time...but then I guess those who have insurance would walk dogs responsibly anyway. Why do the few ruin it for the many???

Yes 6 is the max from any of the companies that do this and yes those of us who are responsible tow the line - and the rest don't bother their backsides. Not sure they would bother about any other red tape when they don't care about this!
 

lachlanandmarcus

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I do find the ones who walk 6 and let them all off a bit of an issue as they don't have any recall over the ones they walk in our local woods and it is pretty hard to expect a horse to be bombproof with 6 dogs chasing it all at once :-((

I actually think no one should be walking more than 3 if off lead as there is no way they can deal with more than that, on lead they can have as many as they want IMO.
 

BBH

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Did you see a bit on the news this morning where they are discussing banning dogs from some public parks ?

I didn't hear the report just the headline but you have to wonder if part of the problem is these irresponsible types walking too many dogs and not clearing up after them that is making the public angry.

Again as someone else said its the minority giving all dog walkers a bad name.
 

ladyearl

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I vary them getting off lead and if they don't have recall they never get off. I have seen people who can't control one dog and people who have full control over 10 + (not a dog walker but an owner). It's not just down to dog walkers people overall need to get better control of their dogs.

I had three incidents in one walk last week. I had three with me and met three separate out of control dogs walking with their owners. Thankfully I had mine under control and could even catch one for their owner too!
 

Echo24

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As someone who works with a canine organisation, we are not allowed to run more than three dogs at a time and even then, we are expected to have one handler per dog as well, so these dog walkers who walk 6 different breeds I'm not sure how they can argue they are in control of all the dogs!

I always remember a lady that owned SEVEN Yorkshire terriers and a Scottie cross and she would often walk them all loose in a park. She often had to walk a few paces, stop and count to make sure they were all still there!
 

ladyearl

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You can't just automatically get control over multiple dogs you have to put some effort and training in. Just as you do if you own multiple dogs of different breeds. It is achievable with some and others stay on lead!
 

Luci07

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I have a lovely dog walker. I learnt the hard way about walkers not turning up, over charging and then I found my lady. Didn't even think about qualifications! It was how she was setup, how she managed my dogs and how the reacted to her. They are big people lovers but they go ballistic when she comes to the house.
 

CAYLA

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We walk atleast 12 dogs on a daily basis between me and OH, but one of us would take our own 10 out together (all perfectly under control weather on or off lead);)
OH also dog walks for clients and can control 6 dogs at ease including 2 weims 2 boxers a ddbx and a lurcher, he has trained these dogs and we constantly get thanks from joggers, cyclists, horse riders re the control we have and how considerate we are (and their owners admit the dogs are very different in OH/my hands) as in way better behaved;) and we have walked half since they where pups, and 2 came fully trained from me;) which was the ddb x and a rottie x, both rescues both strapping dogs. He walks 10 altogether but I will join him on days when he has the whole pack, but he will walk 6 most days.
Some people are out of their depth idiots thinking walking dogs or caring for them is an easy money maker (these people) will be the ones making the idiotic mistakes.
 

Archangel

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We have a local dog walking outfit, very nice website, lots of qualifications etc. Looks great.

However, I was driving home down the winding lanes and was tailgated by this particular walker. I thought hmmm, maybe they don't have any dogs on board. Got to a junction and heard a dog bark (not annoyingly just one bark) next thing the "caring, professional, your dog is safe with us walker" was yelling and swearing at the dog.

I wonder if the owners know their dogs are being belted round the countryside and yelled at.

It appears quite common that a huge group are taken out and walked in shifts. I wouldn't want my dog sat in the car for an hour whilst the next batch are taken out. You don't know what could happen round the car to make the dogs inside kick off.

Glad my nice boss lets dogs come to the office.
 

CAYLA

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We have a local dog walking outfit, very nice website, lots of qualifications etc. Looks great.

However, I was driving home down the winding lanes and was tailgated by this particular walker. I thought hmmm, maybe they don't have any dogs on board. Got to a junction and heard a dog bark (not annoyingly just one bark) next thing the "caring, professional, your dog is safe with us walker" was yelling and swearing at the dog.

I wonder if the owners know their dogs are being belted round the countryside and yelled at.

It appears quite common that a huge group are taken out and walked in shifts. I wouldn't want my dog sat in the car for an hour whilst the next batch are taken out. You don't know what could happen round the car to make the dogs inside kick off.

Glad my nice boss lets dogs come to the office.

That is a big bug bear of mine^^^^, someone near here does it, she has the dogs 4 hours and they are let out for the toilet and driven around and one person "a client" I spoke to (knew of this):eek: but said "well it gets him out of my hair for 4 hours" :confused: (why have it then)....it was a young retriever.
 

ladyearl

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I'd hate that and I wouldn't do it! How do you manage in summer when it's too hot to leave them in the van? I must admit I have one dog that I will collect first and drop off last (for her walk only) because she loves the van and being driven about!
 

stargirl88

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I wouldn't really have a problem if they introduced one, I am so sick of idiot walkers that give us a bad name.

There is a lady that dog walks near me, her websites states her dog-qualification (essay-based) and she's now doing 1-2-1 training sessions (while e-mailing my boss, asking him for advice she can give her training clients) ARGH. She can't handle a dog.

I'm all for regulation, if it filters out the idiots.... and if it don't cost me nowt :p
 
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