Psst! GSD lovers! *waves*

T

Thelwell_Girl

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This is my first foray into AAD, so be nice...:D

I'm starting to expand my dog-walking business, and will hopefully be starting to walk a lovely GSD! He seems quite perfect :)

A big (and I mean BIG!) softie, loves playing fetch (a nice change to Mizyz, the blonde in my siggie, who is far too snobby to play!) and will walk for hours.

He's a family dog, they have two young children, seems like we're going to have loads of fun! If he was for sale my Dad would be seriously interested :p

Do any of you GSD fans have some tips for me? I have some experience with big dogs, but have never walked a GSD before.

I'll hopefully post some pics soon :D

T_G xx
 
If you are doing this for a living, I would say the first thing you need to do is get some insurance. There is a lot of liability in walking other people's dogs.
 
Would ditto what Tracey said, you must get insurance if you are doing this as a joob. This will cover you if there are any incidents involving the dogs.
 
Ah... Didn't know about that! I've only really walked Mitzy regularly, so its not my main 'job' at all, as I'm just finishing Year 11. Where would I get this kind of insurance from?

Thanks guys! xx
 
Thanks GinaB! I'm still not sure whether I really do need it though, as its literally only Mitzy every so often, with maybe this GSD twice a week over the summer... Gah! SO complicated!

(P.S. I love your siggie!)
 
Sorry but you started the post saying you were expanding your dog walking business. If you are getting paid, then it is a job. If the dog you were walking got attacked, or attacked someone, or caused a traffic accident, there is a potential for you to be held liable. Unfortunately these days people like to sue.

I don't have children, so year 11 means nothing to me, I guess you are 16 ? I am not sure if you could get insurance at your age. I also think that may be at 16 you are not old enough to be walking a big dog like a GSD, when it's not your own family dog.
 
tracey01 said:
Sorry but you started the post saying you were expanding your dog walking business. If you are getting paid, then it is a job. If the dog you were walking got attacked, or attacked someone, or caused a traffic accident, there is a potential for you to be held liable. Unfortunately these days people like to sue.
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Thats a very valid point Tracey, while I have been lucky with Mitzy, we have had a few close calls with other dogs going for her, and even though I know her owner wouldn't hold me responsible, *touch wood* she wouldn't cause an accident!

tracey01 said:
I don't have children, so year 11 means nothing to me, I guess you are 16 ? I am not sure if you could get insurance at your age. I also think that may be at 16 you are not old enough to be walking a big dog like a GSD, when it's not your own family dog.
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Yes, I am 16, I don't think that affects getting insurance? If I'm old enough to pay NI (which I am) I don't see why I couldn't get other insurance.

I don't see why at 16 I'm not old enough to walk a GSD? In my opinion, my age doesn't affect my ability to control a dog. Also, for the first few walks with every dog, I always take my Dad with me, who is very experienced with dogs of all sizes.
 
Hmmm - insurance aside, even if you only do it as a favour, I can see it from both sides. It depends on the person and it depends on the dog.
I'll be honest, I was allowed to walk my old bitch before I was physically capable and she did get away from me a few times, thankfully with no ill effects. By 16 I'd say I was competent and had handled in the ring by then and had grown up with the breed.
When I was around your age, maybe a little older, I walked a very bolshy male who was a darling at home but when out, he chased cars, bikes etc. Could you cope with something like that?
How he will react and behave with you may not be the same way he reacts with his family - I can get a tune out of dogs who drag their owners all over the place, and there are other dogs who will not even look at me or acknowledge my existence because either there is only one person in their lives, or no one has ever taught them to ignore birds, cars, trees, kids, other dogs, and look at THEM.
GSDs can be very vocal when they see other dogs coming along, would you know the difference between a noise that means 'hey, I wanna play!' or 'hey - keep out of my way!'?
They are pretty transparent - but you need to know how to read their body language.
German Shepherds can be single minded and very, very strong and when they want to go, they can take you off your feet - my male has put my mum, who is very tall, broad and strong, on her backside twice. No malice, he's just exhuberant and wanted to see something.
You say he likes to play fetch, sounds mean but I wouldn't let someone else's dog off the lead, especially initially, too much to go wrong. My mother actually sacked two young fellas for letting two of our dogs off the lead on walks.
Experience with dogs doesn't mean experience with a certain breed, especially one so particular as this - I know lots of lovely people who have had dogs for years but the only person who will walk my male apart from me is my mother. My friend who has known him his whole life will take him sometimes if we are both out and I let a Spanish vet take him out a few times.
If you go ahead, take a ball, take some food, get him to focus on you, let him know your a fun person.
They're a great breed, make sure you do him justice (and that won't be done if he's bowling down the road with you flying behind him at the end of the lead) :) :p
 
Hehe, CC I was waiting for you :)

I completely agree with you, just because he's good at home doesn't mean he'll listen to me! I'm going to go and meet the dog beforehand, to check we actually get along and feel comfortable together. I'm also going to bring my Dad, who used to have a big lump of a GSDxRidgeback, and am going to buy a longline just for reassurance when we do go 'off lead' first time.

I feel I've learnt alot walking Mitz, it sounds soppy, but sometime I think she understands what I'm thinking! Over the past few years I've been walking her I've learnt to tell her different moods apart, whether shes just telling that dog off for sniffing her (little madam ;)) or whether shes got her little hackles up, genuinely annoyed.

It took about a couple of months for me to trust Mitz off-lead, though she does know her way home, silly doglet! :p She respects me now, and I respect her (and love her 200%!). Honestly, when she stayed with me for a week over christmas, it was the best present I got :o)

Thankyou all for your advice!

T_G xx

ETA: Here's some pics of Madame Mitzy on one of our roams :D
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac238/rubylovesponies/Queen Mitzy/DSCF1568.jpg
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac238/rubylovesponies/Queen Mitzy/DSCF0823.jpg
 
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tracey01 said:
Sorry but you started the post saying you were expanding your dog walking business. If you are getting paid, then it is a job. If the dog you were walking got attacked, or attacked someone, or caused a traffic accident, there is a potential for you to be held liable. Unfortunately these days people like to sue.

I don't have children, so year 11 means nothing to me, I guess you are 16 ? I am not sure if you could get insurance at your age. I also think that may be at 16 you are not old enough to be walking a big dog like a GSD, when it's not your own family dog.
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/\ /\ /\ Good post! I completely agree!
 
Puppy said:
/\ /\ /\ Good post! I completely agree!
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With how much of it?!

I don't feel my age affects my ability to get insurance (I just got a quote for some, so it doesn't) or my ability to control a dog, though of course I do not have as much experience as others do with large dogs.
 
No GSD tips i'm afraid:D

I would suggest taking the dog out in the beginning with the owner, just to get an idea of the dogs personality. You can then judge whether you feel confident walking him on your own.

Good luck with your business, I started walking other peoples dogs when I was 7 - many years ago:o - & got paid with sweets, Ahh, the good ole days.:)
 
I'm going to go and meet doglet soon, his owner is my chiropodist of all people :) Luckily I'd put some of my business cards in my bag before I left to see him!

Hehe, I do like sweeties... Sweeties don't buy Body Protectors though! :D
 
Like CC I was probably walking my mums dogs before I really should have done, at aged 13 or 14 but I grew up with the breed. CC has covered most of it, but I would suggest you get the dogs owner to accompany you on a couple of walks first, in fact if someone was going to walk my dogs I would insist on this. This will enable you to get to know any little traits the dog has and how his owner deals with him, what commands they use etc. I personally wouldn't be happy with someone else letting my dogs off lead until I was absolutely confident they could handle the dogs, and the dogs respected them, so I wouldn't be in any hurry to do that. I hope it works out for you.
 
Thanks MM, I'm definitely going to talk the dog out with his owner, luckily they live right next too a mahoosive park I know quite well :)
 
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