What would make you choose a particular dog walker

Dopeydapple

Dopeydapple

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I quite recently quit my job to become a dog walker. I'm fully insured and DBS checked and my website ranks well on Google. What I was wondering is, if you guys were looking for a dog walker what would make you choose one over another?
 
There’s one local to me who is very active on FB, posting photos of her lovely walks with the dogs. I’d probably ask her first as she only takes a couple at a time and seems to really care. I can see from the photos she keeps some dogs on long leads and they still have fun.
 
For me it's gut instinct , I would expect the walker to be insured etcetc etcetc but the two big things are firstly do I like him / her and secondly I wouldn't want my dogs walked in big groups because if something kicks off a walker cannot deal with numerous off leaf dogs .
 
Word of mouth recommendation plus professional behaviour. There are two dog walkers in our area that I wouldn't use. One takes about 10 dogs at once that are not fully under control and rampage about harassing other people's dogs. The other actually is much more professional when she is walking the dogs, but she criticises her clients to other people, which is very off-putting!
 
How does your payment scheme work? Do you invoice at the month end or pay in advance?

How do I know you have been every day? Do you text or leave notes?

How many dogs do you take at once? Do you have any back up plans if your vehicle breaks down/you get snowed in?

I would have is how does your booking system work and what happens if it breaks down? For example my one walker has a fancy online system and they had a few teething issues to start with. Best system was one guy who just text on a Sunday asking what you wanted for the week ahead.

These are some of the questions I've had when finding a new dog walker. I don't really expect the walker to have a back up van ready but a ready answer to the question shows they have at least thought about it. I promise I haven't been through lots of dog walkers I just moved around a bit!

Good reviews and showing personal rapport with the dogs is what swings it for me. If they care about them they will look after them.
 
Round here (very high density of dogs) I'd be interested in where they exercise them and how prepared they are to deal with other dogs. I'd almost prefer someone with a fenced garden who has a small number in to play together but doesn't much walk them anywhere that fancy TBH because where we are they WILL meet large dogs, potentially as heavy as the walker, off their leads and out of control in most of the local parks etc. And it can be hard enough to look after one in those circs, let alone many. A year or two back a dog was killed in the park most of the local walkers use and, as I wouldn't expect someone else to put themselves in danger for my dog, a walker using a different park (near different housing) would be my preference.
 
I have to confess to starting with the cheapest in our area! I decided I'd meet the cheapest first, and if I liked her I'd go with her. As it turns out I did like her, and the business setup, for the following reasons:

- I just liked her. She seemed nice when she came to meet our dog and the dog liked her too
- She showed me their insurance and assured me that our dog would not be let off the lead until they'd got to know each other and she trusted him to come back
- Easy to pay - I pay via bank transfer but they will also do cash, and if I'm a couple of days late paying they don't mind so long as I tell them (I sometimes forget at the end of the week)
- Really responsive - reply to text messages quickly so I'm happy that if they needed to contact me in a hurry, or vice versa, it would happen
- Flexible - if I need to cancel a day that's fine so long as I warn them, so booking or cancelling is therefore very easy
- I know they've been because they give our dog his Kong from the freezer when they leave
- They also did puppy visits, they do dog sitting, and if our dog is ill or recovering from something they are happy to come in and just take him into the garden and give him cuddles and playtime rather than a walk
- I've seen their vans and they are well set up
- They walk in small groups and post photos on FB, so I can see that they are responsible and will keep some dogs on leads if necessary (personally I think this is always a good sign). Our first walker also texted me photos occasionally, so I could see our dog having fun on his lunchtime walks.

Unfortunately our old dog walker recently had to retire to dog sitting only for health reasons - no more dog walking - but the new walker, from the same franchise, is just as nice and our dog loves him. So there is my comprehensive list!!
 
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Dopeydapple said:
I quite recently quit my job to become a dog walker. I'm fully insured and DBS checked and my website ranks well on Google. What I was wondering is, if you guys were looking for a dog walker what would make you choose one over another?
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If you are not using social media like Facebook, I would suggest you should really do so if you want to attract more business. Especially good if existing clients will leave you good reviews on it. Facebook is particularly important for marketing small local businesses like this, and done properly, is more likely to bring in new leads (excuse the pun) than your website.
 
The amount of dogs they are willing to walk at once is hugely important to me. My dog walker will only walk a maximum of four dogs at a time.

She's not the most dog savvy but handles my dogs the way I've told her to and doesn't take risks. The dogs like her and she's fully insured.
 
Not taking risks and small group walking would be important to me. A walker willing to just walk my two would be ideal. I like the look of the franchise that take them out canicrossing. I'm really not big on my dogs "socialising" with others so a dog walker that made a big thing of that or went on about "packs" too much would put me off. I may be unusual in this though.

I was put off a local dog walker after seeing a post about her letting someone's new rescue dog off lead on their first walk together. Even if it was going well that just seemed risky to me. She had the owners consent to do so but it still put me off.
 
My Miniature Pinscher chose the dog walker. He is extremely wary of new people and it takes a long time for him to get to like someone. It took him two years to stop barking at my mother!

Anyway, within 5 minutes, the dog walker had him on her lap taking treats - Totally unheard of!!! So, she was employed. The other dog likes everyone and anyone, he liked her too.
 
PapaverFollis said:
Not taking risks and small group walking would be important to me. A walker willing to just walk my two would be ideal. I like the look of the franchise that take them out canicrossing. I'm really not big on my dogs "socialising" with others so a dog walker that made a big thing of that or went on about "packs" too much would put me off. I may be unusual in this though.

I was put off a local dog walker after seeing a post about her letting someone's new rescue dog off lead on their first walk together. Even if it was going well that just seemed risky to me. She had the owners consent to do so but it still put me off.
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^^^ This. A few local dog walkers have facebook pages and I honestly wouldn't use any of them from the pictures and videos they post. Large groups of dogs running together with in some cases some obvious posturing body language. One has also posted pictures of dogs with flexi leads attached to halti type headcollars !
 
All of my walking business has come from recommendation which is lovely. I do have a fb and Instagram page. Fb for business advertising (I do home boarding as well) and Instagram for daily photo posts which i find is better rather than flooding my fb page.
 
Thanks guys, I only walk them in pairs at the most, unless really small toy dogs and then will do 3 if they are all sociable and am happy to do individual walks (which is what I mostly have as I seem to have acquired the difficult ones that others don't want). So far they all stay on the lead as don't know them well enough and the areas around me have way too many out of control dogs to risk someone else's with them. I think I need to sort out Facebook (really hate it though!) and add some more info onto the website, do you think the website needs to list prices? I had been leaving it to discuss when contacted but am thinking it might help people decide to get in touch if they are already happy with the price?
 
I have changed dog walkers in the past year. I don't regularly use a walker (wish I could afford to!) but my current one is fab at fitting my girls in.
Gut instinct helped a lot and how they interacted with my girls when they came for a meet and greet. I stopped using the first dog walker as she let me down one too many times. I use a walker when I'm going to be working longer than usual or know I won't be able to get the girls out for whatever reason. It was always very poor excuses and at very late notice.

My current walker is fab. She used to rescue dogs and as mine are both rescues (one is unaffected, handed into the pound for being too boisterous, the other is an ex abuse case with fear aggression) this put my mind at rest. She came to meet them first and I loved how she interacted with them. You can tell she really loves dogs. She texts me when she collects them and leaves them home. At least 50 pictures and videos of them out (she has a field which she rents so they get off lead) she didn't interact them with other dogs until she got used to them and their personalities but now she knows them she knows who she can take them out with.
 
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