World’s Worst Dogwalking Service?

[Caol Ila]

I don’t own a dog, but I was in the country park on my horse yesterday and witnessed some dodgy dog walking.

We were bimbling down our trail when we saw a man with about half a dozen dogs, most loose and running through the woods. One had a trailing lead and was running up to an on-lead collie (out with its owners), who kept tucking its tail between its legs and looking unhappy. The guy kept calling the dog’s name but it gave zero sh1ts and kept harassing the poor collie. The loose dog kept shying away when its handler and the collie owners were trying to grab the end of the lead. While the handler was focused on that dog, two more dogs in his charge got loose and ran into the woods. One of which was also trailing a lead. It was like whack-a-mole. When he focused on one, another would run off.

I saw sh1t going down and stopped my horse. We must have stood for about five minutes, waiting for some semblance of control to happen. We were far enough away for the dogs to not notice the horse but I sure as hell didn’t want them to. Finally, the dog handler noticed me, but instead of grabbing the leads of everything, he asked me which way I was going. I pointed to my trail, and he went down a different one. Fine.

When we got to the car park, we saw a van with professional dog walker’s livery. We googled….yeah, it was the guy.

Like I said, I don’t have a dog. I have never had a dog. But if I did, I would be really upset if my dog walker was letting it run loose with a trailing lead, letting it run up to dogs who did not want to be hassled, letting it run up to horses (they didn’t, but that was down to me riding very defensively). It could get seriously injured in all of those situations. Are there any regulating bodies one could contact?

 

[bonny]

I think you have a very misleading title and shouldn’t be reporting anyone

 

[Caol Ila]

Really? Would you be happy if your dog walker was letting your dog run up to other dogs/children/horses, with no control, and dragging its lead, which could get caught on trees/fences/rocks?

Or maybe this sort of thing is kosher. What do I know? But I was wary and gave them a very wide berth. Did not want a dog with a trailing rope anywhere near me.

 

[bonny]

Really? Would you be happy if your dog walker was letting your dog run up to other dogs/children/horses, with no control, and dragging its lead, which could get caught on trees/fences/rocks?

Or maybe this sort of thing is kosher. What do I know? But I was wary and gave them a very wide berth. Did not want a dog with a trailing rope anywhere near me.

That isn’t what you say happened though, one dog ran up to one other dog with a trailing lead, not great but sounds like nothing much happened. Maybe he had accidentally dropped the dogs lead ?
You don’t mention any dogs running up to children or horses, it all sounds like a bit of a non event.

 

[Caol Ila]

This went on for a while. Longer than it should have. The loose dog repeatedly circled and hassled the cowering on-lead dog and did not respond to any recall. It eventually ran after its pack when they went down one trail and the on-lead one and its owners went down another.

Maybe he did accidentally drop the lead, but one of the others in his charge was also dragging a lead and racing through the woods. It recalled, eventually. But he didn't grab its lead. He seemed happy when it followed, still trailing its lead. Maybe I'm naive, and professional dog walkers drop leads all the time? Is this normal? Is it unreasonable to expect that someone in charge of multiple dogs in a country park will have all of them under control at all times? If so, cool. Then nothing to report. It's just the bullsh1t you gotta deal with when riding in busy country parks--I get that -- but I was just putting myself in the shoes of a dog owner. I would not want my animal in a situation where everything was that out of control, but like I said, what do I know?

 

[fankino04]

And that's why as a dog walker I don't walk multiple dogs, I had a career change to dog walking for a stress free life and I would find being responsible for out of control dogs very stressful. I was walking a really reactive collie one day when 2 small dogs ran across a road to say hello, looked around for anyone to collect them, no one there but there was a dog walkers van pulled up outside of someone's house with the house door wide open. I couldn't go too far as the dogs were following us but didn't want them around too long as the collie was only just holding it together, eventually someone came out the house in a branded dog walker jacket and started calling them to no avail, then they walked across the road and got them after about the 5th ignored shout. It blows my mind that anyone would be so nonchalant about a dog they have been trusted with running loose around the roads!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

If that was where I am, firstly professional walkers are only permitted a max of 4 dogs, they also have to have a permit.
Any issues and they would be reported in to the dog warden and the commons who issued the permit.
Oddly here, I never have issues with the professional walkers, just the 'he only wants to play' brigade of Joe public on occasions.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

It does sound like he dropped the lead of that one dog and then lost control of the others. Perhaps he had reasons for not picking up the lead of the other dog. Possibly too many dogs, definitely a bad work day for him. I'd not report personally, he did the right thing in going the other way.

Yes, of course I'd like to see dogs under control in public places at all times but you know from having horses, sometimes crap happens, you deal with it as best you can at the time and hopefully nothing bad happens, and it sounds like nothing that awful happened other than a harassed on-lead collie (which is bad enough but assuming you were all at Murdock I expect it happens to them frequently). I've dropped the lead of my own dogs over the years, I've also come off my horse and scared the public half to death running after his galloping backside as he high tailed it back home. We should have been on a lead too.

Personally, I've had awful experiences with dog walkers and won't use one now although the local one is very good at not causing other walkers/riders any issues.

 

[Chiffy]

We are lucky too TFF, brilliant dog walkers in this area, very responsible.
To be honest most owners are responsible too and catch their dogs when others are about or horses going by.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Unfortunately there seem to be many poor "professional" dog walkers who allow several dogs to run loose . Apart from the control issues, how do they pick up after several dogs if they are all going in differing directions. I have seen photos on local dog walkers pages .which presumably they are posting to promote their business, which make me cringe. Just one example, a dog on a flexi lead which is attached to a halti type head collar !. Some also seem to have a rather casual approach to their care of other peoples dogs, just this last week a van with 6 dogs was stolen as the walker left it with the engine running while he went into a house. Luckily the dogs were found safe after being dumped in a park, but could have had a tragic ending. If I ever were in a position to need a walker, which I hope won't happen, I would be looking for someone like Fankin who doesn't walk multiple dogs'
As far as reporting, I think I am right in saying dog walkers don't need to be licensed, or even have insurance, so not sure who you could report to.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I would be horrified if a dogwalker walked one of mine like this, (not going to happen as no one else allowed to walk them). I have seen this locally. Dogwalker in the middle of a sports field chatting to other people while multiple dogs ran loose doing as they pleased including harassing other dogs, mine included. Was not impressed.

 

[meleeka]

This is why I’d be very wary of using a dog walker. I’ve seen some shocking incidents involving them, much the same as you witnessed OP. We used to camp in a local country park and I saw numerous occasions where they just couldn’t keep control of so many dogs and there were dogs running across roads and all sorts. Next to our camping field was an enclosed dog field. That was worse in lots of ways. They’d arrive with far too many dogs, let them all off and then all stand in the middle chatting. Meanwhile the dogs ran riot. There were the ones that managed to have a go at numerous other dogs and then the ones that were scared that just got picked on. Nobody ever seemed to notice and I just thought it awful that people were paying for their dog to be put at risk like this.

 

[ycbm]

That isn’t what you say happened though, one dog ran up to one other dog with a trailing lead, not great but sounds like nothing much happened. Maybe he had accidentally dropped the dogs lead ?
You don’t mention any dogs running up to children or horses, it all sounds like a bit of a non event.

You read a different report from me.
.

 

[Goldenstar]

The thing is I think people should not be walking more dogs than they can control if something goes wrong .
With a group of dogs like that he is depending on nothing unexpected happening .

 

[Ratface]

Before I (thankfully) retired, I used a dog-walking service which was wonderful in all respects.
They walked both my dogs, GSD and after she was pts, a lurcher.
Dogs and I had attended the Kennel Club Good Citizenship dog training scheme through to the Gold Award, and I kept up their training afterwards on a daily basis.
My DWS walked a maximum of three dogs at a time and were careful to familiarise each dog to the other members of the group.
They charged considerably more than others for their services and I was very happy to pay them.
These days, whilst quietly hacking round local countryside parks, I've noticed several dog-walking companies' vans disgorging 10+ assorted dogs and one walker. Stretchy leads/no leads are, unfortunately, common.
My horse and I have been surrounded packs of such dogs. Snapping and barking.
Fortunately, my horse is steady to stock and dogs. The worst he's done (so far) is to raise a hind foot. The dog- walker

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yeah have seen stuff like this where people are walking multiple dogs, including one that ran in front of my car in a car park. I don't think a lot of dog businesses are particularly well-regulated, unfortunately.

 

[teddypops]

I don’t use a dog walking service because I don’t need to,so don’t know what is the norm re dogs on or off leads, but that doesn’t sound very sensible or safe. I ride in the woods all the time and often meet dog walkers with groups of dogs. One lady had about 6 all loose, she called them back when she saw me and all but the terrier went back to her, the terrier was snapping at my ponies heels and getting under her feet. Nothing happened but all the dog Walker said was ‘she’s got no sense that one’. I would have been horrified as the terrier owner to know that had been allowed, what if my pony hadn’t been ok and had booted it?

 

[Ratface]

Pt 2:shouted at me to "clear off and stop frightening the dogs". He eventually got the pack under control and took them away.
Horse and I went home. A nice ride spoilt.
I think that animal/human-centred businesses should all be regulated, registered with the Local Authorities and carry full public liability insurance. At present none of these requirements are necessary.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I never use dog walkers and never would for all the negative experiences read here, and horrendous lack of control and concern I have witnessed myself.

Certainly if I was walking my dog or riding my horse I wouldn't be at all happy encountering that debacle. And I would be very angry if it was one of my dogs being walked and supposedly cared for by this muppet Call lol came across.

What concerns me more are the number of people who seem to think that standard of care and control is just grand.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I think I know a worse one!
One pleasant day in the summer, around lunchtime, sister and I stood on our land at the top of a hill and watched a woman with, we thought 6 dogs running around a field, which does have a public footpath running through. Some of the dogs had got left behind and others were running a long way in front, running up to other walkers and their dogs, whether they were onlead or not. A couple ran up behind a man and his dog who were sitting on a wall, minding their own business. The 2 dogs were all over those sitting on the wall. We commented that we wouldn't want that walker to be in charge of our dogs.
The next day, wasn't half so nice and we didn't hang about looking at the view. Mid-afternoon, we had a brief thunderstorm and shortly after that our dogs went out into the yard and found a strange dog at the other side of our gate. We sorted everybody out and found that the dog had a phone number on his collar. We rang the number to find that the owner was out looking for his dog, which apparently had run off from the dogwalker in the thunderstorm. From what the owner told us the dogs had been walked, in the same place as the day before. The walker didn't appear to have looking very hard for the dog and at the time, the story about the thunderstorm didn't ring true because of the timings.

 

[bonny]

There has been a huge increase recently in dog walkers, it can be a lucrative business if you take 5/6 dogs out at once. Last week I saw 7 dog vans parked in a small car park in a local woods, if you go walking there you have to expect lots of loose dogs running around!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

There has been a huge increase recently in dog walkers, it can be a lucrative business if you take 5/6 dogs out at once. Last week I saw 7 dog vans parked in a small car park in a local woods, if you go walking there you have to expect lots of loose dogs running around!

Why should anyone 'expect' packs of uncontrolled dogs out anywhere?

Am very glad our commons are very strict with anyone using them to run a business. That includes exercise classes and the like too.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

There has been a huge increase recently in dog walkers, it can be a lucrative business if you take 5/6 dogs out at once. Last week I saw 7 dog vans parked in a small car park in a local woods, if you go walking there you have to expect lots of loose dogs running around!

I am afraid that bonny is correct. There is a wood a short drive away from us, where you can find several dog-walkers' vans parked and many dogs running around out of control. I would indeed *expect* to find them every week day, which doesn't mean that the dogs are under control or that it would be safe for me to walk my dogs there. Because I know that I can expect the dogwalkers to be there, I avoid the place.

 

[FestiveG]

I am afraid that bonny is correct. There is a wood a short drive away from us, where you can find several dog-walkers' vans parked and many dogs running around out of control. I would indeed *expect* to find them every week day, which doesn't mean that the dogs are under control or that it would be safe for me to walk my dogs there. Because I know that I can expect the dogwalkers to be there, I avoid the place.

It seriously bothers me that people are effectively excluding the public, from public spaces, for their commercial gain

 

[Cortez]

I don't know about where everyone is, but around here dog walkers (of all types) are required to have their dogs on leads in public parks. Mine always are, but the number of people who let their dogs loose is legion - like, pretty much everybody else in the park. Yesterday we "met" a loose Malinois which was not in the least friendly. Luckily both mine are small and portable, so I held them until the owner wandered by and leashed his dog.

 

[Caol Ila]

Most of the dog walkers I encounter are fine. That’s why this jumped out at me! Usually if they have loose dogs with them, they are pretty good about getting everything on a lead or to heel as soon as they see me. I always stop my horse and make him wait until they’re sorted.

I should have added that all of the dogs in his care were loose. Two were dragging leads but the other four or five had no leads at all. One was MIA for a while. When they went down the trail, away from me, this last dog came crashing through the trees about three minutes behind the pack. At least it ran after its friends instead of me, but still.

 

[Arzada]

Why should anyone 'expect' packs of uncontrolled dogs out anywhere?

I now expect out of control dogs on shared trails, sometimes incorrectly called cycle paths. We call them dangerous dog paths having been attacked by a Doberman (owner not even on the path but in an adjoining field), taken down in an ambush by a Springer which zoomed out of a ditch, and run at and hit by a large f. oodle. We always thank those owners who have their dogs on lead or under control off lead (rare).

Sadly, our local resident swans expect them too.

 

[skinnydipper]

Highway Code. Rule 56

Dogs. Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Highway Code. Rule 56

Dogs. Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

To add, this is definitely used here, tho not often enough.
https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public
I do quote this to those with out of control dogs in a public place, what helped was a couple of years ago 2 different owners were both heavily fined and both banned from walking dogs in this area except on a short lead. Did make a few think!

 

[Andie02]

Loose dogs in public places are accidents waiting to happen in one form or another.