Talk to me about Dog Walkers (please! 😊)

My recent fall and fracture leave me unable to walk my young huge strong lab. Hes boarding with my trainer friend. Her business in dog walking and training , we’ve been going to her groups for a couple of years so she knows him well. He’s living a good life in her home with her dogs and off to walk with suitable dogs
He needs careful handling so not suitable for many dog walkers
So ~ dogs can suddenly need you to have money
And resources

Apologies Fanny, I didn’t mean to jump on your post. I thought I’d started a new one.

AlwaysSmiling

If you cannot take a dog out for a walk by yourself then don't get one. I have seen dog walkers on our park with about 7 dogs on leads. She gets to the park entrance and lets them all off their leads. (it is a wonder they all come back) there is dog poo everywhere and there is no way she can pick it all up as she is back in her van after 15 minutes. If they charge £10 for 30 minutes then that is £70 per 30 minutes. These people are out to make money and do not care about the dogs at all.

If you cannot take a dog out for a walk by yourself then don't get one

I suspect most who were unable to walk a dog - like my OH - wouldn't get one for that very reason.

However if you already own a dog and become incapacitated, I'm equally sure it's possible to find responsible dog-walkers.

Dogs, like children are all different. I’d suggest you get a programme set up with the trainer, she picks the dog up, walks him, regularly for a week. Build to her taking the dog to her home for an hour after a walk, then home. If he copes, try overnight. Is he used to being home alone for brief periods

Nobody who doesn’t know your dog can possibly give that reassurance.

I’m looking for reassurance about leaving my miniature schnauzer while we go on holiday. He’s our first dog despite us being over 70, and he is always with at least one of us. When we considered getting him, we weighed up a lot of pros and cons and as we didn’t even have a passport, we didn’t think holidays would be a problem as he would come with us in our campervan. However, the family have arranged a family holiday to Greece later this year. Our puppy trainer is happy to have him for the week and he is obviously very fond of her. However, apart from going to the groomer, we have never actually left him with anyone else. Can anyone reassure me that dogs are okay being left?

TanaMa

Where I live dog walking seems to be 'flavour of the month'!! Some of these walkers are 'on the sick?'. There are so many - some with 2/3 others with more than looks manageable. I thought, after the death of a dog walker who had muliple dogs, that by law you were only allowed a certain number at one time? Perhaps it was suggested and not made a law. For myself, my dog is too important to me and my life to entrust her to strangers.

The Heath local to me brought in a bye law that only 4 dogs could be walked by a walker at any one time and if there were two people together they could not walk 8 dogs. For the first few weeks I noticed people were following this instruction but now there are several walkers with 7/8/9 dogs. I bet no-one has been fined for it. These laws are only any good if they policed properly - I expect the same will happen with the XL bully laws

Hi Fanny
Lovely to see you back, sorry to hear you are unwell.
I am in East Anglia and have experience of the Cinnamon Trust as we used them for my brothers dogs when he was unable to walk them. I also joined Borrow my doggy as a Premium member and helped out a lady , who due to illness was unable to walk her dog, so you could check out that site.
As for dog walkers, here they charge £10.00 per 30 minutes. I have a lovely lady for my old rescue Toby who comes and walks him and only him if l need to go out for the day. She did come to the house and meet Toby a couple of times before she walked him with me first. Of course l had to pay for her time but l wanted to be sure she was Trust worthy and kind.
She is insured and dbs checked, you can check with the council, through Environmental health.
Good luck in your search.

Where I live dog walking seems to be 'flavour of the month'!! Some of these walkers are 'on the sick?'. There are so many - some with 2/3 others with more than looks manageable. I thought, after the death of a dog walker who had muliple dogs, that by law you were only allowed a certain number at one time? Perhaps it was suggested and not made a law. For myself, my dog is too important to me and my life to entrust her to strangers.

I wouldn't want a dog walker that walked more than two dogs, and preferably just one. However, when I enquired of someone I know how much she pays her dog walker, I was told £18 an hour, which I think is a lot of money.

caci

I am a dog walker for The Cinnamon Trust. We are all volunteers who have been checked and approved by the charity. The problem with using this service may be lack of suitable volunteers where you live, or no-one being available at a time that suits you, however, I think it's worth looking into.
cinnamon.org.uk/

Caci

Exactly the organisation I was going to recommend.

My friend takes a guide dog for recreational walks.

I use a dog walker to take out my lurcher once a week( I take my autistic grandson to a specialist playgroup & my dog would be left longer than I'd like) She came from recommendation from my trainer, walks my dog with her own & occasionally one other. She is insured,dbs checked, doesn't let Peggy off lead....recall isn't good enough yet & sends me photos of walks. She charges £20 an hour

My daughter is a professional dog walker in Tunbridge Wells. She never takes out more than 3/4 dogs at a time. She has done several courses over the 3 years she's been in business and has full liability insurance. She doesn't need to advertise on social media, although she does have a business page on FB . She gets all new dogs by recommendation/word of mouth. She loves what she does & loves her doggies.
However, she's 20 weeks pregnant with a little girl (hence me registering with Gransnet) & is due end of July.
She's told all her clients & has a group of dog walking friends who will hopefully take over some of her walks. She plans to return to working 3 days a week from New Year 2025.

I'm unable to walk my dogs, too, due to having both M.E. and Long Covid together - as said above, circumstances change! (I do hate judgemental morons who go off blowing their trumpet whilst knowing F-all about the background. My goat has just been got, lol)

I can't help you regarding cost, as that will vary dependent on the area; the number of dogs to be walked; how long you want them walked for and whether or not you give or refuse permission for them to be walked with other unknown dogs. (I would defo not want that.)

What I definitely advise is that you only use a Walker who has comprehensive insurance, covering vet bills for your dogs if injured AND any creature/human your dogs might injure - however inadvertently - plus any property damage your dogs are blamed for, including slipping a collar and causing a traffic accident.

Also make sure that if the Walker is going to drive your dogs anywhere for their walk, s/he has permission in print from the car insurance company they use to do so. If they don't declare the Walking as a paid occupation and proceed to have an accident with your dogs in their car, it invalidates their insurance.

Re finding a properly insured Walker, have a look over this: tinyurl.com/4ff73yhv

Also, you may be able to find a resource like the one I use: a fully dog-proofed meadow with poo bags and bins; running water - only for dogs to drink, as washing 'em down would create mud everywhere - a small agility course and a water/wind proof hut with seats for poorly or just tired owners. You'd need someone with you capable of keeping watch over the dogs so's they could poop-scoop, of course.

Here's a link to mine just to give you an idea of how it goes. (It's incredibly reasonable priced too: £6 per half hour slot for up to 4 dogs, £7 ditto for over 4.)

www.poundingpawz.co.uk/

This has turned into a book, rather than a post so I'll get off now - wishing you luck in finding just the right person.

FannyCornforth

Thanks Cossy
That’s exactly the sort of thing that I mind, a student or similar.
I’m just mulling things over.

I dislocated my operated hip in January with dramatic effects 😣

If your need for a dog walker is due to health/personal problems have you looked into the Cinnamon Trust ? They are a nationwide charity who help people with pets either short or long-term.
They do not have professional dog walker volunteers on their books .
Having said that there are many excellent dog walkers operating. Like all things you need to do your research on each individual. The going rate at the moment is £15 per hour.

I’ve always lived with dogs, other than four years from age18. I’ve fostered and adopted. My current two are pedigrees from good reputable breeders who commit to any pup they breed for life.
I’m finding safe places to walk my dogs increasingly difficult to find. There are so many untrained, out of control dogs. Their owners seem to believe their dog needs to meet n greet every dog or person it encounters. I no longer use three local walks I’ve enjoyed for 50 years. ‘Professional’ dog walkers with 5-8 dogs off lead, an unstable pack.
It’s impacted on my ability to train my lively young lab. People don’t understand my dogs are trained to walk past children/people/dogs
I was walking my small, gentle easy spaniel just now, along with a friend and his old westie. Both on lead. Frenchy on halter straining pulling - we step out the way. The owner lets his dog jump on mine, it’s on an extendable of course so he’s no control. I pull me dog back , leave it I say. He shouts ‘it won’t do anything it’s only being friendly. He was cross despite us saying nothing - he was very cross. I pointed out he didn’t know if our dogs were friendly and that if my dog had been upset, tried to get out the way of his, I could have been pulled over as I’ve one arm in a sling. He really didn’t give a flip

I don’t know what’s to be done- I’m a dog lover but I’m worried

I grew up with cats, but we have never had pets because we never considered our life was compatible with owning animals. We have always had busy lives, at work during the day, often out in the evenings, away at weekends.

I agree MOnica if it’s time rather than infirmity which prevents a dog being walked. I have always felt that people who work, even part time, should not have a dog. We didn’t have dogs until my husband retired, by which time the last of our cats had died. Cats are much more suited to a working person provided they have food, water and access to a safe outdoor area during the day.

I think MOnica, it's because like a lot of things in life the expectation and reality don't match up. I adore looking after my little dog, and meet many like me who are no longer working and have the time to commit.
It all looks such fun, bouncing along with a sleek well groomed furry friend. People are seeing a snapshot of the best bits and not researching the life time commitment/cost/ restrictions.
Btw I sadly no longer bounce along and furry feller is only well groomed for the first 10 mins of his walk

Our 2 dogs are going to daycare next week as we have to attend a close relatives funeral. It will be the first time ever for them.
Person is registered with local council insured has canine first aid and all 5* reviews
We're paying £30 for the whole day 7.30-5.30. She also takes them on walks in fields and on a common which is a condition of her licence. Also numerous videos and photos of the dogs on her website.

Perhaps someon can answer the questions that always occur to me in relation to dog walkers.

Why have a dog if you cannot find time to even take it for a walk? I am talking general population here, because I do understand that people have a dog, walk it and then, for a variety of physical reasons can do it no more- and that would almost certainly apply to anyone on GN using a dog walker.

But we live in a big village surrounded by footpaths and there are so many dogs around I have begun to wonder whether the builder hands one out to every one buying a house off them. Despite the opportunities, I still see constant dog walker advertisements and requests on Facebook.

Surely if you haven't got time to walk your dog, then you haven't got time to give it the attention it needs.

I have a wonderful dog walker who takes my dog out twice a week. She’s a qualified veterinary nurse, never takes out more than three dogs at a time and my dog loves her. She came highly recommended by local people and my vet.
She matches the dogs in temperament and size.
I have a dog walker because DH is indifferent about walking sometimes, my health fluctuates but the dog gets two good walks a day, an hour each time.
The dog walker charges £15/hr and is worth every penny.

Several dog walkers on the Country Park near me.
I think probably best to find out where they walk the dogs and see how they are with them. One we often meet goes out 2 or 3 times a day and I would totally trust her. Never seen her with more than 6 but usually 4. Some she will let off lead but some she keeps on a long lead depends on the dog, all seem very sociable. Good luck with finding the right person.

I would suggest you vet a dog walker very carefully. We have one round us who arrives with a car full of dogs. He sits in the car for 15mins then gets out and walks to a bench about 100yards away. Here he sits for another 15 mins with the dogs either running around him or just sitting gazing at him. He then returns to his car and sits for another 15mins before driving off to return the poor dogs to their unsuspecting owners. He has been doing this twice a day for years.

If money is an issue you could try the Cinnamon Trust. I have had a number of health issues and applied for help. Sadly I never got to use the lovely people who volunteer because my little dog is now too poorly to go out with anyone he doesn't know well.