GIVINg you the answers so you dont need to ask the questions

Dog Walking is easy right???? I would say so yes.
So running and setting up a dog walking business is a piece of cake???? No not if it's done correctly.

It seems every week there's a new dog walking business cropping up in the areas we cover. Then again how hard is it to walk dogs. I mean all we do is pick the dogs up and walk them it's as simple as that.
When I look around when I'm out walking or looking at other dog walkers Facebook pages I get very frustrated and worry.
I worry that customers either don't want to ask certain questions or maybe they just don't realise what goes on.
For instance if I was to say to you what are the 2 most important things in your life? What would the answers be??
For me it's always the same answer. My wife and my 2 dogs.
So if I employed a dog walker with my dogs being 1 of the 2 most important things to me I would have a lot of questions to ask. I'm going to make it easy for you just in case your not sure.

1. Is your business insured and do you have a DBS?
2. How is my dog being transported, are they in a cage and or safely clipped into something? And if they are in a cage will they be the only dog in it?
3. Will my dog ever be left alone in a vehicle while you provide other services?
4. I am paying for a 1 hour walk. What reasons if any would you cut their walk short?
5. If we agree a time my dog is walked will this be the same time give or take 5-10mins?
6. You as a walker state you only walk 4 dogs at a time however I see photos of 6 or more on the walks. Why is this?
7. Do you at any time let the dogs jump out of the vehicle with no lead on to run around lanes where cars come and go?
8. If you are ill or sick and need time off work where do I stand with my dog being walked?

Off the top of my head these are the questions that need to be asked.

I would also be interested to see if the dog walker was professional enough to have a list of paperwork ie contracts, terms and conditions, vet release forms etc. This type of thing shows they are a proper run business and like all bases covered.

Dog walking isn't just about walking dogs, it's alot more than that. However I am afraid to say alot of walkers these days just see 4 dogs to walk and see £40 an hour.

Please Please Please if you ever employ a dog walker make sure you ask questions and keep your eyes peeled to what goes on.

Never ever should dogs be allowed to jump freely out of vehicles and run onto football fields before a walker has even got their boots on.

Dogs should never have to be squeezed into 1 dog cage with 4 or 5 other dogs.

Walks should never be cut short just because the walker has taken on so many puppy visits or has so many dogs to dry that they won't get to their next customer in time unless that 1 hour walk is cut to 35mins. Or if the walker cannot be bothered because it's raining.

And never ever ever should dogs be left unattended in a vehicle while the walker provides a puppy visit or they cannot be bothered walking that dog.

Yes this is a controversial post because many many times I've heard 'But walkers should stick together'. NO

​Good walkers should stick together.