How To Choose a Dog Walker

Choosing a dog walker for your four-legged friend requires a methodical approach. There are numerous things you have to consider before making your decision...and a wrong decision can quickly lead to upset for both you and your dog. The five steps below should help you in your quest to choose a dog walker so read on and find out how to find your dog's perfect companion.

1. Search the Internet or look through your local paper/yellow pages for dog walkers in your area.  There are probably numerous companies who offer the service but some will be much better than others.
2. Make a list of the questions you want to ask each company, just so that you have all the information you need to choose a dog walker that suits your needs.  Examples of relevant questions include:
   • How much do they charge to walk your dog one a day, twice a day or as often as you think your dog needs it?
   • Will your dog be assigned a single dog walker or is it a case of whoever is free will do the walk?
   • Will your dog be walked alone or with other dogs?
   • Does the dog walking company have public liability insurance to cover any accidents that may occur while out walking?
   • If they need a door key to get into your home, is it kept in a security box on the dog walking company's business premises?
   • Will the chosen dog walker also feed your dog if required?
3. Once you have all the relevant information from the available companies, you need to narrow the choice down.  Go through the answers you've been given and pick the top three that suit your requirements. Phone your chosen three and make an appointment to meet your potential dog walker.
4. When each of the dog walkers turns up at your home, make a point of watching your dog's reaction to them.  At the end of the day, you are choosing a dog walker for your dog and so they need to like the person just as much as you do. From these meetings you should be able to choose a dog walker from the three potentials.
5.  Monitor how the dog walking sessions are going for a few weeks.
6. Make a mental note of how tired your dog is when they get back and how happy they seem in general.

Hopefully you'll have chosen the right dog walker for your dog first time, but if not try one of the others you originally selected and keep going until the find the one for you.