Dog Walking

As a responsible pet owner, you know the drill. Unable to walk your dog during the day whether you’re at work or out of town, it matters not: you’re creating a contingency plan. Dog walking services exist in several cities and towns so it’s up to you to do some homework to find the right dog walking service for your pooch. Plus, it may be a good idea to research dog walking services in general as a back up plan: in case you are ever sick and no one else can walk your dog at least you know that your dog will get his or exercise via a dog walking service.

First, it’s important to ask for references. Whether they come from your veterinarian or neighbors, get recommendations. Next, once you contact the dog walker be sure to ask them if they have a business license and for additional references. Next, you’ll need to ask specific questions. For instance, does the dog walker walk dogs in large groups or individually? If you’ve seen a dog walker physically walk dogs in a large group you may notice that each individual dog gets less attention since they’re so many of them. Usually dog walkers won’t walk dogs individually but they may, however, walk dogs in small groups.

Although a dog walking service encompasses walking, you should also find out about water, feeding and clean up policies. In addition, it’s important to ask about the time and duration of the walks. Once you’ve done the legwork as it relates to dog walking, feel free to give it a whirl! Ask the dog walker if you can possibly try a week as a trial period or even pay on a pro-rata basis so you can attempt to use the dog walking service before committing to it.

Like other services such as dog sitting, be sure to provide the dog walker with your contact information as well as your pet’s medical history and the phone number of your veterinarian. Once you’ve given your dog walker the contact information, you should also be sure to sign a contract. This will outline the price and range of services in particular as it relates to the times and dates of visits and lengths of each walk. Similarly, you should have a way to reach the dog walker so you should get his or her contact information as well.

At The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being. For more information about dog walking and to find a local dog walker click on our resources page.