The way to Rent Canine Walkers Close to You

November 22, 2021

This submit is sponsored by Spot Canine Walkers.

Have you ever thought-about hiring a canine walker however do not know the place to begin? Hiring a canine walker for the primary time is usually a daunting course of, and it’s fully comprehensible if in case you have many unanswered questions! How are you going to discover a respected canine walker in your metropolis or city? What’s an inexpensive quantity to pay them? Do it’s important to present the canine walker with a key to your house?

We partnered with Mitchell Park from Spot Canine Walkers to stroll us by find out how to efficiently rent canine walkers close to you. On this DJANGO Canine Weblog article, we reply each query you might need about hiring a canine walker for the primary time. We additionally present a 7-step guidelines to soundly rent your first canine walker.

In case you have any questions or need to share one a private canine walker expertise with us and our canine loving group, please depart a remark under. We would love to listen to from you!

Why rent a canine walker?

The story of Bella and her Labrador Retriever pet

Bella, a working mom of two very younger kids, just lately determined she may use assist with strolling their energetic 4 month outdated Labrador Retriever pet.

Over the course of the pandemic, Bella, her husband, and a pair of kids welcomed an lovable Lab pet into their household. Whereas they’d most of their childcare wants discovered—the older little one was in daycare and the youthful little one was cared for by a nanny—they hadn’t fairly discovered a routine for his or her lovely new pet.

Labrador Retriever puppies are a bundle of power and require loads of outside train. Taking their Lab pet for a 1 hour-long stroll each morning earlier than work, nevertheless, was inconceivable. Between caring for her kids and getting ready for her work day, Bella realized she merely didn’t have sufficient time to stroll her pet within the morning and provides him the train and stimulation he actually wanted.

Sure, the pet had psychological stimulation toys and an open yard, nevertheless it shortly grew to become clear that good old school train was wanted. Earlier than lengthy, Bella started seeking to rent a canine walker.

Do you want a canine walker?

Your causes for hiring a canine walker could be totally different from Bella’s. Your job, as an example, may require you to be within the workplace till 6pm every night. Or maybe you have restricted mobility and can’t bodily deal with an extended stroll outdoor every morning.

No matter your actual scenario, you’re probably enthusiastic about hiring a canine walker so you’ll be able to reallocate the time you’d’ve spent canine strolling, and put it in the direction of your work, kids, errands, and/or passions. For working dad and mom like Bella, 7 further hours per week, week after week, could be the distinction between burnout and feeling underneath management.

Your 7-Step Canine Walker Hiring Guidelines

In case you have considered hiring a canine walker however stopped quick due to unanswered questions and limitless worries (i.e. how to discover a canine walker close to you, your canine’s security and wellbeing, your house’s safety), then this subsequent part is for you. On this part, we offer an easy-to-follow, 7-step guidelines for hiring canine walkers.

We hope to reply all your open questions so that you come out the opposite facet geared up with the information of find out how to save your self time, whereas making certain your canine will get loads of train. Is there one thing we did not deal with? Simply depart a remark under, and we’ll get again to you!

#1. Perceive your wants and your canine’s wants

For now, think about that hiring canine walkers is inexpensive and fully secure—we’ll get to affordability and security in later guidelines steps! Merely image a semi-retired, native mother in your neighborhood who has extra expertise than you in caring for and strolling canines. This girl would like to take your pup on walks.

If this skilled native mother and canine walker knocked in your door, what questions would you ask her? Maybe you’d ask what days she may stroll your canine and for a way lengthy. The place would she stroll your pup? Would she be capable to feed him, if wanted? Take into consideration the most best situation for fulfilling each your wants and your canine’s wants.

Foremost gadgets to contemplate are: days of the week for canine walks, instances of the walks for these days, and any particular wants to your canine’s effectively being (i.e. drugs, meals, and so on).

What can be greatest for you?

For example, let’s assume each you and your companion are sometimes on the workplace between 9am and 5pm every day. Together with your canine largely napping at dwelling throughout this time, then ideally somebody may come to your house and stroll your canine for 30 minutes mid-morning and one other half-hour within the afternoon.

If we use Bella’s scenario above, she would probably desire to have a canine walker come very first thing within the morning (when the canine’s bladder is full and she or he’s busy getting herself and her kids prepared for the day) and once more in the early afternoon.

What can be greatest to your canine?

When it comes to your canine’s wants, in case your canine is the kind who will get nervous round strangers, you might mentally notice that: (a) in case you employed a walker, your canine ought to meet your potential walker beforehand, and (b) you’ll be able to guarantee your canine is at all times carrying his canine harness or collar beforehand, so your walker doesn’t should discomfort your canine by placing it on. 

Typically talking, this guidelines step can also be about being life like about your busy schedule, and making certain your canine’s psychological and bodily well being isn’t a casualty of your busy schedule in the long term.

#2. Go searching for canine walkers close to you

In case you’ve warmed as much as the concept of getting a canine walker, then the subsequent step is to go searching for respected canine strolling companies close to you.

With this stage, you have got 2 choices.

• Choice 1. An area, neighborhood canine walker, who you may discover from a letterbox flyer, native classifieds, or a pal referral.
• Choice 2. An organization for canine walkers, equivalent to Spot Canine Walkers (in case you’re in Canada), Rover, or Wag.

Earlier than deciding proper off the bat which route you’d prefer to discover, know that each choices have their respective benefits and drawbacks. Here’s a fast comparability between the 2 kinds of canine walkers:

Choice 1: Working with particular person, native canine walkers

Benefits:

• Interplay: sometimes extra private because you’re coping with one particular person, and it’s a easy, neighborly transaction.

Disadvantages:

• Security and Insurance coverage: people providing canine strolling companies on their very own could not present pet insurance coverage & dwelling insurance coverage.
• Availability: being a smaller operation, the provision not be as open to service your wants and your canine’s wants. 

Choice 2: Utilizing a respected firm that provides canine strolling companies close to you

Benefits

• Security and Insurance coverage: Corporations which provide canine strolling often present each pet insurance coverage and residential insurance coverage, with zero deductible to you within the uncommon occasion one thing occurs.
• Availability: That is sometimes very sturdy as a result of you will get linked with a bigger community of vetted folks in your neighborhood who’ve signed up as walkers.

Disadvantages

• Interplay: Utilizing a canine strolling firm shouldn’t be often as pure as assembly an particular person canine walker in particular person. It’s because you’re utilizing an internet site or app for scheduling and cost (versus merely assembly in particular person and paying money).

Begin taking motion! Make preliminary contact with canine walkers.

Now that you just’ve bought a number of choices for hiring canine walkers, you may really feel struck with possibility nervousness. However there is no such thing as a want to fret. Contemplate approaching each choices from a impartial place to see what feels best for you.

For Choice 1 above, contemplate asking your veterinarian and any canine proudly owning family and friends if they’ve a beneficial canine walker or two. You too can contact an area animal hospital to see if they’ve any referrals. After you have a couple of suggestions, attain out to 2-3 particular person canine walkers to say howdy and ensure their present availability.

For Choice 2, go forward and obtain a good canine strolling firm app in your telephone or go to their web site in your laptop. We personally advocate Spot, Rover, and Wag. Browse their web sites, evaluation their insurance policies, and browse verified buyer evaluations.

When you’ve zeroed-in on a couple of walker choices that really feel like they may work as canine walker choices for you, then you definitely’re able to roll with the subsequent guidelines step of interviewing your walker candidates!

#3. Interview your walker candidates

After you’ve discovered, for instance, 2 native particular person walkers and a pair of firm choices, which may function canine strolling choices, then it’s time to put on your employer hat and interview your walker candidates!

With native particular person walkers, ask in the event that they wouldn’t thoughts assembly your canine and also you for quarter-hour. You may even ask them to do a 15 minute trial stroll.

With firm walkers, it is best to be capable to discover a couple of walkers close to you with nice rankings and evaluations and request meet-and-greets. For instance, Spot presents free meet-and-greets with canine walkers for canine house owners who buy a 5 or 10 stroll bundle.

What to do when first assembly canine walker candidates

Upon assembly your walker, your job as a canine mother or father interviewer is to look at the walker, see how the walker interacts along with your canine, and see how your pup responds and interacts with the walker. That is additionally an exquisite alternative to be taught extra concerning the canine walker and ask significant questions.

Examine listing for the primary time you meet a brand new canine walker:

• Ask your self one merely query: Do you just like the walker? When it comes to observing, see how your canine responds to the canine walker candidate’s vibes (or power, or something you might name it). Often, canine walkers get alongside nice with canines—in spite of everything, it’s what they do!—so, except your canine often has some nerves round strangers, see how they get together with one another. In the event that they don’t instantly vibe, then observe if the walker tries to power love onto your canine, or if she’s assured to let your canine welcome her in time.
• Inform them all the things about your canine! Subsequent, when interviewing your walkers, inform them something and all the things about your pup; faux it’s like doctor-patient confidentiality, however for canines! Is your canine aggressive in the direction of different canines or people? What kind of anxieties does your canine have? Does he or she tend to lunge at squirrels? Has your canine ever bitten anybody or another canine? Err on the facet of giving out an excessive amount of info. You’d solely be setting your canine and your walker up for failure by skipping over any aggression points your 150 lb mastiff could have. Basically, try to be open (and glad in a method) in case your walker candidate says she will be able to’t stroll your canine – not solely does it signify an skilled walker (who is aware of her boundaries), nevertheless it’s the safer end result in the long term.
• Ask them loads of questions! For questions, right here’s a shortlist of questions you need to use to kick the dialog off. Almost definitely, within the second of the dialog, new questions will spring to thoughts, or your candidate could have questions, so these are meant solely as a springboard for the walker interview.

• Do you have got any expertise with related breeds or sizes like my canine?
• The place will you stroll my canine?
• Are your canine walks non-public or in teams?
• How lengthy have you ever walked canines as a job?
• Are you able to present any shopper references?
• Does your canine just like the walker? Lastly, in interviewing your walker candidates, in case you or your canine really feel hesitant about hiring the walker, then transfer on. There are many walkers on the market, and it is best to be capable to discover somebody who you want may truly practice your canine and who you’ll be able to belief for months to return (as in case you have been hiring a nanny to your kids).

Additionally, do not forget that you don’t want to rent any of your candidates simply but! This may get lined on this subsequent guidelines step, which is able to contain attending to know their insurance policies (together with pricing, cancellation insurance policies, and so forth) to lastly seal the deal.

#4. Know their insurance policies as professionals (ideally their insurance policies will likely be in writing)

When you’ve narrowed your shortlist of walker candidates to 1 or 2 probably winners, then it’s time to your due diligence verify: double-checking their insurance policies as skilled service suppliers. This entails figuring out their pricing, insurance coverage, cancellation and refund insurance policies, and different security practices they prioritize.

Oftentimes, that is rather more vital with particular person walkers. Massive, respected corporations like Spot, Rover, and Wag are sometimes extraordinarily clear on their skilled insurance policies.

Are there insurance policies aggressive?

To finalize your alternative of walker, listed here are some further inquiries to ask:

• Pricing: What are your costs and do you provide any reductions for packages?
• Insurance coverage: Do you provide pet insurance coverage and residential insurance coverage?
• Cancellations and refunds: How a lot discover do I’ve to offer for cancellations, and when would you provide refunds?
• Different security questions: Will you ever transport my canine in your automobile to begin a stroll? Are the walks at all times on-leash (versus taking a canine to a canine park, for instance)?

Utilizing Spot as a Benchmark for Coverage and Pricing

We’ll use Spot Canine Walkers in Canada for example of what a canine strolling firm ought to provide by way of coverage and pricing.

As of writing (November 2021), Spot Canine Walkers presents as much as 20% off reductions. Which means that a 60 minute canine stroll could be as little as $22.60 CAD ($17.90 USD) per stroll. 

Spot additionally offers $30,000 of pet insurance coverage within the uncommon occasion that your canine will get injured through the stroll, and $5 million of dwelling insurance coverage.

In case your walker is 1 minute late, Spot refunds the stroll absolutely. And, on the notice of security, all of Spot’s walks are non-public, on-leash, they usually by no means contain driving in a automobile (they’re all inside the canine proprietor’s neighborhood).

Typically talking, it is best to be capable to discover non-public canine strolling choices within the $20 to $25 vary which are absolutely insured, non-public, and with straightforward refund insurance policies. In case your candidates do not present that, see in case you can haggle them down, or transfer onto a special canine strolling possibility.

#5. Give your canine walker all the things they should correctly stroll your canine

In case you have made it this far, then you definitely’ve most definitely decided on 1 or 2 canine walkers to check out, which is a big step in the direction of releasing up your schedule!

Now, retaining your employer/supervisor hat on, the next step is to verify your walker has all the things she must do an A+ job. 

Guaranteeing your walker has all of the instruments wanted

After coping with funds, however earlier than your first scheduled stroll, listed here are some gadgets to care for. Keep in mind that after your first stroll, all of this stuff ought to lock into an automated, straightforward rhythm.

• Walker entry: Provide a key lockbox or digital keypad to your walker to soundly enter your house (extra on this very important matter under).
• Contact information: Give your walker your telephone quantity and e mail deal with.
• Well being information: Guarantee your walker is aware of any well being particulars about your canine.
• Provides: Let your walker know the place your canine’s leash, collar, and treats and positioned.

Steadily requested questions on canine walker entry:

All through this time, one key query which can be lingering in your thoughts is, “How does your canine walker stroll your canine, in case you’re not at dwelling?”. Listed below are some solutions and proposals to make sure full security to your canine and your house.

“Do I want to offer my canine walker a key to my home?”

You don’t have to offer your walker a key to your own home to stroll your canine when you find yourself not at dwelling. As a substitute, you’ll be able to present them with both: (a) a key lockbox, or (b) the code for an digital keypad. 

Key lockboxes are used Spot Canine Walkers. Spot prospects are given lockboxes free-of-charge as soon as they’ve accomplished their first stroll. The security benefit with key lockboxes is that, though your walker has entry to your own home key, she by no means truly carries it round. Moderately, the hot button is solely ever used when getting into or exiting your own home. This has been proven to considerably reduce the danger of a break-in.

With digital keypad entry, you’ll be able to merely give your walker the digital code to enter your own home. Actually, with many digital keypad locks lately, you’ll be able to truly set the instances when sure entry codes work. Which means that your walker’s code solely works through the time when she should enter or exit your own home.

“How do I stop my canine walker from doing one thing ‘fishy’ in my home?”

No matter how in depth your your relationship is with your canine walker (or any service supplier, for that matter), we at all times advocate hiding any apparent valuables like money or bank cards when the particular person is planning to enter your house.

You too can contemplate putting in a cheap digicam at your own home’s entrance. All skilled canine walkers are used to dwelling cameras and safety units, they usually shouldn’t should enter your house a lot additional than the doorway method. 

Notice that, in case you select to put in a digicam, make sure you let your walker know, as a easy courtesy. Not solely will they absolutely perceive, however they’ll admire that you just gave them discover.

“What if my walker by accident breaks one thing in my home?”

Within the uncommon case the place your walker by accident knocks over your grandmother’s China, then that is the place dwelling insurance coverage can kick in. As talked about above, any respected canine strolling firm ought to present each pet and residential insurance coverage to cowl the uncommon occasion that one thing goes awry throughout service.

Spot has truly never needed to make both a pet insurance coverage or dwelling insurance coverage declare in over 75,000 canine walks! However the firm is ready in case that day comes. Prospects of Spot are lined with $5 million of zero-deductible dwelling insurance coverage, and different canine strolling companies present related, sizable insurance policy.

“How can I recover from my considerations about letting a walker enter my dwelling?”

It actually takes braveness to offer your walker entry to your house, however that is the place selecting a good firm and caring for your due diligence is useful.

However make no mistake! Sooner or later, you do should cross your coronary heart, belief your canine walker, and belief your pal who referred your walker to you.

For a lot of canine house owners, they’ve felt related hesitations, taken the leap of religion— particularly with the consolation of being lined by insurance coverage—and have now integrated canine strolling assist into their lives.

#6. Get suggestions out of your canine walker after the stroll

After your canine’s stroll is over, have a chat along with your canine walker about how your canine behaved. Was it a B, A+, and so on? Your walker has in all probability walked tons of of canines, and she will be able to level out invaluable suggestions based mostly on their expertise to assist your canine develop into extra accustomed to canine strolling sooner or later.

At Spot Canine Walkers, all canine walks are absolutely GPS-tracked with potty stories and video tales. Which means that canine house owners can see the place the canine walker and canine go, the place their canines canine their enterprise, and look at movies of the stroll itself.

Concerning potty stories, these could be particularly helpful and enable you plan your pup’s following walks accordingly.

#7. Get suggestions out of your canine after the stroll

And naturally, the final step is to get suggestions out of your canine after the stroll!

Is your canine joyful? Does your canine give off an power of feeling content material, as soon as the stroll is over? Is your canine unhappy to see your walker depart and/or excited to see your walker arrive? These are all nice indicators that your canine loves the brand new routine you have got arrange. 

If all the things appears nice, then go forward and provides your canine walker or canine strolling firm a pleasant evaluation! Particularly for smaller companies, leaving a optimistic evaluation can actually be a distinction maker in serving to them have a fantastic week.

One final thought.

All in all, hiring a canine walker doesn’t should be sophisticated, disturbing, and overwhelming. It actually takes some up entrance power to judge your wants, analysis canine walkers close to you, interview your walkers, and pay for some trial walks. Achieved correctly, nevertheless, discovering a superb canine strolling will prevent hours upon hours of time in the long term, whereas giving your canine a wholesome, outside outlet for his or her power!

We actually hope that you just’ve discovered this info useful! Be happy to go away a message under within the feedback part, if in case you have any ideas or questions. Thanks!

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