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 start out? Hiring a canine walker for the primary time generally is a daunting course of, and it’s fully comprehensible you probably have many unanswered questions! How will you discover a respected canine walker in your metropolis or city? What’s an inexpensive quantity to pay them? Do you need to present the canine walker with a key to your own home?
We partnered with Mitchell Park from Spot Canine Walkers to stroll us by learn 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.
When you have any questions or wish to share one a private canine walker expertise with us and our canine loving group, please go away a remark beneath. 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mom of two very younger youngsters, just lately determined she might use assist with strolling their energetic 4 month outdated Labrador Retriever pet.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 youngsters welcomed an lovely Lab pet into their household. Whereas they’d most of their childcare wants discovered—the older baby was in daycare and the youthful baby 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 vitality 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 taking good care of her youngsters 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, however it rapidly turned clear that good old school train was wanted. Earlier than lengthy, Bella started trying to rent a canine walker.
Do you want a canine walker?
Your causes for hiring a canine walker could be completely 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 a protracted stroll outdoor every morning.
No matter your actual state of affairs, you might be possible serious about hiring a canine walker so you’ll be able to reallocate the time you’d’ve spent canine strolling, and put it in direction of your work, youngsters, errands, and/or passions. For working mother and father like Bella, 7 additional hours per week, week after week, could be the distinction between burnout and feeling underneath management.
Your 7-Step Canine Walker Hiring Guidelines
When you have thought of 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 own home’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 your whole open questions so that you come out the opposite aspect outfitted with the information of learn how to save your self time, whereas guaranteeing your canine will get loads of train. Is there one thing we did not deal with? Simply go away a remark beneath, 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 protected—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 lady 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 might 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.
Fundamental gadgets to contemplate are: days of the week for canine walks, occasions of the walks for these days, and any particular wants on your canine’s effectively being (i.e. medication, meals, and many others).
What can be finest for you?
For example, let’s assume each you and your associate are sometimes on the workplace between 9am and 5pm every day. Along with your canine largely napping at dwelling throughout this time, then ideally somebody may come to your own home and stroll your canine for 30 minutes mid-morning and one other half-hour within the afternoon.
If we use Bella’s state of affairs above, she would possible desire to have a canine walker come very first thing within the morning (when the canine’s bladder is full and he or she’s busy getting herself and her youngsters prepared for the day) and once more in the early afternoon.
What can be finest on your canine?
By way of your canine’s wants, in case your canine is the kind who will get nervous round strangers, you might mentally notice that: (a) when you employed a walker, your canine ought to meet your potential walker beforehand, and (b) you’ll be able to guarantee your canine is all the time carrying his canine harness or collar beforehand, so your walker doesn’t must discomfort your canine by placing it on.
Typically talking, this guidelines step can also be about being reasonable about your busy schedule, and guaranteeing 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
When you’ve warmed as much as the concept of getting a canine walker, then the following step is to go searching for respected canine strolling companies close to you.
With this stage, you might have 2 choices.
- Choice 1. An area, neighborhood canine walker, who you may discover from a letterbox flyer, native classifieds, or a good friend referral.
- Choice 2. An organization for canine walkers, similar to Spot Canine Walkers (when 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 forms 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 might not present pet insurance coverage & dwelling insurance coverage.
- Availability: being a smaller operation, the supply not be as open to service your wants and your canine’s wants.
Choice 2: Utilizing a respected firm that gives canine strolling companies close to you
Benefits
- Security and Insurance coverage: Firms which supply canine strolling normally 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 may get related with a bigger community of vetted folks in your neighborhood who’ve signed up as walkers.
Disadvantages
- Interplay: Utilizing a canine strolling firm is just not normally as pure as assembly an particular person canine walker in particular person. It is because you might be utilizing a web 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 received a number of choices for hiring canine walkers, you may really feel struck with possibility nervousness. However there isn’t any want to fret. Take into account approaching each choices from a impartial place to see what feels best for you.
For Choice 1 above, take into account asking your veterinarian and any canine proudly owning family and friends if they’ve a really useful canine walker or two. You may also contact an area animal hospital to see if they’ve any referrals. Upon getting a number of suggestions, attain out to 2-3 particular person canine walkers to say hiya and ensure their present availability.
For Choice 2, go forward and obtain a good canine strolling firm app in your cellphone or go to their web site in your pc. We personally advocate Spot, Rover, and Wag. Browse their web sites, evaluate their insurance policies, and skim verified buyer evaluations.
When you’ve zeroed-in on a number of walker choices that really feel like they might work as canine walker choices for you, you then’re able to roll with the following 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 might 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’s best to be capable to discover a number of walkers close to you with nice rankings and evaluations and request meet-and-greets. For instance, Spot gives free meet-and-greets with canine walkers for canine homeowners 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 watch 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 study extra in regards to the canine walker and ask significant questions.
Verify checklist for the primary time you meet a brand new canine walker:
- Ask your self one merely query: Do you just like the walker? By way of observing, see how your canine responds to the canine walker candidate’s vibes (or vitality, or something you might name it). Often, canine walkers get alongside nice with canines—in spite of everything, it’s what they do!—so, until your canine normally 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 pressure love onto your canine, or if she’s assured to let your canine welcome her in time.
- Inform them every part about your canine! Subsequent, when interviewing your walkers, inform them something and every part about your pup; faux it’s like doctor-patient confidentiality, however for canines! Is your canine aggressive in direction of different canines or people? What kind of anxieties does your canine have? Does he or she generally tend to lunge at squirrels? Has your canine ever bitten anybody or every other canine? Err on the aspect of giving out an excessive amount of data. You’d solely be setting your canine and your walker up for failure by skipping over any aggression points your 150 lb mastiff might have. Basically, you have to be open (and glad in a manner) in case your walker candidate says she will’t stroll your canine – not solely does it signify an skilled walker (who is aware of her boundaries), however it’s the safer final 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. Most certainly, within the second of the dialog, new questions will spring to thoughts, or your candidate may have questions, so these are meant solely as a springboard for the walker interview.
- Do you might have any expertise with comparable 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 consumer references?
- Does your canine just like the walker? Lastly, in interviewing your walker candidates, when you or your canine really feel hesitant about hiring the walker, then transfer on. There are many walkers on the market, and it’s best to be capable to discover somebody who you want might truly prepare your canine and who you’ll be able to belief for months to return (as when you have been hiring a nanny on your youngsters).
Additionally, do not forget that you don’t want to rent any of your candidates simply but! It will 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 possible winners, then it’s time on your due diligence verify: double-checking their insurance policies as skilled service suppliers. This includes figuring out their pricing, insurance coverage, cancellation and refund insurance policies, and different security practices they prioritize.
Oftentimes, that is far more necessary with particular person walkers. Giant, 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 below are some additional 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 provide for cancellations, and when would you provide refunds?
- Different security questions: Will you ever transport my canine in your automobile to start out a stroll? Are the walks all the time 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 instance of what a canine strolling firm ought to provide by way of coverage and pricing.
As of writing (November 2021), Spot Canine Walkers gives as much as 20% off reductions. Which means a 60 minute canine stroll may be as little as $22.60 CAD ($17.90 USD) per stroll.
Spot additionally supplies $30,000 of pet insurance coverage within the uncommon occasion that your canine will get injured throughout 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, and so they by no means contain driving in a automobile (they’re all inside the canine proprietor’s neighborhood).
Typically talking, it’s 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 simple refund insurance policies. In case your candidates do not present that, see when you can haggle them down, or transfer onto a distinct canine strolling possibility.
#5. Give your canine walker every part they should correctly stroll your canine
When you have made it this far, you then’ve almost certainly decided on 1 or 2 canine walkers to check out, which is a large step in direction of liberating up your schedule!
Now, maintaining your employer/supervisor hat on, the next step is to ensure your walker has every part she must do an A+ job.
Making certain your walker has all of the instruments wanted
After coping with funds, however earlier than your first scheduled stroll, listed below are some gadgets to maintain. Keep in mind that after your first stroll, all of this stuff ought to lock into an automated, simple rhythm.
- Walker entry: Provide a key lockbox or digital keypad on your walker to soundly enter your own home (extra on this very important matter beneath).
- Contact data: Give your walker your cellphone quantity and e mail deal with.
- Well being data: 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, when you’re not at dwelling?”. Listed below are some solutions and proposals to make sure full security on your canine and your own home.
“Do I want to provide my canine walker a key to my home?”
You wouldn’t have to provide your walker a key to your home to stroll your canine when you’re not at dwelling. As an alternative, 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 protection benefit with key lockboxes is that, though your walker has entry to your home key, she by no means truly carries it round. Slightly, the secret is solely ever used when getting into or exiting your 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 home. In truth, with many digital keypad locks as of late, you’ll be able to truly set the occasions when sure entry codes work. Which means your walker’s code solely works throughout the time when she should enter or exit your home.
“How do I stop my canine walker from doing one thing ‘fishy’ in my home?”
No matter how intensive your your relationship is with your canine walker (or any service supplier, for that matter), we all the time advocate hiding any apparent valuables like money or bank cards when the particular person is planning to enter your own home.
You may also take into account putting in a cheap digital camera at your home’s entrance. All skilled canine walkers are used to dwelling cameras and safety gadgets, and so they shouldn’t must enter your own home a lot additional than the doorway manner.
Notice that, when you select to put in a digital camera, remember to let your walker know, as a easy courtesy. Not solely will they absolutely perceive, however they are going to admire that you just gave them discover.
“What if my walker by chance breaks one thing in my home?”
Within the uncommon case the place your walker by chance 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 comparable, sizable insurance coverage.
“How can I recover from my issues about letting a walker enter my dwelling?”
It actually takes braveness to provide your walker entry to your own home, however that is the place selecting a good firm and taking good care of your due diligence turns out to be useful.
However make no mistake! Sooner or later, you do must cross your coronary heart, belief your canine walker, and belief your good friend who referred your walker to you.
For a lot of canine homeowners, they’ve felt comparable 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 many others? Your walker has most likely walked tons of of canines, and she will level out worthwhile suggestions primarily based 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 reviews and video tales. Which means canine homeowners can see the place the canine walker and canine go, the place their canines canine their enterprise, and think about movies of the stroll itself.
Relating to potty reviews, these may be particularly helpful and make it easier to 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 completely satisfied? Does your canine give off an vitality of feeling content material, as soon as the stroll is over? Is your canine unhappy to see your walker go away and/or excited to see your walker arrive? These are all nice indicators that your canine loves the brand new routine you might have arrange.
If every part appears nice, then go forward and provides your canine walker or canine strolling firm a pleasant evaluate! Particularly for smaller companies, leaving a constructive evaluate can actually be a distinction maker in serving to them have an incredible week.
One final thought.
All in all, hiring a canine walker doesn’t must be sophisticated, disturbing, and overwhelming. It actually takes some up entrance vitality to guage your wants, analysis canine walkers close to you, interview your walkers, and pay for some trial walks. Finished correctly, nevertheless, discovering a great 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 vitality!
We actually hope that you just’ve discovered this data useful! Be happy to go away a message beneath within the feedback part, you probably have any ideas or questions. Thanks!
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