What Makes a Great Dog Walker

What makes a great dog walker?  Reliability, punctuality, knowledge, relevant experience, someone who has low rates, someone who is just really nice? 

Instead of me waffling on telling you what I think makes a great dog walker, (because it takes one to know one – eye roll)!  I thought I’d reach out to some fellow pet professionals and certified dog lovers to ask them to share their thoughts.

Kicking off with..

The Dog Aficionado

Verity Hardcastle is an award-winning Master Groomer, Feature Presenter & TV Judge, Author of the book Happy Dog Happy You and dog mum to four gorgeous poodles.  Verity is based in Yorkshire but travels internationally with her work.  You can read more about Verity here: https://www.verityhardcastle.com/

“For me a great dog walker is someone with real dog experience, someone who understands the nuances and behaviour of not just the dogs in their care but those around them on walks too.  Experience matters so much to me and I wouldn’t trust many people to walk my pack except that of a walker who is invested not only in their clients but in continually educating themselves on canine care and holds first aid certificates. I’m trusting them with my family members… and the keys to my home so a DBS check is important to see too.” 

The 5 Star Rated Dog Walker

Katie Abbott owns and runs Katie & Co Dog Walking & Pet Services based in North Yorkshire.  Katie has been providing group dog walks, pet sitting and small animal visits since 2018. She also runs a very successful Canine Chaperone Service for Weddings, so your four-legged family member can be included in your big day!  You can read more about Katie & Co here: https://www.katieandco.org/

“I would say my number one thing to look for in a Professional Dog Walker is a solid understanding of canine behaviour and body language and them being able to actively apply that in their workplace!  I would also make sure that your values align and ensure that the way they will treat your dog, is the same as how you would treat your dog. For instance, at Katie & Co I only use force-free, positive reinforcement methods and my knowledge is based on up-to-date, science-backed research (no pack leaders over here)!  Dog handling and training can vary massively, so making sure their ethos fits with yours and that everyone is on the same page is really important.”

The Pet Business Guru

Rachel Cross owns Sassy Poodle Pet Business Stationary, which she runs with the help of her sidekick Mimi the Yorkie Poo!  Rachel creates Eco-Friendly products and packaging for pet professionals.  Along with being a former Professional Dog Walker, Pet Business Mentor and online course creator, Rachel has a big passion for supporting and encouraging those in the Pet Care industry to set high standards and deliver quality care.  You can view Rachel’s products and read her blogs here: https://www.sassypoodlestationery.com/

“What makes a great dog walker? Trust and Communication are high up on the list for me.  Initially, if I was looking for a dog walker and I didn’t have any recommendations, I’d be looking for photos/reviews that show me pets are happy and safe in their care. At the meet and greet, I’d want my pet to seem comfortable with them and for them to ask lots of questions. If they didn’t hand me a form to fill in, that would be a big turn-off for me. Huge bonus if they’d made an effort to do some sort of canine behaviour training – if I was deciding between a couple of different dog walkers, the one with the behaviour training would sway me towards them.”

The Dog Super Mum

Jo Odom is a certified Dog Mad Dog Lover who lives in Yorkshire with her four dogs – Willow the Podenco, Polly the Golden Retriever, Maya the GSD X and Raven the Eurohound. Jo works very hard to keep her squad happy, healthy and suitably stimulated. Together they enjoy paddle boarding, agility, bikejor and canicross. Jo is currently studying Clinical Canine Massage Therapy with the Canine Massage Therapy Centre. You can follow the adventures of her squad on Instagram @the_pods_squad

“If I was looking for a great dog walker, I would look for the following:

  • Positive reinforcement, force-free and rewards based. Are they linked with trainers I respect and follow for example clicking with canines..
  • Honesty. I understand the complexity and stress of managing a group of dogs and that it doesn’t always go to plan and that my retriever may well steal your lunch because I guarantee she’s done it to me a million times.
  • Someone who recognises dogs as individuals “Dogs need to be dogs” – I am sick of hearing this! They have different needs, sensitivities and responses to situations and environments. I like to be able to detail this – all information is good information and behaviour is communication.
  • Someone who recognises that stimulation doesn’t need to be running at 200mph or having a group wrestle for an hour. They don’t need adventure days where they are as high as kites.
  • Someone who pays attention to the little things, are they slowing down, is there a change in their usual gait are they off their treats or withdrawn?
  • Someone who knows how to relax with the dogs and help them to relax, someone who can manage energy levels.”

The Qualified Canine Behaviourist

Kate Robinson is an award-winning, science-based (aka positive reinforcement) Dog Trainer and Canine Behaviourist. In addition to an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Kate also graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Training Professional course in 2016. When she is not helping guardians with their dogs and puppies, Kate is kept busy by her own ‘kids’, Mouse the Border Collie, Amos the Catalan Sheepdog, not forgetting Betty the cat. You can read more about Kate’s dog training company, Clicking with Canines here https://clickingwithcanines.co.uk/

“For me what makes a great dog walker is someone who not only understands Canine Body Language and Communication, but who also puts a lot of thought and planning into their walks, to ensure that they are safe, stimulating, and varied for the dogs. Good, experienced dog walkers have developed the skills of learning which dogs are compatible together, and aren’t willing to compromise a dog’s wellbeing for the sake of a full diary. Sadly, at times I am asked to work with dogs whose behaviour has changed, (not in a good way), when they have started going out with a dog walker. For some dogs this can simply be that they aren’t suited to group walks, but for others, it can be because they have been grouped with dogs who they find ‘threatening’, as a result, they have developed skills, such as ‘reactivity’, in order to help themselves feel safer in an environment over which they have no control.

Checking how the dog walker works with their own dogs is really important too, it can be a bit intimidating to ask directly, but looking at their social media can be a great place to start. A big red flag would be a walker who is prepared to use aversive tools, such as e-collars or prong collars on their own dog. It demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of dogs (the science tells us that this equipment is detrimental to our dog’s welfare), I personally would steer clear and would look for a dog walker that follows the science, and uses reward-based methods and equipment. In simpler terms, do they use, or suggest harnesses? and do they have a bulging treat bag on their hip at all times? If the answer is yes, you are on the right track.

Really get to know your dog walker, when you meet them, interview them as you would someone you were thinking of leaving your children with. A love of dogs is not enough when working with groups of dogs, I would expect my dog walker to have undertaken credible training courses in at least body language, behaviour and first aid, I have had a lot of dog walkers come along to training classes in order to observe, and develop their knowledge, these are the walkers I would refer owners to, and who I would trust with my own dogs.”

For more on how to find the right dog walker click HERE