Dog walkers are becoming increasingly common and currently number somewhere around 20,000 nationwide. They provide busy individuals with an outlet for their active dogs and make a pretty nice profit for their trouble. In fact, some dog walkers charge up to $50 per hour for their services, often walking more than one dog at a time. If a dog walker can handle three dogs, that’s more than the average salary of a mid-level manager. This isn’t always a reciprocal situation, however, and you should always be careful about hiring a dog walker for your pets.
First, you should make sure that your dog walker is bonded and insured. Experts at HealthyPets.com recommend that your dog walker be insured for at least $1 million, including coverage for your home and your pet. Since most people give their dog walkers access to their homes, you should be pretty confident that he or she is trustworthy. One disgruntled former customer of a dog walker laments her terrible experience on PetSitters.org. She claims that she came home early from work one afternoon to find her dog walker raiding the fridge and ignoring her dogs as they slowly destroyed a pair of expensive shoes.
The best way to protect yourself when hiring a dog walker is to find one in your neighborhood who is certified by the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). These professionals have passed an exam after taking a home study course on business management, veterinary care (for both dogs and cats), animal care and policies and procedures. This way, you at least know that your dog walker has been educated in caring for your pet, which isn’t something you could say of someone you meet on the street one afternoon.
Here are a few more tips for hiring a dog walker:
Always request an interview. Before you hire a dog walker, request an interview so that you can meet face to face. Introduce your family as well as your dogs so that your pets get to know the dog walker. Talk about any special care that your dog might need and pay attention to see if the individual you are interviewing comprehends the instructions. A good dog walker will ask questions and immediately begin to interact with your dogs.
Check references. As with any other situation in which you are hiring someone, check references. Don’t just ask for them; actually pick up the phone and call previous customers. Find out if they had any reservations about the dog walker or if there’s anything you need to know.
Come home early. To make sure that your dog walker is performing his or her job well, come home early once or twice to check up on things. This shouldn’t be necessary after once or twice, but it will give you peace of mind.
Check insurance. Don’t just believe a dog walker who tells you that he or she is bonded and insured. Call the appropriate companies to verify whatever information you are given.
