The best way to Rent Canine Walkers Close to You

November 22, 2021

This put up is sponsored by Spot Canine Walkers.

Have you ever thought of 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 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 a must to present the canine walker with a key to your house?

We partnered with Mitchell Park from Spot Canine Walkers to stroll us by the way to efficiently rent canine walkers close to you. On this DJANGO Canine Weblog article, we reply each query you may 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 go away a remark beneath. We might 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, not too long ago determined she might use assist with strolling their energetic 4 month previous 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 that they had most of their childcare wants found out—the older baby was in daycare and the youthful baby was cared for by a nanny—they hadn’t fairly found out a routine for his or her stunning new pet.

Labrador Retriever puppies are a bundle of power and require numerous out of doors train. Taking their Lab pet for a 1 hour-long stroll each morning earlier than work, nonetheless, 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, but it surely rapidly turned clear that good old style 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 is perhaps completely different from Bella’s. Your job, for 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 outside every morning.

No matter your actual scenario, you’re doubtless fascinated about hiring a canine walker so you’ll be able to reallocate the time you’ll’ve spent canine strolling, and put it in the direction of your work, youngsters, errands, and/or passions. For working dad and mom like Bella, 7 further hours per week, week after week, is perhaps 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 brief due to unanswered questions and infinite 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 your whole open questions so that you come out the opposite facet geared up with the information of the way to save your self time, whereas guaranteeing your canine will get loads of train. Is there one thing we did not handle? 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 canine. 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’ll ask what days she might stroll your canine and for the way lengthy. The place would she stroll your pup? Would she be capable of feed him, if wanted? Take into consideration the most very best situation for fulfilling each your wants and your canine’s wants.

Important gadgets to contemplate are: days of the week for canine walks, occasions of the walks for these days, and any particular wants to your canine’s nicely being (i.e. drugs, meals, and many others).

What can be greatest for you?

For instance, let’s assume each you and your associate are sometimes on the workplace between 9am and 5pm every day. Along with your canine principally napping at residence 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 doubtless favor 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 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 could mentally word that: (a) should 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 need to discomfort your canine by placing it on. 

Usually talking, this guidelines step can also be about being sensible 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

For those who’ve warmed as much as the concept of getting a canine walker, then the subsequent step is to go searching for respected canine strolling providers close to you.

With this stage, you’ve 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, similar to Spot Canine Walkers (should you’re in Canada), Rover, or Wag.

Earlier than deciding proper off the bat which route you’d wish 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 providers on their very own might not present pet insurance coverage & residence 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 provides canine strolling providers close to you

Benefits

• Security and Insurance coverage: Corporations 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 individuals in your neighborhood who’ve signed up as walkers.

Disadvantages

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

Begin taking motion! Make preliminary contact with canine walkers.

Now that you simply’ve received a number of choices for hiring canine walkers, you may really feel struck with choice anxiousness. However there isn’t a want to fret. Take into account 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 really helpful canine walker or two. It’s also possible to contact a neighborhood animal hospital to see if they’ve any referrals. After you have a number of suggestions, attain out to 2-3 particular person canine walkers to say whats up 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 pc. We personally advocate Spot, Rover, and Wag. Browse their web sites, assessment their insurance policies, and browse verified buyer opinions.

When you’ve zeroed-in on a number of walker choices that really feel like they might 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 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, you must be capable of discover a number of walkers close to you with nice rankings and opinions and request meet-and-greets. For instance, Spot presents 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 guardian 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.

Test record 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 could name it). Normally, canine walkers get alongside nice with canine—in any case, 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 power love onto your canine, or if she’s assured to let your canine welcome her in time.
• Inform them all the pieces about your canine! Subsequent, when interviewing your walkers, inform them something and all the pieces about your pup; faux it’s like doctor-patient confidentiality, however for canine! Is your canine aggressive in the direction of different canine 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 some other canine? Err on the facet 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, try to be open (and glad in a approach) 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), but it surely’s the safer end result in the long term.
• Ask them numerous questions! For questions, right here’s a shortlist of questions you should utilize to kick the dialog off. Probably, 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’ve any expertise with related breeds or sizes like my canine?
• The place will you stroll my canine?
• Are your canine walks personal or in teams?
• How lengthy have you ever walked canine as a job?
• Are you able to present any shopper references?
• Does your canine just like the walker? Lastly, in interviewing your walker candidates, should you or your canine really feel hesitant about hiring the walker, then transfer on. There are many walkers on the market, and you must be capable of discover somebody who you want might really practice your canine and who you’ll be able to belief for months to come back (as should you had been hiring a nanny to your youngsters).

Additionally, do not forget that you don’t want to rent any of your candidates simply but! This can 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 shall be in writing)

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

Oftentimes, that is way more essential with particular person walkers. Giant, respected firms 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 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 automotive to start out 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 when it comes to 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 will 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 residence insurance coverage.

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

Usually talking, you must be capable of discover personal canine strolling choices within the $20 to $25 vary which can be absolutely insured, personal, and with simple refund insurance policies. In case your candidates do not present that, see should you can haggle them down, or transfer onto a unique canine strolling choice.

#5. Give your canine walker all the pieces 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 large step in the direction of releasing up your schedule!

Now, protecting your employer/supervisor hat on, the next move is to ensure your walker has all the pieces 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 below are some gadgets to handle. Keep in mind that after your first stroll, all of these things ought to lock into an computerized, simple rhythm.

• Walker entry: Provide a key lockbox or digital keypad to your walker to soundly enter your house (extra on this important matter beneath).
• Contact data: Give your walker your telephone quantity and electronic mail handle.
• 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 situated.

Continuously 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, should you’re not at residence?”. Listed here are some solutions and suggestions to make sure full security to your canine and your house.

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

You do not need to offer your walker a key to your home to stroll your canine if you end up not at residence. 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 clients 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 really carries it round. Reasonably, 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 actual fact, with many digital keypad locks lately, you’ll be able to really set the occasions when sure entry codes work. Which means that your walker’s code solely works throughout the time when she should enter or exit your home.

“How do I forestall 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 at all times advocate hiding any apparent valuables like money or bank cards when the particular person is planning to enter your house.

It’s also possible to contemplate putting in a cheap digicam at your home’s entrance. All skilled canine walkers are used to residence cameras and safety gadgets, and so they shouldn’t need to enter your house a lot additional than the doorway approach. 

Observe that, should 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 respect that you simply 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 residence 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 really never needed to make both a pet insurance coverage or residence insurance coverage declare in over 75,000 canine walks! However the firm is ready in case that day comes. Clients of Spot are lined with $5 million of zero-deductible residence insurance coverage, and different canine strolling providers present related, sizable insurance coverage.

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

It definitely takes braveness to offer your walker entry to your house, 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! In some unspecified time in the future, you do need to cross your coronary heart, belief your canine walker, and belief your pal who referred your walker to you.

For a lot of canine homeowners, 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 many others? Your walker has most likely walked lots of of canine, and she will level out precious 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 studies and video tales. Which means that canine homeowners can see the place the canine walker and canine go, the place their canine canine their enterprise, and consider movies of the stroll itself.

Relating to potty studies, these will be particularly helpful and assist you 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 glad? 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 go away and/or excited to see your walker arrive? These are all nice indicators that your canine loves the brand new routine you’ve arrange. 

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

One final thought.

All in all, hiring a canine walker doesn’t need to be sophisticated, irritating, and overwhelming. It definitely takes some up entrance power to guage your wants, analysis canine walkers close to you, interview your walkers, and pay for some trial walks. Executed correctly, nonetheless, discovering a great canine strolling will prevent hours upon hours of time in the long term, whereas giving your canine a wholesome, out of doors outlet for his or her power!

We actually hope that you simply’ve discovered this data helpful! Be at liberty to depart a message beneath within the feedback part, in case you have any ideas or questions. Thanks!

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