It’s our last day of the challenge, can you believe it?! Thanks to everyone who followed along and participated, I know my dogs definitely enjoyed it and I’m sure yours did too!
Throughout the week I talked about the importance of consistency with your dog, as well as different tips and tools that will help you and your dog have more enjoyable walks together. For those of you who are busy running kids around or working long days- I see you. I want you to know that your dog loves you and any time you spend with him/her, regardless of how busy you get. But when you need a little extra help to get you through the week, don’t be afraid to ask for it. That’s why I’m ending this week with a special guest blog post from Kristin Damiano over at The Balanced Dog.
Kristin is the founder and lead dog walker from The Balanced Dog located outside of Boston, MA. She has been a dog walker for over 5 years and continues to volunteer at her local shelter helping dogs regularly. As we talked about how she helps busy people with their dogs we wanted to put together a checklist of things to consider for when hiring a dog walker.
Following are the tips Kristin shares:
Things to look for and ask when hiring a dog walker:
- Is your dog comfortable with this new person?
- Will the person you’re interviewing be the walker or will someone else?
- If it’s someone else and they’re not at the “interview” will you get to meet them?
- Does that matter to you?
- Reliability and consistency (is it usually same walker, time of day, etc., unless specified otherwise).
- Does your dog walker just walk your dog or a group of dogs?
- Will your dog play with others while out?
- Do you expect your dog walker to train too, if they’re qualified?
- Do you want your dog to explore new places and/or meet new dogs?
- How long will the walks be?
- What is your average distance in that time?
- Is there a service contract?
- Do you have references?
- Questions to ask regarding your dog walkers background:
- How long have you been walking dogs?
- Do you use other training tools beyond what clients give you?
- Are you licensed? (different towns and states have different requirements)
- Are you insured, bonded or both?
- If so, can you view their insurance plan?
It’s not easy entrusting your best friend with someone else so do your research and never be afraid to ask for references from other customers. Happy customers are almost always willing to talk with potential clients and this can be one of the surest ways to know your dog is in good hands. If you’re in the rural Boston area be sure to check out The Balanced Dog or feel free to reach out to myself or Kristin for help on finding a dog walker in your area! You can also follow her over on Instagram to watch her adventures throughout the week!
Happy Sunday everyone, enjoy the rest of your weekend and know that your dog loves and appreciates you all day, every day.
