So Just How Do You Choose a Dog Walker?

At this time of year we’re always busy with new enquires, Christmas it seems is a peak period for rehoming a dog or bringing a new puppy into your life.
 
A lot of us take time off at over the festive period, families come to visit and generally there are more friends and family around to pitch in and help look after the new hound.  Then January kicks in, your folks go home, your friends go back to work, you have to face the reality of having a job and suddenly your neighbour isn’t so keen to help walk the dog!  It dawns on you that you need help but just how do you choose a dog walker?
 
As a professional North Shields dog walker with 6 years experience I have compiled a rough guide to choosing the right dog walker for you.  It’s not really in any order, feel free to skip past bits that aren’t relevant to you.

• On the face of it all dog walking companies do the same thing – they all walk dogs.  Well yes that’s true but it may suit you to use a company that only walks one dog at a time or a walker who can walk your dog in the evening if you’re a shift worker.  If you have specific requirements it’s quite easy to rule a lot of companies out by explaining exactly what you’re looking for.  They’ll soon tell you if they can’t accommodate you.

 

• A personal recommendation from a friend is always a good route to finding a dog walker but only if your friend has had first-hand experience, i.e. they have actually used their services.  Be wary if your pal is recommending someone they vaguely know from Facebook who’s just decided they want to walk dogs so they’ve set up a Facebook page and are hoping that work will find them.  In my experience a lot of these types won’t be trading in 3 to 6 months’ time and you’ll be back to square one.

• Ask for references.  Specifically ask to speak to a current customer.  I do that all the time as my customers are my best advert and are always happy to help out.

• Check for online reviews, most companies use Google Reviews or something similar.  Here are our up to date Google Reviews.

 

• Check how long the business has been trading.  I’m reluctant to say don’t go with anyone who’s just starting out as I too was in that position back in 2015 but to be fair you’d be safer going with someone with a track record as it’s more likely they’re in it for the long haul.  As a dog walker in North Shields I have seen countless new companies spring up and then disappear in the space of just a few short months.

 

• Is the company a ‘one-man band’?  If so, what contingency plan do they have in place if they’re sick or go on holiday at some point in the future.

 

• How large an area do they operate in?  Trust me in this case smaller is better!  You really don’t want to use a firm who covers vast distances as they’ll spend a lot of time driving just to collect the dogs before any walking begins.

 

• Trust your gut.  If when meeting your potential new dog walker you just don’t really click with them then keep looking.  You are potentially entering into an arrangement that lasts longer than a lot of marriages and you have to be able to get on with the person that will be looking after your beloved pooch.

• Are they competitively priced?  Please note I have have not suggested 'are they the cheapest?' A quick look online will show you that the majority of dogs walkers in our area a charging a similar price, some a little more, some a little less.  Just avoid the extremes.  If it looks cheap it may mean they aren't insured or cut corners elsewhere, if it's too expensive then avoid them. as paying more doesn't necessarily equate to a better service.

 

• Your dog also has a say in this.  If your dog doesn’t seem to gel with the person you meet then maybe it's best to keep looking.  This happened to me once, I met the owner and the dog, everything was going fine, we had a nice chat and I went to take the dog out for a test walk and the dog just refused to go out with me.  He remained rooted to the spot and after a few minutes cajoling him I decided that it was best to pass on the details of another walker rather than potentially stress the dog out – at this point the owner said ‘oh yeah he doesn’t really like men all that much’.  I guess you can’t win ‘em all!

Coastal Dog Walkers is a North Shields based professional dog walking business.  We have had the pleasure of walking dogs in Tynemouth, North Shields, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay since 2015.  For more information please call or text on 07725041572

Thanks for reading!
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John
Coastal Dog Walkers, January 2020