When lockdowns happened around the world, and we stayed at home and worked from home our dogs were perhaps happiest with the arrangement. But as things opened again and most humans went back to working from office our dogs (some if not all) felt an acute sense of separation anxiety. Perhaps also a point when a section of dog parents took the decision to hire walkers to come in the middle of the day to walk and check on their dogs. While that’s a good arrangement, it requires careful evaluation to ensure we are trusting a person. So, in today’s article we have focused on 5 questions to ask a dog walker to ensure your dog is in safe hands.
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What do you love the most about your job?
Along with specific and important questions about their qualifications, training and importantly license also focus on softer aspects such as what they love about their job. Their level of comfort around dogs and what makes it worth it at the end of the day.
What will the walks entail?
From the length of walks to whether the walker will walk your dog with other dogs this question will answer a lot of your queries. For instance, if you have a dog who isn’t exactly comfortable with other dogs, group walking should not even be a choice.
Do you have prior experience of walking nervous dogs?
This question is particularly important to ask if you have a nervous dog who isn’t exactly comfortable trusting a stranger. The dog walker will be a stranger initially. Also, its absolutely crucial to see how your dog behaves around the walker. If you see any signs of stress, it might be worth considering someone else or a different arrangement.
Can you provide references?
Even if a person is highly recommended on social media, always ask for references. Make it a point to do a thorough reference check, just like you would do while hiring a candidate or even booking an appointment with a doctor.
Finally and importantly, are you licensed to walk a dog?
Even though I saved it for the end, personally speaking, this is the most important question that you must ask the potential dog walker – if they are licensed to walk a dog? Check their license and insurance first before hiring. Only if they have all the required paperwork certifying them as a licensed dog walker should you go ahead, according to us. Its possible that a walker doesn’t have a license but loves dogs and does it as hobby and will charge less. But as humans of dogs do remember this may not be the right option.
