Many individuals spruik themselves as dog walkers, but not all are qualified for the demands of the job. Here’s some insights to help you understand the difference between professional dog walker and those who aren’t.
The Difference between a Professional Walker & hobby Dog Walkers.
It’s important to hire the right dog walker for your dog. There are many challenges to being a Dog Walker. Some of which include, Leash Aggression, Strong Unsocialised Dogs, Intense Weather (rain/hail/sun), other Pet Owners who allow their dog off the leash in public with no control who will come bounding over to your dog.
Professional Dog Walkers:
WILL pick up after every dog poo responsibly.
WILL walk your dog in the cool of the morning or evening to avoid heatstroke and burnt paws.
- WILL be Police Checked.
- WILL be insured so that if your Dog becomes ill or injured, your pocket is protected from big Vet bills.
What a Dog Walker WON’T do, is just as important as what they WILL do.
To explain further; high quality Dog Walkers;
- WON’T just let dogs off the leash in a public space
- WON’T walk female dogs while they’re ‘on heat’.
- WON’T leave your dog in the car.
- WON’T exercise dogs in the heat of the day, putting your pet at risk of burnt paws, or heatstroke, which can end in death.
- WON’T take your dog to a dog park, which is a hot spot for fights.
- WON’T walk your dog in a pack. Only personalised walks.
- WON’T over-exert senior dogs, brachycephalic dogs, or dogs with full coats that aren’t clipped short.
How much is dog walking?
It depends whether it is part of a pet sitting booking or whether its part of an ongoing weekly program of walks. If part of a pet sitting stay, it might be around $20 as an added extra on top of the cost of Pet Sitting.
If its an ongoing program of walks for dedicated, private dog walking it is roughly from $45 – $55 per hour. This differs from suburb to suburb and Dog Walker to Dog Walker.
Where can I find a Professional Dog Walker?
PetCloud has Police checked dog walkers in every city across Australia.
How Far should my Dog be walked?
It depends. The average dog benefits from at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Walking speeds can vary greatly depending on many factors such as terrain, your dog’s breed, age, size, and health conditions
- Senior dogs and brachycephalic dogs might only be walked for 30 minutes. In 30 minutes a walk will cover approximately 3.3 kilometres on average.
- For fit and healthy adult dogs that are high energy large breeds, in one hour, a walk will cover about 5 kilometres.
Will the NDIS fund Dog Walking?
The NDIS will fund activities that are related to the goals in your NDIS plan and considered to be ‘reasonable and necessary’.
The NDIS will fund disability supports that focus on a person’s functional ability, including supports that enable a person with a mental illness or psychiatric condition to undertake activities of daily living and participate in the community and social and economic life.
In order to understand how, we recommend you read NDIS Goal Creation for Pet Lovers and share the article with your Local Area Coordinator, Plan Manager, and Support Coordinator.
How can I tell if a Dog Walker is a Professional?
- Accreditations – You will be able to see an online Accredited training badge, a Police Check verification badge and that Insurance is paid for by PetCloud.
- They will be happy to have a Meet & Greet at your home to get to know you and your dog. During the conversation, they will demonstrate knowledge of your dog’s breed (whether they are brachycephalic), age (whether they are a Senior Dog), whether your dog has any illness or injuries they should know about, and they adjust the amount of exertion or time period required for the walk (30 minutes or 1 hour).
- They may request to adjust the time of day scheduled for the walk depending on the season of the year (adjusting to do walks earlier in the morning and later in the evenings during summer).
- Professional Dog Walkers are reliable and dependable: this is not a hobby for them, it is their business, their livelihood. It is not likely that they will “forget” to stop by and take your dog for a walk because they lost track of time while at the shops. They will keep in frequent communication.
