Most of the skills that you need for dog walking are also skills that a person needs to look for when hiring a dog walker.

I list dog walker skills for those who are dog walkers and for people needing a dog walker. You want to read both lists of skills as they related to each other.

Dog Walking Skills: Requirements to Become a Dog Walker

There is no substitute for experience with animals. Any experience helps, though owning a dog is ideal. I was fortunate enough to get my first two clients while only owning a cat, though I did have dogs as a child.

But there are many other skills that you need. I separated them into mental, physical and managerial.

#1 Recognizing  Behavior Changes

I consider recognizing changes to a dog’s behavior as the most important skill when walking dogs. But this is only possible after you know the dog’s behavior in the first place.

If you are walking a new dog pay attention to odd behavior and let the owner know. It could just be a quirky characteristic of the dog (I love goofy dogs).

Go slow and pay attention to everything the dog does during the first week of walks. Most dogs are happy and there is not much to worry about.

Other dogs can be fearful until they trust you. For these dogs, try your best to control them on a walk but give them some freedom as well. They should start to trust you after a few walks.

It is easy to notice changes in a dog you walk multiple times per week. Text the owner if you think there is a problem, otherwise, leave a note. Responsible clients should let you know what is going on beforehand. But there will be times when you bring an issue to their attention.

Get to know the dog and pay attention. You are getting paid for your skills and experience, not just for walking a dog.

#2 Recognizing Physical Changes, Health Issues or Medical Emergencies

This is similar to the skill above in that you need to recognize when something is wrong, whether it is a new dog you are walking or a regular.

Things that I have noticed over the years are limping, lethargy, vomiting, or blood in urine or stool.

You get to know how the dog reacts every day when you walk through the door, which is usually excitement. If the dog seems different, then something has changed. It may be nothing major, but consider leaving a note anyway. And obviously, let them know immediately if it is a serious problem.

A common problem is if the dog eats something they shouldn’t. Once I had a dog eat some food that was wrapped in tin foil. He ate the foil along with the food. I let the owner know and the dog ended up being fine.

Another time a dog ate and swallowed an owners sock (yes, you read that correctly). I hadn’t seen the dog in over a year and she was overly excited.

After that walk, I did a quick Google search on how to make a dog vomit. A little bit of hydrogen peroxide will do the trick. The owner eventually went home and made an emergency vet appointment. But she tried the peroxide and that got her goofy dog to “release” the sock. That saved her a lot of money and possibly her dog.

I won’t give details for the vomit or blood stories, but it’s common to see a dog limping. Once again, leave a note and send an email that night to see how the dog is doing.

#3 Noticing Faulty or Inadequate Equipment

When you first meet the client and dog, make sure the harness or collar is easy to put on and fits correctly. Not only does that indicate that you know what you are doing but it also vital. If the dog can slip out of the collar or harness, it may do so the first time you walk them.

Another thing is to notice if a strap or buckle is broken or worn. I didn’t know that I could hear the proper sound of a quick-release buckle until I attached one that was broken. It just didn’t sound right. When I took a look at it I noticed that there was a large crack in it.

I was able to walk the dog because I attached the leash to the collar and the harness. That is a great feature of the Easy-Walk harness. The owner was unaware of the problem, and they bought a new harness when I let them know.

#4 Thinking Outside the Box

So there was a time when I had a pet sitting visit for a dog and I could not find the leash. I looked everywhere for it. What are you going to do? I was already there and the owner was gone for the entire weekend.

So I used my belt as a choke collar. I had to partly hold my pants up but it worked. I used one of my dog’s leashes for the remaining walks. The leash ended up being in the owner’s car. Quite often when I can’t find the leash, the owner has it in their car.

There is really no way to give you more examples nor would that even help. You will most likely experience things that I have not. You have to figure it out while making sure the dog’s safety is the priority.

Use your wits to figure out a solution to any, and all, problems you encounter.

#5 Reading Dogs’ Body Language & Communicating Yours

Let me describe a perfect day of dog walking. You have perfect weather and NOTHING goes wrong. You can’t do anything about the weather, but you do have control over how your walks go.

Your goal is to never have to call the owner with bad news. If you are an owner reading this, it sounds worse than it is. It is very rare that a major problem occurs.

But one of the biggest concerns is if another dog attacks the dog you are walking. I am intimately aware of this problem from many angles. Some of the dogs I walk are aggressive, I’ve encountered aggressive dogs, and have had my dog attacked by another dog.

Learn to spot a problem dog and avoid that dog. Cross the street if you have to. Don’t take a chance with someone else’s dog. Also, communicate with your body language if you are walking an aggressive dog.

#6 Have Quick Reflexes

There are times you need to react quickly.

Once in a while, I drop a leash. This happens with dogs who do not heal and tend to walk around me. Sometimes I drop the leash while changing hands to make the walking easier. I immediately step on the leash when that happens.

Owners with difficult dogs: relax! I take the precautions with those type of dogs and change hands very carefully.

There are also times you need to react quickly and pull the dog away from danger. This includes rounding corners, irresponsible bikers, trash day and others. Take a look at my article 5 Dog Walking Safety Tips for situations requiring quick reactions.

#7 Pet Ownership

I am very fortunate that I got my first dog walking client when I only owned a cat. My first client was a reference for my second client, my second for my third, and so on. And I believe I would have still gotten my first client, but having a cat did help. That and the fact that I grew up with dogs.

So you may be able to get clients without owning a pet, but owning a pet makes it a lot easier. It shows that you have what it takes to care for an animal.

I suggest adopting a dog if you don’t already have one. You can meet potential clients while walking your dog and maybe use your vet or groomer as your first reference. Pets are a great source of happiness and fun.

So, adopt a dog then read my article First-Time Dog Owner Tips for further insights into taking care of a dog. Check out Petfinder for pets up for adoption in your area.

#8 Have Patience & a Love of Animals

I forgot to include in the perfect day of dog walking to only walk “perfect” dogs. Unfortunately, there are dogs that will test your patience. This is mostly the result of dogs that are not trained.

Remember that you are getting paid to walk dogs. There are a lot of jobs worse than having to walk a difficult dog. I believe that I must be the go-to person if you own a difficult dog because I’ve had had difficult dogs.

Find the positives in the dog, and they all have positives, and deal with the difficulties. If you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be a dog walker.

#9 Physical Stamina

I estimate that I walk 3-4 miles on an average weekday. That is 15-20 miles per week and that does not include walks on the weekend or walking my own dog.

Throw into the mix walking in extreme weather conditions. Walking in snow is very tiring and extreme heat sucks the energy out of you.

You can not be a dog walker if you have ill health unless you only walk small or well-trained dogs.

#10 Behind the Back Leash Hand-off

I hesitate to include this dog walker “skill”, but it has helped me.

Some of the dogs you walk will walk behind you and then go to the opposite side of you. The problem is you could get tripped up by the leash and fall. That could result in your injury, injury to the dog, dropping the leash, or all of those things.

You either have to spin in a circle or hand off the leash to your opposite hand behind your back. Let’s look at the different scenarios.

Situation #1: Single dog circling you. A dog that does not stay on one side of you is difficult to walk. If you have the leash in your right hand and the dog walks behind you and goes to your left side, then you either have to do a 360 turn or transfer the leash behind your back.

Changing hands behind your back is acceptable if it is a small dog that doesn’t pull. Otherwise, you should do the spin. A better option is to grab the leash lower and allow only about 3 feet of leash. Now the dog can’t walk behind you.

Situation #2a: Walking two dogs and one dog circles you. No matter which hands are holding the leashes, you will at times have both leashes in the same hand or in opposite hands. Doing a 360-degree spin is not an option because of the second dog and leash, so you will have to hand off the leash behind your back.

Situation #2b: Walking two dogs and both dogs circle you. This is bad. You need to reconsider having this client. You need to choke up on the leash so that they are both right next to your legs.

You either have to practice this or get yourself a belt connection for both leashes. That is an added cost. Consider asking the owner to train the dog(s), or at least buy an Easy-Walk harness.

#11 Never Stop Learning

I’m amazed at the fact that when I think I’ve seen it all, I experience something new. Always make mental notes about how you handle difficult situations.

Try to eliminate mistakes, but learn from any mistakes you do make. Just make sure they are not major mistakes.

Also, talk to dog owners whenever you get. Become active in pet groups or forums. And consider starting a blog about your dog walking and pet sitting. Researching articles will introduce you to every aspect of pet services and pet care.

#12 Management Skills

The final skill is the boring managerial skill of running a business. If you want to be a dog walker then you need to have scheduling software (Excel or Google Sheets is fine), calculate fees, collect and record payments, email all clients about holidays and rate changes, and the list goes on.

Then you may also want to hire dog walkers and sitters which means you need to create job postings, learn to interview people, and deal with your employees.

Here is another subject area where it would be wise to find dog walker and pet sitter groups and post a question anytime you need help with something. Here are some groups and forums I use:

• Pet Sitters Network (Facebook)
• Pet Sitters and Pet Owners (Facebook)
• Dog Walker to Dog Walker (Facebook)
• Reddit for cats
• Reddit for dogs
• Reddit for pets
• Reddit for pet sitting

Hire a Dog Walker: Skills & Qualities to Look For

There is only one time that I have needed someone to walk my dog. I had sprained my ankle on a Friday so bad that I could barely walk. I turned to my dog walking clients and two volunteered to help over the weekend until I could walk.

So for me, the people walking my dog were people I knew and were also dog owners. Moreover, their dogs were friendly with my dog. If only everyone could be that lucky.

#13 Experience and References

I believe the best things to look for when hiring a dog walker is experience, references, and reviews. If you have those three things in a prospective walker, I don’t think you need anything else.

When I meet a new client, I keep the questions to the basics. I ask about health and behavior issues. If there are no major issues, then the walking is easy. The only other thing I need is to know the type of harness and leash.

You are able to tell when you meet the walker if they know what they are doing or not. I’ve been doing this so long that I know what to ask and can give input on most any dog walking subject.

What is also very helpful is online reviews and references from clients. It’s similar to buying something online. I usually go with the highest and best reviews. Which stinks for new walkers, because they need clients before they can get reviews.

Referrals from other dog owners are one of the best ways to find a great dog walker.

If you are a new walker, definitely ask your first clients to act as references. This is a must if you don’t have any online reviews yet.

#14 insurance, Strength & Stamina

You also want to to go with a walking company that is bonded & insured. Personally, I have not needed to ever involve my insurance company, but it’s good to know that you are covered.

Some of the claims I remember seeing in newsletters are for things like a broken lamp or similar damages that a walker caused.

Depending on your dog, you want to make sure your walker can handle the walks. Little dogs are easy. If you have a dog that is 60 pounds or larger, then you want to go with a walker who is strong enough to handle him.

Skills Not Important for Dog Walking: Detailed Knowledge of Breeds, Training, etc.

You do not need to be an expert in dog breeds, dog training or other professional fields to gain dog walking skills. Although, some basic knowledge in all functional areas will help you be a better dog walker.

For example, knowing specifics of different dog breeds will influence how you walk dogs. Brachycephalic dogs should only be walked in short spurts during hot weather. You should avoid interacting with other dogs if you are walking aggressive breeds like a Jack Russell.

As for training, that is not what you advertise but knowing some basics will help. Specifically, you want to know how to prevent dogs from pulling on the leash while you are walking them. That is way easier said than done.

Summary

Experience with dogs is invaluable. If you always are thinking of the dog’s safety first, are responsible and in shape, then you have the skills to be a dog walker.

Owners, remember the 3 R’s when you are looking to hire a dog walker: Referrals, references, and reviews.

I hope this article helped you in identifying the necessary skills to be a dog walker, or to look for when hiring a walker. Please leave a comment below if you have anything to add.

The post 14 Dog Walking Skills: Become or Hire a Dog Walker appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.

Senior dogs should be less than an hour and only through walks. Active breeds and adult dogs should get an hour or more. Puppies fall somewhere between senior dogs and active dogs.

And extreme weather conditions tend to reduce the amount of time that you can exercise certain dogs. In that case, do either multiple short walks or try indoor exercise for your dog.

Determining How Much Exercise Your Dog Needs Every Day

The amount of exercise that a dog needs every day is particular to each dog. But let’s use some common sense.

Puppies are very active but tire out easily. Also, their bodies are not fully developed so excessive activity can cause injuries. Read my article How Much Exercise Does a Puppy Need for tips if you have a puppy.

Senior dogs are like old people – they walk really slow and get tired easy (no offense meant to grandparents).

Then there are adult dogs, and their exercise needs vary by size which is a function of their breed. Different breeds have different activity levels and exercise needs. Check out my article Dog Exercise Needs By Breed for specific guidelines.

In general, adult dogs are like adult people. People who do not exercise are prone to being overweight and tire easily. The same goes for dogs. Healthy adult dogs can handle a good amount of exercise with some exceptions by breed.

Short-nosed breeds tire easily. Examples are bulldogs, pugs, boxers, and some toy dogs. “The longer the nose, the longer the walk goes.” I know, that’s bad grammar but it sounds good.

So try to do a few walks per day with each walk for a certain amount of time. The amount of time and distance of each walk will depend on his age, breed and activity level and overall health.

Go directly to:

• How often to walk your dog
• How long to walk your dog
• How far to walk your dog
• Dog overexertion symptoms
• Cold weather exercise
• Hot weather exercise
• Exercise for senior dogs

Q & A for You to Know Your Dog’s Needs

There are some questions to answer to know how much exercise your dog needs.

First, did you just adopt your dog, or have you had your dog for some time? If you have had your dog for a while, then you should be able to tell when he has had enough or not.

If you just adopted a dog, then you don’t know how much exercise he needs. Just start slow and see how he does. It won’t take you long to find out if he is a mellow dog or a ball of energy with four legs.

Secondly, can you pick up your dog and carry him if he starts to struggle? If not, just walk around the block. If he is fine, do another lap. I once walked an old overweight Labrador too far on a hot day. It’s not easy carrying a 100-pound dog a few blocks back to your home.

Finally, what kind of exercise are we talking about? There are two types: walking and playing. Give your dog at least 2-3 walks per day. And if they can handle it, puppies and adult dogs could also use some play time as well.

How Often Should You Walk Your Dog?

This one is easy. You should walk your dog at least two times every day. Three times is better. I personally walk my dog four times every day.

Keep in mind that puppies and senior dogs can’t hold it for long. They most likely need more than 4 walks a day.

You obviously should walk your dog first thing in the morning. You have to walk him for as long as it takes for him to go to the bathroom. Then do a walk as soon as you get home from work.

If you can, hire a dog walker for afternoon walks while you are at work.

And finally, do a night time walk so that he can relieve himself before settling down for the night. He is going to have to hold it until the morning walk, so make sure he takes care of business.

For the weekends, repeat the weekday schedule of walks so he has a regular routine. And if the weather is nice, take him for an extra walk or two. It’s a great excuse to spend some time in a local park.

Bottom line: take him out for a walk at least three times every day.

But let me ask my dog: “Hey, Buddy. How often should I walk you?” He told me to quit my job and walk him 10 times a day every day. Sorry, Bud, that’s not going to happen.

How Long Should I Walk My Dog?

As mentioned above, 30-minutes to two hours a day depending on your dog. You can easily get 45 minutes with two to three 15 or 20-minutes walks every day.

The main thing is to have him relieve himself during the walks. But don’t be the type of owner who immediately turns for home when he does his thing. Walk him a while longer so that he can do some smelling and maybe meet other dogs.

I think you should give your dog one “long” walk every day. It’s easy to cut his walks short because you are busy or have plans. If your dog brings you joy then try to give back. Give him a major romp to have fun, to smell everything and to get a lot of exercise while doing all that.

Let me ask my dog again: “Hey, Buddy, how long should your walks be?” He said until he gets bored and then to take him home.

How Far Should I Walk My Dog?

Some dogs walk fast, some slow. Other dogs move with speed and purpose, while others need to smell every 10 feet. I’d say walk them as far as you want to go. Just pay attention to how they are doing as you build up to longer walks. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine as times goes by.

And the size of a dog can be deceptive. You would think big dogs can walk farther than small ones. But I have found that the opposite is true. Big dogs are carrying around a lot more weight and they can get tired easily. Some small dogs will want to walk all day.

I was hiking one time with a group of people and there was a woman with a very small dog (can’t remember the breed). She mentioned that she would take him on 3-4 mile hikes. That’s a tough little dog. There are a lot of people who can’t walk that far.

Hiking and exploring local trails can be a lot of fun for you and your dog.

Try to make the one long walk a long distance walk as well. An added benefit to the exercise is that it will tucker him out. If you can, try to do this walk as the last walk of the day.

“Hey, Buddy, how far should I walk you?” He said until he gets tired then I have to carry him home. Not going to happen, Bud.

So unless your dog can talk, use the guidelines above until you get to know your dog.

Dog Overexertion: Over Exercised Dog Symptoms

As mentioned above, short-nosed breeds tire and overheat easily. They, like any dog, will start to pant heavily if they are overworked. Learn how to read your dogs’ body language and throttle back the exercise if you notice a problem.

Obvious signs to look for are limping or favoring a leg. Not so obvious signs are excessive panting, extreme thirst, lagging behind or not moving at all. Notice when your dog is panting or drinking more than normal. Know your dog.

Also look at the pads on their paws after a long romp. Make sure they are not red or have noticeable tears in the padding. If they start limping or have trouble walking, then they overdid it. Make a note of how much exercise they did and make sure they don’t play that hard in the future.

But try to stop the play before your dog overdoes it, This is especially true with puppies whose bodies are not fully developed and can easily injure themselves.

Older dogs will stop walking when they are tired. Let them catch their breath. The distance they can walk will only get shorter as they age. Make a note and alter the walks accordingly.

You need to learn your dog’s limits just like you had to learn his walking habits.

Dogs and Cold Weather

Sled dogs have no problem with cold weather. Neither do dogs with thick fur. However, dogs with short fur will have problems in extremely cold weather. Keep that in mind if you have a dog with short fur.

This is why you need to know if you can carry your dog or not. If your dog starts shivering uncontrollably, then he may be experiencing hypothermia. Pick him up and carry him home immediately.

Better yet, buy him a sweater and keep the walks short. My dog is an Amstaff and he gets cold easy. I bought him a Charlie Brown looking sweater which everyone loves. People always laugh when they see him. It helps to keep him warm but I keep the walks short in frigid weather.

You are going to have to try and get exercise in at home when it’s really cold outside. Take a look at the Exercise Indoors section in my Puppy Exercise article.

Dogs and Hot Weather

My dog is the smaller pit bull breed known as American Staffordshire Terrier. He has a medium sized nose and black fur so he gets overheated easily.

I make changes to his walks on really hot days. The walks are either short or I bring a bottle of water and a collapsible water bowl.

You need to say something when you see someone walking a dog on a hot day and their dog looks distressed. Hopefully, the owner listens to you.

Try indoor exercises or give your dog a long morning walk on extremely hot days.

Amount of Exercise for Senior Dogs

Last but not least, let’s take a look at the old dogs. Old and in the way. If they are in the way, you need to walk over them. They are too tired to move for you. How many times have you had to step over an old dog?

Senior dogs cannot walk as far as they once did, and they walk really slow. But they still need their exercise.

I’ve walked more than my share of elderly dogs, and usually, the walk is only for a block or two. Sometimes, they can’t even walk the entire block.

So get whatever you can. Walk them 3-5 times per day so that they can relieve themselves. Keep walking if they seem like they still want to walk.

Know your elderly dog’s halfway point. Ask yourself, “If I keep walking him, will he be able to make it all the way back home?”

What is the halfway point for your senior dog? And keep in mind that point will change from day-to-day. Sometimes they have good days, and sometimes they have bad days.

Don’t worry so much about the amount of time unless the weather is extreme. It’s more about knowing when it is time to turn back home.

So the answer to “How much exercise does a dog need every day?” depends on a lot of factors. Just go slow until you know your dog and his limits.

The post How Much Exercise Does A Dog Need Everyday? appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.

There is one thing that I always see when I’m walking dogs the day after Halloween: Candy on the sidewalk everywhere. Those Trick-or-Treaters sure are messy. Name the candy and I’ve seen it on my daily dog walks.

You HAVE to pay attention every time your dog stops to smell something. It’s natural to just think they are doing their normal sniffing thing. But the day after Halloween there is a lot to smell (and eat).

It’s simple, don’t space out while walking your dog the day afternoon Halloween. And that advice is for dog walkers and dog owners alike. Put your phone away during the walk.

Be ready to pull your dog away when they stop to sniff something. Now you don’t HAVE TO do that, but failing to do so could result in a pricey vet visit, or worse.

And don’t forget about Halloween night itself, either during or after the festivities. At night is when the candy is being dropped and it’s harder to see what the dogs are smelling.

You may want to consider bringing a small flashlight or walking your dog where the Treaters haven’t been.

Articles about candy on the ground after Halloween and walking your dog

You don’t really hear or read anything about looking for chocolate and other candies when you are walking your dog on Halloween night or the day after. I did a quick search online using terms like “dog walking after Halloween” and “post-Halloween dog walking.”

Boy oh boy, the pages I read were pretty bad. And I went at least three pages deep in the Google search results. It was the same topics and phrases over and over in each article:

• From the ubiquitous “chocolate can be poisonous.”
• To “keep the candy where the dogs can’t reach it.” No, really? Thanks for the tip.
• Or even “dogs can be frightened by the costumes.”
• And there is a lot of data on chocolate and sugar chemistry and how the compounds interact with a dog’s physiology.

It’s as if one person somewhere wrote an article on “Dogs + Halloween” and everyone else plagiarized the content. And I read articles from corporate food companies to national dog walking services.

I guess the profits from their food sales and walker apps aren’t enough to hire writers with dog walking experience. To be fair though, the better articles at least had lists of symptoms for chocolate poisoning in dogs.

Nearly no mention about candy on the ground at all. However, I did find one article that had a paragraph about watching for candy dropped on the sidewalks. And what a surprise, it was an article from a dog walking and pet sitting company, and not a corporate behemoth.

So kudos to equipaws Pet Services in Miami – good job! Their article is called Tips for Walking Dogs on Halloween!

It’s easy to forget about this until Halloween each year

So some of you may have noticed the date at the top of this article – November 2^nd, 2018. And you may want to ask me “Why didn’t you publish this BEFORE the holiday?”

Well, I’ll tell you why – I forgot. I forget every year. It wasn’t until I took my dog out for his night walk and saw all the mayhem that I remembered and said to myself “Watch out for the chocolate.”

I’m actually kicking myself right now for not including this safety tip in my article 5 Dog Walking Dangers and Safety Tips. I obviously forgot to include this tip in that piece. Check it out if you have time.

Hopefully, you have a better memory that I do and you’ll keep this article in mind each year. Just pay attention to what you are doing and everything should be fine.

The post Dog Walking After Halloween: Watch Out For This One Thing! appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.

I wanted to create a quick and easy reference for all the steps that you should consider when starting a dog walking business. The steps range from your first decisions when first starting, to managing the business after you have many clients.

I have summarized the main points from the previous five articles with a brief explanation of why each point is important. At the end of the article, I add some final thoughts on how to start a dog walking business and start making money.

Also, I have a more detailed pdf file for download with the basic steps on how to start a dog walking business. I also will have an eBook and online course on how to start your dog walking business. They both will be very detailed and with many insights that I did not include in this series of articles. They will both be available sometime in 2019. Here are some basics steps to follow:

1. You need to determine whether or not you will offer services other than dog walking.
   1. Most companies offer additional services. The most common are pet sitting, boarding, and pet taxi.
2. How far are you willing to travel? What kind of transportation will you use?
   1. The farther you travel, the fewer visits you will be able to do, so get a map and get a rough idea of the limits of your service area. I need to get to my dogs in about 5 minutes. Any longer and I will be on the late end for the last dogs.
3. Hours of operation
   1. What times of the day are you not available or do not want to work? This will determine whether or not you can offer various services. Dog walking is in the middle of the weekday. Pet sitting involves weekends, holidays, mornings, and nights. Boarding is similar to pet sitting – 3 walks per day plus feedings. And you have the dog with you when you are home.
4. How much will you charge for your services?
   1. This is when you research the competition to see what other services are offered in your area and what other companies charge. You have to meet or beat the rates of established companies. You can raise your rates after a couple of years.
5. Professional Experience, Requirements, and Certifications
   1. Do you have any pet experience? If not, can you get some? Try volunteering at rescues or shelters. Also, you need to look into getting a pet CPR certification and Bond and Insurance. Your competition most likely has all those things – so should you.
6. Getting Clients
   1. There are various methods that you need to do right away so that you can get clients and start making money. The easiest are flyers and talking to people you meet. After that start using online techniques: get on social media and get your business listed on various sites.
   2. You’ll need to come up with a business name and logo but get the clients as soon as you can.
7. Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Tips & Tricks
   1. There are do’s and don’t and things to watch for when walking dogs. You need to identify problems before they happen. The tricks come with experience, but definitely check out my article specifically on this topic.
8. Gear and Supplies
   1. You will need great footwear, poop bags and treats, foul-weather gear, etc.
9. References, Reviews, and Testimonials
   1. You need your clients to not only act as references for you but to also create online reviews for your business.
   2. You can then use those reviews as testimonials on your website.
10. Management
    1. There are a number of daily and weekly things that you need to manage: walk and sitting schedules, payments, emailing clients, etc. I use an Excel spreadsheet but you can use Google Sheets. It’s easy to forget how much someone owes you, whether or not they overpaid or underpaid, etc.

I hope that list helps you out. But always remember that the well-being of the pets you care for comes first. If you have that as your main focus, then you will be able to handle anything. And that is easier said than done.

There will be difficult times, I guarantee it. You can do it. Just imagine every pet as your own pet and you’ll figure out any problems that arise.

Here are links to the previous five articles:

• How to start a dog walking business
• Setting up a Dog Walking Business Pt 2: Research the Competition
• How to Start Your Own Dog Walking Business, Pt 3
• Starting a Dog Walking Business Part 4: Tips and Tricks
• Starting a Dog Walking Business Part 5: Testimonials & Management

Here’s an infographic of the main points and feel free to contact me if you have any questions:

The post How to Start a Dog Walking Business: Summary, Final Thoughts appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.

When you are first starting a dog walking business, you most commonly get your first clients from people you know, by posting flyers, and thru talking to dog owners directly. That well will dry up fast. You have to remember that people move or their requirements change. Which mean you lose clients. Your best method is to have people contact YOU by finding your website.

Online Reviews

I assume that most people are like me and seeing a high review rating is a major factor for buying a product or a service. Are you more likely to contact someone with a 4.5-star rating or someone with 1 star or no reviews at all? You MUST get your clients to give you 5-star reviews on sites like Yelp, Google Business Listing, Facebook, etc.

I first simply asked my clients to give me some online reviews. To make it easy for them, I emailed them the links to my business profile. I mentioned whether they would have to create an account for some of the sites. And I put the top review sites at the top of the list and I think one or two did a review or two. I needed many reviews on many sites.

I’ll tell you exactly how I got my clients to take time out of their day to go to up to 10 sites and add reviews (sometimes after having to create an account): FREE WALKS. I offered $2 per review, 5 would get you a free walk. I had to give them an incentive. Is it wrong to do that? Maybe, but I did it anyway. And I would do it again if I had to. That’s how important reviews are.

Website Testimonials

I used the actual text from the reviews as the content of the testimonials on my site. I used a photo of the pet and the name of the pet and owner and I put the review in quotes. I also added links to some of the sites that had the reviews. Once you do that, you have reviews and testimonials.

Just remember, you can’t ask your clients for reviews until many months have passed. They need a solid track record from you so that they can actually give you a shining review. For this reason, if one of your clients needs a last minute walk or visit, do it. They’ll remember those kinds of things when you do finally ask them for reviews.

References

You will need your first client to act as a reference for your second client. Then you need your first two clients to act as references for your next few clients. And so on it goes. It will probably work out that you ask your first few clients a handful of times or so. I didn’t like bothering them, but it was a huge help to my business.

The strange thing is that I never get asked for references anymore. I assume it is all the reviews and testimonials, plus the age of my site. I rank on the first page of Google for a few search terms. So eventually, you won’t need them anymore, but in the beginning, you do.

Management

I use Microsoft Excel for many management type functions. You could use Google Sheets if you don’t have MS Office. When you start getting a lot of clients, a notepad won’t cut it. I have three main tabs:

• Weekly dog walk & pet sitting schedule
• Weekly $ sums of all the walks and visits for each client
• Client contact information

Daily and Weekly Schedules

I have a 7-day sheet that has 15 to 30-minute time slots from as early as 7:00 am to 8:30 pm. On each day I put the name of each pet that I need to visit at the time I should get there. This way I can see my entire schedule for the week and I know where I have openings and where I do not.

Holidays are a common time for new clients to contact you. The weekly schedule allows you to see which days and times you have available for new requests. You need to know how many walks and visits you can do on any day. Once you have that number (17 max for me), you can scan your schedule to see if you can take on new clients. Quite often, I book up around holidays and I have to turn people away.

Weekly Payment Sum

My second sheet lists the total pay for each client for the entire week. It’s as simple as keying the dollar value of all the walks or visits for each day and summing the entire row for the week.

For example, if I have a client who regularly does five 15-minute walks per week at $12 per walk, the sum of the week for that client is $60. It’s a great way of tracking money for the week. Just enter the amount paid at the end of the week and make sure the #’s match. Depending on the amount, people may leave more than they owe and you can carry that to the next week as a credit. And sometimes people short you, usually by accident. Just leave a note and add the difference to the following week.

Client Contact Information

My third main sheet lists all my clients by service type. I make sure to have their cell #, email address and home address. I’ll also enter alarm codes if they have an alarm, and the pet name(s) as well. It’s easy to forget the pet names for pet sitting clients as you can go a few months without visits.

All this is so I can contact the client at any time if I need to and to help with scheduling. Most often, I need to contact them about upcoming holidays and whether or not they will need visits. And I can just copy and paste their name and pet’s name to the $ and schedule tab as needed.

Website Management

If you have a website, you’ll have to renew your domain name every year. That should be done automatically by your host company when you pay them for the upcoming year of hosting. You also want to continue doing link building, creating and sharing posts, uploading photos, writing blog posts, etc. Always remember to add keywords to everything online thing you do.

I’m not going to cover it here, but you need to learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I am by no means an expert on SEO, so I won’t cover this absolutely extensive subject here. You’ll have to learn about that yourself. But you should always be working on making sure your site appears on page 1 of Google when people in your area search for services you provide. The importance of that is the reason why I put the name of my neighborhood in my business name.

Raising Rates

If you started out with lower rates than your competitors, eventually you want to match their rates. Your increase will apply to any new clients that contact you. For existing clients, you can “grandfather” them in for as long as they stay with you, or you can give them notice towards the end of the calendar year that the rates will change on January 1^st. How you handle rate increases for existing clients is up to you. I recently gave my clients a full month’s notice. Most replied to my email and were all fine with it. I did lose one client though I don’t think it was for the rate increase (long story and not applicable here).

Hiring Walkers

This is tempting but it comes with its own set of problems. I’ve had a couple of great walkers, a few okay ones and three “regretful hires” (I would prefer to use different descriptions for them).

My best walker was a pet sitting client. Now that is someone you can trust. My advice for hiring walkers and sitters is to go slow – really slow. Don’t get greedy and see the dollar signs with a bunch of walkers and sitters. You have to make sure each person you hire is top-notch. Your company’s name is on the line, not to mention the well-being of the pets in their care. Plus there are more management areas when it comes to employees. You’ll need two sets of keys, you have to figure out their pay (I did 80/20), you need to email your walkers about their schedules, etc.

I tried to only hire people with experience, except for one of the bums (messed up on that one). Also, you must meet all new clients first, and then have your walkers meet them afterward. The new clients will not see you as the main person if they only meet your walker. I did not do that and a person I fired stole some of my clients. Oops! Don’t make the same mistake I did. You’re the boss, you meet the clients first, and hopefully, it all works out for you.

Insurance Claims

Hopefully, you won’t ever have the need to make a claim to your insurance company. Your goal is to NOT ever have to do that. I only had to do it once when I left a crate unlocked and a puppy chewed an expensive pair of shoes. The company you are insured with should have guidelines on how to file claims it but the goal is to not have to file claims. The better you are at your job, the better your clients will think of you. And recommendations are the best way to get new clients.

That’s the majority of the boring management stuff you have to think about if you plan on starting a dog walking business. I could also mention keeping on top of reordering poo bags and business cards, and there are probably a few other minor things to do. But for now, these are the important management areas that you need to think about on a daily or monthly basis. My final article will be a recap of this and the preceding articles with some closing thoughts. As always, contact me with any questions you have ~ hope to hear from you.

The post Starting a Dog Walking Business Part 5: Testimonials & Management appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.

So this is part 4 and there is only one article after this one. The first article covered determining the services you will offer. The second was about finding out who your competition is and to match their rates. In the third article, I cover how to get clients. The final article will be about all the management aspects.

This article is the most important part of a dog walking business: the dog walking and pet sitting. If you mess this part up, your business will suffer. Just think of online reviews with 1 out of 5 stars. Plus word will get around.

I could write a book on this part alone, and I do intend to write an ebook. I’m not giving away the best tips and tricks for free. Things go smoothly most of the time.

When I was a lifeguard, myself and my fellow guards goofed around a lot. However, I swore to myself that I would not let anyone drown while I was on the stand. Guarding lives is the most important part. Your focus should be on the safety of the pets that you are getting paid to walk and watch. If you keep that one thing in mind, then you will be able to handle any problem.

Dog walking Tips: Your First Walk

When you first meet the dog and client(s), figure out if the dog will be a problem or not. You may want to do a test walk to see if there will be problems. You also need to ask if the dog has issues with other dogs, people or anything else. Loud trucks can be a problem. Retrievers love pulling towards squirrels. You need to know all that stuff.

Pay attention to the first walk more so than you would with your dog. You have to learn what the dog is like. I’ve walked dogs that are easily spooked or distracted. I also know which dogs do not get fed in the morning because they will eat anything they find. Learn the habits of the dog right away and take control of the walks.

If the dog is uncontrollable you need the tell the owners right away. It would be better to lose the client than for an accident to occur later. You want to make sure the dog is okay, but you can’t risk your business name getting trashed.

Everything should be okay. Sorry if I’m making the job sound scary or overly difficult. It’s just that you have to be prepared for things in the beginning until you have a lot of experience and can spot problems instantly. You may want to read my article on the 5 dog walking dangers to avoid.

Concentrate on the dog, not your phone. You might also want to read my article on 5 dog walking dangers and how to avoid them.

Pet Sitting Tips: Your First Visit

If you have a pet visit for the dog, then all the walk stuff from above applies here. Some clients tell you to feed the dog after the walk. I always feed them before – it helps them “go”. If the pet visit is for cats or any other animal it should be even easier. Make sure that your client leaves you all the directions you need for feeding and every other duty. Some pets only get dry food, some only wet, some both, etc. You’ll also sometimes have to give medicine or insulin shots. Just follow the directions and you’ll be fine.

Contact the owners, if there seem to be any problems. But don’t be concerned if you never see the cats. I’ve gone for an entire week and have never seen the cat after I spooked them on the first visit. The only way I know that they are in the house and still alive is that the food has been eaten and the litter box used. It happens. And when it comes to cats, make sure they don’t get past you when you open the front or back doors.

Daily Dog Walking Tips

Figure out the best route so that you are not doubling back and forth. When you meet the clients, ask them what their ideal time is. EVERYONE wants around noon. That hour fills up fast so let people know what times you have available. My walks are 15 minutes and I average 5 minutes between dogs in drive time. I only drive a few blocks but you have lights, moving vans, etc. Plus you need to find a parking spot and all that stuff. Let them know what time range you can do the walk and stick to it. I believe a half hour on either side of their ideal time is reasonable. I know for a fact that other companies do not adhere to that guideline

I also bring a notepad with the names of the dog and the time I need to get to them. Write down the address for the first few walks, but after a while, you’ll recognize the house. You can be walking dogs from 10:30 to 3:00 on the busiest days, so bring water and snacks.

Pack Walks (walking multiple dogs together)

I don’t do it. You can make more money, but if one bad thing happens things can go bad really fast. You can have one of the dogs attack another dog for some reason. You could turn a corner and run into someone walking an aggressive dog. You might drop a leash. You might slip on snow or ice. If you want to do that, then go ahead but you have been forewarned. Safety of the dogs comes before profits.

I have walked two dogs together when both clients knew each other and the dogs got along. If you are going to walks together, you have to clear it with the owners. If you don’t tell them and something happens, you better believe you will have a lot of 1-star reviews online.

Pack walks make sense in cities like New York. You can go into a high rise building where you have a lot of clients and pick them all up at the same time. Some companies around me advertise pack walks with the line “It’s great for socializing your dog.” What it’s great for is lining their pockets. I don’t have experience with this, but I assume that all dogs have to be tested to see how they are around other dogs. You have to decline service to anyone who has an aggressive dog.

Dog or Cat Boarding Tips

If you own a pet, this can be a problem. I have a dog and two cats so I always require people to bring their dogs by to test with my pets. Though, once they find out that I have cats quite often they say that it won’t work. You’ll have to contact me if this applies to you and I can give you important pointers on how to handle the test.

Another big help is that I have a back room that opens to my fenced in yard. I don’t like to separate the pet I am boarding, but I’ve had to on some occasions. If you do not have that option, consider getting a gate. That will help with a dog. You’ll have to get creative if you are boarding a cat that you want to be separated from your pets.

If you don’t have pets then this is simple. You take care of the pet you are boarding the same as for your dog walking and pet sitting pets. It’s just that you are doing more. You have 3 walks and feedings if you are boarding a dog. And it’s an all day thing while you are home regardless of the type of pet you are boarding. Look for things that can be knocked over or broken. Consider moving them so you don’t come home to a mess.

Gear and Supplies

Every day supplies

Poo bags – you’ll need lots of them. I buy a box of 90 bio-degradable rolls from Chewy. I leave a business card after every visit. You may want to do something similar.

It’s also wise to back a backup form of transportation. I use my bike if my car is in the shop.

Rain gear

Foul weather gear. It would be nice if you could also use an umbrella but some dogs are difficult and you need two free hands. So get a good raincoat. And you will want multiple pairs of shoes. It tends to take at least a day for them to dry out if it rains hard and long.

Winter gear

Then there is the winter time. Get the best thermal base layer you can. I sometimes wear three layers for my lower body and four for the upper body. I also double up on my head with a bandanna and a winter cap. I have a thin pair of gloves which is good for dexterity. They are thin enough to fit inside another pair of rugged winter gloves. I also use a scarf which I can use to cover my face for cold windy weather. The biggest problem isn’t the cold. It’s walking in and out of heated houses and sweating from all the layers.

Footwear

This is huge. You will come home sometimes and it feels like your feet are on fire. My best footwear is hiking boots. I wear Keen Targhee II and they cost over $120. I’ve also found New Balance sneakers pretty comfortable. But you should do what I have never done: Research. Ask anyone you know who stands all day long what they wear. Just find what works for you.

Keys and Communication Tips

Managing all the keys

I have a rack with four hooks on the back of my door. I separate them by location and type of pet. I currently have a lot of cat sitting clients close to me. They are on the first hook. The next hook is for cats farther away. The third is for dog sitting clients. And the fourth is for “dead” clients. By dead, I mean rarely if ever do they contact me for sitting. I throw them out after 15 months of no visits.

To identify each set of keys, I use those colored name tag things. DO NOT put addresses on them. In the rare event, you lose a set, you don’t want them to be found by a thief or burglar. Write the name of the pet(s) on them and use the number “2” if you have any pets with the same name. You can also use different colors to help organize them.

Emailing Clients about Holidays

You will want to email all your clients a few weeks before major holidays. Send two emails: one for your dog walking clients and one for pet sitting clients. You will get a lot of new client requests before each holiday, so you need to know whether or not you will have availability before you can commit to taking them on.

You want to verify from your dog walking clients that they will NOT need a walk on the holiday itself. Usually, they don’t. But you also want to know if they will be canceling walks on days before or after the holiday. Just imagine the holidays that change days every year. If the Fourth of July is on a Tuesday or a Friday, most everyone will cancel the Monday or Friday walk to give themselves a four day weekend.

Then you want to find out from your pet sitting clients if they will be away and will need visits. Once you know what every client is doing, make a schedule for the holiday week. This will tell you where you have spots open and whether or not you can take on new clients. I’ve had as many as 19 pet visits on major holidays. That’s too much. I’ve reduced that to 17 max total visits per day with 3-4 max for morning and evening visits. To be honest, 17 is a little too high too but I get new clients and some decent pay. I’m just not going to enjoy the holiday like everyone else.

Emailing Clients about Your Vacation

I get one vacation per year. I take off a Friday and leave early on a Thursday for a camping trip. I return on Sunday afternoon. This means I’m not available for ANY walks on that Friday and no pet visits until I get back. My usual thing to do is give all of my clients at least three weeks notice with a reminder on the Sunday before the trip. Most dog walking clients are fine with it, but occasionally I have to ask another dog walker if they can cover me for a dog or two.

You could also put an online schedule on your website or use Google Calendar. You’ll want to do this for short weekend or days trips on a Saturday or Sunday. If anyone gives you a hard time, you have to look into giving them notice.

That should cover it. Let me know if you think I missed anything or if you have any questions. The next and final article will be on boring stuff, with the exception of asking clients for reviews and testimonials. I’ll be covering creating a spreadsheet for everything, collecting payment, regular client communication, rate changes, etc.

The post Starting a Dog Walking Business Part 4: Tips and Tricks appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.