[ByronLuv]

I need advice about dog walkers. My husband just started a new job that takes him away from home a lot more, so Byron is home alone. I work Monday through Friday and get home at about 4 o'clock. I take him for walks everyday after work which helps, but I still find him very hyper and needy. I would like to get a dog walker, but my husband is resistant about bring a stranger in to the house. We don't have any neighbors that we are close with and our family is not local enough to attend to him.

What are your experiences with dog walkers? How can I find a good one? I would love some feedback.

 

[shallhb]

I've never had a dog-walker, but the people I use to housesit our dogs when we are gone also do home visits, and those include walks. I found them through word of mouth and ads at vets and in a little local paper. I interviewed them, and checked references. Usually, once you find one good person, and they know you love your mutts (and don't write bad checks!) , they will refer you to others when you need them.
It is really good to have a person or two like that. You never know when you'll need them. When our dog was recovering from cancer surgery, and had to be kept quiet, I couldn't put him in the run with the other dog. So he rested up in my study, while our dog walker came by and let him out to go twice a day. Times like that...

[ March 24, 2006, 07:11 PM: Message edited by: S. Hall ]

 

[Anonymous]

I used a kid I knew once.
I also got a great girl from someone i knew from walking my dog. They had used her for years and she also worked at a local vets' office
Ask your vet look for cards in pet shops, If you walk him where there are alot of people, ask people with dogs.
good luck i had a kid walk toby every day when i worked full time It was well worth it, and if i start working full time out of the house i will find someone for simon

 

[Anonymous]

I saw a young girl walking a dog one day and commented how cute it was and she said it wasn't hers but liked to walk it so I talked to her for a while and then met the lady who owned the dog and she told me how reliable she was so we use her when we are unable to. We always walk Annie first thing in the a.m. and then in the evening every day.

It comes in very handy when we are on vacation cuz our neighbor watches Annie but doesn't bother to walk her so we know while we are gone Annie gets walked three times a day.

Checking with your vet is probably a great idea also. Good luck!

Kathy

 

[Anonymous]

I have a friend that's a dog walker. She's bonded and insured. Look for Pet Sitting in the yellow pages. Ask for referrals if they only don't do dailies. My friend started off as a regular pet sitter but found that so many people had this need that she's switched to just daily walks. She walks the same dogs either daily or twice a week. Some people just want the occasional walks for exercise. Others "need" to be walked mid-day.

Just start by calling pet sitters ...and go from there. If they don't do it, one of them will surely have a referral. If not them, then start calling Vets.

I would look for someone who does this as a job rather than a neighbor or teenager. Safety is an issue as well as security. It needs to be someone who can handle anything that comes up. And the insurance they carry, along with the bond, should make your husband more comfortable with the situation.


Good luck!