It’s no surprise that a lot of people contemplate career changes during the summer months.
Gazing out on one perfect sunny day after another from behind the dreary landscapes of our desks, we naturally dream of being river guides, ranchers, or deckhands on luxury liners. For many, walking dogs seems like the most idyllic outdoor career of them all.
The job isn’t a piece of cake, despite your rosy-hued reveries. If you love dogs and the outdoors, if you yearn to be your own boss – and don’t mind being your own office manager, marketing exec, and customer service representative to boot – dog walking just might be for you. But if it seems as simple as slapping leashes on a few dogs and going for a stroll, there’s more you should know.
In today’s densely populated, greatly regulated, and litiginous world, in which people’s pets are integral to the family like never before, professional dog walking demands technical skill, physical stamina, and in-depth knowledge of everything from dog behavior and pack management to canine first aid and trail etiquette.
There are advantages, of course. The freedom, for one thing – a dog walker starts her day at whatever time suits her and doesn’t have to dress up for work. For another, there’s the daily shower of love. At each house on her route, a dog walker is greeted with an enthusiasm quite unknown in the corporate world. And the type of person best suited for dog walking thinks time on the trail – or at the beach or dog park – is what makes it all worthwhile.
Aside from the obvious physical and mental health benefits of fresh air, exercise, and being in a tranquil natural setting for hours every day, some walkers talk of the sheer pleasure of watching dogs romp and interact. For anyone with an interest in dog behavior, dog walking is fertile study ground, with all its unconstrained play and pack interaction far from the busy streets of the city.
Ironically, this brings us to what many dog walkers rank as the worst part of the job: the driving. Going from house to house to collect dogs seems fine at the outset, but it wears you down over time – how many happy taxi drivers have you met in your life? Most dog walkers keep the driving to a minimum by choosing clients within a limited geographical area and timing their driving cycles to avoid heavy traffic. Still, if you’re considering dog walking as a career, expect to spend at least as much time in the car as on the trail.
If You Want to be a dog walker
- Get educated and certified. (Visit www.dogtec.org for details on the Dog Walking Academy.)
- Learn dog body language, pack management techniques, building a strong recall, fight prevention and protocols, canine first aid, pack composition, business practices, etc.
- Start a legitimate business—get your business license and other necessary paperwork, obtain professional insurance, and research the rules for walking in your area.
- Talk to other walkers to learn what they know and ask to join them for some hands-on experience.
If You Want to Hire a Dog Walker
- Are you trained and certified?
- Do you also have dog first aid certification?
- Do you have a business license and carry insurance?
- How many dogs do you walk at once? (The legal limit in SF will soon be 8. In the East Bay it’s 6. These numbers are intended to keep the dogs and all other trail users safe.)
Then there’s the weather, which brings its own set of trials for dog walkers. Soaked, muddy dogs have to be cleaned up before they can be let back into their homes, so count on toweling off and possibly hosing down each dog and washing loads of dirty towels as part of the job, too. For some, the loneliness inherent in a job that includes minimal human contact is a major downside. Also, operating a dog-walking business involves paperwork, customer service, marketing, accounting, and so on – all of which take time.
Finally, are you sure you’re fit for dog-walking? It’s a common misconception that it’s easy – but that’s true only if you’re walking two arthritic dachshunds that you know well. It takes a focused, strong, and well-trained professional to safely navigate six to eight rambunctious dogs through densely populated areas and heavily used natural spaces.
Walkers who start out with just their love of dogs and the experience of walking their own pets soon realize that professional dog walking is also about dog training and being responsible for the safety of someone else’s beloved pet. It’s about interacting with other trail users (some of whom are not dog lovers) in a responsible fashion; having the appropriate licenses and insurance; saying “no” to a client whose dog would fit badly into your particular pack; and knowing what to do if a fight breaks out on the trail.
Despite the challenges, a lot of dog walkers think they have the best jobs in the world. We often hear, “My worst day on the trail is better than the best day in my old job.”
It’s a noble career, to boot. Dog walkers make an important contribution to their canine charges’ quality of life. Instead of being home alone all day, these dogs are given crucial exercise and social time. Studies show that many dogs surrendered to shelters are there because of normal expressions of boredom or lack of exercise: barking, chewing, excess energy, and so on. Getting out of the house regularly with a skilled handler and well-matched pack makes dogs more mellow and content, improving their relationships at home.
If you’d like to be the one providing this essential service, maybe this summer is when you’ll take the leap out of the realm of daydreams and into the real world of dog-walking.
Visit www.dogtec.org or www.sfspca.org for a list of trained, certified dog walkers from the Dog Walking Academy.
Veronica Boutelle is the founder of dogTEC, www.dogtec.org, which provides education and comprehensive support for dog walkers. With colleague Kim Moeller, she runs the Dog Walking Academy, a professional training and certification program. Veronica can be reached at veronica@dogtec.org.
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