How to sack a client (Pro tips for professional dog walkers)

Just like parents and their children (*), you will eventually have your favourite dogs (and owners) as you build your client base.

Unfortunately, someone will always be bottom of your list, whether it’s a client who never pays on time or a dog who always pees in your van, there will come a time when enough is enough and you’re going to have to give them the elbow.

Sacking a client is hard but sometimes it’s the right thing to do for you, your business and more often than not, the dog too.

Let’s have a look at why you might need to fire a dog, and how to do it as painlessly as possible.

(*I don’t have children but you guys have favourite kids right?)

Reasons to Fire a Client

Reasons normally come under one of three headings, either it’s because the dog does something, the owner does something or they don’t fit with you and your business.

It’s the dog

Okay, so this is the worst scenario, right? Because we love dogs and they’re all perfect.

But sometimes a dog just doesn’t fit in with your walks and you might not have the time to do a solo walk, especially at the time the owner might need it done.

Or sometimes the dog is car sick. Like every time you collect them, and it’s just not fair on the dog to keep walking them when a solo walk from the house would be so much better.

Or maybe that unneutered male pees in your van every. single. time. And the time spent cleaning up offsets any profit from walking the dog.

Or the dog makes you nervous. Perhaps they have a bite history or they’re reactive dogs. You don’t have to become a canine behaviourist and dog trainer in order to help the dog and you feel more confident. Let someone else do it instead.

All of these situations have one thing in common. You could be suggesting an alternative business to the owner who may be able to give the dog a solo walk, a confident training walk or walks without travelling in a vehicle.

This is why networking is so important. Knowing who to recommend makes you appear professional, caring and softens the blow from you sacking them outright to you you being super helpful with only their dog’s best interest in your mind. It’s a win win win for all involved.

The people that you recommend, will recommend you too.

It’s the owner

Are you spending too much time chasing them for payment?

Before you sack them, have you made it as easy as possible for them? Offered direct payments, PayPal, cash? Have you found out how often they get paid and agree to remind them on payday to include you? Do you send a proper invoice with a link they can click to pay you?

Also, what does your contract say? Does it have a clause that says walks will be suspended if more than a specific number of payments are overdue? Have you reminded them about this?

Some slow payers are worth the hassle as the dog is amazing and everything else is perfect and they pay you eventually. But some non-payers will not be worth the time and stress of thinking you may not be paid.

Does the owner make you feel uncomfortable?

This is rare, but it can happen. I recently read a forum post where a dog walker was being hugged and kissed when they handed over their dogs.

We are professional dog walkers, and although we may become friendly with owners, we are still working for them, it should remain professional and any inappropriate behaviour should be dealt with quickly and clearly.

Sometimes it can be hard to say something in person, so an email to them explaining that you understand that it may be innocent but it’s making you feel uncomfortable and you’d like it to stop, is the right thing to do. And if it continues, absolutely sack them with immediate effect. (example emails below for inspiration).

It’s you

It’s okay not to like a particular breed, or dislike having to drive so far to collect a dog, or not want to spend 20 minutes cleaning off the mud monster in the gang.

It’s ok to make decisions based on what you want and don’t want in your day.

Self employment has a fair amount of downsides (no holiday or sick pay, having to do your own accounts etc.) but having the freedom to say no is one of the upsides.

Choosing who to work with and for, choosing where to work and how you spend your day is a huge benefit and you should allow yourself to make these choices without feeling guilty.

It’s your business, your day, your life.

How to fire a client

How to end your contract with the dog’s owner

Make sure you know exactly what’s in your contract with the owner.

You may have specified that either party may end the contract with a set amount of notice, unless in certain circumstances when it can be immediate (i.e aggression from the dog is a common clause used to stop services with immediate effect. You wouldn’t want to be walking a dog that had bitten you for 4 more weeks).

Do it in writing, email is best and gives a professional feel, more so than WhatsApp or text.

If you prefer, it can be done on the phone or even face to face but this should depend on the reason and specific situation. Owners can become immediately defensive if their dog is accused of misbehaving, and if the reason you’re sacking them is the client themselves then it’s best to stick to email.

Be clear and precise, but polite. Give a specific end date for your services and send a final invoice on that date for immediate payment. Do not apologise for your decision, own it with confidence.

Example email templates

It’s the dog…

Dear Owner,

I am writing to inform you that unfortunately, I will no longer be able to offer DOG NAME our walking service. According to the terms set out in our contract (DATED XX), our services to you will terminate as of DATE.

Unfortunately, due to repeated aggressive behaviour from DOGS NAME, we will no longer be able to include them in our group walks. I feel that between us we have tried to ensure he was comfortable on our walks but after repeated incidents, I’m afraid we have to draw a line here.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause in the short term, but long term I believe DOGS NAME to be more suited to solo walks.

I can highly recommend OTHER BUSINESS NAME for solo walks and would urge you to contact them asap to discuss DOGS NAME needs.

It has been a privilege to walk DOGS NAME and I hope he’s happier on his future walks.

Yours Sincerely,

Your name

It’s the Owner

Dear Owner,

I am writing to inform you that unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to terminate our contract with you and as such, I will no longer be able to offer DOG NAME our walking service.

According to the terms set out in our contract (DATED XX), our terms state that payments must be up to date to receive service.

As of (TODAYS DATE) your account is currently (XX WEEKS) in arrears. As such, our services to you will terminate as of DATE.

I enclose a final invoice for immediate payment.

It has been a privilege to walk DOGS NAME, thank you for your business and I wish you both well for the future.

Yours Sincerely,

Your name

It’s you

Dear Owner,

I am writing to inform you that unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to reduce the geographical areas that we cover as a business and as such, I will no longer be able to offer DOG NAME our walking service. According to the terms set out in our contract (DATED XX), our services to you will terminate as of DATE.

Unfortunately, due to rising business costs, we will be reducing the areas that we as a business cover and sadly DOGS NAME falls outside of this area.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause in the short term. I can highly recommend OTHER BUSINESS NAME for walks in your area and would urge you to contact them asap to discuss DOGS NAME needs.

It has been a privilege to walk DOGS NAME and I will miss them. Many thanks for your business and I wish you both well for the future.

Yours Sincerely,

Your name