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 […]
How to sack a client (Pro tips for professional dog walkers) Read More »
It’s a common occurrence that as soon as an owner takes on a rescue dog they also book a dog walker. In fact, sometimes this can be mandatory as part of their adoption agreement (due to the owners working hours and the length of time that the dog will be left alone) Let’s take a
How to add a rescue dog to your walking group (Tips for pro dog walkers) Read More »
We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to and collected the best professional dog walker resources from around the entire internet. These websites are hand picked by me, a professional dog walker, trainer and canine behaviourist, and they include all the things I wish I knew existed when I first started up in
Top 10 useful websites for professional dog walkers Read More »
Bad reviews will happen because they’re just a part of running a business. Just as in life, it’s true that you cannot please everybody all of the time. I’ve known dog walkers receive negative reviews for not walking the dog for an hour (they were being paid to do a 30 minute walk), not showing
A picture paints a thousand words and in this day and age, your Instagram feed can help build your business by showing all those dogs having a fantastic time with you. Let’s look at some hints and tips from pro photographers about how to improve our photos and a few training tips from me to
How to get the perfect professional dog walking photo for your socials Read More »
It’s tempting when you start to build your client list, to group dogs according to their addresses. This makes logical sense as it saves you fuel and reduces the travel time for the dogs too. And a lot of the time this works out just fine as most dogs with any sort of reactivity issues
Professional dog walking; how to build a group walk Read More »
I walked dogs professionally for almost 10 years, and over that time I walked around 6 dogs a day on 2 or 3 different walks, and I did this 5 days a week. That’s 6 dogs x 5 days x 52 weeks x 10 years = 15,600 opportunities to lose a dog, and I only
Back when I first started out my car (Vauxhall Tigra – the worlds least suitable dog walking car) was lined with the neighbours donations of old towels. Then when I got a bigger car (Vauxhall Astra – a massive upgrade in space) I installed dog crates and kept on using the towels until I discovered
You’ve done the puppy visits, given them solo lead walks, done your best to support the owners training with recall and introduced them to your group walks. Now your teenage male dog (12-18 months roughly) is being neutered. Will it change the group dynamics and if so, will it be in a positive or negative
Does neutering a dog change the dynamics of a group walk? Read More »
It could be a new client, or an existing client who has been with you for years and is now getting on in age, but at some point you’re going to walk an elderly, senior dog who needs a little extra care. It’s important to recognize that older dogs have different needs and abilities than
Walking elderly dogs – tips for professional dog walkers Read More »
