I'm a dog walker - AMA

[thelobsterquadrille]

Just that, really!

Do you have a favourite breed to walk?

Are dalmatians really as bad as everyone says?

What impact do you see or hear about when dogs are not walked every day?

I definitely have a soft spot for spaniels!

I walk a few dogs who don't get daily walks for various reasons - mainly the owners' health.

If they're kept company at home, have a garden and are given plenty of mental stimulation, they're generally okay, if a bit giddy on walks 🙈

But I also think that the people who hire a dog walker aren't the kind of people to not walk their dogs, iyswim. I'm there as an addition while they're working, or to provide socialisation and company, not because that's the only time the dog gets out.

I hope that makes sense!

I've actually never walked a Dalmatian, but I do have a client who owns one, but she doesn't want me to walk it as apparently he's bonkers and she doesn't want me to get injured 🙈

Not sure what that says about them as a breed 🤣

What do you do if one dog runs off? Or one starts a fight with another dog? I see dog walkers all the time walking 6 dogs a piece and it looks so uncontrolled.

I don't walk big groups for that precise reason!

If I'm alone, my max is three dogs. My mum and husband are also insured to work with me, and sometimes if they're with me I'll take 4-5 dogs (max three per person) but I'd never have them all off the lead at once.

Normally it's two dogs off lead at once, occasionally three if it's an open space (like
the beach) and they all have good recall.

I've never had a dog run off on me or get into fight thankfully - it's my worst nightmare!

Have you ever met a dig you didn't like? If so what was the breed?

When it's absolutely chucking it down, do you think 'oh god I really don't want to go to work today?'

I've never met a dog I disliked but there are definitely dogs I click with more than others!

I think the ones I've had the least connection to would be a collie/whippet mix and a terrier mix. They're not bad dogs in the slightest though - just not my cup of tea I suppose!

Have you noticed an increase in entitled / irresponsible dog owners over the last 3 years?

Oh God, definitely 🤣

I'm broken up for Christmas now but last week with blue skies and frozen ground was heaven on earth! No soggy dogs and I didn't go home covered in mud!

Hmm, it's hard to say really.

I've noticed a lot more dogs with poor recall, that's for sure, but the owners are mostly apologetic and the dogs aren't aggressive, just young and excitable.

I do think lockdown meant a lot of people got dogs and didn't think through the long-term impact of daily walks etc.

Can European rescue dogs ever be trained to be non reactive.
What breed is the calmest and best to adopt. I've had working types previously and struggled to keep up.

Do you think dog walkers should be licensed, like home boarders/kennels/ daycare?

If they are licensed in the future, as is rumoured to happen, will you jump through the necessary hookps and get licensed or pack it in?

I've walked some European rescues who were totally non-reactive and good as gold. Others are a work in progress so I think it's very dog dependent. Some of it's time and training, some of its just luck.

One of the calmest dogs on my books is a a young cockapoo but I also walk other (older) cockapoos who are utterly bonkers!

I'd say overall the calmest breed I walk is a Bernese Mountain Dog.

Yes, and yes!

They should absolutely be licensed and I think it's only a matter of time before they are. There are too many people out there who are frankly dangerous and they give us all a bad name.