To ask for your help in how much to pay?

[SacreLao]

I am just about to employ a dog walker, being heavilly pregnant and suffering from SPD it is becoming impossible to walk my huge beast of a dog and so have managed to find someone who is willing to take him out for a hour long walk twice a week.

Now I am stressing over how much to offer in payment. She has left it up to me and having never hired a dog walker before I am clueless.

She is a 19 year old girl who lives round the corner from me, not a professional but a full time student studying something animal related. We plan on deciding an hourly rate and giving it her in cash before each walk she takes him on.

He is a very well behaved dog and walks well on lead etc. I would be paying over market rates if he was a nightmare to handle but he is not.

So what is the going rate for this type of thing?

DP thought £10 an hour was reasonable but considering most cleaners don't charge that it seems too much too me, especially as this is not her career but a bit of cash on the side for a student IYSWIM.

I am in the North West by the way, not London or nearby.

Thanks :)

Judy I think you're being daft.

I wouldn't walk OPs dog for twice that amount because I don't like dogs. However, at that age, I was babysitting for £2.50 an hour which I enjoyed and didn't put me out at all as all I was doing was sitting watching TV which I would have been doing anyway.

I think £15 for the two walks is a good price.

agreed. £15 for the two hours sounds good.

I pay £10phr and consider that fair, especially if the dog is difficult. My walker has a set hourly rate, and doesn't charge per dog if you have more than one.

Scrappy Think you mis-understood :)

The dog IS NOT difficult at all, he is actually trained to a VERY high standard, won awards for agility and is almost a registered PAT dog but put the test on hold as am not doing well during this pregnancy.

I said IF the dog was difficult I would expect to pay but he isn't in the slightest.

My 7 year can handle him on a walk no problems at all (this is a 10 stone dog bear in mind) as he is so easy to walk, but I obviously will not leave my 7 year old in sole charge of a dog that weighs more than him.

I think if I offered £7 per hour to walk my dog I would have a queue of willing walkers - especially if they were taking him along with theirs.

We are in rural Wales so probably similar wage levels (entry level jobs are minimum wage, more skilled people generally ask £10 per hour).

I certainly don't think you're being unreasonable offering £15 for 2 hours.

Please may I ask what breed of dog is it?

We pay £10 p/h in London, and I'd consider this quite cheap (some places ask for £15). But the 'going rate' may be different where you are of course. £7 or £8 is probably fine.

What kind of dog do you have, out of curiosity? I love the 'huge beast' types :)

The kennels near us pay 3.50 an hour to walk and play with the dogs - but they hire 14/15 year olds mostly who couldn't get other work.

Actually, switching my brain on for a moment, I think the clue to the breed might be in your name!

Well she has just emailed me back and accepted :)
Really pleased to have someone to take him out finally.

As I am really flexible and can arrange around her she is going to send me a text each time she takes her own dog out and I can say yes or no to her taking mine out at the same time.

I suspect she will be earning a fair bit more than £15 a week as she takes her dog out daily and if I am in, which I usually am, I will proberly say yes everytime she texts to be honest. More exercise for doggy is always a good thing and it makes my life a lot easier.

I have a Rottie, sadly the name alone seems to make people gasp in horror with visions of the Omen etc. but really he is just a black and tan Labrador.

Right now he is snuggled up in front of the fire with the kitten chewing on his ear.

The girl who will be walking him has a Mastif so is very experianced with large breed dogs and this dosn't phase her at all but I live in an area where the mini doodle crosses (Yorkipoo, Cockerpoo etc.) hence a lot of people are wary of the breed, and why I turned down the (look at how tough I am) teenager.

Ephiny Clue in my name???

I'm really curious now as to what breed you thought I had and why?

My name is actually linked to my cats not my dog but I suspect only a very clever person, or someone interested in the same breed as me could guess what breed of cats I own.

Oh that's good news. I have a Rottie too, I think they're an absolutely lovely breed, what a shame people are put off by appearance. Sounds like he's a very big boy though - I was imagining a Leonberger based on 10st and your username!

Yey, another Rott owner on the forum

He is a very big boy yes, both his parents were enormous so we were expecting to him to be pretty big but he shocked us as well!

I think the fact he has so much exercise and attends agility etc. means he builds muscle quite well so he dosn't look as heavy as he is.

I was last time the vet weighed him to see he had reached 10 stone.

I love Leonberger's, stunning dogs but too fluffy for me, I couldn't cope with the grooming!

what difference does fact she is taking her own dog at same time make. You are paying for her services. 8 pound an hour

It would make a big difference to me. If I'm walking a dog anyway, I'm being paid for the extra work in dealing with two, coming round & picking up dog no. 2 etc.

If I'm not walking a dog to start with, then I'd need to be recompensed for all the other things I could do with that time.

Glad you got it sorted.

When I was pg with DS2 and had SPD, i was paying £10ph for 30min for my dog... (in herts)

So think you have a good deal!