Dogwalker won't walk my dogs in the rain

[Dacquoise]

My dogwalker has been off the last six weeks. Two weeks were her holiday but for the last month she's had something wrong with her finger which has meant her texting me to say she needs another week off, then another week off etc. I have accommodated her as my daughter is off from uni and able to help out with the dog walks but there have been days when they haven't been walked due to our schedules. I am able to pop home at lunchtime but not enough time to walk them before going back to work.

Today, first day back, she texts to say she wants to change the day because it's raining. I said it's not convenient. First time I have challenged her about this. It has happened before. She refused to budge which has led me to fire her. Mixed feelings as I have used her a long time but she is unreliable at times and I feel like I am fitting around her, not the other way round.

Was I right to sack her?

God yeah, get rid.

There's nothing to sack. She isn't even working for you.

Yes, she is taking the piss. Your dog can’t tell you what is going on so you need to be 100% sure your dog walker is trustworthy.

Totally reasonable. She sounds an absolute waste of your time.

YANBU. It's England it's going to rain. She either needs to get some wet weather gear or an office job

Will she melt?

Yes you were absolutely right to say you no longer need her services. It rains a lot and dogs need walked no matter the weather as we all know.

I agree she is a waste of your time

You did right. She sounds unreliable. Find someone else

WTF? she’s crazy. Bet she doesn’t pick up dog poo either!

Dogs don't melt in the rain, and nor do dog walkers. It's an occupational hazard for the role.

Definitely not unreasonable to sack her. She's going to lose all her clients with that.

The whole point of dog walkers - well, one of them - is that they walk your dog in inclement weather so you don't have to!

I am a part-time dog walker and I would not be able to look myself in the mirror if I used the weather as an excuse . I don't walk dogs when it's too hot (I spend the allotted hour playing with them / spending time with them indoors instead) but rain/wind/sleet/snow are just par for the course.

My whippet wont walk in the rain but the dog walker will stay and play with him in the house if I want and see if he can coax him for a quick wee and a walk.
She sounds like she just doesn't want to do her job, you did the right thing.

Not at all unreasonable. Sounds like she doesn't want to be a dog walker anyway.

You need a new dog walker.

Haha , what a chancer .

YANBU at all OP

Bizarre. I don't walk my dog in heavy rain (unless it just won't stop all day/night) because she drags her feet so badly it easily doubles the walk time, but if she walked well I'd think nothing of it.

Dogs don't melt in the rain

Hmm, one of mine thinks he does. He also doesn't like it to be too hot, too windy, too wet, too dry......in fact the only time the lazy sod will willingly go for a walk is if it snows.

YANBU - she was being ridiculous. Dogs don't suddenly not need a walk because it's raining (unless your dog is the type that refuses point-blank to set a paw outside in bad weather). Apart from the inconvenience to you, she doesn't sound like she considers or understands the dog's need for exercise at all.

My friend is a dog-walker and the only weather that would make her request a change of schedule is very extreme heat (like when it was 35C this summer) that might be a risk to the dog if they overdo it - in those circumstances she asks clients if she can just pop in and play with the dog to keep it company for a bit during the day instead, and will offer to then walk the dog separately in the evening when it's cooler. But other than that, she'll walk them in all weathers - in fact her Instagram is full of pictures of both her and the dogs she walks covered in mud or knee-deep in puddles in the rain.

I'm surprised you put up with her excuses for the last 4 weeks! We have very reliable dog walker / daycare, they take our dog in all weathers. I can pre-book days whenever by texting, minimum ask them the evening before for the following day, so easy and my dog loves them.

Definitely you needed someone else.

I can’t imagine that she has many clients who are as flexible as you have been. Lots of people can’t get home from work at lunch and need someone reliable who isn’t afraid of a little rain. Surely most people must have let her go by now.

What is her plan for the whole of November when it is mostly rainy?

I used to be a dog walker and I loved walking in the rain, no one else about so you could relax and really enjoy the dogs.

The only weather conditions I wouldn't walk in were high winds- because all the local places are under trees, and 28-30+ temperatures depending on the dog and location.

What a shit excuse

I used to work for a rescue kennels and rain was not an excuse to not walk the dogs.

I frequently got on the bus smelling like damp wet dog

My two won’t walk in wet weather. But that is just them...

She sounds ridiculous. I binned my dog walker a lot quicker than that for probably a lot less of a reason!

Thank you everyone. I was feeling a bit guilty about it as I have used her for such a long time. I agree she thinks I am a soft touch and I am a bit suspicious that she hasn't walked her other client's dogs in such a long time, as some aren't able to pop home. Time to grow a pair!

I used to be a dog walker and I loved walking in the rain, no one else about so you could relax and really enjoy the dogs.

Me too. I think most dog walkers love it when it rains. Gets ride of the fair weather walkers and children. I know it’s my favourite time to walk the dogs.

What a waste of space. Don’t feel guilty. The dog not wanting to walk in the rain is one thing, the paid walker not wanting to is another thing entirely!