Do you have someone to provide "dog care"? Tell me about it please!

[SESthebrave]

We have 2 cocker spaniels and for the next 10 weeks, there will be days when DH and I are both out at work all day and looking to get someone to come in and take them out for a walk for 90 mins in the middle of the day. The rest of the time they will be in our utility room which has a dog flap onto our fairly large garden.

My immediate questions would be:

• Does this sound ok for the dogs?
• How much do you think this should cost?

Our usual dog sitter who has them when we go on holiday has said she would do it for £20 per session. This sounds quite expensive compared to her dog sitting rate of £30 per night. Maybe it is a reasonable cost and her dog sitting rate is just very cheap!

Provided the dogs get out before you go to work, and again when you get home it should be fine. You need to be sure that 1. the garden is 100% dog proof, and also they are not in full view of the road (risk of theft) 2. They do not bark when left. That would be unfair on your neighbours

My walker charges £10 to take two dogs out for 45mins-1hr

A reputable dog walker will have public liability insurance and have CRB check. They will also have policies on how many dogs they will walk at a time. Here in S E Wales, a group walk is £10 ph and a solo walk is £12 ph.

We have 2 dogs, £12 for the pair for 1hr walk at midday. I sometimes think they love her more than us

Dog walker one day a week.

£9 for 45 min walk, 10 min play, and putting his food out/chucking a kong in his general direction.

I walk dog before I leave for work (9.20-10) dog walker comes in at 12-1, I'm back by 4.30. from a joyous reunion

Happy dog.

I am never out for that long these days, but when I was working we had a dog walker who took woofer out for an hour in the late morning - and I would be back for a late afternoon walk and feed. He had company (another dog) when young, but was a solo doggy when older - and seemed fine with that. 10 years ago so costs sadly irrelevent.

These days, Mouse has a dog walker (same one, amazingly) who charges £10 which is expensive - even for SW London - but we are very fond of him, trust him etc so happy to pay. Two mornings per week, for at least an hours walk.

A couple of times we've needed all day 'care' - and have a 'doggy hotel' nearby, which is someone's home. They take up to 5 dogs per day, and they all get two great big walks (off-lead) and have a fantastic, smelly, playdate sort of time. Mouse seems to love it. It costs £35 per full day (7.30 am to evening).

£20 per 90 minute dog walk does sound quite pricey, but then again its two dogs....would she charge £60 for a night for both of them then??

I am a dogwalker - insurance, police-checked etc - market town with lots of commuters. I take dogs in groups of no more than four per handler. I would charge £15 for 2 dogs from same household for a one hour walk, plus fuel if it's more than a mile from my home. Have never been asked for a 90 minute walk so have never quoted for it!

My overnight rate is £18 per dog if it's at my home, £35 total if I stay at yours. I do tend to round down if someone has a lot of dogs or is using me every day.

BTW several of my clients have the set up at home you describe - dogflap from kitchen/utility into dogproofed garden - and it works fine.

Also if you are very time sensitive on when the walk happens, bear in mind us dogwalkers are most in demand at lunchtime 11.30 -2, and some of us charge more in that period.

Thanks for all your replies.

She does seem rather expensive but our dogs know her and she knows them. I guess I could ask if it's cheaper for 60mins. It is £30 per night for both dogs so she is a bargain for overnight dog sitting!

It is a short term fix as I will be on Mat Leave soon so hopefully will be able to walk them myself.

Our garden is dog proof and the set up works well except for the fact that we are in a corner plot with a field popular with other dog walkers across the road on one side which does prompt some territorial barking from our two sometimes. Not sure what we can do about that