Struggling to afford the dog walker.

[dangermouseisace]

How are people managing it? I don't know what to do; I work full time and only have a walker 3x a week (WFH part of the week). But it's unaffordable with everything costing so much. I just don't know what to do.

“Dogs thrive on routine” 🤣🤣🤣god bless Mumsnet

They generally walk more than one dog for that cost though?

This is the doghouse where nobody ever leaves a dog more than 4 hours…

I work from home but In reality I’ve had to leave mine home alone for that length of time. Sometimes I get called into work, take the kids out, get stuck in hospital or a meeting runs late and I’m over the magic 4 hour slot. I don’t get dog walkers because I don’t trust people to walk them safely. Nobody died, nothing happened, they don’t bat an eyelid and that’s how they should be trained. Half of the time they can’t be bothered to go for a wee once I return (and they hold their bladders a lot longer at night!) Yes it isn’t ideal but life happens, dogs are very adjustable more than we give them credit for. No the wonder half of the dogs I meet are so neurotic if this is how rigidly people think!

A well adjusted and mentally stimulated dog should be able to manage. I’m not saying it should be a regular thing but a couple of times a week being left won’t hurt. Mine sleep the whole time I’m out (we have CCTV) just exactly as they do when we are home…

If the dog isn’t coping then that’s a different story but to suggest every dog left a second over 4 hours is neglected is a bit short sighted.
Rescues will soon be overrun in the current economic climate without genuine people who are trying are shamed constantly by others.

In your position OP I would see if I could work an extra day from home and maybe pay someone to let the dog out if necessary. Presumably he’s left happily enough anyway if you employ a walker?
Most dogs don’t need 3 walks a day so it’s more breaking up the time really!

Thank you all for your replies. I’ve got ideas now. I can’t carry on as we are. I will definitely keep the walker the for the day I know I am out all day, but maybe be more flexible about the days where I might be in/might not. I should be able to get a friend to pop around for a bit at lunch. I’m less “oh my god I’m going to have to give him to a rescue.” He doesn’t do much when I WFH so it could work…it’s like he knows the morning and evening is “his” time. And he’s in my room all night too.

No its £8 for 2 dogs for 40 mins she's and under 22 I don't think it matters how many dogs you walk in 40 mins its still 40 mins of her time and she lives 3 doors away. Anyway the minimum wage doesn't apply if your self employed or "work for a client"

Ah the voice of reason.😀

Honestly? I'd be embarrassed to pay so little.

If he’s fine being left then just leave him , it’s 7 hours , 3x a week , not the end of the world at all .

id be embarrassed too.

Poor dog walker, I wouldn’t even get out of bed for that!

NDN leaves his from 5:30am to 2-3pm, then again most evenings. The dog cries and howls. It's cruel.

They did it with their old dog as a puppy and an adult; he was a medium/large breed and got barely any exercise. This one is one of the most energetic breeds there is and he is left for at least 7 hours. On occasion, the old one was left for 12.

DH only agreed to get a dog once he had retired, so DDog wouldn’t be left alone, apart from when absolutely necessary.

Hi OP.

I'm a dog walker myself - definitely ask if your walker can offer a shorter walk or a pop-in instead of a full hour. I would much rather be asked for that than lose customers altogether because they think an hour walk is the only option.

At the moment I only have puppies on shorter walks but if a client came to me to say they were struggling I would do my absolute best to accommodate them.

You most definitely can. My dog is usually left from 8am - 4/4:30pm and is fine. As are most people who have dogs...

I do, as do many other people. Only on MN is it frowned upon to leave your dog for more than 10 minutes

Pre covid, my dog was left while we worked. He was fine. When covid happened, he was downright pissed off we were in his space. He finally got used to it but spends a lot of time in rooms away from us. He does love us... honestly.

It's down to the dog ultimately. Most people get these cockapoo or the like who have awful separation anxiety. Get an Akita, they don't care!

My dog is happy to be left sleeping all morning - in fact gets quite disgruntled if I even think of taking him out for a walk before 1!
si tend to go into the office I. Tge am and wfh in the afternoon.. get gone about 1300 and give home a walk then

It totally depends on your dog, I've built up the time I leave my dog alone and he can now be left for 6-7 hours without any issue. Generally even if I work from home he'll take himself off upstairs to sleep for the bulk of the day.

As long as he gets a decent walk in the morning and evening he's happy.

Can I hop on here?
I have been thinking of dog walking for a few months, probably Friday afternoons/lunch time/ early evening and a longer walk on Saturday/Sunday.
I live in the North, but don't know what would be reasonable to charge as money is so tight for everyone. I grew up with dogs (lots of them!) but can't have my own yet as I work nearly full-time.
🐶

Do you mean setting up as a dog walker?

I'll be honest, you'll struggle if you don't do it full-time as people want regular days and times so they can work.

90% of my customers want the same days and times every week and none of them want evenings. I get maybe one or two requests for weekend walks a month, if that.

You could try marketing it as a service for people who want days out at weekends but it may not be regular income.

Charging wise, I charge £10/dog/hour plus £7 for additional dogs from the same house. Don't forget you'll need insurance too ☺️

Yes, that's what I wondered! Couldn't risk doing it full-time, sadly. I need to go back to the drawing board, I think. I did wonder if short walks for people who are elderly or housebound would be sensible, but I'd feel crap asking them to pay their money 😥Thank you for your advice, that has helped 🐩