Would you do it for free?

[Trufflebutter24]

I work from home 3 days a week. One of my neighbours who I don’t know, just posted that they’re looking for someone to take their dog for a walk around the block 3 times a week. Im terrible at getting out and do a little encouragement from a furry friend would be mutually beneficial for me as I desperately need an excuse to get off my fat arse 😅

she did say she’s contacted a local dog walker on her Facebook post but they had no availability.

I kind of feel bad suggesting any payment as it would probably be no more than 1 hour a week but I’m also thinking a small amount of
renumeration would be nice?

Or would you suggest doing it for free and hope that your charitable contribution will pay forward one day?

If her dog wants a decent walk I would offer and think about how much you would like. £15? She will want to be able to rely on you so it's a transaction. Don't rely on someone offering to pay as she may feel as awkward as you. Better to lay it on the line.

I think it's a nice thing to do :)

As a one off yes. As an ongoing commitment no I would not do it for free.

Also consider what happens if the dog injures themself or others whilst you are walking it. That is why dog walkers have insurance etc.

Ok thank you.
I’ve just looked into insurance which looks to be about £5 a month (although this was a very quick google search) and I’d definitely get it if it were to be a regular thing.
I was going to say around £27 a week but maybe that’s silly low. I’d do it for free for a friend but as I don’t know this person I wouldn’t feel comfortable not charging I don’t think.

doing it for free might make you feel like you are doing her a favour rather than offering a service on which she could become reliant (assuming she wants somebody to do this while she is at work). If you charge and have some kind of contract in place are you less likely to cancel if it’s raining/you have a headache/a cold/ a busy work day etc?
id say this is a big commitment… and I’d be less bothered by the charge/no charge and more concerned that either somebody’s income or the welfare of the dog is at risk if (even for legitimate reasons) you can’t do it.

@Trufflebutter24 you can offer? See what they say? I think £10 a walk is reasonable.

£27 for 3 x little walks seems very expensive to me. I sometimes walk my elderly neighbours dog for free and I don't particularly like her.bshe has a nice dog though. DH walks her dog occasionally for her too. We wouldn't dream of asking for payment.

Honestly, I think £27 for three wanders around the block per week is very expensive considering you're not a professional dog walker and would just be doing it as a favour.

That's more than I charge as someone who does this kind of thing for a living and has all the associated costs that go along with it.

@Trufflebutter24 you need to discuss it with them. Expectations eg little wander or hour out? Then agree a price.

£10 a walk is the rate for a non professional (ie that doesn't have overheads like a van and advertising). That's for at least a 30 min walk.

Yes this, as they are hugely different commitments.

I charge £10 for thirty minutes as a professional with all the associated costs.

I think that as is doing you a favour too, I’d charge £5 a walk so £15 a week. They get a bargain and you get the exercise you want while covering insurance plus some extra cash.

I would not be doing it for free at all! Presumably you will be walking in rain, wind, sunshine and snow! I'd also be thinking about a plan B. What happens if you need a holiday, injure yourself or just can't do it for some reason?

I think this is a good price, assuming the walk round the block is just so the dog can go to the toilet/stretch its' legs.

Sorry I meant 17 a week!

Do you have experience with dogs? Do you know that this dog is well-trained e.g. not going to spend the whole walk pulling your arm out of the socket? Do you know if this dog is likely to react to other dogs/cats/people/plastic bags during the walk and therefore be tricky to manage?

I'd do a few trials before agreeing to anything in case the reality doesn't match your expectations.

My dog walker is £13 per hour. She has insurance, pet first aid qualification, etc, but walks from our house. She walks 3 dogs at a time. She charges £17 per hour for individual walks and £10 for a home visit to let your pet put, give it a cuddle, feed it etc - probably 30 minute visit.

It is really important to have insurance. If the dog damages a person, animal or other property while under your care, you are liable , not the owner.

If you want to do it free of charge, go through Borrow my Doggie or similar and get their insurance. At the very least the owner needs to reimburse you for that cost. But beware , if doing if free of charge, of your kind favour becoming her expectation. It can get old very quickly.

No, just don't do it. Don't use this situation as your attempt at motivation. If you were someone that walked every day regardless of weather and had a pattern established then fine but this person may have specific days and times that the dog needs to be walked.
If you went through Borrow My Dog and told her you'd take dog a couple of days for 2 weeks while she was searching for someone. That puts time contstraint on it and then make a decision in the longer term.
Remember this is generally a dog walkers only job so they can stick to schedule. Can /. Can you stick 100% to a daily schedule or will meetings/work dictate when you're free.

My dog died and I missed him a lot. Then I randomly saw a post on a local site asking if anyone would like some doggy company and I decided to give it a go. I was very clear I wasn’t a professional but I would always do my best to keep her dog safe.

Essantially she’s a single parent of a child with additional needs and a dog who doesn’t like being left. So she’s up against it and I’m truly happy to help. She never takes me for granted and regularly buys me gifts despite me really not wanting anything.

Why not give it a go on a ‘see how it goes’ basis. If no money is involved you aren’t tied in. You might really enjoy it.

In my own case it has kept me in the doggy loop and we are welcoming a new puppy soon. I hope they get on together!

Sorry, I should have said I have her one day a week. Sometimes two.