Dogwalkers cancelling due to heat

[blanketsnuggler]

I'm wondering if I'm not thinking straight here.
Obviously it's too hot to take our dogs out for a walk at 1pm.
We have a dog walker twice a week and if the temp goes up to 26c she offers home visits rather than a walk.

Would you expect a reduction in fee's to not?
As you can imagine, it's happening quite a lot lately. (If we cancel we pay either full fee if it's short notice, or 50% fee if longer notice.)
is this normal practice?

100%. I paid mine during lock down even though she obviously wasn’t walking the dog and also when she had a serious bereavement and was off a number of weeks. Shes a single mum in the village who does dog walking rather than a proper business. But she’s excellent with the dogs. I knew her before she was my dog walker and I trust her with the dogs so much and they love her.

Are you for real? She is still coming and letting your dog out and spending time. Would you prefer she didn’t? People like you are just awful. Pay the woman

She should be visiting them during the day / and changing walking times so they are walked for example 7:30am when it’s cool and again at 10pm if possible.
Walked mine yesterday at 9am and again at 10pm last night. I think no walks above 25/26 degrees and not in sunshine. Walk in woods is ok at 25/26 degrees for example.
if she’s not coming to do anything, she shouldn’t be charging you!

I love my dog walker - I'd pay her for popping in for a few minutes/take my dog out for a pee if I required it. My £18 doesn't know why it was spent and It's not like she's saving money by not walking the dog and fleecing me!

If she is still coming to look after your dog in any way, you should absolutely pay her…

So what would you prefer? She walks the dog in this heat so she gets paid, or doesn’t come at all … assume both these options wouldn’t work for you, so yes, you should still pay her.

If you have a nice reliable dog walker that you trust then perhaps it may pay in the long run to think about how you can look after her and retain her services rather than thinking about saving a fiver.

I had a dog walker in the past and would have been happy to still pay her in extreme heat to come to the house to let my dog into the garden while I was at work and also to give him some company/attention.

This!

If you are out the house then the dog will still need a toilet break and some company.
Dog walkers are having to adapt their job but they are still doing their job in a way that's best for the animal's they care for.

Imagine if you went to work and your boss said "You are doing a different job role today because of reasons out of your control AND we will pay you less for it."

Shes a single mum in the village who does dog walking rather than a proper business

What do you mean, "rather than a proper business" ?

I do dog home boarding, and of course it's a proper business! I'm making £6k in July. Hardly to be sniffed at (excuse the pun).

Obviously you pay if she's letting your dog out, but not walking them. If she's not coming at all, still pay her. It's not her fault she can't walk your dog and she still needs money. Unless you are having to pay for someone else to come and do something to your dog, it's money you put aside for her anyway, you don't need it for anything else and she still needs to eat!

My dog walker asks you to co firm bookings for the week ahead on Sunday. So luckily thos os nor an issue for me. She is amazing and ultra reliable. Never not turned up. When it has been hot but not really hot she shifts the time.

At least the dog walkers is being responsible. Our dog walkers said she could collect the dogs at 7am, or we could cancel or she could do a home visit
We chose an earlier walk when it was cooler. But no charge if we cancelled and it was cheaper for a home visit if required

You’d honestly expect your dog walker to come out at 10pm, and want them knocking to do so?

@blanketsnuggler as others have said she is offering the right thing in the circumstances so you really shouldn’t be asking this question, you wouldn’t want your dog walked anyway. If she is a good walker don’t get on the wrong side of her, having moved cross country and having a run off flaky ones after previously having the same walker for 5 years do not underestimate how much stress life is without them. A good, reliable walker is like gold dust.

If she's coming round to let your dogs into the garden and give them fresh water and checking on their welfare because they're being left locked up at home all day in 32 degree heat then yes you should still pay her.

My neighbour's dog walker is doing this. He either comes very early or lets them out and sits with them for a while. It seems reasonable.

Why couldn't you walk your dog at 10pm?

You honestly expect a dog walker to work a 15+ hour day to walk dogs at 7am and 10pm? 😂

If the dog walker comes to your house and lets the dog out in the garden for a wee and spends a bit of time with them because you are at work I'd expect to pay the same. It's a bit hot for a safe dog walk mid-afternoon in many parts of the the UK so I'm not surprised the dog walker is unwilling to do that to your dog. If the dog walker refuses to attend full-stop or your dog doesn't need them for a comfort break then whether you pay would depend on your contract.

Ours cancelled on Monday with no charge. She can't do earlier walks as she has kids, and she knows we mostly WFH so didn't offer a home visit.

If she did a home visit, we would expect to pay. We paid when the dog refused to walk, even though she said she didn't- she is a great walker, and our dog loves her, so it's only right to treat her well.

Why would her fees be less for a home visit? Do you earn less if you work from home or alter your work practices due to the heat?
As long as she's available and willing to work you pay her normal rate if you cancel, but not if she does.

Ridiculous! Most people are around to walk their own dog at 10pm. Honestly the things people come up with on this site!

This

Mine will let my dog out and play with her in the garden. I pay normal fee for this.

If she cancelled I would not expect to pay (but she wouldn't charge, she's lovely).

I guess the question is, do you agree that 26 is a reasonable threshold for your dog? (Many breeds could manage a walk at that temp or a bit higher as long as she took water and if wasn’t on tarmac, like if she drove them to a nearby field or a forest).

But it’s important for people who provide services like this to be able to change what they offer in certain situations without a loss of income, otherwise they’d potentially take risks they shouldn’t be taking so that they don’t lose money.