Tips for Finding Reliable Dog Walkers

Once you have found a reliable dog walker, that will give you peace of mind when youre dog needs some extra exercise or socialization with other dogs.  To find a reliable dog walker, you need to check for certification as well as references.

• Make sure it that your prospective dog walker has good references.  After you have spoken with a potential dog walker, ask for a few names and phone numbers of recent clients.  When you call up the references, ask about how reliable and punctual the dog walker is.


• Ask if the dog walker has any training or certification.  Dog walkers should know about various dog behaviors, dog body language and how a human can intervene to keep a dog safe.  There are many academies offering dog certification training, and will give you peace of mind if your dog walker has attained such certification.


• Make sure your dog walker is insured and licensed.  Not only is it a good idea for you the dog walker to have insurance in case something happens to your dog under the dog walker’s care (such as getting bitten), but some cities as well as towns have laws requiring that dog walkers have a special dog walking license.


• Find out how much the dog walker charges.  Rates for dog walkers shouldn't vary too much and will depend upon the city or town where you live.  Call around to make sure you're getting a fair price for dog walking services, as well as to establish in your mind an average baseline rate for dog walking services.