I was shocked recently by a story in the Telegraph about a
man who was knocked over by a dog walker’s dog. What concerned me the most was
that not only did the dog walker not have insurance; the owners had not insured
their pet.
In the past few years I have been working hard towards
setting up my own dog walking and doggy day care centre and during my years of
researching into what works and what doesn’t it appears not every dog owner is
sure what to look for when selecting to send their dog to a dog walker or day
care centre.
The benefits of using a dog walker or day care centre are
numerous, with the increased demands on people’s time a dog walker can come in
handy to ensure that your dog is getting the required level of physical and
mental stimulation that it requires. Hiring a dog walker or sending your dog to
day care will give you the comfort that whilst you are at work or away from
home for long periods of time, your dog is still able to relieve themselves and
gain both human and canine interaction, which is turn will improve your dog’s
social skills and give you the comfort that you can return home in the evening to
a chilled dog and no accidents in the house.
Benefits include:
- No more accidents in the home – though not a 100% guaranteed!
- Increased exercise, mental and physical stimulation
- Reduction in unwanted behaviours such as chewing, digging and soiling
- Increased socialisation with other dogs
- Assistance with behavioural training
- A tired and relaxed dog on your return home
- Fully insured for professional dog walking, including loss of key cover should they have a copy of your key to pick up your dog
- Has appropriate vehicle insurance to transport your dogs
- Does not walk more than 4-5 dogs on each walk – most professional insurance will place a limit of the number of dogs they can walk at once
- Can evidence that your dogs will be transported to walks in an appropriate vehicle
- Offers a free consultation to meet with your dog and chat through their services
- Offers a trial walk to ensure your dog gets on well with their other dogs and the handler
- Has experience with dogs either as a pet owner/trainer/assistant etc.
- Adult to Dog ratio
- Screening Process
- Security
- Emergency procedures
- Experience of the staff
- Facilities
- Visit for yourself
- Behaviour Management Policies
- Consistent schedule
- Cleanliness
- Honesty
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