03/11/2024
Some important information for potential clients, clients and businesses that provide services for dogs to be aware of and remember when either looking for someone to help with your dog(s) or when they are in the care of a dog walker or in doggy day care. I have personal experience of things going wrong. I wasn't given important information about a dog prior to my first visit with the dog and unfortunately I bit on my hand while helping out someone as a favour! Afterwards when I was told why it probably happened then I knew it was not the dog's fault but its life experiences or lack thereof at home.
â ď¸ Due Diligence for hiring Dog Walkers / Pet Sitters and Boarders â ď¸
We have noticed a concerning trend regarding dog walkers / pet sitters / boarders in Ayrshire. Recently, we highlighted the importance of thoroughly researching and vetting canine professionals before using their services.
Unfortunately, our organisation has encountered numerous incidents where dog professionals failed to exercise the necessary care, attention, and preparation to protect the dogs in their care. While there are many excellent dog walkers and sitters, we have also observed many who are not up to standard.
For instance, only this week, a dog escaped from a local doggy daycare (a regular occurrence for this particular one), prompting a significant multi-agency response on the railway line. This incident could have had catastrophic consequences.
We were also contacted about a dog that had escaped and asked not to let owners know, something we wouldnât agree to if our help was sought.
We have also learned about children starting dog walking businesses. Although we commend young people for their initiative, we are concerned about the risks this poses to dogs. These businesses likely lack proper insurance, canine first aid training, and experience to ensure dog safety. Lone working, even for adults, requires serious consideration, especially when dogs are involved.
Considerations for allowing a child to walk your dog include:
1. **Lack of Experience:** A child may not have the experience to handle various dog behaviors and emergencies.
2. **Responsibility and Reliability:** While some teenagers are responsible, others may not have the maturity for consistent and reliable pet care.
3. **Legal and Safety Concerns:** Hiring a minor for such tasks may involve legal and insurance issues.
4. **Emergency Situations:** Young individuals might struggle to handle emergencies or make quick, effective decisions under stress.
These concerns underscore the importance of selecting a dog walker / pet sitter with adequate experience and maturity to ensure your dogâs safety and well-being.
A qualified dog walker / pet sitter / boarder should have:
**Public Liability Insurance**
As a minimum.
**Animal Handling and Care:** Knowledge of dog behaviour, ability to manage dogs of different sizes and temperaments, and recognising signs of distress or illness.
**Time Management:**
Ensuring each dog gets the appropriate amount of exercise and attention within a set schedule.
**Responsibility and Reliability:** Dependability in showing up on time and keeping dogs safe.
**First Aid Knowledge:** Basic skills for handling emergencies like injuries or health problems.
**Problem-Solving:** Ability to manage unexpected situations, such as encountering aggressive dogs or dealing with adverse weather.
Many dog walker/pet sitters insurance policies cover loss of keys (including lock changes).
Many have disclosure checks in place.
If they are offering boarding make sure they are licensed, but even then do your due diligence as the one that keeps losing dogs in Troon is licensed!
Thereâs a picture attached from an experienced dog walker who had walked a dog for 5 months. Super friendly and playful. A lab! Hereâs a story of something unexpected that happened, how could a minor possibly deal with this.
She loved to carry sticks, deers legs(if she found one), and would let me take them off her if I needed to.
This particular week, I mentioned to her owner I felt she was off she was very quiet, but the owner said he thinks she's just very settled now. We were literally 5 mins into the walk when she picked up a stick with thorns on it. I went to take it off her and she went for me, if it wasn't for one of my other dogs going for her because I screamed, I don't think she would have let go.
3 days in hospital on iv and 6 weeks temporary paralysis of my ring finger and pinky.
The story about the dog walker is here as an example to demonstrate how an experienced handler with a dog they trust, can have something go wrong, so how would a minor deal with this.
