Being a professional dog walker involves much more than simply taking dogs out for exercise.
Dog owners are trusting you with a much-loved member of their family, often along with access to their home and personal information. At the same time, professional dog walkers have responsibilities towards other dogs, members of the public and the wider community.
Following good professional standards can help you provide a safer service, reassure potential customers and build a dog walking business people are happy to recommend.
NarpsUK has supported professional pet sitters and dog walkers for over 20 years, helping people start, develop and operate professional pet care businesses.
A professional dog walker should take reasonable steps to protect:
This means understanding each dog's individual needs and behaviour, maintaining appropriate control and having procedures in place should something unexpected happen.
Before walking a new dog, obtain as much relevant information as possible from the owner.
This may include:
Professional client forms and contracts make it much easier to collect and record this information consistently.
NarpsUK members have access to a range of professional pet sitting and dog walking forms and contracts to help them manage their businesses professionally.
Walking several dogs together requires careful judgement.
Different dogs can react very differently when placed into a group, even when they are normally friendly individually.
Factors to consider include:
NarpsUK's Code of Practice sets a maximum of four dogs being walked at one time by one person.
Even within that limit, a dog walker should only walk as many dogs as they can safely and confidently control.
Safety should always come before maximising the number of dogs on a walk.
A professional dog walker should never assume that a dog can safely be let off lead simply because its owner does so.
Before allowing a client's dog off lead, you need to consider the owner's instructions, the dog's recall and behaviour, the environment and any local restrictions.
If you cannot confidently maintain control of the dog, keeping it securely on lead or using an appropriate long line may be the safer option.
Remember that circumstances can change quickly. Wildlife, another dog, livestock, traffic or an unexpected noise can cause even a normally reliable dog to behave differently.
Parks, footpaths and recreational areas are shared spaces.
Not everyone is comfortable around dogs. Some people are frightened of them, some children have little experience around dogs, and other people may simply prefer not to interact with them.
Responsible professional dog walkers should prevent dogs in their care from:
A friendly dog may seem harmless to its walker, but an unfamiliar dog running towards someone can be intimidating.
Professionalism includes respecting everyone who shares the environment.
A professional dog walker is being paid to supervise the dogs in their care.
Your attention should therefore remain on the dogs throughout the walk.
Talking to other walkers or checking your phone can be distracting, particularly when managing several dogs.
You need to notice changes in behaviour, interactions with other dogs, potential hazards and whether a dog has fouled so that waste can be collected immediately.
Depending on the type of walks you provide, useful equipment may include:
Professional dog walkers should also have a plan for dealing with emergencies rather than waiting until something goes wrong.
Suitable insurance is an important part of running a professional dog walking business.
Pet owners increasingly look for reassurance that the person caring for their animal operates as a genuine business rather than providing an informal service.
NarpsUK members can access a 25% discount with Pet Business Insurance, helping members obtain specialist cover for their pet care businesses.
You can find out more about NarpsUK membership and its benefits for professional pet sitters and dog walkers.
Verbal agreements can easily lead to misunderstandings.
Professional paperwork helps establish exactly what the client has authorised and provides important information about the animal.
Depending on the service provided, records might cover:
NarpsUK provides members with professional forms and contracts for pet sitting and dog walking businesses, helping them put appropriate paperwork in place from the start.
Keeping accurate client and pet records also makes running a growing dog walking business considerably easier.
Dog walkers are frequently trusted with keys and unsupervised access to clients' homes.
Being able to demonstrate that you have taken professional steps to reassure clients can help your business stand out.
NarpsUK offers members access to a Basic Disclosure criminal record check, which can provide additional reassurance to prospective customers when choosing someone to enter their home and care for their pets.
Loving dogs is important, but professional dog walking also requires knowledge.
Useful areas of training include:
NarpsUK provides a Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Business Course designed specifically for people starting and developing pet care businesses.
There are now many dog walkers competing for customers in towns and cities throughout the UK.
Being good with dogs is important, but potential clients often have several people to choose from.
Professionalism gives them additional reasons to choose you.
Things such as professional membership, insurance, training, proper contracts, a business profile, reviews and recognised professional emblems can all provide reassurance.
NarpsUK members can display membership and qualification emblems on websites, social media, business cards, flyers and other marketing materials to demonstrate their professional credentials.
If attracting clients is something you're currently struggling with, you may also find our guide How to Get More Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Customers useful.
Ultimately, responsible dog walking comes down to treating somebody else's dog with the same level of care and attention you would expect if you were paying someone to look after your own.
Safe working practices protect the dogs, the public and your business.
They can also become an important part of your marketing.
When potential customers can see that you are insured, trained, organised and committed to professional standards, you give them a reason to trust you with their pet.
Whether you're just starting a dog walking business or already have customers and want to grow, NarpsUK can help you build a professional business that stands out from the competition.
Membership benefits can include professional membership credentials, a business profile and postcode listing, forms and contracts, training support, marketing resources, insurance discounts and, with selected memberships, NarpsUK's pet business software and app.
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