Beware of Bad Dog Walkers
Have you ever seen a bad dog walker before? Some dog walkers walk dogs in groups rather than individually, which can be tough to stay on top of if you’ve got several dogs pulling you in several directions. But what’s worse is when the dog walker doesn’t even care to stay on top of all those pups, as one blogger recently witnessed.
So I’m at the park with Rebel a couple of weeks ago, and a guy comes in with a dozen dogs of various sizes, from toys to retrievers, leashes trailing. It’s a designated off-leash dog play area, but it’s not fenced, and it’s separated from the street by only a row of trees and some shrubs.
He throws the ball for the dogs, and they race around joyfully, and Rebel and I head out towards the street, and home.
And there, in the shade of one of his tires, huddled under his SUV on the asphalt, is a little toy dog, leash trailing.
The blogger didn’t say anything to the dog walker (and nearly got berated for it in her comments), but her story serves as a reminder for both dog walkers and dog owners.
Dog walkers, don’t walk dogs in groups unless you’re completely confident that you can manage all of the dogs. Be attentive and careful, and listen to your intuition about how many dogs would be too many for you. When in doubt, opt for a smaller number.
Dog owners, be sure to ask potential dog walkers how they walk dogs. If you like you pet to have the socialization that group walks bring with them, ask follow-up questions such as:
- How many dogs do you walk in one group?
- What breeds of dogs do you walk together? (All large dogs? All small? A mix?)
- How many dogs do you think is too many for one group walk? (If the dog walker says that no amount is too many, he/she is either inexperienced or not very attentive.)
- Do you have a method for choosing which dogs to walk in a particular group?
How do you prefer to walk dogs or have your dog walked?
August 19th, 2008 at 7:21 am
I prefer to walk the dogs only two at a time. Take two that are close to the same size and with same temperament or personalities. A friend of mine walked a bigger dog, and when that dog saw another smaller dog through a fenced yard it ran to the fenced dog, and pulled her onto the ground, seriously scraping her legs from top to bottom, and also her face and arms were injured. I have seen people walk more than they can handle and the dog pulls too much and thinks he is in charge. You want the dog to know you are in total control.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I only walk one dog at a time. If I have an overnight dog that day then maybe 2 or the dog stays home with my dog. I also do day care and overnights and I only take one dog at a time so my clients know to book in advance. I agree each dog needs individual attention because all dogs energy levels and needs are different. Plus I’m fortunate that I have a well balanced dog so he helps with easing seperation anxiety and great at training new pups to potty outside.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I only walk one dog at a time unless they belong to the same owner, and are used to being walked together. The most I would walk together are two, and as a pet parent of four dashchunds, I only walk them one or two at a time. They need the individual attention, and deserve the safety of being properly supervised.
August 21st, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I have walked a Yorkie and another smaller dog together and didn’t have any problems. But knowing his temperment I would not try that with a larger dog. It would trouble. I prefer one at a time my clients do too.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I have a few clients that prefer the socialization of there dogs being walked in a group. I walk two at a time and my pup walks leash attached to my belt loop next to me. She has always walked with me, and doesn’t know the difference of being on or off leash she is always next to me. I think having her with me helps the new pets walking with us understand the concept of me leading the walk, not them. I have never had any problems, but the same as everyone above, I pay close attention to breed and attitude of who I’m walking together.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:25 pm
As a certified dog walker, dog trainer and behavior counselor I can only second the decision of most of you to walk one (at most two) dog/s at a time. There are well seasoned dog walkers who walk 6-12 dogs at a time, and it is, in my view, mainly for the money. It definitely is a risk, even if you know what you are doing and consider size, age, neutered/not neutered/spayed, breed, behavior issues, etc., when putting the groups together.
I believe in one-on-one, quality service and safety for dog, owner and walker!
August 24th, 2008 at 8:18 am
We do not walk dogs together unless authorized by owner. And, we don’t overbook our appointments just to get the customers that may cause conflicts with other client visits. Also, temperament and size are important in knowing who can walk together.
General rule: We are up front and honest with the customer about all aspects of pet sitting. I have heard horror stories of other sitters getting the customers and then hunting down contract workers after getting the customer leading the customer to believe that they are going to be watching their pets.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I have had several bad experiences while walking dogs for their owners, such as other dog owners letting their dogs run off leash. When I said something to them they say “oh my dog is very well trained and won’t run away or attack you”. I never walk more than 2 dogs at a time (same owner) as I want to give them my full attention and in case some other dog(s) approach me while walking. I have had to actually pick up dogs to keep them out of harms way due to dogs running around off leash. The owners get mad when I say if they can’t afford a leash I will supply one for them and that I am paid to care for the dogs I am walking and do not appreciate their carelessness.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I only will walk dogs that are in a family group together, it is just the safest thing. I do not feel comfortable walking dogs from various familys and packs together, because fights can happen, while the dogs try to figure out their pecking order, it is not safe. My clients prefer to keep their dogs seperate from other dogs, which is just fine for me. There is a dog walker in the same neighborhood that I work in, and he has at least 6 dogs at any given time, the tiny dogs are just being dragged down the street by the large dogs, as well as the walker. It scares me, because they have to walk in the street, because the sidewalks are not big enough, and the guy is always looking down and getting tangled up, not paying attention to the traffic that surrounds him.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
homecarebylaura wrote: ” I have had to actually pick up dogs to keep them out of harms way due to dogs running around off leash. The owners get mad when I say if they can’t afford a leash I will supply one for them and that I am paid to care for the dogs I am walking and do not appreciate their carelessness.”
I wish to state; that you have found an eloquent way of pointing out the laziness, ignorance, danger, and lack of respect, of those not keeping dogs leashed in public areas.
-Thank you, I intend to use the same retort in the future =)
September 1st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I prefer to walk only one dog at a time. Our dog has been attacked many times because dog walkers have to many dogs that they are walking at one time and they can’t control them, and they also let their dogs off lease as well. Our dog got bit about 1/8th of an inch from her eye, and could have been blind if we didn’t fight the dog off on our own. The owner came out about 2 minutes after she had been attacked. She was a great dog and never fought back with any dogs. She was attacked about 4 or more times. I think that a lot of dog walkers are out there just for the money, and don’t pay attention to the dog that they are walking and taking care of.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I totally agree with the responses of walking dogs individually or two buddies at the
same time, and I also follow suit. In addition to safety issues for the dogs,
handlers, and other possible challenges, I would like to add the difficulty of proper waste clean up. This is an important part of being a good dog walker.
Walkers who schedule several dogs together for profit and time consumption are really just taking on a huge load that looks very bad.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
My two cents: I think that TV has a lot to do with walking several dogs at once..
I’ve seen several shows that have dog walkers walking huge packs of dogs, from many different owners. It all looks like fun and games - because these people are on a controled set.
Seems very dangerous to me.
SueHatfield
September 9th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I also agree 2 dogs @ the most. This way your in control and not the dogs in conttrol. I like leashes and not thoes leads. Leads are good for small dogs that dont pull, but not for dogs that pull because of the control issue again.
Happy dog Walking.
Suzan Cicillini
RELIABLE PET SITTING SERVICES
September 13th, 2008 at 9:34 am
I get paid for the time I spend with a clients dog, so all my attention is on that dog. If you walk more that, you are cutting into that time. I want my clients to know that their dog is my #1 priority. I have not seen a multiple dog walker yet except on tv. I figured it was a big city thing and I’m in the burbs! I have walked 2 dogs one time but had some else walking the other dog. Cheers to all of you who agree!
Jo Takacs
Paws N Claws Pet Sitting
Mt Juliet, TN
September 14th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I agree strongly with the writer who mentioned one at a time being safer unless one from same owner is added. Pack hierarchy is established beforehand or can be established more easily.
I have a problem with dog parks due to flea and tick issues here in the south right now. There has been no hard freeze to break the cycle in more than 2 years, making it a potentially hazardous destination for human and animal alike. Pets are getting bitten badly despite the best of treatment plus the 12 hour pills. Eggs are everywhere. House, vehicle, yards in neighborhoods w/o treatment, bunnies and squirrels and coons, and deer, and not to mention the untreated homes and pets that help keep the cycle going. Sorry if my post is in bad shape, just wanted to get info across until a good freeze happens in parts of the south at least. PLUS massive amounts of mosquitoes are here from the hurricanes I suppose. Don’t skip the heartguard and if you do please pay up and get your pet tested. Tell on yourself at the vet, get the tests, and then get your heartguard if the mosquitoes lost the heartworm game. Good Luck Pets! Flooding is making even more stagnant water for mosquito breeding=eggs. Fleas on snout get in mouth=tapeworms. The Parks Departments should make these issues priority. Make calls and send letters to make dog parks safer for pets and humans, today! GOOD dog walkers will demand this………..CC
September 26th, 2008 at 5:12 am
Yes I mostly walk one dog at a time. I have several families that own more than one dog but still only walk one at a time I feel it is easier and the dogs enjoy it much better. That is what this is all about anyway, the dogs not how many pets can we walk at one time to make more money….A dog walker that does groups like that I feel is not responsible. No matter how friendly or social a dog can be there can still be a scuffle. Its better to just avoid those situations.