You’re searching for the perfect person to walk your dog. You’ve got a short list of professionals; you’ve vetted them and the companies they work for. You’ve interviewed each one of them, ideally in person. Now it’s time for your dog to join the search—by meeting each candidate.
Your first responsibility here is to make this assignment as pleasant as possible for your dog.
▪ Pay attention to your dog’s stress level throughout the whole meeting.
▪ Don’t leave the dog alone with the interviewee at this point.
▪ Give the dog a break when necessary. Excuse yourself to crate him or her in another room if you feel the dog has become overly stressed or excited.
▪ Conclude the interview without the dog if that would make you, the dog, or the interviewee more comfortable.
Decide before the interview whether or not you will have the dog with you when you open the door (if you’re meeting in your home) or if you will introduce the dog to the interviewee later in the visit. If you meet in a public place, like a park, you can leave your dog crated in your car.
I personally would want a chance to talk myself with the interviewee first, before our attention turned to the dog. It’s important to convey clearly, without interruption, my thoughts on how best to interact with the dog. Even if I’d met the interviewee in person before this visit, we would have talked mostly then about their part of the job, with me asking questions. Now I can give them a chance to ask me questions about my dog and my dog’s temperament and training—a “preview” of what they can expect. A more structured discussion can take place without the dog in the middle of it!
First Impressions
▪ Is the interviewee on time? I’d always vote for someone who arrives a few minutes early rather than a few minutes late. Even better for this first impression is someone who shows up a few minutes early, parks the car, and sits in their vehicle going over notes until the exact time of our appointment.
▪ Is the interviewee late? Did you get a phone call or text?
Second Impressions
Is the interviewee dressed appropriately?
What would be inappropriate? Flip-flops. I don’t care where you live, flip-flops are never appropriate footwear for walking a dog. I prefer closed-toed shoes myself, for my own protection; you may feel industrial-strength sandals are okay. Likewise, I prefer full-length pants myself, again for my own protection.
This is a first meeting. Safety should be paramount. Once a dog walker gets to know a dog, it will be much easier to determine if Fluffy or Fido is going to do damage to bare feet or legs.
Photo by Casey Lomonaco
From the Client’s Perspective
Our walkers have always come to our home to meet us and our dogs. The dogs are comfortable there, that’s where the walkers will come to take the dogs out, and we can answer (and ask) questions. We introduce the walker to our home and discuss expectations. I even had a walker feed our dog while were present.
—Christine Hale Vertucci
From the Dog Walker’s Perspective
I walk into their house, we have a seat, they let the dog out if he/she isn’t loose already. I usually bring treats and ask if they’re allowed to have them. If so, I give treats for appropriate behavior/greeting. It’s usually just as if I went to a friend’s house and sat down with them and the dog is just loose—nothing’s really expected of dog or owner in that scenario. I prefer to see how the dog naturally acts, as well as how the owners interact with their dog. I ask the owner about any quirks or behaviors I should know about.
—Mary Penny
I ask lots of questions before the intro, and talk with the owner about the dogs’ personality. Are they people lovers? Any aggression or anxieties? I just met a dog that had been abused in a puppy mill. The dog has severe anxiety, so I suggested that we meet away from the home. I was rubbing her belly by the end of the intro. I always have several visits with dogs that have anxiety to make sure I will be safe when the owner is gone.
—Kathy Nelson-Longwell
We usually meet in the house unless the dog is territorial; then we meet out front. I ask the owner if the dog can have treats. If that’s okay, I’ll give the dog one or two and pet them on the chest. (Some dogs don’t like being petted on their head and face. The chest is a neutral area and the dog can see where your hand is going.) Also, it’s important not to stare in their eyes when first meeting. Approaching them with your body a little sideways (instead of straight on) is also less threatening. The more comfortable you can make the dog upon meeting them, the better.
—Stacy Johnston
I require a no-fee initial consult for all dog walking and pet visits. I arrive with roasted chicken and a store-bought training treat, usually Tricky Trainer, in my bait bag. When and where I meet the dog depends on the owner and what services they are asking for. A few owners will have the dog in another room and want to interview me first before introducing me to their dog. Generally, I meet the dog as the door is opened. I hand the owner my card and introduce myself, then ask if the dog can have roast chicken bites. I have the other treats ready if the owner has an issue with me giving their dog chicken. Nearly all owners say I can. I offer the dog a treat and start working with them to get a sit or look for signs that they know tricks to get a rapport established with the dog. If it’s an elderly or obviously ill dog, I will just give treats without asking for anything. If the owner declines the treats, I give pets a mild neck massage. All the while, I am holding a conversation with the owner.
—Cheri Spaulding
It’s a two-step process for me. The initial conversation is by email. When I get a request to meet, I acknowledge that in a reply email and ask a few questions about the dog. They are open-ended questions so that I can watch for any red-flag phrases such as “shy around people” or “a bit nervous around men” or “needs to be socialized.”
Assuming the dog is described as fairly well-socialized dog, I arrange an in-home meeting. If the owner indicates any human reactivity or aggression, I will decline service and refer to a trainer for assessment—kindly explaining that my service (which is group walks) is not conducive to the dog’s well-being.
When I enter the home, I do not initially engage with the dog at all. My body remains angled and I avoid eye contact or interaction until I’ve had a chance to sit down with the owner and observe the dog. I may toss treats at first while I speak to the owner and assess the dog’s body language. Once I’m sure the dog is friendly and social, then I will interact with the dog as I speak to the owner and go through my questionnaire.
If I decide to take the dog on as a client, we have a two-week probation period to assess suitability to my service. Although, of course, if there is any reactivity, service is ended at once. My contract stipulates that I can end service at any time, for any reason.
—Beverley McKee
I always meet the dog at home with the owner. That way I can see how the dog interacts with me when the owner is around, and if any red flags are raised for when the owner is not home.
For example, I once had an owner meet me in the driveway when I arrived for the meet and greet. She showed me where the Invisible Fence line was so I would know where the dog couldn’t reach me. She then said I would have to meet the dog in the backyard first because he was protective of the house. The dog was perfectly pleasant when I met him in the yard, but I turned down the job. If I can’t enter the house when the owner is right there, I’m not going to risk entering when she is not home.
I once had a client (whose dogs I’d been visiting for years with no problems) allow someone else to leave her dog there when they weren’t home. The client neglected to tell me, and when I arrived to take her dogs out, the guest dog wouldn’t let me in the house. That is another reason why I insist on meeting all dogs in advance.
While I agree that it’s important to ask questions before meeting the dog and owner, I’ve learned in the 12 years I’ve been doing this that people lie.
—Amy Suggars
Or they think we have mystical powers to calm the angry beast, so they don’t think to mention that Rover has bitten two people in the last month. Honestly, I’ve shown up for consults and literally backed out the door. Only a couple of times, but yes, Amy, I agree with your statement.
—Beverley McKee
What if your dog doesn’t care for the prospective dog walker?
Please don’t be embarrassed. I know you’ve invested a lot of time and energy in the search for someone professional to walk your dog. You know the most important part of this whole effort is finding the right person. And it’s not the right person if your dog doesn’t like them.
Is your dog extremely shy, very slow to “warm up” to strangers? If you know that going in, if you’ve told the company and the interviewee that already, it’s likely you can all agree that a single visit is not enough for your dog to feel comfortable with a new person, especially if you’re not there (which you won’t be on the walks).
What if it’s an instant dislike on your dog’s part?
▪ Is the dog normally fearful around people you invite into your home, or is this an unusual reaction?
▪ Is your dog avoiding the interviewee entirely? Don’t force interactions!
▪ Does your dog growl or show teeth, or dart at the person when they move quickly? Leash the dog and crate it in another room.
If you’ve never seen this behavior before, discuss it with your veterinarian; it might be a health issue manifesting itself.
If you see this behavior often when your dog meets a stranger, consult your veterinarian first, rule out or resolve any health issues, then contact a reputable positive trainer to work with the dog—not a dog walker.
▪ Do not let the prospective dog walker try to “deal with” your dog if the dog is shy, uncertain, avoiding, growling, or showing teeth.
▪ Do let the prospective walker “deal with” a happy, friendly dog who’s over-enthusiastic about greeting . . . but only if you can see that the dog is responding. Don’t let the dog “practice” bad habits on the stranger.
You want to see that this person understands how to reward good behavior. You do not want to see that this person’s first instinct is to punish bad behavior.
How about your gut feelings?
▪ Do you feel comfortable with this person?
▪ Are they listening when you’re talking?
▪ Are they understanding what you’re saying?
▪ Do you like what you see when they’re interacting with your dog?
▪ Would you trust them with your dog’s life?
If you’re still unsure, ask for another meeting. Be willing to pay for additional appointments if the company does not offer more than one meeting at no charge. It will be well worth it.
You should not be expected to make a final decision until you are ready. Address your additional questions and concerns to the company.
What’s next?
Select one walker and set an appointment to go on a walk: you, your dog, and your first pick of the possible dog walkers that you’ve interviewed. How will that walk work?
In the next installment in this series, we’ll talk about how you can make that walk a success for you and your dog.
