{"id":701,"date":"2013-06-26T15:27:19","date_gmt":"2013-06-26T15:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/?p=701"},"modified":"2026-03-27T13:34:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T13:34:51","slug":"how-to-pick-and-keep-a-good-dog-walker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/how-to-pick-and-keep-a-good-dog-walker\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pick and Keep a Good Dog Walker"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Prioritize trust, credentials, and protection<\/strong> \u2013 Be sure to choose a walker who is licensed, insured, and bonded, with verifiable references, because they\u2019ll have access to both your home and your pet.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Use referrals and local recommendations<\/strong> \u2013 Ask other dog owners, pet stores, or community boards for trusted recommendations to help narrow down reliable options and find the best fit.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Set clear expectations and communication upfront<\/strong> \u2013 Treat the walker as a partner by sharing your dog\u2019s behavior, routines, restrictions, and emergency instructions early to avoid misunderstandings.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Plan for safety and emergencies in advance<\/strong> \u2013 Establish what should happen if something goes wrong, including vet preferences and what level of care the walker can authorize.<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Retain good walkers by valuing their work<\/strong> \u2013 Keep supplies organized, respect their time, communicate regularly, and show appreciation via tips and small gestures to build a long-term relationship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A dog walker is just what your dog needs to break up their day, giving them a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/puppy-potty-training-101-tips-for-getting-your-pup-to-go-outside\/\">much needed potty break<\/a><\/strong> and a respite from being home alone all day. Some dogs can go up to 12 hours without a potty break, but having a dog walker can provide more that just a quick trip outside for their business. You\u2019ll be letting this person into your home and your dog in their hands, so it important you find <a title=\"Pet Palace Resort\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>the right person who you can trust with your pet<\/strong><\/a> at home and on the street.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ask Around<\/strong><br \/>\nAsk around at the dog park to see if there any individuals or companies that are recommended by your fellow dog owners in the area. Additionally, local pet stores or <a title=\"Pet Grooming\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/services\/cat-dog-grooming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>doggie spas<\/strong><\/a> tend to have a community board where dog walkers can advertise. Professional dog walkers should be licensed and you should be able to check references, if you\u2019d like. Companies should be both bonded (meaning they\u2019ve done background checks on employees) and insured (meaning that they carry some form of liability insurance.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Communicate Up Front<\/strong><br \/>\nConsider your dog walker like a <a title=\"Doggie Day Care\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/services\/doggy-day-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>nanny for your pet<\/strong><\/a>. They are your partner in training and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/services\/dog-training\/\">training maintenance<\/a><\/strong>, your dog\u2019s advocate and your pinch hitter when you can\u2019t be home during the day. Communicating at the start is essential to getting your relationship off on the right foot. Make sure to share your dog\u2019s commands, personality quirks and fears, as well as what they are and aren\u2019t allowed to feed your dog. Also, it\u2019s important they know who else should have access to your home, such as cleaning staff or lawn care professionals, and what to do if they see something abnormal. No one likes to think about emergencies, but they can happen. It\u2019s vital you discuss what you want the dog walker to do in the event of an emergency, including which vet or animal hospital they should take your pet to and how much or what care they can authorize without your presence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keep Your Walker Happy<\/strong><br \/>\nKeeping all the pet supplies, such as poop bags, a leash and collar, treats, and winter gear, close to the door shows that you value their time. Checking in on your dog\u2019s behavior and progress shows you value their expertise. Small tokens of appreciation and a tip at holiday time are also great ways to express your gratitude. Showing them that you value their work and efforts in helping care for your pet is key to keeping your dog walker happy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Prioritize trust, credentials, and protection \u2013 Be sure to choose a walker who is licensed, insured, and bonded, with verifiable references, because they\u2019ll have access to both your home and your pet. Use referrals and local recommendations \u2013 Ask other dog owners, pet stores, or community boards for trusted recommendations to help narrow&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/how-to-pick-and-keep-a-good-dog-walker\/\"><strong>Read More<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,6,36],"tags":[34,13,37,9,30],"class_list":["post-701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-pet-palace-blog-posts","category-dogs-blog-posts","category-tips-for-your-pets","tag-columbus-dog-boarding-columbus-oh","tag-dog-daycare-2","tag-dog-walker","tag-pet-palace","tag-pet-sitters-columbus-oh"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Pick and Keep a Good Dog 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href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/all-pet-palace-blog-posts\/\" rel=\"category tag\">All Posts<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/dogs-blog-posts\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Dogs<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/tips-for-your-pets\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Tips for Your Pets<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Key Takeaways Prioritize trust, credentials, and protection \u2013 Be sure to choose a walker who is licensed, insured, and bonded, with verifiable references, because they\u2019ll have access to both your home and your pet. Use referrals and local recommendations \u2013 Ask other dog owners, pet stores, or community boards for trusted recommendations to help narrow...&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petpalaceresort.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}