We’d love to spend all our time with our dogs, but sometimes life gets in the way – whether it’s work, holidays, hospital visits or urgent appointments we simply can’t miss. Sometimes we need to leave our canine companions for longer than we would like. What are the options?
- Leave your dog on their own? This can be ok for up to four hours, but what if they have separation anxiety? (we’ll cover that in another post!)
- Get a family member or friend to ‘pop in’ to check on them? That’s ok if they are checking water/food and giving a cuddle, but it will still leave your dog with lots of energy to burn off and boredom may still set in.
- Pop your dog in Day Care? Brilliant fun! A good solution, as it may help your dog with socialisation BUT it also gives them unstructured boundaries, resulting in a step back on commands, recall, general manners, loose lead walking and more. They are great, but in moderation and certainly not to be recommended every day!
So, what is the alternative?
A DOG WALKER!!
You might be thinking that cost is an issue. Dog walkers usually charge per walk. This doesn’t include pick up, clean up and drop off time so your dog can be out of the house for two hours or more. The question isn’t ‘can you afford to’, but rather ‘can you afford not to‘?!
There are many benefits to dog walkers – here are our Top Five.
Health
Your dog may be used to sleeping at home alone while you are at work, but it can be oh-so-boring for him. Dogs need regular exercise not only for a healthy body (Kennel Club statistics show that between 30-60% of dogs are overweight) but also a healthy mind. They need new smells, excitement and mental stimulation. Toys can give this but nothing beats the great outdoors and interaction with other dogs and humans.
Socialisation
You have worked so hard to get your dog used to other dogs, people and noise, but then you go off to work and the training takes a step back. Socialising your pooch is not a one-time deal, it needs constant positive reinforcement so that undesired behaviours don’t creep in. Going to different places, with different canine companions, is an ideal way to keep up the good work!
Behaviour
You’ve worked on training. You’ve got commands, recall and good manners sorted. Or have you? Your dog needs to practice, practice, practice. Even a good recall can be spoiled without regular reinforcement. Without boundaries and positive reinforcement, all the hard work you’ve put in on loose lead walking can come undone. With a dog walker, you have consistency of training in a fun environment your dog will love!
Time
You’re working over lunch. It’s ok, it’s a one-off, you tell yourself. You get home, exhausted, and just want to snuggle up with your dog in front of Netflix. No energy for a fun filled walk today. Then tomorrow is the same. Your dog walker gives you the opportunity for guilt free snuggles, safe in the knowledge that your dog has had oodles of exercise and fun that day!
Peace of mind
Your dog walker should be fully insured, CRB checked and ideally hold a Pet First Aid certificate. Do you know what your dog gets up to when you are away? With a dog walker you should get a report of every visit, possibly with photos or video so you can see just what your dog has been up to!
With time, your dog walker and dog will form a bond – and your walker will be someone they can rely on, someone to give your dog one to one attention, security, treats and belly rubs when you can’t.
I had no idea that walking your dog was so important! I like that you mention how dog socialization shouldn’t be a one-time thing, but consistent for positive reinforcement. Especially at young ages, getting your dog into these healthy habits sounds like it can be really beneficial in the future, both for them and yourself. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Derek, it’s really important! It’s great for bonding with your dog – we should be ‘present’ during walks, making it fun for us and our dogs. We’re really pleased you liked the post – thank you x