. I wish you lived near me as you could take our little Asti with you and your gang.
Oh look, they're all cleaned up, yes I do.
16-11-2009, 09:37 PM
8
Re: So you think dog-walking is an easy job??
Originally Posted by Moli
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How many do you walk together Wanda??
I have been a dog walker for about 10 years now, and most of the dogs you see in the photos have been with me for between 3-10 years, mostly 5 days a week, so you can see I know them almost as well as I know my own dogs. Some of them I look after when owners go on holiday, as well as walking them.
I can assure you that I didn't just put a load of dogs together and hey ho off we go. It is all done very carefully and slowly.
I started 10 years ago with just a couple of dogs who I walked together as they got on well. Then, as my business built up, I added a dog at a time, but very slowly, i.e. the first walk I insist that the owner comes with the dog separately, so if there is a problem the dog can be taken away. After walking with the group, the new dog is allowed to jump into the van with the others and have a sniff around and then it goes home with it's owner. The next walk, I pick the new dog up from its home, but it doesn't go into the back of the van with the others, it sits in the front with me. For the first few days, the new dog is on a long lead and sits in the front with me. Then I start letting it into the back with the others on the way home, when they are all tired. After a while I start letting it off the lead. By this time, the dog is so happy to be playing with other dogs that it stays with the group, and does what they do, which is what I want them to do.
I am the pack leader. I have a special call, which means get back here to me and you will get a biscuit, and they know they have to come and sit down round me. This is useful if you bump into other dog walkers or anybody else walking. I am always very aware that some people don't like/are scared of dogs, so I always make sure that my group do as they are told, and don't harass anyone.
If a dog doesn't fit in, i.e. shows anxiety or aggression within the group when it first comes out with us, that is it - it does not come out with the group again. Instead, I will do a solo walk, or find another solo dog that it gets on with so I can do a double walk. So you see, all the dogs you can see in the photos have been hand picked for non-aggression and sociability. They all get on brilliantly, there is never any trouble between them. In the van, they all have their own places to sit, and they have their own "bestest" friends in the group that they will play with and sit next to in the van!
I rarely have a complaint from anyone about my group of dogs, in fact, where I walk them, which is like a wild life/nature park, the rangers often tell me that visitors to the park have actually sought them out to tell them how amazed they were to see how well behaved the dogs were. And when I call the dogs to me, some walkers have even come over and asked if they can take a photo of them.
The few complaints I have had have all been from people who don't like dogs, and think they should all be shot - yes, that's what I have been told!!
So I hope that's given you an insight into my job and I hope I haven't bored you too much!
16-11-2009, 09:44 PM
10
Re: So you think dog-walking is an easy job??
I give you alot of credit, you are surely doing it all the right way. Their owners must just love you. So many people with little dogs think their dogs don't need training but I think I've told you all the training I did with Crystal and she loved every minute of it.|
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