Questions to ask a Dog Walking Company
As pet parents, we want the very best for our dogs, but sometimes changing work and life demands can make it hard. With longer work days, and social events, it can be difficult to ensure that our dogs are getting the social and physical outlets they need. In comes the professional dog walking company-but which one do you choose? Knowing the right questions to ask a dog walking company can make the choice easier for you.
We have compiled a list of questions that you should ask any company you are considering hiring for dog walking. Choosing the right company should give you peace of mind. You should always select a company that is a perfect fit for you and your dogs needs. Our hope is that these 10 questions, will give you the information you need to make this very important decision.
1. Do you use Employees or Independent Contractors?
Understanding the difference between an independent contractor and an employee is key. Employees are hired by the company, they are trained by the company and they are covered by the company's insurance and bonding. By definition, independent contractors have their own business and should be covered by their own insurance.
If the company you are considering for dog walking, uses independent contractors, find out if each contractor has their own insurance and how scheduling and communications are handled. Wisconsin follows a strict 9 point test to determine if a company has employees or independent contractors.
On the other hand, employees are trained to the standard of the company. For example, at Milwaukee Paws Pet Care, we train our employees how to complete each visit and we provide additional training in things like safe body mechanics, canine body language, dog reactivity, leash skills and more! Our employees are expected to meet a minimum requirement for every visit.
When an employee of a company is injured on the job, our Workers Compensation insurance helps cover them. This provides extra protection to employees. It costs a business more money to have employees (we pay payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, workers compensation insurance and more) but employees have more protection than independent contractors.
2. Do you operate as a team or solo?
The answer to this question can have a big impact on your decision, so we have a few follow up questions for this one.
If the dog walking company you are considering is a solo person, with no employees, there is the benefit that your dog will get to know only one person, and only one person will be in your home. However, it is important to consider what happens if the sitter gets sick, wants to take a day off or has car trouble? What is your back up plan?
As long as you are comfortable that you can arrange a back up plan, this may be a good fit for you. Some solo companies also partner with other companies to provide back ups.
If you are considering a dog walking company with a team, we highly suggest asking them how staff are introduced to your dog, how are keys handled and what happens if an assigned staff person is not able to do a visit? Does someone else from the team step in? You want to be comfortable with how new staff are introduced to your dog.
3. How many dogs do you walk at a time?
When hiring a dog walking business, you need to know if they are planning on doing group walks- walks with multiple dogs (often times called pack walks)- or will they only be walking your dog.
Group walks have some benefits for some dogs, but other dogs do better as a solo walk. You know your dog best, so advocate for what you know your dog needs. Group walks can provide socialization for social dogs, along with increased stimulation. That said, attention is often divided on group walks as one walker is paying attention to multiple dogs.
Solo walks are great for dogs who like to move at their own pace, need more attention or are not as social. Solo walks allow the walker to focus completely on your dog and their needs. Personally, my dog does better as a solo- he gets overstimulated with other dogs around and the walk is not as relaxing for the group.
4. Can you accommodate special needs for my dog?
Every dog is special, we know that, but some have unique needs. You want to know that the dog walking company that you are considering is able to accommodate your dogs needs.
For example, a shy or nervous dogs, reactive dogs, dogs with mobility or medical issues and senior dogs all have very different requirements for their walks. Knowing how the dog walking company will handle those special needs and how they will communicate your pets needs to the team is essential.
5. What other services do you offer?
Does the dog walking company you are considering offer other services you will need like pet sitting, decompression walks, transportation? Finding a company that offers a variety of services that you will need may provide consistency to your pet, provided that the same staff do all the services.
Be aware of companies that claim to be everything to every client. None of us can do everything well. If the company you are considering offers grooming, pet sitting, dog training, transportation, day care, veterinary care, you should ask yourself, can they be doing all of these well?
6. What is your policy for behavioral issues?
We get it, dogs have good days and bad days. Some days your dog may have an issue that needs your attention. You want to know how the dog walking company will communicate those to you, and what their policy is for future behavior.
Will they make the decision to use equipment that you are not comfortable with? Steer clear of anyone who says that they will use equipment to help a dog "learn", especially if you are not comfortable with the equipment they are using! There can be unintentional fall out if aversive equipment is used, or if a dog walker uses punishment.
7. How will I know how my dogs visit went?
We have had clients contact us because the dog walker they hired from down the street failed to show up, or because the Rover sitter left and did not come back. You want peace of mind that the visits are done, but you also want to know that your dog had a good time!
Does the dog walking company you are considering use a software? There are several available in the dog walking industry- and each should provide you with a report of how the visit went and include pictures of how your dog did. These report cards let you know that you can rest easy and give you the opportunity to ask questions to the team if needed.
8. How will you handle an emergency?
While we never want an emergency to happen, they sometimes do. When it happens, how will the dog walking company you are considering communicate that to you? As an extreme example, I once had a company that sent me a text to tell me that my dog bit someone and that the person had an injury. Can you imaging getting that text message while at work?
You want to know how the company will handle a situation and how will they communicate it with you. Be sure you are comfortable with their communication policies.
9. What are your after hours, holiday and cancellation policies?
It's important to be very clear on the company's policies for after hours visits (including weekends) and holiday visits. Many dog walking companies charge extra fees for these visits due to the additional administrative work and need to possibly pay staff more for those visits. You want to know those up front.
Life happens, and sometimes you need to cancel a walk. You also want to know if the company you are considering has a cancellation policy that works with your lifestyle. Do they require 24 hours notice or a week- and are you ok with that?
10. What kind of payments do you accept?
You want to know if the company you are considering accepts cash, check, credit card or payment apps. You also want to ask them how often they send an invoice and how you can pay. As a caveat, I also encourage you to ask if they have any special requirements regarding tipping the walkers. Some companies only want you to tip through the software to prevent errors or mistakes. These are good questions to ask on the front end!