Setting the table for a free and easy walk

I keep thinking back on this article about what your dog walker wants you to know, and I think it missed a few major points that I want to cover, some of which I think even walkers themselves don’t realize. 

1. We hate retractables

Retractables are bulky and prone to malfunction.  They can even cause injury. The simplest leash is the best leash. 6’ long, ¾” inch wide. 

2. Two points of contact

Now to contradict myself.  My very favorite leash is actually the Leerburg Prong Collar Leash. If a dog is wearing 2 collars, or a collar and a harness, and connected to you by 2 separate leash clips, the chances of a buckle or clip failing drop to 0. 

3. We also hate these things

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I love when an owner leaves a roll of poopbags, or a couple tied to the handle of a leash, but I hate these clunky plastic poopbag holders- in particular when teaching a dog to walk nicely beside you. They will bonk the dog in the head, sending mixed messages when you’re trying to train. They’re noisy and they frequently malfunction and tear the bag or keep falling off of where they are clipped. 

4. In some cases, we CAN train your dog!

Specifically when the problem is pulling on the leash, it’s in our best interest to break the habit. Just be aware that for a few weeks your dog might just be walking back and forth in front of your house, rather than around the neighborhood. 

5. It makes me uncomfortable when dogs don’t have proper tags

By law, your dog needs to be wearing its license when it’s outside of the house. However, almost none of my clients are licensed. Many of them don’t wear collars at all and are walked on a harness- which (sorry clients, I love you always!) seems nuts to me.  Very few even have up-to-date microchips. For these reasons, at the bare minimum your dog should be wearing a tag with your name, address, and phone number. Ideally, however, we would like the license, vaccinations, and a tag with your personal information.

6. Notes

Our clients have access to a Notes section in the app that we use to track walks.  Instead of just messaging us important information about your pet, it often makes more sense to leave it in the notes so we will be reminded when we get to your door. A physical note left with their leashes is also a good idea.  

Some ideas for notes: 

• Can we treat your dog on walks, and do they have allergies?  My walkers carry treat pouches full of tiny training treats, and generally will treat the dogs unless explicitly told otherwise. If you like, you can even leave part of your dog’s daily kibble and we can fill our pouches with that so that they are not intaking extra calories. 

• Things to watch out for in the neighborhood- skunks, particularly reactive dogs in front yards, areas where a dog might pick up ticks. In one Vallejo neighborhood there is a yard man that most of the neighbors use who is prone to tantrums when he sees dogs pee on his clients’ lawns, for example.

• Unusual pooping behavior. Some dogs poop 3 times.  Some kick so hard after they poop that they will tear up the neighbor’s lawns.  

• How you train/correct your dog so that we can be consistent with your practices. 

• Does your dog need feeding?

7. You have options!

A walk doesn’t have to be JUST a walk!  We can train dogs to have restaurant manners or to heel or walk on a loose leash. We can even go on biking or skateboarding adventures or a trip to the beach. Give me a call and we’ll talk about the possibilities!

Which brings me to:

8. Communication

We don’t withhold anything from our clients. If a dog slips its leash, if we got yelled at by a neighbor, if we plucked a piece of glass out of a paw- these are all NEED TO KNOW for our clients. And similarly, if you’re worried we’re running late, if you think we didn’t exercise the dog enough, if something is misplaced in the home- we need to know these things as well. Don’t be afraid to let us know about the slightest concern. It helps us craft our policies in the future.

So- what have I missed? I hope these points have given a bit of behind the scenes from us, but what have we missed from your perspective? send us a message or give us a call to let us know!