Going rate for dog walkers

doctor evil

Any ideas?, thinking of pimping myself out to walk mutts. Would I require insurance, the dogs that I would be walking would be on the lead at all times also I will be armed with an infinite number of sh*t bags.


Thank you.

Downtime

€15 - 20 an hour
I reckon you might need insurance.
Also ability to collect and return and give the dog a little treat

doctor evil

Do you think the insurance will be a lot

Arcadian

At the very least i'd make sure that the dogs your walking are insured, just in case;)

doctor evil

Good point!. Where do ye peeps reckon will be good to advertise, I was thinking supermarkets and the like.

Dave!

Type up a simple small notice thing in Word, with cute pictures and sh!t, and if you can get it photocopied for free, then do that a good few times, otherwise print it in black and white (to save on ink). Then slip them into letter boxes! Cheap enough really.

Also you might wanna bare in mind the size of the dogs you'd be walking! We've got a boxer, and I'm a young bloke, yet I still find it hard to control her! If you're a 12 year old girl then you might wanna specify 'no great danes' (unless they provide a saddle)

doctor evil

Lol at the saddle bit, I`m not too fussed at the size of the dog manners of the animal (plus owner) would of course be a plus. I`m not a young girl and I`m not ickle!.

FranknFurter

Notice board in local vets should be productive, also, there is a machine in the square in tallaght, you put in money (very cheap), and you make buisness cards there and then from a template, and out they come!

Only takes 10 mins max (thats if your not good with using a very simple touchpad thing), looks like one of those net/phone booths, I *think* its either across from the customer service desk, OR on the third floor opposite HMV.

Have used it in the past, prints any size buisness card you want, and they are handy to have in your wallet to leave places.

Also, heres a tip, a lot of wheelchair users would be happy to pay for such a service, so it might be worth your while posting some cards to organisations like "Lucan Disability Action Group", Irish wheelchair Assoc. etc, who have large memberships, explaining that you run this service and could they mention it in their next newsletter as you think its somthing people may like to use.

Just some ideas, good luck with it, its a market thats much needed in this country imho.

B

Tabitharose

I use a dog walking service. I pay €16 per walk per dog (1-1.5hrs), my dogs are collected from my house (the walker has a key) the dogs are transported in the dog walker's van to either the Dublin mountains or the beach in Sandymount, the length of time driving is not included in the walking time.
I spoke to the walkers' previous employer, and a current customer, prior to employing her, and she sent me several photos of my dogs on their walks for the first few walks. She also came to my home, met the dogs & went through their history & her services with me for approx half an hour before I decided to hire her. When I go away, the dogs go to stay with her in her home.

The service she provides is excellent. I found her on www.irishanimals.ie, she had worked with animals for years prior to starting her business.

Just telling you all of this because that is the type of service & the level of experience I would require of a dog walker to
1. Trust them with my dogs
2. Trust them with a key to my home
3. Pay that amount of money to

Unless it was someone I personally knew I would need references, record of experience etc before employing them.

That's it from a customer point of view

luckat

And when you print up your ad for the vet's or wherever, do say *where you are*. Someone has an ad up in my vet's, but it's an 087 number and s/he hasn't said what area is covered.

Also, keep records of the people you walk for - names, addresses, etc - especially including new customers, because you're dealing with strangers and want records of who these people are, just in case. Keep the records offsite - for example, on a webmail site that a friend or relative has the number of.

I'd definitely get insurance. What happens if you're walking six dogs in the mountains and they decide to chase a flock of pregnant sheep.... or if they all hare across Strand Road and cause a multiple-car pile-up?

None of this is going to happen, of course, but better protected than not.

franksm

I wish more people would use this sort of service... my neighbour doesn't look after his boxer dog at all :mad:

luckat

What is the *point* of having a dog if you don't go for walks together? Doh! Though yes, of course people who work funny hours should pay to have their dog walked - even a couple of times a week on the days they can't do it themselves.

What I'd really like to find is a good, kind, friendly place to board my dog if I'm away for a few days.

Goffie

Hi Luckat
If you're anywhere near Bray I use a vet nurse who takes dogs into her home. They sleep in the dining room on their own beds brought from home and she brings them up to Enniskerry for a good gallop in the mornings and then another walk in the evening. She has a large secure garden and will rext you to let you know how your furbaby is doing. She charges €18 a night.
I think it's a great arrangement and when i arrived to mine up he was having so much fun with the rest of the gang he didn't notice me for ages! Huh!

Doctor - on the days I have to be away from home for longer than a few hours I use another vet nurse to come in, feed himself and bring him for a good walk. She spends an hour with him and charges €12. I'm very happy to use her cos she's a qualified vet nurse and works part-time at the vet clinic I use. This is the level of trustworthiness and animal care I'd be looking for!
What would you do if the dog was attacked, run over, ate something it shouldn't, got thorns in it's paws, a stick lodged in it's throat?
Just something to think about....
Goffie

doctor evil

The dogs that I would be walking would always be on the lead as its pure stupidity not to. I haven`t printed up any notices yet as I have to sort out insurance, any recommendations of good companies?. I don`t drive so it will be along the local area armed with lots of poo bags. To be frank a dog doesn`t care where its walked as long as its out and about. I`ve looked after dogs over the years (never owned one as I will be disowned by my cat) so I`m not afraid to get my hands dirty. I would definatley have a limit on the number on any given walk depending on temperment and size. TBH I would be wary of introducing strange dogs to one another due to insurance and in case they catch something.

Thanks all.

Tabitharose

doctor evil wrote:

To be frank a dog doesn`t care where its walked as long as its out and about.

mine do - they enjoy going swimming in Sandymount that's why I have the dog walker because the way my schedule is during the week I can't bring them to the beach or the river - can only do that at the weekend.

my dogs go walking with other dogs but the dog walker checks everyone has up to date vacs certs etc

good luck with it hope you get on well