Hi - I'm currently looking for a dog walker as my partner has got to go to Iraq for 4 months and I work in london so it would mean my dog will be at home all day on his own - which he is not used to!

I have found a webiste called Rainbow Pets and am going to arrange a consultation with the lady. Has anyone heard of this company? Or does anyone currently pay someone to walk their dogs and are able to give me any advice on the type of things I should ask or be aware of??

Thanks

I would ask what experience she has, refferences to see, if she has insurance to cover all instances. Ask if she is walking just your dog on it's walk or others at the same time. If she is walking others I would want to know what types, temperament etc. Also is she lead walking the dogs or allowing them free running. If possible ask to meet her when she is dog walking to get a guage of her ability, confidence and how the dogs interact with her.

Hi

I havent heard of the company - but if looking for a dog walker I imagine you would need to check if they were insured

I'm sure some people will be along with other questions for you to ask

Maxine

I would ask how many dogs she walks at a time ?
I know of a registered dog walker who has a van and takes loads of dogs together to the park the noise was horrendous and I didnt think it was fair to all the dogs in the back of a transit van jumping on top of each other to get out there were great danes and small terrier etc all together ther must have been at least a dozen I was so shocked , I was out walking my old boy at the time and was worried they would knock him over, I have to say she was very observant and was picking up after them but I personally would,nt want that for my dogs.
I think there are actually laws now about how many dog you can actually walk at one time as this was some time ago.
I also have a friend who walks dogs she does 2-3 depending on what people want .

Our dog walker provided us with evidence of her insurance and police background checks (CRB) at our initial meeting so I would ask for these.  The issue of number of dogs walked at a time is important. Our lady will walk no more than 2 dogs at any time and even then that is only with the clients' permission.  She walks our dogs one at a time because we want each dog to have her undivided attention while they are with her. 

To starryeyes,

in various parts of the country the local councils have put in dog control orders, including how many dogs can be walked etc. This isn't in place all over the country though but you can check if it is applicable in your area by contacting Holly Lee @ Kennel Club or kcdog online

try to find out where they walk the dogs and go spy on them.

There is a dog walker near me who has a very professional looking van all smartly printed with their logo.  In the park when I play with my dogs several times dogs being walked by these people have come running right from the other side of the park to join in with us and jumped on my dogs! If my dogs gave them a nip or sorry but I would think serves them right!  If I saw these dogs do this to dogs who were less reliable and get attacked again I would speak up and defend the dogs who were with their owner/handler. At one point I had three of their dogs running around mine and one nicked off with our ball.  They don't know me... there is know way they could have known my dogs would tolerate such an invasion.

This dog walker actually dared to come and ask me if they had given me their card if I ever needed a dog walker. So I snapped that no I don't need one and if I did I am quite capable of finding one myself and wouldn't place them in the care of a total stranger and that by what I've seen  no way would they be able to manage my dogs anyway! I would rather leave my dogs at home and know dogs were safe than use them. 

tenaj,
sound similar to the walkers I came across a few years ago.

Roni

As well as all the above (spying is a great idea.like when we had "mystery shops" when i worked in retail) i would ask around. Try to go on peoples recommendations. As they say "its not what you know but who you know".  Id rather entrust my dog to someone who was recmomended by a friend and was good/kind/treated the dog how i would treat it, rather than somone who had it all on paper but in person wasn't what i would like.