We've employed a dog walker for a year and for the majority of that time he's been great. There have been a couple of times when he just hasn't turned up but generally he's been good. He's good with the dogs, which as one of them is quite unpredicatable and occasionally unfriendly and needs constant watching, was a blessing.

Its all started to go wrong now.

I haven't seen him for over a week and he doesn't seem to remember that we've had conversations. On Monday, he just didn't turn up (didn't tell me, it was just luck that I was off so i rang, no answer and then texted him to ask where he was..) got this message back....

'really sorry, but can't have the dogs as injured myself over the w/e whilst learning to ride my unicycle'.   have never heard him mention one before...

When I replied that i didn't understand, and was he coming to get the dogs at all... I got

'apologies again but I'm going to be unavailable for at least a week. Main thing is I can still have children'.

and when I got in this morning I had an email message asking if we were still away (we were away in Scotland a couple of weeks ago - and he turned up to get them then apparently!) and when were the dogs back as he needs to sort out his schedule (the implication being that we were somehow disrupting it!!)

thing is his wife hasn't been very well. I replied to his email telling him what he has been saying and he's now switched his phone off. My boyfriend rang him and when he heard it was him he cut him off. I don't want to cut him off dead, I'm not heartless and I am worried about him. Equally though, these are my dogs, i work full time and I need to be able to rely on someone, I pay good money for them to get an hours walk whilst I'm at work. Its awful to think that he's just not been turning up.

He's got my keys, i owe him some money that he hasn't picked up. Do i just call it a day and find someone else or do I keep trying for a bit longer?

I feel like I'm losing my mind, this can only happen to me! What do I do???

Well if this were me, I think I'd be looking for another dog walker. I would be livid if someone just didn't turn up to walk my dogs when they were supposed to! I used to be a dog walker some years ago and I would never not turn up, especially for an established client which you must be to this guy if he's been walking your dogs for a year.

Do you have any doggy friends in the area that might know of somebody else who could step in? I would ask for your keys back if I were you, it sounds like your dog walker has other things that he needs to sort out. The excuses seem very bizarre too! Hope you manage to get this sorted.

Injured learning to ride his unicycle?  Luckily he can still have children?

Hey, is he taking the p*ss?!!!

If he calls himself a professional he needs to conduct himself in a professional manner - i.e agreeing a regular schedule with you which is co-ordinated with his own diary, and NOTIFYING you as soon as possible if he is unable to carry out his obligations.

Pity as he clearly got on okay with your tricky dog, but never mind, there should be other dog walkers available.  Try the noticeboard in the vet surgery, your parish magazine...or just the yellow pages!

Learning to ride a unicycle indeed. :)

Good luck!

Sorry, that just doesn't cut it!!  I was a dog walker/pet sitter for 9 years, if there was an emergency (it can happen), the least a client can expect is a phone call ASAP!!!  Get another dog walker quickly, and make sure you get your keys back.

Does this actually sound like him?  Those are very juvenile text responses that sound more like a 15 year old has got his phone!

I wouldn't persevere with your current dog walker.  The point is that however sympathetic you may be to his predicament (if he has one) you need someone that is 110% reliable for both your dogs and your home.  I'd suggest you write a letter to terminate your agreement, enclose the money owed, and hand deliver it whilst collecting your keys.  Make sure that you have your keys before handing over the letter and money.

Is there an agency you can try over the Christmas period?  They may be more expensve but you will have some kind of insurance and probably some cover in the event of sickness too.  This should give you time and breathing space to find someone else in the New Year.

Remember that you are in charge and you have the control - don't give this bloke the power to upset you.  Just get your keys back asap and draw a line under it.  Good luck

No it doesn't sound like him at all and I have tried to phone him constantly.  Last night, i got through, only to find some hoorah henry on the phone who's been pretending to be him.  He found it incredibly amusing that he has disrupted our lives (and cost my dog walker a week and a halfs money so close to Xmas) and I am completely livid.  One digit is different, i must have copied it over wrong when my phone broke in the summer. I  have spent a lot of the night apologising to my actual dog walker and feel a right bloody idiot.  And really hurt that some people would find something so unkind, so funny.

The fault is mine, dog walker is fine, we're all back to normal.

And top marks to you dogs a babe, he was a bit older than 15 but not far off.

Good grief!!! You have to wonder at folks "sense of humour".

Glad it is all sorted.

I think if I hadn't had the winter vomiting bug and a death in the family I might have figured it out quicker.  Its just been so stressful though.  I'm sure i'll laugh at it eventually but at the moment i am just cringing with embarrassment. *closes eyes and hides face*

*pats jodenice on back* There there, these things happen.

Crikey is there a '101 excuses for dog-walkers' book somewhere because I know of someone who runs a dog walking service and she can come up with some real crackers!    Almost on par with the unicycle excuse!