Many people prefer to use the service of a pet sitter for walking their dogs. Those who work full time and do not have a lot of time to spend walking their dogs; older people who may not be able to keep up with the daily walks and others often use the service of a dog walker. When you are looking for a dog walker, you should find one who has experience in dog walking, is up to the job and will treat the animal the way you would treat him.
The first thing you want to look at is experience. The pet sitter should have experience with dogs if they are looking for a job in walking dogs. They should not be afraid of dogs, feel nervous around them and know how to get a dog to walk on a lead without it running off. A poor dog walker will not only put your pet in jeopardy if they do not know what they are doing, but can also be a liability to you if they allow the dog to jump on people while they are walking it down the street. The dog walker should have total control of the dog at all times when walking them.
It is good to have someone local to walk your dog. They will be familiar with the neighborhood and do a better job than someone who is not familiar with the neighborhood. You can find local individuals who will do this job of pet sitting when you use a site online that connects pet sitters with clients. You are better off to use someone who is local rather than an agency that may send someone not from the area. The more familiar the dog walker is with the area, the more comfortable they will be.
Also look for someone with experience with your breed of dog. They should be able to handle the dogs that they walk with ease. Some dog walkers will walk several dogs at one time. This is fine as long as they are in control of all of the dogs they are walking as well as familiar with the breeds and their behavior patterns.
You can find someone who will just walk your dog alone, or will walk several dogs at once who lives right in the area. There are many people who love dogs and look for this type of work. They also love the outdoors and enjoy walking with pets on a lead. Make sure that the pet sitter you hire to walk your dog is strong enough to manage your dog, knows how to walk a dog on a lead and is familiar with the area in which he or she is walking the dog. By using an online site to find a person in your area, you have a much better opportunity to get what you want rather than using an agency who will just send someone out without giving you a choice as to who walks your dog.