Should you hire a dog walker? Have you asked yourself that question before? Perhaps you've not thought about it but my asking the question makes you wonder about it. My answer would be if you work during the day and you're gone for more than 5-6 hours, then yes you should hire a dog walker. I'll bet your dog would agree.
Certainly the younger, higher energy dogs benefit from getting walked. It's good for them to burn some energy, stretch their legs and be mentally stimulated. Have you ever wondered if your dog gets bored when he's inside the house? I do. I wonder if mine are and I'll bet the answer is yes, there are times when they are bored. I"ll bet my dog Moose would prefer that I'd take him for a walk right now as a matter of fact and as soon as I'm done here I believe I will do just that!
In looking out for the well-being of our dogs, I think exercise is important. As a dog walker, I always take the weather into consideration and in the middle of the summer when it is hot and humid, I don't recommend going on a long power walk with your dog but some exercise is still important. As a dog walker, I always assess each individual dog and take things into consideration such as his age and his health when I'm hired to walk him. I report back to the owner after each visit.
We always need to be aware of our dog's health too and that's something else your dog walker can assist with. As our dogs age, they might not be able to walk as far or as fast. Some might think they can so as their owner/dog walker we need to know when enough is enough. This time of year we need to watch out for hot pavement too. If the pavement is too hot for you to walk on barefoot, it's too hot for your dog. If the sand on the beach is too hot for your bare feet, it's too hot for your dog. These are all things that I think about when I'm out walking dogs.
Patricia McConnel wrote a blog post about "What Your Dog Walker Needs to Know." She did extensive resarch on the subject. You can find her article here.
All of these things are things responsible, professional dog walkers should consider. Your dog's well being is our #1 priority. We want to help keep your dog healthy and happy with daily exercise and fresh air! After all, a tired dog is a happy dog! Your dog and I think you should hire a dog walker. :)
