People who have a dog a walker how did you find yours and what made you choose them?

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Dolamed@reddit

My job is in an area where lots of professional dog walkers take their packs so I get to see what goes on. Generally speaking they’ll let their group of dogs loose and they’ll run about for 20-40 mins, take pics, then back in the van. I know these dogs are supposed to be out for an hour, but they never are.

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badger906@reddit

This is going to get downvoted to oblivion.. but I shall post it anyways. Why get a pet that requires walking and it’s one of the vast majority of people’s reason for getting said pet.. and then paying someone to do said part.

To me that’s like getting married and then paying someone to spend time with your wife and sleep with her.

I get situations change.. but that should be the number one thought process prior to getting said animal. “Right now we have plenty of time, but what happens if that changes”.

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cloud__19@reddit

I get my dog walked once a week. It's good him to socialise with other people and dogs and it's helpful for me to have time to go into the office or generally do things that involve me being out of the house longer than I like to leave him. My entire life didn't stop because I got a dog the same way it wouldn't if I had a kid. Do you share the same sentiments about daycare?

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badger906@reddit

Yeah I do actually. If you put a child in day care 8 hours a day while you work, and then get them home for 6 and put them to bed at 8. You’ve spent less time with the child than a stranger has. So who’s bringing it up. First 5 years are what develops a child for school. 1:1 with a parent vs a handful in day care getting bare minimum attention.

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Illustrious-Plum1766@reddit

I bet it wouldn’t be you staying home with the kid.

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badger906@reddit

Oh it will be! missus earns about £20k a year more than me, and works from home. So retiring before 40 is very much my plan.

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Illustrious-Plum1766@reddit

You know you have to go back to work when they go to school, right? 😂

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RetroRegretso@reddit

What if it isn't 8 hours a day?

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Majestic_Swordfish83@reddit

I am a dog walker, most of my clients do walk their own dogs both morning and evening, I'm just there to break up the dogs day and give them some time with their dog friends.

My puppies and elderly dogs may need to be taken out midday as they can't hold their bladder for 8/9 hours when people are working.

A fog walker isn't an excuse to not walk your dog, it's an extra service to enrich your dogs life

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VagueNostalgicRamble@reddit

I'm not downvoting you, but I will say that OP never said whether this is a dog they already have, are planning to get, or if it's purely a hypothetical based on their observations of dog walkers in their local area.

I'm one of those whose situation changed. I got my rescue dog in 2021 and suddenly found myself unexpectedly stretched to absolute capacity in 2025. I just about managed to keep up with dog walks myself and thankfully it's starting to ease off now, but for a while I was considering it because it's unfair for my dog to suffer from a lack of exercise because of an emergency that needed my ongoing attention for that time.

Also as far as I've seen, exercise is far from the only benefit from owning a dog. For example.

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RetroRegretso@reddit

You're correct! I downvoted you. Your comaprison is wild! Walking a dog is like shagging a woman?!!

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Glittering_Spring465@reddit

So for me it’s because I work full time and my relationship ended. We used to work opposite shifts but now unfortunately she would be left alone all day. She is an old dog so doesn’t mind too much (on the camera she tends to sleep all day) but they all need cuddles.

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shakeyourrumba@reddit

Googled dog walkers in my area, messaged them, met them and then booked them.

The first time the dog came back shattered and wagging his tail - by the this time the dog was practically trying to smash down the door to get to them when they arrived so we assumed he was happy.

Our dog is a friendly but an excitable knob - the dog walker doesn't so much as dog walk but does doggy play dates. He books a dog field, takes 6 or so dogs and lets them go nuts for a while which is exactly what is needed.

Would never look to anyone else now, because the guy is brilliant.

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Cussec@reddit

People who have a dog walker: shame on you for having a dog and can’t be arsed to walk it yourself. Yeah there’s judgment here. You don’t deserve to have that dog. And yeah I know people’s lives and situations are different, and some people are physically unable to get out and walk the dog, but those who are not in that category, shame on you. Shame!!

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supomice@reddit

Oh piss off. Who says this is the only walk their dog is getting?

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cloud__19@reddit

Presumably you don't agree with childcare either.

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Hertfordgal@reddit

I think you’re the shameful one 🙈

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geezerebenezer@reddit

What a thick comment to make.

You do realise that circumstances change ? I went from wfh to full time to wfh in the space of 2 years, what was i supposed to do?! Give my dog to a shelter for the time in was working in an office? I would go out in the morning before work, have the dog walked at lunch, came back home to do another walk, late night short walk before bed.

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supomice@reddit

My partner changed job and it turned out we’ll both me out of the house for ~7 hours some days leaving the dog alone. The dog is 11 now so quite happy to lie and sleep but felt that was too long. So we asked on Facebook groups and a lovely woman contacted us. She came to meet us for about half an hour, I got a good vibe from her overall. She comes to walk him around 12ish a few days a week, asks for £15 a time. She absolutely adores the dog, it makes me happy.

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RetroRegretso@reddit

Through Facebook and a bit of word of mouth. I trusted her when I first met her so went with it. Dogs love it and they get nice photos for the album.

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FreeBogwoppits@reddit

We met her in the park. My dog ran up to her and they both just fell in love. It was beautiful. She said she could take another dog, so they spent the next 2 hours in the park together whilst I watched. It was a perfect match.

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Sweet_Focus6377@reddit

Recommendation or direct observation when walking your dog yourself

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Background-End2272@reddit

This is an absolutely rubbish answer..

I actually can't remember? We chose her I think because she was local when we moved to the area, she looked after our two until they got too old to do group walks.

We moved further into the same area and got a puppy last year, she was excellent so we used her again. She's still excellent and our pup loves her.

I'd have a think, do you want group walks or solo? How often a day? How many times a day? Ours is a group walk and she gets him at 10-10:30 and he comes back at 2. It's £12

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Lady_Brachiosaur@reddit

Recommendations from our dog owning friends, particularly those who own a similar size dog

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