Secrets of a Dog Walker
1. It's a lifestyle, not just a job. If you're in it for the money you've made a big mistake because a) you're never going to be rich, end of story; and b) you won't survive your first winter if that's your only motivation. We see these people come and go from time to time.
2. We talk to each other more than you might think. About the best walking boots, what clothing we are wearing for today's weather, our financial struggles, the traffic, dodgy men in the woods, fallen trees, etc. It's a lonely job but we have each other's backs from a distance.
3. We don't physically have eyes in the backs of our heads but we know so well the sound of every jingle of every ID tag, and every dog's individual footfall on the ground behind us, we may as well have.
4. We can't physically see round corners either, but we know so well each leading dog's body language in reaction to an oncoming person and/or dog that we may as well be able to.
5. We hear "Are they all yours?!" and "Wow you've got your hands full" at least twice a day, but we always smile and say "They keep me on my toes". Every. Single. Time.
6. It actually breaks our heart when a dog moves out of our area, and we thoroughly investigate our replacement for our own peace of mind, even if the client hasn't asked us to.
7. If you peel back a few layers of clothing (depending on the season) you will find bruises, scratches and scrapes covering the whole of our bodies. Don't bother asking where they came from, we have no idea.
8. If you see a dog walker looking vaguely presentable on a weekday, you should send help, something is not right.
9. We love our clients' dogs as we do our own and will sometimes lie awake at night worrying about their injuries, illnesses, and behaviour problems. We can't help it after spending so much time with them. It hurts us when clients don't appreciate this.
10. Despite the financial uncertainty, the harsh winters, the blood, sweat and tears, it really is the best job in the world 🥰
