What does a Dog Walker do?
Dog Walkers help maintain the health and happiness of canine clients. Their main task is to provide dogs with adequate exercise in the form of outdoor walks while ensuring their safety and comfort in the process. They may be expected to interact with clients before or after walks to share necessary information about the route and the pet’s behavior during each outing.
During walks, a Dog Walker is expected to provide pets with plenty of water and clean up after them as necessary. They will need to take adequate safety measures to protect pets while they are out in public and should have enough stamina to walk for extended periods. When the walk is done, they are responsible for returning the dog home safely within the scheduled time frame.
Dog Walker skills and qualifications
There are a variety of skills needed to be successful in this role. When creating your Dog Walker job description, consider including these qualifications:
- Basic understanding of canine behavior and care
- Ability to safely handle and control dogs of various breeds, sizes and temperaments
- Familiarity with basic obedience commands and leash manners
- Physical stamina
- Problem-solving skills
- Patience
- Customer service skills
- Trustworthiness
- Passionate about dogs and providing them with proper care
Dog Walker experience requirements
Because this role primarily requires employees to care for and interact with dogs, prior experience working with canines is an important factor. When hiring Dog Walkers, look for candidates who have worked with dogs before. Pet sitting, animal training and even volunteer work at a local animal shelter are all valuable forms of experience for Dog Walkers. With hands-on experience working with dogs, candidates are more likely to have an understanding of canine behavior and care, which can make them better suited for the responsibilities they’ll assume as Dog Walkers.
Dog Walker education and training requirements
There are no formal education requirements for Dog Walkers. With the right experience, skills and temperament, candidates should have the tools they need to be quality Dog Walkers. However, they may benefit from a basic understanding of animal first aid, including the ability to perform pet CPR to enhance safety on each walk. A driver’s license may also be useful if a Dog Walker is expected to transport dogs by car to a designated walking route.
Dog Walker salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Dog Walker is $43,236. However, this figure may vary depending on location, company size and candidate experience level, all of which can influence the salary offered to a new hire.
Dog Walker salary expectations
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Common salary:
19.89 HOURLY -
Typical salaries range from
7.25 -41.25 HOURLY - Find more information on Indeed Salaries
*Indeed data –
Job description samples for similar positions
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