03/09/2026
I get asked quite often Zig, can you recommend a dog walker?
And my answer is usually no.
Last week, I was at one of my local park venues with a client when I witnessed something that really made me stop and think.
A dog walker pulled up in a van on the main road, rather than in the car park.
She took two Frenchies out and dropped them into the park. She then went back to the van and brought out another six dogs.
Four of those six were off lead.
All of the dogs were medium to large breeds, and as they headed towards the park there was a lot of barking and excitement.
Now, I appreciate that every dog is different, and I appreciate that some dogs are extremely well trained.
In fact, I politely approached the woman and expressed my concerns.
Her response was that all of the dogs were well trained.
But honestly, for me, that was not the point.
The point was that one person had eight dogs in her care, with several off lead, immediately beside a main road, entering a public park.
And I couldn't help think, If those were your dogs, how would you feel if you knew this was happening?
Would you be comfortable knowing your dog was being taken out of a van parked on a main road and allowed to run off lead into a public park as part of a group of eight dogs?
Because there are so many scenarios that could happen.
A dog could see something across the road and bolt.
Another dog could appear and trigger a reaction.
A cyclist or runner could come past.
A child could run towards the dogs.
Two dogs could suddenly have a disagreement.
A dog could become frightened.
A collar or harness could fail.
A gate could be left open.
A car could sound its horn and startle a dog.
And when you are responsible for eight dogs at once, if something goes wrong, you only have one pair of hands.
As far as I am concerned, when someone places their dog into your full care, you take responsibility for that dog.
That dog is not just part of your day's workload.
It is someone's family member.
And there was another part of this situation that concerned me just as much.
The other members of the community.
There were three other people out with their own dogs who wanted to use the park.
But after seeing one person arrive with eight barking dogs, they did not semm comfortable going into the park.
And I completely understand why.
It's a public space.
Everyone should be able to use it.
So for me, being a responsible dog walker is not simply about whether the dogs are “well trained.”
It is also about considering the environment you are putting them in and the impact you are having on everyone around you.
Other dogs.
Other owners.
Children.
Runners.
Cyclists.
The wider local community.
This is exactly why I don't casually recommend dog walkers.
If I am going to recommend someone to one of my clients, I want to know how they operate.
How many dogs do they take?
How do they manage them?
How do they handle off-lead dogs?
What are their emergency procedures?
Are they properly insured?
And most importantly, would I be completely comfortable putting one of my client's dogs in their care?
Because if the answer is no, I will not recommend them.
And maybe that is why my answer is usually, “Sorry, I don't have a dog walker I can recommend.”
I am genuinely interested to hear what other dog owners think.
If you discovered your dog walker was taking eight dogs to a public park, with several off lead, right next to a main road would you be comfortable with that?
Share your thoughts.
