Dog walking is wonderful, but it can be challenging....
What are some of the challenges a dog walker faces?
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Time Management
Our days are really intense. We fit lots of work within three very busy hours of the day (not many need us before 11 a.m. or after 2 p.m.). Every client has a different routine, every dog a different need and you are expected to know what that is!
Patience is necessary always. You never know how difficult an old lock with its poorly copied key will be this time, or what sort doggie destruction you’ll walk into, or how easy it is to just blank on a alarm code. Wrestling an energized dog with his harness and winter dog boots and coat takes important minutes from the walk. And the little pups, every single one is always too excited to eat their lunch before you leave, but you need to stay put until they do, so they eat safely and can have a quick toilet break after.
Stress
The truth is that in order to do this work well – to care for animals and people – the walker needs to be able to care for him or herself first. Just having the technical skills to do the job isn’t enough. It’s not enough to know how to walk a fearful dog or how to reinforce behaviour you want to see more of. Or how to practice avoidance and redirections with a dog set off by bikes, kids, and squirrels.
All of those are skills we need, of course. But you won’t be able to practice any of that expertise if you’re falling apart mentally, physically, and emotionally. Stress takes away your ability to do good work. It takes away the skills to cope and impairs ability to connect with other people, think creatively, problem solve, and work well with others. As an employer, I dream of paying my walkers hundreds of pounds an hour because financial worries creates stress so easily. And stress creates burnout. The job has to continue to support the walker with their personal needs and dreams.
Loss
Circumstances that are within our control and out of it do not set us up for the amount of loss we feel when a family cancels service unexpectedly or when their pet passes on. We truly love these dogs; we connect with them as we connect with our own. We learn their quirks, passions, where the excellent spots are for scratching, their favourite treats, all the tricks for catching those good behaviours and stopping the ones we all find less desirable. We become one of their best friends and we look forward to seeing them on our schedule. When they disappear without notice, without an opportunity to say goodbye, it hurts. No matter the way the relationship ends, we feel a loss.
Then what’s the balance? What creates the job happiness?
That’s a pretty simple answer: it’s our families dogs. Here’s what some of the team shared with me:
From Michelle… “Creating bonds with dogs that were aloof with you at first, but now love to see you. I get to play with dogs. I mean how fun is that?”
From Mark… “You get knocked over when the dog kiss-attack you but they’re so adorable that you can’t be mad. They are so fun and funny. There’s a Husky dog on my route (Kayson), and he loves the snow. It’s impossible to be miserable about the weather when he loves it so much. His joy is contagious.”
And from Jordon… “I really can’t think of anything that is “hard” about my job! I feel privileged to be able to say that. The best part is being able to spend time with dogs all day.”
Job happiness is how you define it and what you’ll accept in exchange for it.
I remember my days of managing play groups and taking moments to look up and just feel pure happiness. It was completely different from anything I ever felt at work for anyone else. Dog walking can truly be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have in your professional life. And it does make you a stronger and better person.