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I'm starting with my first paying client for dog walking and I want ideas for what people want with a dog walker. I plan on treating these two dogs like I would my own naturally The woman sounds like she loves her dogs and has already sent many picutures and told me a lot about them. I hope to cultivate her as a client and pick up a few more. Give me what you would want to see in a dog walker
I looked into several dog walkers before I found one that was right for us...she is awesome with our dog..the things I like are:
-she texts me and update as well as one or two pictures of our dog while she is there..the update is normally fairly short, just something like: "we had a great walk, he went 1 and 2 and we're playing a little fetch now" and then she'll take a photo on her phone and send it to me..it just gives me a little peace of mind knowing she's there at that point and everything is going well
-she also leaves a detailed note about how she found him, what they did, etc.
-she has a great website with photos of all her clients dogs, along with references you can contact (something to think about as your business grows)
-on halloween, she brought him a little halloween toy..that really impressed me..just a little something extra that will make your clients think you really go above and beyond
As you take on new clients, my suggestion is do not be afraid of asking too many questions..the thing I liked most about our dog walker is how thorough she was at the meet & greet..asked all types of health questions, treats questions, had us show her what tricks he did, if he had any behavioural quirks, etc etc. With one or two of the other dog walkers I considered using, the biggest turn off was that they were just willing to come and walk the dog without knowing anything about him...just asked, hey when do you need me? I mean, what if my dog had health issues, was vicious...I know I may be a bit neurotic about my dog, but in my opinion, you can never be too thorough. Good luck with your business! I'm sure you'll do great!
I forgot one other things.if we are going to be gone overnight, she'll make sure our balcony door is locked, and will switch whatever lights we have on to make it look like someone is home..she'll also bring in our mail if she's coming in the morning..little things like that are added bonuses
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I continually got flyers in my mailbox for dog walkers. Even though I have a dog, and even though I would only need the services once in a while (such as if we were going on a day trip or if I would be away from the house for longer than 3-4 hours), there was nothing about them that invoked confidence or the desire to contact any of them. Then "IT" came along -- the flyer (postcard) that changed my mind.
It was glossy, so it got my attention. It was a company name, rather than just a "Hi! I'm Cindy! I can walk your dog for you!" -- so I felt like she was serious. She had been a nurse for 20+ years and decided, due to her love of dogs, that she would try to make a business out of dog-walking and pet-sitting. Not yet convinced, I Googled her (yes, I "stalked" her... ) and liked what I found: she lived less than 10 minutes from me, she was a member of the synagogue in our neighborhood, her husband was in the same line of work as my husband (healthcare professional), etc... She sounded like someone that I would be FRIENDS with.
Anyway, I called her. I told her that we had no immediate plans for a day trip, but I'd like to know that I would have someone to call on. At that point, I figured she'd say, "Well, call me when you actually need me." Nope. She said, "Can I come over tomorrow and meet Artie? I like to meet my dogs with their people before I walk them for the first time." I told her that the next day was fine, but reiterated that I had no immediate plans to be away. She didn't care. She came over, sat on the floor with Artie, and spent more than an hour with us. LOVE!
She also told me that her walks are not just walks. Yes, she comes over and walks the dog, but she also hangs around for a while and plays with them. And gives them fresh water. And treats. And if it's meal time, she'll feed them. The total time that she spends, per walk/play/treats, is 30 minutes. I loved that it wasn't just a 10-minute, in--walk--out thing. And, for all this she charges a whopping $15! (She might be crazy, and I told her so.) I would have paid double that.
Oh, and she leaves report cards: What time she came, how many times the dog peed, how many times the dog pood, if she gave him water/treats/food, what time she left, etc... And commentary. She leaves the best report card commentary.
Also, she tells me every time I need her, that if I'm running late, just to call her and she'll walk Artie again. It's such a good feeling to know that on a day trip to NYC, if we're stuck in traffic, that I don't have to worry that Artie is sitting there with his legs crossed, dying to pee -- I can just call her and she'll take him out again, even though it wasn't one of the planned visits for that day.
Artie is a tough guy, as you may know, but from the first time that she came to walk him, she said he was a total lovebug. I think that's a testament to HER, not to HIM.
Anyway, she's terrific. I loved that she did more than just a walk. That she fed and played and interacted. That she was available any time; even if it wasn't a planned visit that day. I think that's all hugely important.
Oh I love those ideas! I have to say I am actually hoping I can make friends with the clients maybe I remember my dog got a report card at daycare and I went nuts so I love your ideas of those and the txts and the detailed reports!!! I'm also a volunteer at a local hospital I think that might be a good thing for people to know I'm "nice" as well as showed horses for around 30 years. I figures the hundreds of thousands of dollars my parents spent on my horse stuff might finally actually help
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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"Nice" goes a long, long way. And I think that your volunteer work at the hospital should DEFINITELY be mentioned -- it would be something that would appeal to me, for sure.
Also stress the fact that YOU have a dog. I wouldn't feel 100% confident with someone who doesn't have a dog of their own, unless there were extenuating circumstances (like that their apartment doesn't allow pets but they love dogs and want to spend time with mine).
Another thing to consider is insurance. People always take you more seriously if you have insurance for your business, and it gives them peace of mind.
I hired a dog walker for the first time this year; when I went back to work in an office. I really had no expectations other than be nice to my dogs and walk them.
I really like how they leave a little note each time they come - like they were just lazy today or really spunky. She always tells me if one of them poops on their walk. Believe it or not, I like to know these things!
But they always write in a positve, upbeat fashion.
She will be watching them next time we go on vacation and I feel like she knows them pretty well and vice versa.
I would love to be a dog walker but I am not sure the people here even know what a dog walker is
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The woman sounds like she loves her dogs and has already sent many picutures and told me a lot about them. I hope to cultivate her as a client and pick up a few more. Give me what you would want to see in a dog walker
) and liked what I found: she lived less than 10 minutes from me, she was a member of the synagogue in our neighborhood, her husband was in the same line of work as my husband (healthcare professional), etc... She sounded like someone that I would be FRIENDS with.
