Most pet parents pick their first dog walker the same way they pick a dentist: from a recommendation, in a hurry, hoping it works out. That's fine — until the first time the walker texts "running late" for the fourth day in a row, or your dog comes home with muddy paws and a damp coat from a park you didn't know they visited.
Walking is the most frequent interaction a pet professional will have with your dog. Over a year, your walker will spend more time with your dog than most relatives. The bar should be high. Here's how we'd set it.
Start with the non-negotiables
Before you even read a bio, a good walker should clear these four bars:
- Insurance. Pet-business liability and care-custody-control coverage. Ask for the certificate — not just a verbal "yes".
- Background check. A clean criminal record check done within the last 12 months.
- Pet first aid. A current certificate from a recognized program. It tells you they'll recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.
- Two recent references. Not their cousin. Two current or recent clients who'll take a 5-minute phone call.
If any of these are missing, you're not hiring a professional — you're hiring a hobbyist with a cute Instagram. That can be fine for a neighbour-favour. It's not fine for someone who has a key to your home.
The 10 questions to ask on a meet-and-greet
A meet-and-greet (sometimes called a "consult") is a 20–30 minute visit where the walker comes to your home, meets your dog, and confirms the routine. Never skip it — even if the walker is "highly rated." Use it to ask:
- How many dogs do you walk at once, and how are they matched?
- What's your protocol if my dog gets loose, injured, or sick on a walk?
- What parks or routes do you typically use, and why?
- How do you handle extreme weather — heat waves, ice storms, thunder?
- Will the same walker come every time, or does it rotate?
- How do I get updates after each walk? What does a "walk report" include?
- What happens if you're sick or on vacation?
- Do you carry a first aid kit, water, and poop bags, or do I provide them?
- How do you introduce yourself to my dog on the first walk so they're not anxious?
- What's your cancellation and refund policy?
Watch their body language when they meet your dog. A good walker kneels down, looks away, and lets the dog come to them. A rushed one reaches straight for the head.
What a great "walk report" actually looks like
After every walk, you should receive a short, specific update. "Went great!" is not a walk report — it's a text from someone who isn't really paying attention. A good walk report includes:
- Start and end time, and total distance (or duration if off-leash).
- A note on poop and pee — yes, really. Consistency and frequency matter.
- One specific observation: a dog they met, a house they explored, a puddle they avoided.
- A photo or short video from the actual walk. Not a stock image.
- Anything unusual: limping, hesitation, excessive thirst, pulled leash.
Over a month, these reports become a health diary. When you take your dog to the vet with "something feels off," you'll have two weeks of notes to point at.
The red flags most people miss
A walker who checks every "official" box can still be wrong for your dog. Watch for:
- Over-stuffed pack walks. Six dogs per walker is a crowd. Eight is a liability. If the walker says "I can handle more," they're telling you who they optimize for.
- Generic photos. If every dog in their feed is on the same patch of grass, they're not varying routes.
- Evasiveness about tools. A walker who refuses to explain their leash and collar choices is either insecure or doing something you wouldn't approve of.
- No off-ramp for hot or cold days. If the plan is always a 60-minute park romp, your dog is going home heat-stressed in July.
- No written service agreement. No terms = no recourse.
Why we built vetting into PET SCION
Every walker on PET SCION clears the same four-part bar before they can take a single booking: ID check, background check, pet first aid certificate, and insurance on file. We re-verify annually. We also require a meet-and-greet for every new client and a post-walk report that includes a photo and route summary — not because it's nice, but because it's the minimum we'd accept for our own dogs.
You can still, of course, find a wonderful neighbour who does none of this and is great. We're not trying to replace that relationship. We're trying to make the professional path — the one you trust with keys, schedules, and winter emergencies — as close to boring as possible.
A last thought
Your dog can't tell you whether their walker is good. But their body can. A dog who bolts to the door when the walker arrives is a happy dog. A dog who slinks, shakes off, or drinks deeply and crashes into sleep is telling you something. Trust that signal more than any review.
And if something feels off — switch. Walkers expect it. The good ones will help you find a better fit. That's the mark of a real professional.