For the first time in my life I found myself watching a stranger walk my dog and I didn’t like it one bit.
It wasn’t as bad as wearing boots and a sweatshirt on a walk.
Let me back track.
In a couple of weeks I’m going away on vacation. Truth, I do almost all of the dog walking/care giving in this house. Now, Hubby is capable of walking the dogs, but for whatever reason, he just doesn’t like it. When I do manage to squeeze a day or two away, he will walk the dogs. Reluctantly and not the way I would walk them, but he does walk them.
Weekends of course are easier for him. But weekdays are hard, because he starts work at 7:00 am and leaves the house by 6:30. THEN about three weeks ago, he was offered over-time (and who can pass that shit up with my hours cut in half at work?) Because it’s so dang hot, he starts work at 6:00 AM and leaves the house at 5:30. In order for him to be able to walk both dogs, he’d have to get up at 3:30 AM, and I can’t ask him to do that.
So I went to my old trainer and asked her and she recommended someone. We spoke on the phone for about 1/2 an hour and she is a really nice lady. We set up a meet and greet and she came over to the house yesterday. The dogs both loved her and we sat and chatted for a bit, then she said, “So how about we walk the dogs?”
Since Sampson’s walks are timed, she started out with him, while I took the D-Dog. Once we turned around, we switched dogs.
So maybe it’s just me being a Nervous Nellie, but here’s what I observed:
Sampson was practically in the middle of the road, with cars coming, I said, “Buddy, what are you doing, there are cars coming.” And she brought him in. (When I walk my dogs, they are on the inside of me, closest to the curb.)
Delilah’s leash was too tight. So I waited a minute and then I said, “You can loosen up on her leash,” as nicely as I could.
Of course, we WERE talking while we walked which could have had a bearing on it.
Afterward we chatted a little bit more and we talked about her payment, and her coming over again before I leave, and her meeting Hubby etc.
She had shared with me on the phone that she is insured AND she uses the same Vet I do.
We talked about encounters with other dogs, and I asked her if she’d ever had an incidents and she said, “No.”
She left me with her business cards and a contract.
Since Delilah’s walk had been shortened (because we walked with Sampson) I took Delilah out for a few more minutes.
While we were walking, I was thinking about the dog walker and I started getting really freaked out. Almost like panic attack freaked out.
I’m leaving in two weeks, and I need a dog walker, but suddenly I wasn’t 100% comfortable with the person I’d chosen.
So I started thinking. Where do you find a good dog walker? I thought of the websites that offer that service, but honestly, time is short now.
Then I remembered hearing you should ask your vet, as many times the vet techs, also do dog walking/pet sitting. And I thought of the lady up the street who has a vet tech stop by in the mornings and walk her GSD.
I thought about Sampson’s favorite vet tech who loves him as much as he loves her. So I called my vet and asked if Emily did any dog walking. As luck would have it, Emily was there and would be available to walk my dogs on the days I needed.
Of course, I told Emily everything and advised her I might not like the way she walked my dogs any better. 🙂 And she totally understood that.
It made me feel so much better, because Emily knows both of my dogs really, really well and both my dogs adore her.
I feel really badly that I’m going to have to tell the original dog walker that I’m going with someone else, but I feel, for my own peace of mind that it’s the right thing for me and my dogs.
I’m tickled pink to see Emily.
And she should understand that you have to use who you are comfortable with.
I know how you feel, when I go away and I can’t take all the dogs with me I call and check in on them everyday. Now mind you I don’t have a stranger or someone taking care of them, it is my own family that live with me and the dogs and I am still nervous about it lol
It is just no one takes care of them like I do!
The first dog walker sounds like a professional. If she really is, she will be fine with not getting the job, and should understand and be professional about it. You have to go with your heart on this or you’ll drive yourself crazy. When I had knee surgery 3 years ago, ALL of my friends (and some acquaintances I don’t even consider friends) wanted to take care of Cupcake for the 8 days I’d be gone. I had to say no to all of them and picked the dogmom of Cupcake’s friend Lila. I knew Lila had the run of the house, was allowed on the beds and furniture, and went everywhere with her mom in the car. That’s what Cupcake needed, so that’s where she stayed. She did great. (And that dogmom went on to become a trainer at The Seeing Eye – with my recommendation!)
Oh boy, my mom is a nervous Nellie too! The only one she ever lets walk us besides herself is her cousin and in a pinch the neighbor. Mom is afraid we will get loose, or dart out after a squirrel and knock a person over, she is just plain afraid to let anyone else go out with us. We are happy you all love us, but frankly, from what we have been told, when Mom is out of sight, we do just fine with others walking us and it isn’t a big deal. Kind of like when a parent leaves a little human at daycare and they fuss up. The moment the parent is gone, all is good! It will all be good.
My sweet friend, you don’t need to feel badly about going with your gut instinct. If the original person doesn’t make you 100% comfortable, then don’t go with her. You’ve known Emily for quite some time; and you trust her with Sampson’s and Delilah’s lives at the hospital. She is the right person. If I lived closer, I’d take care of them for you.
Our pet sitter takes her dogs to our vet, too. Although our original sitters have since moved away and/or stopped sitting, the gal who is doing it now is just as enamored with my girls as the original two. And I feel totally comfortable with her, as I did with Jennifer and Andrea. And would with Corinne (the owner of the business).
In short, don’t ever feel badly about going with your gut instinct. Even if it means possibly hurting someone else’s feelings. They will get over it.
Have a good time on your vacation and know that you’ve done well in choosing the best walker for your babies. Their well being and your peace of mind are the most important.
mom is very picky too. Our last dog walker payed more attention to her cell phone than us. Our new Petsitter rocks!
Lily & Edward
It’s difficult enough to leave them in someone else’s care, never mind someone you don’t feel totally confident in. You are wise to go with your gut. Trust me, I know the business since I had a pet sitting/dog walking business and anyone can buy insurance and call themselves a professional! (though that woman was probably fine)
I was the same way in finding a groomer for Sheba. I wouldn’t trust anyone with her until the vet tech at our vet’s office starting doing it. Sheba knew and loved her, the feeling was mutual, and I could feel comfortable leaving her in her care.
LOL! I think lots of us share your angst! I have not taken a vacation without our dogs since we got Jimmy nine years ago! Wilson is a sweety and anyone could take care of him. But adding Jimmy to the mix is where things get dicey. He is what I call a 50/50 dog. He snarks at other dogs who get too close (or, heaven forbid, sniff his butt), but it isn’t every dog. So I can never trust him. I can’t expect someone else to be as cautious as me. He’s also highly reactive to skateboarders and will rip the leash out of your hand before you even hear the approach of the kid. I have a fenced yard but neither of them will do enough business there to make them comfortable. I don’t think I would ever enjoy a trip because I would be stressed the whole time worrying about the dogs!
so glad that emily was available. now your dogs will be with someone you know and are comfortable with.
happy happy joy joy for you, Samson, and Delilah.
NEVER feel badly when it comes to the care and well-being of your pet. I think that little assistant that resides in each of us was trying to tell you something by making you feel uneasy about the original walker. Sadly those ‘helpers’ have no volume button that can be turned up-they just make you question yourself. Good thing too since they always seem to know what’s on the up and up. Good luck with Emily. Hope you’re doing something wildly fun and/or risqué. We expect photos. 😉
Oh, I feel your worries! I was recently in a very similar situation! I went away for a week, leaving the hubby and the dog alone for the first time (well, the first time where it was more than just one night). The hubs had time to take her for a quick walk each morning, but we knew it was going to be a crazy week for him at work (he’s often gone more than 12 hours) so couldn’t leave Rita home along that long. It took me a long time to find a place that I felt okay with – and I scheduled both a walk and training session with them ahead of time to make sure I’d be okay with them. Still… it was worrisome.
It sounds like you found a great gal to walk them! Hope it goes okay!
The place I used would send me photos and texts each day, so I was able to see/hear how Rita was doing. I posted the pics they sent me on the blog. (http://www.poochsmooches.com/2016/07/pretty-sure-dog-thought-i-adandoned-her.html) You can see she was not too sure about it for the first few days, but finally got more relaxed by the end of the week! Hope S&D will enjoy their walks with Emily! And hope you enjoy you are going away for a fun reason!
There are only a few people in the whole world I’d trust with my dog. I can perfectly understand how you’d be picky about that.
You’re less controlling then I am, haha. No one walks my dogs but me, with the very rare exception of my parents – and even then, I’m a ball of anxiety. Glad your tech was available!
You have to be comfortable with whom you choose so don’t feel bad at all.
You have to do what is right for your dogs and if she is a professional, she should understand. It is not personal. it is business. Sorry about your hours being cut. That stinks.