Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute, we don’t walk our dogs often enough.
We’re busy, we have to meal prep, review for that meeting, check our emails, drop the kids off at school, head to work, run errands on our lunch break, go to the gym, pick up groceries, wait in line because there’s only one register open, check emails again, pick the kids up from school and by the time we make it home, walking Fido isn’t always the first thing on our minds.
But while we’re out and about our dogs are anxiously waiting at home, dreaming about going for a run at the park or searching for their next prized stick!
Dogs need to get outside and exercise, it’s good for their bodies, their minds and their overall health. Not every dog needs a five mile run each day, but every dog appreciates the chance to get outdoors! We might be too busy to take our furry friends for regular walks but that doesn’t mean our pets have to miss out on the beautiful day.
Hiring a dog walker is the best thing you can do for your dog, and here are the top signs you might need a dog walker more than you think:
Top Signs You Need A Dog Walker
Your dog is a bit of a troublemaker:
Dogs with too much pent up energy who are left alone tend to get, well, creative. Have you ever come home to find a pillow torn to pieces or a garbage can knocked over with all your lovely trash spread throughout the house? Sounds like you have a bored dog that needs something to fill his time.
When dogs are left on their own for too long and they have no release for all their energy they will find other, sometimes destructive, ways to use that energy. If left idle dogs create their own fun but you can give your energetic dog a more constructive output by signing them up with a professional dog walker.
This way they’re not bored at home all day while you’re at work and you’re not worried about what kind of trouble they might be getting themselves into. They get their exercise, you get your peace of mind, it’s a win-win.
You can’t remember the last time you had a regular walking schedule:
Dogs like routine. They like knowing when they’re going to eat in the morning, they like to know they’ll get a treat after being brushed and they like to know when to expect their next walk.
If you are only taking your dog for a walk once every few days at inconsistent times this can actually be stressful for your dog. Hiring a dog walker means that you are able to provide your dog with the structure they need while not spreading yourself too thin.
You get your free time and your dog gets the routine they’ve been craving.
Your dog has gained a bit of weight:
Having an overweight pet is a very solvable problem and it usually has two causes:
- Too much people food, or
- Not enough walks.
Some dogs can maintain a healthy bodyweight without needing too much exercise, but for many a daily walk is essential for their health.
By hiring a dog walker, you not only ensure that your dog gets to go on a walk each day, but you’re guaranteeing that these walks are good and long. We’ve all done the quick 10 minute walk around the block on a busy day. Your dog gets their hopes up but then you turn the corner a bit too early and their ears drop and their tail stops wagging. They know when they’re getting the short end of the stick!
Your dog is alone for more than 5 hours at a time during the day:
Dogs are social creatures, they thrive when they’re around people or other dogs. Regular social interactions are an integral part of a dogs healthy lifestyle. So by leaving your dog home for long stretches each day, you’re not doing your furry pal any favors.
Unless you can work from home or bring your dog with you to work, odds are your dog is spending too much of the day in their own company and a good way to fix that is by hiring a dog walker.
The social element of dog walking is often the most overlooked benefit of the service. By allowing your dog to be around new people and new animals each day you’re significantly improving your dog’s quality of life, and making them comfortable in new environments.
There are a lot of reasons we skip walking the dog, sometimes we don’t have the time, sometimes we just don’t have the energy. But the good news is that our dogs don’t have to miss out on some fun in the sun because our week is booked solid. Hiring a dog walker is one of those simple acts that fixes a lot of problems. Once you hire yours, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them.
