DogWalker.com Featured in Chicago Tribune

DogWalker.com was featured in an article written by columnist William Hageman, which appeared in the newspaper on January 18, 2012 in the Chicago Tribune. The premise of the article was how to get companionship from dogs and other animals when you can’t or don’t own a pet.

Two ideas to have animal companionship without ownership mentioned in the article included visiting a local dog park and becoming a professional (or hobbyist) dog walker. Both of these activities would allow an animal lover to be around dogs but not have to have the full responsibility and costs associated with ownership.

The first idea that was discussed in the article was to visit a dog park. Elliot Silver, who owns DogWalker.com and DogPark.com, commented that ”visiting a dog park is a great way for people to be around dogs without the responsibility of owning one,” because it can be “a good way to get a child acclimated with dogs if they are thinking about buying or adopting one.”

Becoming a dog walker is also a great way to be around dogs, but it’s obviously more responsibility than simply visiting a dog park. Not only does a dog walking job allow a pet lover to spend time with dogs, but it also is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. Dog lovers can make their own hours and work when they wish to work. They have added responsibility to care for dogs, but instead of paying others, they will be paid.

Dog / pet lovers who wish to become dog walkers or even start a professional dog walking business can visit DogWalker.com to learn how to start a dog walking business.

Dog Walkers May Want to Offer Pooper Scooper Services

Pooper scoopers provide valuable services to anyone who owns a dog. These men and women comb through the backyard, front yard, and any other outdoor property and pick up any animal waste that is still sitting around. It may not be a particularly fun job, but it’s essential to many pet owners. Poop pick up and removal will make the yard look much better, and may even open it up to barbeques and other outdoor activities that had previously not been feasible.

Dog pooper scoopers can do their job in a number of ways. Most will work with a mini-shovel and a plastic bag. The waste can be easily scooped up with the shovel and dropped into the bag. For projects where there is a lot of animal waste involved, pooper scoopers might very well want to bring along one larger bag. At the end of the day, this larger bag can be emptied into a secure outdoor trash receptacle.

Individuals who are already self-employed as dog walkers (or dog walking services) will recognize a few advantages to adding a pooper scooper service to their job description or service offering. Because they will already have a list of dog owners that are customers who trust them, they can go to these customers and see if they would like them to remove the dog waste from their property in addition to their walking service.

Likewise, this is a way for dog walkers to make some decent extra money. If they are going to be walking dogs, then they will already be visiting the houses of many of their customers. They can simply offer to stay for an extra hour or two to perform some extra work. This will not require any transportation costs, as no gas money will need to be expended. As long as the dog walkers perform generally good work at picking up the waste, they will likely be asked back on a regular basis.

The dog waste disposal service should be offered for a moderate price. A very cheap price will not be worth the effort, while an expensive price will alienate customers, who will likely decline the service. By putting some careful thought into the process, dog walkers should come to some idea of how much to charge. If they need to adjust it one way or the other, they should feel free to go ahead and do this.

Photo: Flickr

dog*tec Business CD for Walkers & Sitters

In addition to its Dog Walking Academy Classes (see 2012 schedule), dog*tec also offers a special business CD to help dog walking services, dog walkers, and pet sitters. This collection of ready-made business administration and workflow documents makes running a dog walking or pet sitting business smooth and efficient. Designed for easy addition of your business name and logo, the CD saves time, improves business practices, and helps you put your best professional foot forward with clients.

Get contracts, screening and intake documents, care summary materials, emergency and incident materials, employee documents, and administrative tools—more than 40 documents to help you run a successful business.

Learn more about dog*tec’s Business CD for Walkers & Sitters.

dog*tec’s Dog Walking Academy Now in North Carolina

dog*tec held its first Dog Walking Academy in California in 2003, and it has been offering classes outside of its main campus over the last few years. In 2011, the organization opened an outpost in New York City, and this year, dog*tec is expanding to the state of North Carolina.

The organization welcomes Lisa and Brad Waggoner to its Dog Walking Academy team in North Carolina. Lisa and Brad are opening their training facility in Murphy, North Carolina to experienced and would-be dog walkers in the South seeking certification and continued education in the field of dog walking.

Lisa and Brad couldn’t be more qualified. Here’s a bit about them:

Lisa Waggoner, CPDT-KA, PMCT

Lisa has been training dogs since 1996. She’s the founder of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, where she provides behavior consulting and training solutions for her clients through small group classes, day school, and private training. Lisa is a CPDT-KA and a Pat Miller Certified Trainer. She’s also a freelance writer with a dog training & behavior specialty and a reviewer for APDT’s Chronicle of the Dog.

Brad Waggoner, KPA-CTP  

Brad is the co-owner of Cold Nose College and a full time trainer, working with clients both one on one and through group classes. He is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Training & Behavior. Brad is a School Education Program volunteer for the Valley River Humane Society, where he helps students learn about humane dog training, pet safety and dog bite prevention.

They both love teaching and it shows. Together they create an open, joyful class experience based on the notion that positive reinforcement is for people, too.

Classes in North Carolina will be offered on the following dates: April 19-22, 2012 and October 18-21, 2012. For more information or to sign up for the Dog Walking Academy, visit: http://www.dogtec.org/dogwalkingacademy.php

dog*tec Dog Walking Academy 2012 Schedule

dog*tec is one of the leading organizations that helps train dog walkers and dog walking services. Its Dog Walking Academy has graduated hundreds of professional dog walkers, and attending is a great way to help build a new business or improve an existing business. For more information or to sign up for the Dog Walking Academy, visit the dog*tec website.

The organization now offers classes across the United States, and the 2012 class schedule for the dog*tec Dog Walking Academy is posted below:

San Francisco, California
April 19-22
April 26-29
October 25-28
November 1-4

Murphy, North Carolina
April 19-22
October 18-21

Seattle, WA
February 23-26
May 24-27
October 4-7

Hudson, New York
March 23-25

Swanzey, New Hampshire
June 14-17

Arlington, Virgina
November 10-13