How do Professional Walker/Handlers work and the all important why? Find answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) here.
How do Professional Walker/Handlers work and the all important why? Find answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) here.
Healthy, happy dogs. Similar to people, dogs like to be occupied. If they are not stimulated physically and mentally, they will find something to do. Shoes are known to be a popular target, among many others. In fact, under-stimulated pups can be quite destructive. Besides taking care of potty needs, tired and exercised pups are calm and restful ones, and Owners across the board are happier to get a walking service if it means saving their shoes, furniture and floors.
Peace of Mind. Professional Walker/Handlers are committed to the health, safety and happiness of your pup. They take your dog’s well being seriously and dedicate their energy to ensuring they are the best in their field. Many have formal training in animal CPR and behavioural management techniques, and have seen everything twice. Professional Walker/Handlers are knowledgeable and most often the first to notice if anything is amiss with their pups.
Hiring a professional ensures that your pup is living a full and stimulating, healthy—hopefully social—life during times when you can’t be there.
The CDWA has an extensive network of approximately 450 Walker/Handlers in Southern Ontario, some of whom have out-of-province contacts. This network is growing, nationally, so check back often.
There are a number of factors to consider when hiring a Walker/Handler. CDWA’s endorses those who have the following professional credentials. Contact us to find a vetted and endorsed Walker/Handler.
Animal First Aid. Choose a Walker/Handler who has completed an animal first aid (CPR) course. Many repeat the training every year, some don’t. We ask Members to update their knowledge every three years.
Formal Training. Members have formal training, either by Mentors, Trainers or Schools. They are LIMA-based Balanced, Positive Reinforcement or Force-Free practitioners. Learn more about what this means.
Reactive Dogs. If you have a reactive pup, we give particular weight and importance to Walker/Handlers and Trainers who are formally trained to work with reactive dogs. The training provides foundational information for working with dogs with behavioural issues. In the interest of responsible dog ownership, owners are encouraged to provide reactive dogs with a Trainer who would then brief the Walker/Handler on the strategies used that will resonate and further training while out on walks. Depending on the behaviours presented, some dogs may only qualify for Trainer-led walks or Walker/Handler-led, private walks.
Insurance. Valid insurances are necessary when hiring a Walker/Handler who offers group walks and leash-free jaunts of four or more dogs (business liability insurance) and who transports dogs in vehicles (auto insurance). Owners may ask for an insurer-supplied certificate that proves insurance is active and current, not the policies themselves. Insurance protects pups and guarantees veterinary assistance if something happens.
Bonding Clearance Letter. Many Walker/Handlers have a valid Clearance Letter from local police that states he/she has no criminal record. This is how citizens who don’t work within the financial industry are bonded. CDWA suggests that Clearance Letters be updated every five years.
References. Generally speaking, Walker/Handlers have clients, websites and business pages on Facebook. Access testimonials to get client references.
New Walker/Handlers. In the case of new, independent Walker/Handlers, the industry increasingly requires they obtain a Mentor and complete training through coursework.
• Choose someone who is knowledgeable and likeable—someone you can/will respect and work with for the long term—hopefully, for the duration of the pup’s life.
• Most will honour reasonable requests with flexibility.
• The professionals will assess your dog and they require full disclosure about your pup so they are confident their skills meet the requirement. Owners are required to disclose all behavioural and medical information so that the right Walker/Handler is paired with any given pup.
• Professional Walker/Handlers have client contracts. The more thorough their contract is, the more they understand the nuances of their business and value professionalism and their clients, both human and canine. For instance, a Walker/Handler charging $5/hour without a contract is likely not a professional. Expect to pay a median rate of $20/hour (group) or $25/hour (private).
• While interviewing, Owners and Walker/Handlers evaluate fit on both sides. Walker/Handlers support responsible dog ownership principles and will advocate for dogs in their care.
• The relationship between an Owner and Walker/Handler is often close and includes frequent communication and constructive support of the dog(s).
Some Walker/Handlers have training experience from being trained themselves—ie: by a trainer. And there are Trainers who do walk and train. Generally, though, Walker/Handlers refer Owners to a Trainer if the pup shows signs of needing one. The benefits of proper training are countless.
Signs that a pup needs a trainer
• pup presents with reactivity/aggression toward pups or people
• pup presents with stress/distress in normal situations that should not cause the response
• pup presents with destructive or chronic behavioural issues that general management techniques don’t correct or improve, requiring behaviour modification
• pup presents with separation anxiety – a serious issue that must be corrected urgently, as soon as it emerges
Your Walker/Handler is your best resource, though. He or she will recognize the signs readily and start the conversation with Owners.
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Walker/Handlers carry fairly significant liabilities. The busier Walker/Handlers have business liability and auto insurances, with canine clients as co-insured within both. In the event of an accident, either of these insurances will ensure that injured pups receive immediate and necessary veterinary assistance.
While Canadian jurisdictions may have slight differences between them, insurance is required to obtain a City Permit when a Walker/Handler has multiple dogs in their care at any one time. In Toronto, the number is four or more.
If a Walker/Handler does not have insurance, it’s because they have smaller or start-up businesses, smaller groups (three or less) or they offer private walks only. They are not required to have insurance or acquire a city permit, in that event.
But they should have a contract.
Walker/Handlers have client contracts. It is in their interest to decrease liability wherever possible and in an Owner’s interest to understand what their obligations are, as well as where liability lies.
A fulsome contract is where an Owner will disclose information on all necessary behavioural, food/treats, allergy notices, vaccinations, medical, microchip and veterinary data that a Walker/Handler requires. This data is critical for several reasons, among them being:
• Walker/Handlers uphold a vigorous Do No Harm ethic and none will jeopardize any pup in their care.
• If required vaccinations—rabies, in particular— are not current and the appropriate tag is not on the pup, the Walker can be fined within their jurisdiction. Owners are required to maintain proper vaccinations so their pups are in good health and catastrophic disease is contained. Any fines given to Walker/Handlers are to be passed on to Owners.
Contracts also release Walker/Handlers from certain liabilities as well. For instance, Owners provide permission for the Walker/Handler to enter the premises in the contract. Etcetera.
Owners are asked to complete and approve contracts before walks begin.
The Walker/Handler community’s fees are more or less consistent.
• Median pricing for group walks is $20/hour
• Median pricing for private walks is $20/half-hour or $25/hour
• Median pricing for puppy visits is $20/visit
Owners should feel free to do their research, of course. CDWA cautions against hiring lowballers. These people are typically too young to appreciate the liability they carry and/or too inexperienced to handle dogs appropriately or responsibly. This creates risk for pups.
Cancellations can prove problematic for professional Walker/Handlers, who are committed to your pup and hold his/her regular spot. Many will ask for 24-48 hours notice, at minimum, so they may fill the spot a cancellation leaves open, which may or may not be possible.
Since unfilled spots from cancellations generate losses, the industry is investigating a move toward a fixed fee structure which may mean regular payment will be required for cancelled spots. This model is practiced widely among dog daycares.
CDWA estimates this transition may be implemented throughout the Walker/Handler community, as an industry standard, by 2020.
Client holidays would be exempt from the new model.
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A Walker/Handler’s job generally involves single dog or pack management in private, leashed, or socialized settings. They are knowledgeable of dog behaviours but are not Trainers. Rather, Walker/Handlers practice basic training and management techniques (ie: puppy school).
Walker/Handlers will often ask owners what words they use to achieve certain behavioural outcomes and maintain that continuity (sit, stay, touch, come, etc). The craftier, more experienced Handlers will teach their charges new words and further training, giving the dogs more mental stimulation and opportunities to succeed and receive reward.
If a pup shows behavioural issues that basic training does not address, such as reactivities, then other strategies are necessary and owners will be referred to a certified Trainer. Endeavour to train the pup as quickly as possible so that reactive behaviours do not have the opportunity to entrench. A Trainer may take a 360° view by assessing environment, owner and pup and formulate a plan that is corrective and beneficial. A Trainer’s goal is to help the pup, of course, assist owners in their interpretation and modification of behaviours, and support a culture of responsible dog ownership.
Talk to any Handler about mental stimulation for dogs and you will win hearts. Mental stimulation challenges, games/puzzles and habits rank as highly in importance as exercise does. Not only does mental stimulation enrich pups’ lives, but it also allows owners to interact more deeply with them, which strengthens the bond and communication between them. It’s also an important tool to engage smarter breeds and is used as a strategy to redirect frustrated, undesirable behaviours into better ones.
A great many breeds are known to be very smart and in need of this extra effort. According to the American Kennel Club, the smarter breeds include Border Collie, Poodle (all sizes), German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Labrador retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Shetland Sheepdog, Papillon, and Rottweiler. Many others qualify, though, especially when looking at mixed breeds.
Talk to your Walker/Handler or Trainer about mental stimulation exercises for your pup. Heartily recommended.
Exercising dogs gets all those wonderful endorphins flowing, keeps them fit and healthy, extends life, and does its part to minimize diabetes and other issues related to poor conditioning or obesity. Great exercise addresses some behavioural issues as well, as a well-run, high-energy dog will be less destructive around the house and more manageable, overall.
Got a high energy breed? Get a Walker/Handler to help with a minimum of two hours of exercise per day, or dog daycare. High energy breeds include Boxer, Vizsla, Shetland Sheepdog, Dalmation, Jack Russel Terrier, Siberian Husky, Golden and Labrador Retrievers, Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Springer Spaniel, Mini Pinscer (Min-Pin), Poodles (all sizes), Irish Setter, German Shepherd, and Doodle. Beagles can have substantial energy as well, and they are also known to be an intelligent working breed, so extra stimulation is recommended.
The best handlers will get dogs moving by whatever means available. Either by socialized play, ball chasing, swimming, or specially-rented agility parks or other optimum venue choices.
Most everyone wants their pups to do well, socially, and be happy and loved. Guided, properly managed socialization is an important—some say critical—offering that Handlers bring to the table. When a pup is socialized early (4-5 months, after receiving necessary vaccinations), they are going to be better at being with others. This translates into an owner’s ability to bring their dog anywhere, anytime, often without issue, depending on a pup’s disposition and environmental factors (ie: avoid fireworks displays and other disruptive environments that will scare pups).
Handlers, together with puppy training, are the best tools available to socialize dogs. By teaching social manners, placing pups in packs and interpreting and redirecting behaviours properly, the pup will learn the ropes very quickly when started young. Packs are a social and support system for pups. Pack mates teach pups how to interact, how to play, perceive their world, wait their turn, and be social. Handlers reward good behaviour and correct or redirect bad behaviours (ie: escalations from play, resource-guarding, etc.), furthering what a pack can do.
At eight weeks old, we take pups out of their natural family and away from Mum’s teachings. Pack mates and Handlers offset any lost learning by this practice. Socialization time brings mental and physical well being and rounded experience to dogs. It’s crucial.
What puppies are anti-social? None is the short answer. However, depending on the age and training of a dog, dogs can be placed anywhere on the spectrum. Dogs who were not socialized early will have a more difficult time learning to socialize as time goes on. It is important to start this young and use training methods that do not run counter to social behaviour.
Trained guard dogs are not good candidates for socialization with people or dogs. Their path is fixed.
Rescues, on the other hand, are assessed on a one-by-one basis. Canadian Rescues import at-threat dogs from all over the globe to give them a second chance at life. Before adopting a rescue, CDWA wholly recommends hiring a Trainer, who will equip the family with the proper interpretive and training skills to help the pup acclimate to his/her new life. The pup may not be ready for socialized settings with a Handler on arrival, but a Trainer will get the pup some/most/all of the way there, if it’s possible.
Some breeds are known for being less social and/or more reserved. If you want a social pup, check credible breed literature.
Handlers have careers where love and companionship is central to their day. Love and companionship is a business reality too—functionally important for the smooth running of the business. Love and companionship gives dogs allegiance, confidence and it helps them develop trust and a sense of security in social settings.
Depending on the tasks the Walker/Handler must do to manage the dogs in their care, love might be more of a mandatory for another reason. For instance, if a fearful dog is being trained to trust and have a greater sense of security, all propositions are meaningless if a solid bond and advocacy is not foundational to that training. Love is real, of course, and a powerful tool for good. If a handler doesn’t love his/her clients, then it’s fair to call it unprofessional, not the other way around. It’s professional to create and nurture a bond. A dog listens to those he loves. This is important in a park.
Love is also a job hazzard. Handlers hope to work with their client-pups for the duration of the pups’ lives. When pups pass, clients move or otherwise cease services, Handlers suffer. On the other side, the pup can suffer from separation as well. In more extreme circumstances, where home life is wanting (the pup is too solitary, under-stimulated, under-exercised, owner too tired when home to engage), separating handler and pup may produce sullenness, lethargy and destructive behaviours. This may happen as a response to an aggregate of conditions.
CDWA encourages owners to make every effort to choose their Handler responsibly and work constructively together so that an enduring, positive relationship is built and enjoyed on all three sides.
Every Handler is responsible to manage and protect the animals in their care. They cannot put their charges in danger or create circumstances where injury will occur. They take this responsibility seriously, on their own initiative, and as the law requires.
For information on liability, please consult the Dog Owners’ Liability Act for your region.
Historically, Handlers have not been held liable for injury to their dogs or caused by their dogs, while in their care. As new case law emerges in Ontario, liability is assigned on the basis of negligence and whomever “harbours or possesses” a dog at the time of injury. However, there are plenty of caveats around negligence, whether injury was foreseeable, and much more. Walker/Handlers will use a muzzle if a dog has a bite history or presents risk of injury.
At the moment, each province’s dog owner legislation will supercede any town or city bylaws. Check your province’s laws for more information and clarity. This is an evolving subject that has broad-reaching implications. The CDWA will provide updates on this website as they become available.
The standard of care is changing in the industry. Historically, boarding facilities were kennels and veterinarians. Today, however, Walker/Boarders are increasingly seen as the go-to for in-home boarding and client-home dog sitting. The reason for this is that they are present overnight, which offers a higher level of supervision, protection and safety of the animals they are entrusted to care for. The pups are in the same dwelling with a person, often in the same room.
Hiring a Walker/Boarder to look after a pup is a good practice, for another reason: the pup knows or gets to know the Handler in a home environment. Those that dog-sit in client homes is another great option, as it is less traumatic for the pup overall. CDWA recommends that puppies be dog-sit in their own environment. Older, more experienced dogs can often go off-site.
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Avoid the Handler and any group of leashed dogs, naturally. Doubly so, if you are walking your dog. Here’s why:
• He/she is at work, concentrating on the effective management of a leashed pack, which may be a nice pack or a not-so-nice pack when distracted from their mission by another human/dog.
• The person you see with a leashed pack may be a Trainer, whose dogs might be reactives-in-training. If you and your pup were to charge up to this pack excitedly, the effects could be disastrous. Avoid proximity with leashed packs at all times.
• Steer Clear is the golden rule. Allow the pack to maintain their path.
• If it looks like the Handler is struggling with a difficult situation, offer help and if the situation would resolve with your help, they may take you up on it.
• If you want to make contact, wish them a good day—it would make their day if you did. Otherwise, it may not be the time or place for any engagement.
The Walker/Handler is working and managing their dogs in leash-free areas. They may be touring the dogs around the park to keep them moving, or encouraging play. They might have missed a dropping. If so, let them know their pup gave a gift and the Handler will bag it.
Once the dogs are established successfully in the park, all the gifts are bagged, and the Handler seems comfortable, it’s okay to strike conversation or ask questions. It is universally difficult to have lengthy conversations because the Handler is working, managing their dogs and sizing up the body language of other dogs, so you may not get the answer to that question you’ve been asking. Be patient.
Dogs are supposed to be leashed in on-leash zones. Full stop.
When they are not, call the appropriate authorities to handle the situation, let CDWA know and make sure to get and send a clear picture of the Owner or Handler who’s taking liberties, and carry on with your day.
Please do not confront a Walker/Handler as this may upset the pack and put everyone at risk. It is not the responsibility of the public to enforce laws they are not empowered to enforce, or raise conflict in public settings. Walker/Handlers are not answerable to members of the public. Report any infraction or abuse to the proper authority in your region—police or city bylaw enforcement.
This applies to public parks and trails. Check signage in the area, as many city trails are designated off-leash.
In Toronto, the legal limit to one Walker/Handler is six (6) dogs, no matter where they are. This limit was collaboratively set between the city and Walker/Handlers. If a Handler is accommodating more than six dogs, an assistant must be present.
Context is important here. If one of the handlers is holding seven leashes, and the other holds three, there is likely a good reason for that. One of the handlers may be injured or is an Assistant-in-training and unable to handle more than three. The other dogs may be extreme pullers and the stronger handler is in a better position to manage them. What matters to the CDWA is whether the pups are under good management and control.
In a Handler’s day, logistics take the most effort to work through. Logistics provide the context. A passerby is not in possession of the context. The best thing a passerby can do is avoid the pack and Handler(s). If it looks as though they are having difficulty, an offer to help is commendable.
The peak time in leash-free areas is during the midday hours of 11am-2pm. To the average person, the park can feel like it’s over-capacity and overwhelming. Some become frustrated at Walker/Handlers for showing up with big groups, in numbers. Walker/Handlers feel it too and use a variety of tactics to manage overcrowding, by choosing less-populated parks, or managing their packs to lessen the burden. Many will keep their dogs moving around the perimeter, for instance, rather than mixed in with the general population. Others, with younger, more socialized pups will encourage play among the general population.
Bear in mind that the majority of dog owners want or insist that their dogs be taken out at midday. Walker/Handlers strive to accommodate the request. Walker/Handlers must also pay the City to use the leash-free parks, so they are making a fair contribution.
If the park feels too crowded during the peak hours, there are a couple of options available to alleviate the frustration:
• find out which local leash-free parks are for resident dog owners, rather than commercial dog walkers, and go there during peak times. Generally, these are smaller areas and much more tranquil.
• opt to leash walk your pup instead and avoid peak time in the leash-free area.
Peak times are unavoidable. Walker/Handlers use a public space and resource that exists for the purpose they are using it for. They pay a fee to use it. Working together and understanding client demand should bring some measure of insight into why things are the way they are.
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The decision whether to have barriers or crates in vehicles is up to the discretion of Handlers. Generally speaking, if a shorter ride gets the dogs to a local park, barriers are enough. If Shangri-la is some glorious acreage with a highway drive in-between, then crates serve a critical safety function. When properly crate-trained by owners, dogs feel safer in crates than they do when nose-to-nose for lengths of time. If a pup is not feeling well, feel potty urges coming on, or feels threatened, no harm can be done to each other when inside their crates. This practice allows the Handler to focus on getting their clients to their destination quickly and without distraction or incident. Case in point: if two dogs decide they annoy each other that day, a fight between two can quickly turn into quite a massive disaster between six (or 20) before the Handler can stop the vehicle and intercept, especially on a highway. The potential injury, vet bills and insurance claims are paramount to avoid. In this context, the use of crates for transport is deemed a safety protocol.
To the general public, the use of crates may be unclear, but they are a proactive and preventive safety measure, especially for longer car rides. Handlers are committed to keeping their pups safe.
During pickups and dropoffs, every Handler knows to control the climate in the vehicles for the comfort and safety of their pups. Windows are open or A/C is on, on hotter days. On frigid days, there is no need to keep the car running with heat for the pups since they are well acclimated to cold, they have the shelter of the vehicle, and may already have coats on. There have been no instances that CDWA is aware of where dogs had to be rescued from a Handler’s vehicle. Handlers are especially responsible in this regard and this process is followed to the letter.
Handlers have to do pick ups and drop offs. Otherwise known as group changes, it’s part of everyday life and does bring logistical challenges. Handlers train their dogs to exit the vehicle when their name is called. Not every dog, especially younger ones, understands this rule until the training is complete, so if you happen to witness a dog bounding out of a vehicle and a handler becoming upset, it’s a natural reaction from fear that a dog may become injured (as in, by a passing car).
It is best to never approach a car full of dogs. The dogs may come to feel threatened and overwhelmed, leading to trigger responses and other problems. Dogs should be kept calm at all times and their association to a Handler’s vehicle should always be positive.
The maximum number of dogs that can be transported in a standard-sized van or SUV is six, which coincides with the City of Toronto bylaw that the maximum number of dogs to a single Handler is six. (This maximum may change from one municipality to another across Canada. Check your municipality’s literature for the maximums.)
In some cases, it is legal and acceptable to transport higher numbers in larger or specially outfitted vehicles and insurance is widely available, in that event.
Handlers who transport dogs are insured through niche Auto Insurance that caters a specialized suite of insurances to Handlers. In the event of an accident, each injured dog would receive necessary veterinary health care, covered by a Handlers insurance.
If you’re concerned about a dog in a hot car in summer, call police at 911 and stay with the dog.
If the dog is barking and jumping, it is more likely because you (a stranger) is near the window and provoking that behaviour.
Signs of heat stroke or distress are lack of coordination, lethargy, excessive drooling, vomiting, irregular breathing (not just panting). If you see this, call 911 immediately and wait with the dog.
If the car is idling high with the windows up, it’s a good indicator that the air conditioning (A/C) is on. Don’t smash the window.
A responsible protocol to use when leaving pups in the car:
• On a sunny or humid day with temperatures above 20° celcius, the A/C should be on, whether the vehicle is parked in sun or shade.
• On a cloudy day, with temperatures between 10-19°, windows down should suffice.
When is it okay to smash a window? It is against the law to smash a car window.
• If the dog is conscious but car is off and windows are up, call police and keep an eye on the dog. Allow police to come and assess.
• It’s a hot day, the car is parked in the sun with the windows up, the ignition is off, and you see vomit and a dog appears to be unconscious. Call 911. We cannot advise to smash the window, legally, however seconds can count and some may waive this on their own accord.
In the Spring of 2018, in Ontario, Police have warned that pets are not to be on the laps of any driver, especially in the context of long highway drives, be it a Handler’s lap or otherwise. Dogs are allowed in the passenger seat, though.
Unexpected and abrupt stops can be very problematic for Handlers with dogs in their vehicles. For everyone’s safety, crossing guards and pedestrians should ensure vehicles make a complete stop before entering into the road. Not doing so may result in accidents or injury to dogs or people in any weather conditions.
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