Why Dog Walkers Are Like Dates...

When I first set up my business, I used to think that all prospective clients were round and about the same. I was sure there would be good ones and bad ones but I figured that for the most part, clients were clients and business was business. Four and a half years in (wow, that went fast!) and I now know that, not only are all clients different, but all of us dog walkers are different too. This probably shouldn't have come as such a big surprise to me given that all people are different but what has stood out for me recently is how dog walkers and their clients can 'match' each other; that is to say, as a dog owner looking for a dog walker, you can find your right match.

In the very early days of my business, I loved the idea of setting up a 'hub' of pet businesses, a dog walker, a pet sitter, a groomer, a treat maker, an accessory maker, so that if our clients asked us for recommendations, we could recommend each other and send business each other's way. Being the massive introvert that I am and suffering with a crippling case of imposter syndrome, I never did it. I saw other dog walkers as the competition and every time I saw that someone I was following on social media had a new client, I was hit with a burst of "Oh why them and not me?!" The lack mentality was strong with this one and I used to feel as though there were only so many clients to go around and that every new client they took on was one less for me.

Fast forward to 2022: for the past 18 months I've been doing a lot of work on myself and my mindset and I'm pleased to report that I now know (not believe, know) that there really are plenty of fish in the sea, whether those fish be dates or dogs.

After burning out last year, I knew that I needed to change the way in which I was working; I needed to stop working weekends and I needed to make more time for rest and relaxation. Taking a week off is one thing, but actually switching off for that week, is another.

One of the (self-inflicted) challenges I was facing was the want to find holiday cover for a couple of the dogs that I walk. For the most part, if I take a week off, my clients manage without me for a week and the world keeps on turning however, I do have a couple of clients who, unintentionally (I hope), make me feel just a little bit guilty for taking a week off. Now, it's not my job to find a replacement dog walker for these people when I'm on holiday but, being a bit of a people pleaser, I did take on that task and that meant reaching out to other dog walkers. Push came to shove when an ad hoc client asked me if I was available to do holiday cover for his regular dog walker (a lovely little arrangement that we have) and I couldn't do it because I was on holiday for the same week. Now the holiday cover needed holiday cover. The irony!

Finding a replacement dog walker turned out to be harder than I'd expected. I knew that I would find reaching out to people hard (again, because: introvert) but I wanted to vet these other walkers myself before recommending them to my clients - I love my client dogs and don't want them walked by just anyone. However, I wasn't prepared for the number of 'unsuitable' dog walkers that I would come across. 'Unsuitable' probably isn't the right word. I have no doubt that these other dog walkers are probably doing a fine job and that their clients are very happy with them but, I'm a snob in most areas and they just weren't cutting the mustard for me. They would all appear to be what I was looking for on paper, but when we spoke on the phone their manner put me off. Again, not because they were rude or anything, but because they just weren't friendly enough and I was looking for a replacement me.

During my search, I reached out to one dog walker who during the course of our five minute conversation, managed to reverse our roles completely so that in the end, I felt like she had been the one to call me to help her with a problem she had. I hung up feeling a little dazed after that one. A couple of months later, she rang me back to tell me that she was closing down her business (a new opportunity had come her way) and did I have availability to take on any of her clients? Imagine my joy! Yes, I did have availability and had been working tirelessly to try and fill the gaps I had, so this seemed like a dream come true. By the end of the week I had three new meet-and-greets lined up and was very excited at the prospect of some new business coming in.

But here's the thing, her clients were her kind of people, not my kind of people.

Now, I was already familiar with the concept of ideal clients and 'right people' but this experience really hammered it home for me. During our phone call and the times we had cross paths on walks, I got the impression that this other dog walker was quite different to me. She has a corporate background and it shows in her manner. This isn't a bad thing at all, she's incredibly professional but her clients are equally 'professional' by which I mean (and please bear with me here), they're not as 'down to earth' as my usual clients. There was a business-like nature to everything and although I am serious about running my business and keeping a roof over my head, this business is primarily about caring for the furry members of your family and that responsibility is not a business transaction, it's love.

I take pride in the fact that my clients feel as though they can reach out to me at the last minute to help them out of a bind and know that if I can possibly help them, I will. They can rely on me and I love providing them with peace of mind - that alone is priceless. But if any potential new clients want a 'perfect' dog walker, then they're not the people for me. I don't expect my clients to be perfect and I don't want to work for anyone who expects me to be perfect either. (Have I told you about the client who found someone "more flexible" than me because I wouldn't answer messages at 9pm on a Sunday night?) Working with animals is unpredictable and I'm also at the mercy of the weather and traffic conditions. Any client who can't understand that some days I may be late for reasons out of my control, isn't one I want to work with. What's more, in order to be 'perfect' for any one client, I would need to put that client first and I can't put every single one of my clients first, that's impossible. However, what I can do is put myself first so that all of my clients get the best version of me. This was a hard lesson to learn; it means setting boundaries, establishing a work-life balance and implementing my own kind of mental health charter - one that includes not replying to messages at 9pm on a Sunday night...

But that's just me and like I said, not all dog walkers are the same.

There are the obvious differences of course; some of us work full time, some part time, for some it's a side hustle or a hobby. For some it's a passion and a life style choice whilst for others it's something anyone can do and a way to pay the bills. There are franchises and independent dog walkers. Walkers with vans, walkers with cars, some offering 1:1 walks only, some offering group walks only, some offering both, some offering training as well.

But then there's the other bits that make us human and for me, the bits that are the most important when I'm meeting a potential new client. Some dog walkers are business-like and somewhat straight laced and buttoned up, whereas others are more laid back and relaxed. Some will walk your dog on a contractual basis, business-as-usual with no frills and others will become a friend and part of the family. Some will leave no room for error on their part or yours, while others are flexible and take what life throws at them and you and make allowances for that.

And these differences mean that there is a dog walker out there for everyone. If you want someone who will stick to set times and never deviate from a plan, then maybe a franchise with a contract would suit you best? If you live life by the seat of your pants and have a slightly slapdash approach to timekeeping and schedules, then an independent dog walker who gets to know you more personally and knows that life gets messy sometimes may be better. If your dog is like a child to you then perhaps smaller groups with an independent walker are preferable to a franchise who have staff and larger overheads to consider. On the other hand, if you simply need someone to pop in and walk the dog then franchises tend to be cheaper than independents.

At the end of the day, I now know when I do my meet-and-greets what a potential new client will be like based on that first meeting. If we like each other and we click then I know we'll be in for a great relationship. If we get along but there's no spark then it will be fairly 'business-as-usual'. Their dog will still be like one of my own, but we won't be swapping stories of what we got up to on the weekend and sharing holiday pics. And if I'm not feeling it, then we'll both be happier if they find someone with different values to me.

As human beings, we're all so different and that means that no one has to settle for a less-than-perfect relationship with their dog walker. Just like how you can choose your best friend, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, based on whether you actually like them as a person, you can choose your dog walker in the same way and know that there are plenty of us out there, one of which will be the right match for you and suit your needs perfectly. Take your time to find someone that you really love and that you are happy to have coming into your home and looking after your precious pooch. At the end of the day, your dog is a part of your family so why shouldn't your dog walker be too?