About TLC Dog Walking
If you are thinking of joining the team at TLC Dog Walking, please read on
⭐ Related Reads:
Code of Conduct
Code of Ethics
FOR A RELIABLE AND EXCEPTIONAL DOG WALKING EXPERIENCE, UNLEASH THE PROFESSIONAL’S TLC DOG WALKING:
Have you ever seen a dog smile? If you are a dog lover, you know what we mean. Not just a tail wag, but a great big, toothy, fluffy faced grin? At TLC Dog Walking we see this every day. TLC Dog Walking was started in 2007 by me, Tori Lynn Crowther. I have had a lot of experience training dogs and working as a Professional Dog Trainer in London. But by 2008, I worked full time in an office and found I had to start early and finish late as I had to take a three-hour lunch break to get home to walk my dogs. I had a few Dog Walkers come around but found it hard. To be honest a few of them, I would not have let walk my pet hamster, and the ones I employed turned out to be unreliable. I decided that there was a need for good, reliable, Professional Dog Walkers, so I quit my job and started TLC Dog Walking with the dream of providing a service that I felt was missing and being the best Professional Dog Walker around. It was extremely hard work and I found myself working 24 hours a day 7 days a week and did not have a holiday for four years, but it was worth it. Over my time I have seen many other dog walking businesses come and go, but the work is too hard for many and therefore they generally give up within two years. I worked very hard, and the business has grown from strength to strength and found that my name was getting known and I was getting too many dogs to do myself, so I took on my first dog walker. Currently we have around 20 amazing Professional Dog Walkers in our team and three team leaders, we have also recently started an admin and training business to help other individual professional dog walkers.
TLC Dog Walking Has Been Here A While
With over 200,000 dog walks under our leash, TLC Dog Walking is certainly trusted and has plenty of experience. Our reputation is so well-known that 95% of our new customers come through personal recommendations and word of mouth. From being a professional dog walker for years to owning my own dog walking business and growing from there, I know what makes a good dog walker. As the founder of TLC Dog Walking, a professional dog walking service, here is what we look for in dog walkers and the characteristics they must all share.
Passion A passionate dog walker will never cut a dog walk short unless it is an emergency. They take photos of the adventures and happily share them with our clients. Passionate dog walkers take pride in what they are doing, and it shows in the dogs they walk. They take the time to know as much about their four-legged clients as possible, including each dog’s birthday as well as favourite treats.
Dependable Our dog walkers will go the extra mile to make sure every dog receives a safe and enjoyable walk. They will ensure they always arrive on time and provide amazing service to the family every time. Dog walkers should have a postman’s mentality, they show up no matter if it is raining, sleeting, snowing or sunny. We make organising walks easier by having a special app to show the times and locations of all the dogs. Accountable Our dog walkers are accountable as the pet’s health and well-being are in their hands on a regular basis. Professional dog walkers always show up at the desired time and place and are responsible for bringing dogs back safe and sound. Our dog walkers will use our software to keep track of their schedule.
Thorough A good dog walker must be thorough in carrying out their duties. Most owners will leave notes their dog’s health issues, triggers and preferences. A great dog walker makes sure to read—and remember— every detail before beginning a walk. The last thing anyone wants is a dog walker who does not follow instructions to the T. If a note states a dog must be crated after each walk and the walker misses this detail, the owner could come home to a chewed-up pair of Jimmy Choo’s, a ripped up signed Michael Jackson Record or a damaged Eames chair.
Experience
Funnily enough, this is the least important. While TLC Dog Walking does look for dog walkers with experience, I have found that it is not that important, and some people are just naturals. We do offer training and on-going support to help with problems. An experienced pet professional knows how to make the dog walk fun. With experience, our dog walkers know, among other things: 1) to bring all-natural treats; 2) how to deal with sluggish dogs; 3) how much energy each breed needs and 4) Which dogs are generally not allowed off the lead
Our Pet Peeve… Not treating Dogs Like individuals
TLC Dog Walking offers personalised care, which allows us to provide lots of attention and tailor our services to the pooch’s wants and preferences. We emphasize safe socialisation by carefully matching pups according to their personalities, temperaments, and personal preferences. We recognise that each dog has their own special likes, dislikes, and schedule…and we respect that.
We Are Pet Lovers and Professionals
The TLC Dog Walking team includes passionate, caring, and responsible animal lovers and owners. We get a lot of requests and applications to join our team, but we only welcome a very select few. Often, potential candidates are relatives or friends of existing team members. All our professionals undergo an extensive screening process and experience our unique training program. Team leaders are also required to pass a Pet First Aid course.
Who Becomes A TLC Dog Walker?
At TLC Dog Walking we have found a huge variety in ages and circumstances that make people decide to become a dog walker. As it is a part time position, they usually either do not require the money but are doing it for the love and for their fitness, as they are a carer with extraordinarily little time to work or have another job. According to a new study, not only are these walks fun and great for fitness, but they are also great for your mental health. The research by psychologists at the University of Liverpool, suggests that humans get just as much as their dogs from their walks. The greatest motivation for pet owners to go walking was the effect it had on their emotions and mental health. Rather than social or physical health benefits, it was found that the ability to walk to make them happy was the biggest drive. If you need lots of money, this is not the job for you. To do dog walking right, you should limit the dogs you walk and carefully select who you walk together. This ends up in a much more pleasant walk but is not great for the pocket.
When is Peak Dog Walking Time?
At TLC Dog Walking we have found most clients wish for their dog to be walked at 12 Noon. Obviously, it is not possible to walk all our dogs at the same time, so we try to accommodate as many as possible at their preferred time, but we generally do most of our walks between 11am and 2pm. Walks do get less over the school holidays.
Teamwork
At TLC Dog Walking, we work together as a team to complete the dog walks in the most efficient, effective, and fun way. Ultimately if we work as a team, basic jobs, such as swapping keys, can be done quickly and efficiently without too much stress. When other team members are off, we cover and help to ensure all the team can share the extra dogs with little change to our routines. If one of our team has an incident or issue, other team members always help them.
Money
Professional Dog Walking is a job that must be done for the love of it, not the monetary rewards. You will be paid for walking the dogs, and it will work out over the minimum wage, but as you are paid per dog, not per hour, the total amount will depend on a variety of variables, including how many dogs you wish to walk, how many you are capable of walking and how many dogs are available that day. We have some of our team have their own sociable, well trained dog with them all day, so this must be included in the total they are walking, so they will be able to earn less for an hour walk than someone who does not have their own dog with them. We also have some team members who choose to walk some dogs on their own or in pairs as they prefer to do this and that is their choice, but we do not recommend this as it brings your hourly wage down. We do not routinely walk more than four dogs in a group and only the very experienced members even walk more. As this job should be done for pleasure, that should be considered when you are choosing which dogs you walk together.
Insurance
Our company dog walking insurance covers you for walking dogs and pet taxi. However, you will need to advise your insurance that you will be legally transporting dogs and they will be covered under a company insurance. Some insurance companies are happy with this, and some will require you add business insurance to your vehicle. However, I have found that business insurance is not always more than comprehensive insurance. You do need to inform your insurance provider you will be commuting if you currently only have social and pleasure.
Job Share
Occasionally we can take on team members who cannot do the full lunch slot, however, they will need to be willing to collect keys and drop them off more than team members who cover the full lunch as they will likely be sharing these keys with another team member.
Covid-19
We do walk many dogs for client who are essential workers, so you must be aware that you may be going into the house of someone who is very susceptible to Covid-19. All team members must sanitise and disinfect frequently, however, Covid-19 is still contagious when someone does not know they have it.
Who should not be working with TLC Dog Walking?
The local law states that you should walk a maximum of 6 dogs on a walk, and this is soon going to be changed to four. So, if you want to walk more dogs for more money, you should not be with us.
You must pick up at least one dog poo for every one your dog does and dispose of it in a suitable way, so if you are not happy to do this, you should not be with us.
Clients have times they need the dogs walking, so if you cannot commit to the times we require, you should not be with us.
We have a four-hour slot in midday that needs walking, so if you need a lunch in this slot, you should not be with us.
We intend to return with every dog we take out, so if you are not able to know all your dog’s individually and concentrate solely on the dogs, you should not be with us.
You must be able to take criticism well and be willing to change. If you are not able to do this, you should not be with us.
We do not lie to clients about the time that the dog was walked, or where they were walked, so if you wish to cut walks short, you should not be with us.
We have clients that are out of the way and difficult to get to and occasionally need to cover unexpectedly. So, if you do not have a full driving licence and a suitable vehicle, you should not be with us.
We require a current DBS, so if you are not able to get one, you should not be with us.
We work as a team and help each other out, so if you are not team orientated, you should not be with us.
If you are wanting to become an individual dog walker, but wanting training, this is chargeable service we offer. If you join TLC Dog Walking, you are expected to be part of the team for two years’ minimum, or you will be required to pay for the training.
9 out of 10 Dogs Prefer TLC Dog Walking
O.K. so I just made that up, it will be more like 99 out of 100! But we do believe we are the best and expect exceptional service to keep our fabulous reputation. If you asked our dogs how great we are, you know how they respond? With a great big, toothy, doggie grin…that is how!
Comentarios