How To Find a Reliable, Trustworthy Dog Walker

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• Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

Daily walks don’t just give your dog exercise—they play an important part in keeping them happy and healthy. But it’s not always easy to give your pup the activity they need. Whether you’re working late, caring for family, managing mobility concerns, or simply don’t have the time and energy, a dog walker can help.

The question is, how do you find someone you trust enough to take care of your pup? Finding reliable and trustworthy dog walkers isn’t easy—but it’s worth the effort.

“The right dog walker can truly upgrade your dog’s routine, give you peace of mind, and keep everyone safe,” says Alexandra Bassett, a certified dog trainer, behavior consultant, and owner of DogSavvy. With Bassett’s help, we explore how to find a safe, competent, loving dog walking professional who will treat your dog like their own.

Finding the Right Dog Walker

You can search for dog walkers in several ways—asking family and friends, searching online, or using pet care apps like Rover. Keeping the following criteria in mind can help you find the right fit for you and your pup:

• A profile on reputable pet care platforms or references you can check
• Positive reviews from other clients
• Completed background checks
• Experience with dogs of a similar size and personality
• Green flags, like clear and direct communication and interest in your dog
• Willingness to meet you and your pup before you book a walk

Compare Qualifications, Licensing, and Safety Checks

The best dog walkers come with more than just treats; they’re highly trained, highly skilled, and deeply knowledgeable about dog behavior. A true pro knows how to read canine body language, is ready for any emergency, and uses basic training techniques to make every walk safe, productive, and enjoyable.

First aid and CPR

While you hope nothing ever goes wrong on a walk, accidents and emergencies can happen. A skilled dog walker should be trained in pet first aid and CPR so they can act quickly and confidently if your pup needs help.

Organizations like PetTech and the American Red Cross offer courses and certifications to ensure that dog walkers know how to prevent and handle walking injuries, heatstroke, and other urgent situations.

Professional certifications and training

In addition to being first-aid certified, many of the best dog walkers pursue certifications in dog walking, sitting, and training. These certification courses provide valuable knowledge about dog behavior, training and handling techniques, and best practices to keep your dog safe.

Some of the most common dog walking certifications to look for include:

• Certified Pet Expert: CPS-DW Certification for Sitters and Dog Walkers
• Pet Sitters International: Certification for Professional Pet Sitters
• National Association of Professional Pet Sitters: Pet Sitter Certification Course
• Fear Free Pet Sitter Certification Program

Dog walker insurance

Just like insurance for your home or business, dog walker insurance is specially created to protect and support dog walkers in an emergency, whether it’s an unexpected trip to the vet, a damaged fence, or even lost house keys. Many dog walker insurance policies cover injuries, property damage, and accidental lockouts, ensuring that problems are covered without asking them (or you) to pay out of pocket.

Background checks

When you hire a dog walker, you’re not only entrusting them with the care of your dog, but also your home. It’s completely reasonable—and smart—to request a background check. A background check will find any red flags, like a criminal record, history of theft, or any other issues that could affect your trust and comfort level.

Most professional dog walkers have a background check ready to share or are happy to provide the information you need to run your own screening.

Tips To Find a Good Fit for Your Dog

While credentials and insurance are important, you’ll also want to choose someone whose personality, walking style, and approach are well-suited to your unique pup. Here are some tips to go beyond the basics to help you find trustworthy walkers that are a good fit for your dog.

Look for a shared philosophy

There are many different methodologies and philosophies for dog handling, and it’s important to choose a dog walker who will treat your pup the way you want them to be treated.

As a positive reinforcement trainer, Bassett always ensures that her dog walkers use gentle, reward-based techniques. “If your dog barks or pulls, building space between them and the trigger generally works better than any harsh approach, like jerking on a choke chain,” she explains. “Many dogs can’t just walk calmly down a crowded sidewalk, so it’s crucial to have a walker who’s prepared to prevent unwanted encounters.”

Scan reviews for dogs similar to yours

Dog walker reviews can offer a wealth of information to help you choose the right dog walker for your pup. But don’t just scan for high ratings—look for reviews that mention dogs similar to yours in size, age, temperament, and needs. Read the good reviews, the bad reviews, and everything in between to get a well-rounded sense of a potential dog walker’s strengths and reliability.

Be upfront about your dog’s needs

Every dog has unique personality traits, whether they’re anxious, excitable, reactive, or tend to stop and sniff every single mailbox they pass. It’s important to choose a dog walker who is confident, skilled, and flexible enough to match their approach and pace.

“They should be ready to handle your dog’s unique personality and any quirks,” Bassett says.

You’ll also want to ask about whether the walker typically takes one dog at a time or go for group outings. Depending on your pup, one might be better than the other. You might even consider if your dog would benefit more from a drop-in visit and a game of fetch than a walk.

Try out several walkers

If this is your first time hiring a dog walker, it’s a great idea to meet and consider several dog walkers. Taking this approach lets you consider plenty of options and gives you a better sense of who’s available. You can see different handling styles in action and clarify what’s most important to you in a dog walker.

Meet and Greets and Trial Runs

A meet and greet is a great way to prepare for your dog walker. It gives you a chance to meet potential dog walkers in person, introduce your pup, and see them in action. Treat the meet and greet like an interview. In other words, use it to observe how a dog walker shows up, whether they’re prepared, and how they engage with your dog.

“The first thing I would look for is how they handle the basics,” Bassett recommends. “A good walker will check that the collar or harness fits just right—snug so your dog won’t slip out, but never too tight to cause discomfort.”

She adds that a dog walker should:

• Be dressed for a walk
• Incorporate basic training into their walking routines
• Come with all the tools they need for the walk (like poop bags)
• Prioritize the dog’s safety and clear communication

“Observing them in action with your dog—whether it’s a quick walk around the block or a chat in the building lobby—lets you see if they can read your dog’s cues,” Bassett says. “Right away, you’ll get a sense of whether your dog feels comfortable around them and vice versa.”

This is particularly important for large dogs, Bassett adds. “Someone who’s 115 pounds might not feel confident wrangling a 75-pound husky that pulls like a freight train, so it’s better to find that out sooner rather than later.”

Check References and Trust Your Instincts

Once you’ve found a promising dog walker candidate, don’t skip the final step: checking references.

Reading reviews, calling past clients, and listening for honest feedback about their reliability, communication, and care can help you find any red flags before you book a walker.

Putting in the work of finding a reliable dog walker for your pup is well worth the effort. Trust your gut! If something doesn’t feel right at any point, keep looking. The right dog walker will greet your dog with the same warmth and respect you do and make you feel confident about leaving your pup in their care.

As Bassett says, when the right person is on the other end of the leash, your dog gets to enjoy safe, happy, and enriching walks—and you get the enjoy the peace of mind of knowing they’re in good hands.