Maintaining safety: The steps that I take

Unfortunately, the topic of safety has been on everyone’s mind following the awful news of a young woman’s tragic death last week whilst out walking dogs. My thoughts are with her family and everyone involved, including the first responders who attended the scene.

Safety is something that I’ve discussed a fair amount across my website and in various posts to social media, but I’d like to take the time today to write some more on the subject; to give an in-depth look into the measures I take daily and to put minds at ease. The reality of it is that nothing in life is 100% without risk, particularly when your working environment is a natural, public space where you can truly never control every element around you. It’s for this reason that I take these measures as seriously as I do, and I hope that this post will demonstrate that I’m always doing everything in my power to ensure the safety of my dogs, other dogs, other humans, wildlife, and of myself on every walk.

Careful & thoughtful grouping

My groupings are never arbitrary. As I’ve built up my client base over the last few years, I’ve added dogs gradually, meeting with each potential client and their dog before making any commitments and gathering as much information as possible to determine whether I have a suitable space for their dog. This decision is, in part, influenced by who I’m already walking on the requested days. I have no desire to max out each round if that means placing dogs together who I feel won’t be a good match for whatever reason, and so quite often you’ll see me walking less than 4 dogs, something that I’m more than happy to do!

4 dogs max

With this in mind, I always like to be clear that I operate in line with the local restrictions, never taking out more than 4 dogs at a time. If you see photographs with more than 4 dogs, you’ll notice that the extras are my own dogs, who are always there with a family member and not under my care at that time. I also want to note that I’m not only influenced by the legislation here, but also my own personal comfort levels; I’ll never take out more dogs than I think I can manage at any one time. There are some groupings who will most likely remain a 3 because I wouldn’t feel confident or comfortable including a 4th - comfort and safety always come before potential profit.

Control & Management

I feel that it’s incredibly important to be aware of your surroundings at all times as a dog walker, and to be continuously assessing and responding to changes in that environment as much as possible. This means at times changing direction to avoid certain situations, obstacles, or triggers, or at others recalling my dogs and putting them back on their leads, or distracting them with treats. As previously stated, It’s of course not possible to be 100% in control of a public, natural environment, where you can’t guarantee who you might meet, what you might see or hear, or what situations might occur, but being as prepared as possible and as observant and responsive as possible can go a long way towards maintaining an appropriate level of control in spite of this.

Information gathering

I make a point of meeting with potential new clients and their dogs prior to beginning walks for them, and gathering as much information about their dog and their dog’s lifestyle as possible at this stage. This includes learning about their background, any potential triggers, any behavioural issues or concerns, and other elements such as injury or illness that might impact future or current behaviour. This stage is crucial, as it helps me to determine a) if I have a good slot with good matches for this dog, and b) if I have the means to provide this dog with the best care possible and meet all of their needs. If I feel that I’m not the best fit for the dog, I will always be completely upfront about this and aim to recommend another professional who may be a better match. My decision also involves thinking about the dogs already in my care, as established earlier.

Safety equipment

I make use of various bits of safety equipment on a regular basis to really cover all bases - my Tractive GPS trackers are used daily, as are my ID tags with bells. I also make regular use of the long line where needed, and have no qualms with returning to using a long line for dogs who have previously been off lead but for whatever reason need an added layer of security for a period of time. I also make use of control and management when walking to avoid unnecessary exposure to potential hazards or areas of distraction - for example, if I have a dog with me who I know enjoys running out onto the golf course to steal balls given the opportunity, I walk a route that avoids this area and in doing so don’t give them the opportunity!

K9 First Aid trained

I’ve completed a course in K9 First Aid, delivered by the IMDT, and carry a specialised dog first aid kit with me on walks. I’ve never had an injury or accident occur with dogs in my care, but were something to happen, I have several options for assistance close by, can perform first aid as needed on the scene, and would be able to get to our nearest vets (Elmfield Way) extremely rapidly - the drive is less than 5 minutes. I hope to never have to use any of this, however I think it’s good to know that I have plans in place!

Canine Body Language trained

I have also completed a course on Canine Body Language with the IMDT, which has really expanded and cemented my understanding of communication between dogs and others. I’m confident in my ability to read and assess body language indicators, and have a good understanding of how to respond appropriately. This is important as someone working with a range of dogs, some several days a week, others only once or twice a week - a lot can happen in a dog’s life between walks with me, not to mention that there are constant changes to the environment around us when we’re out, and so it’s crucial that I can read and respond to their needs each time I see them.

Fully insured

I have insurance covering dog walking, dog transportation, dog training and dog sitting, provided by Protectivity Insurance. This cover also extends to close family members, who are the only people who sometimes accompany me on my rounds. It should still be noted that I never relinquish care or control of your dogs to anyone else, however - sometimes a close family member will accompany me to bring our family dogs out so that they can walk with other dogs, or just as company for me!

Confidence, experience, care

I love what I do, I love dogs, and I’ve been working with them for many years now in various capacities. I wouldn’t do this job if I didn’t feel that I could do it well, and I pride myself on being as actively involved in the lives and care of each of my dogs as possible. I don’t just want to be your dog’s walker, I want to be someone that you can turn to for help and advice, as well as someone who you know shares a bond with your dog and will always have their wellbeing in mind. I also wouldn’t do this job if I felt at all at risk myself, or if I felt that others were ever at risk. As I’ve hopefully outlined above, I make every effort to ensure total safety and comfort for everyone, and will never do anything to compromise that. I always chose to lose out on income and business rather than put my dogs, myself, or others into unsafe or uncomfortable situations, and that’s something that will never change.

So, I hope that this gives an idea of how seriously I take this subject, as well as a good overview of the individual choices, steps, and actions that go into maintaining a high standard of safety every single working day. As ever, if you have any questions concerning this particular topic, please do feel free to get in touch.