Is my dog too shy or nervous for a dog walker?
“Shy” and “nervous” can mean very different things depending on the dog.
One shy dog might bark when a new person enters, then happily head out for a walk the second she sees us grab the leash. Like, "I don't know you, but if you'll take me for a walk we'll be BFFs!" Another may hide and growl when being approached with a harness because he has handling anxiety. A nervous dog might occasionally bark at another dog across the street but continue walking after their emotions are heard loud and clear, or they might redirect toward the person holding the leash.
That is why a label alone cannot tell us whether a dog will be comfortable and safe with a dog walker. There are so many points during a "dog walk" that dogs need to be comfy with (and only one of them is the actual walk!):
The Entrance - When we enter your house
The Gear Up - When we leash up for fun
The Walk - While we're adventuring
The Gear Up might be the most important part of the walk!
When people think about hiring a dog walker, they often focus on how their dog behaves outside, you know... walking. (It's in the name right?) But some of the most important moments happen before the we walk out the front door. And when things don't work out, it's usually at this point, not related to the actual "walk."
A walker needs to be able to enter your home, approach your dog, and gear up your pooch. This can be difficult for dogs who guard their space, avoid handling, hide from unfamiliar people, or become uncomfortable when someone reaches toward their collar or harness.
A dog who loves walking with their family may still respond very differently when someone else tries to leash them.
If your dog has ever snapped, growled, hidden, refused to walk, slipped out of equipment out of fear, resisted gear-up, or made it difficult for another dog walker to get them out the door, that is information we want to know. That history does not automatically mean we will decline service. It helps us make an informed decision instead of putting your dog or a Minder into a situation they were not prepared for.
And the truth is, if you've had problems with other dog walking services, friends or family at the point of leash-up, there is a VERY good chance, you'll find the same issues with us. Not because we're not great (we think we are) but your dog might have clear boundaries in terms of what they are and aren't comfortable with. And we tend to listen when dogs tell us about their boundaries. We owe it to them, and we owe it to keep our employees safe in the workplace.
Previous experiences tell us so much
It can be tempting to describe a difficult moment as a fluke, especially when your dog behaves differently with you. It might be confusing to hear that your dog didn't let a dog walker leash them up. It's behavior you've likely never experienced personally. But information about what has happened with other caregivers or previous dog walkers is often the most useful information we can receive.
If your dog “takes time to warm up,” we will want to understand what that looks like. We will likely ask questions before the meeting. Does it mean they keep their distance for a few minutes, or that they cannot safely be approached without growling? If your dog has “done better with certain walkers,” what happened with the others? If they “sometimes refuse to walk,” can the visit still happen without chasing, cornering, pulling, or physically moving them? Have they ever snapped at or bitten a walker?
Specific examples are far more useful than labels. Our goal is not to judge your dog. It is to understand what a typical visit could realistically involve and whether or not we think we can safely and routinely gear up for adventures.
Your dog must be comfortable with backup Minders
There is a reason why we ask on our intake forms about dogs meeting new friends in the home. We've been offering our employees PTO almost as long as we've been in business. Some shy dogs become deeply attached to one particular walker. That relationship can be lovely, but relying on one single walker is not how our service is structured.
If you become a client of The Monster Minders, your Minder WILL take time off eventually. We cannot guarantee that the same person will complete every visit. You might even have a small group of walkers caring for your dog depending on how unpredictable your schedule is. The fact is our employees occasionally need days off for pesky sinus infections or their cousin's wedding in New York.
For many dogs, having a small team of familiar friends is a benefit. It prevents their routine from falling apart whenever one walker is unavailable or you request a visit and your walker is already booked with another client. But if your dog can only be handled by one specific person, a service like ours might not be the best fit.
This is also why regular weekly walks can be helpful. Consistent visits give dogs more opportunities to become familiar with the people caring for them. Occasional service can be much harder for a dog who needs significant time to rebuild trust after every gap. For us, we built our company around consistent, weekly service. We believe it's safer for our employees to be visiting dogs that are used to the routine and it's less stressful on the pups.
Not all dogs are dog-walker-dogs
This sound strange coming from a dog walking service, but after two decades of doing this work we understand a truth: Not all dogs are comfortable with a dog walker. And that's OK! In some cases, pushing a dog beyond their boundaries can actually be detrimental long term. We want to set dogs up for success, even if that means that it might not be with us.
In some cases, we may recommend working with a certified trainer before beginning dog-walking service. In others, a caregiver who specializes in behavioral cases or can guarantee one consistent person may be a better match. Some do better in daycare if their boundaries are home-and-environment based.
That is not a judgment on the dog. It simply means the service needs to fit the dog in front of us. Dogs are like humans: some humans love a dinner parties with four close friends that they've known for years, others love block parties with booming music and hundreds of strangers, while others would like nothing more than to curl up on the couch with a crossword. Nothing is wrong with any situation - dogs and people just have different comfort levels with other people in their space.
So, can we walk your shy or nervous dog?
Possibly!
The best candidates are dogs who can safely allow another person to enter, leash them, and take them on adventures in public. They should also be able to work with backup walkers when needed, sometimes on short notice. Because that is how we've set up The Monster Minders. We pride ourselves in showing up when our clients need us, even if their Minder wakes up on a Tuesday with the stomach flu or is in Puerto Rico on well-deserved vacation.
When you contact us, tell us what your dog’s behavior looks like, including anything that has happened with previous walkers or caregivers. The more specific you are, the better we can determine whether The Monster Minders is the right fit for your dog’s regular weekday walks. (We hope we are!)
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