Why are we called The Monster Minders?

People ask us all the time where the name The Monster Minders comes from.

The answer is pretty simple: Every dog is somebody's monster.

Not a scary monster. The kind that steals your spot on the couch. The kind that somehow knows the sound of you unwrapping string cheese from three rooms away. The kind that turns into a cute tornado when you say the word "walk."

Back in 2005, when we started The Monster Minders in Philadelphia, we wanted a name that felt a little different from the dog walking companies that were popping up around the city. We loved dogs, but we also loved the reality of dogs. The goofy parts. The chaotic parts. The larger-than-life personalities that make us laugh every day.

The dogs were the monsters.

We were the Minders.

Orson enjoys his walk through Washington Square Park. A smiling monster!

Every Dog Is a Monster (In the Best Possible Way)

One of the best things about being a dog walker is getting to know just how different dogs can be.

Some monsters are tiny. Some are giant. Some are convinced they are lap dogs regardless of their actual size.

We've walked dogs who could hike for hours and dogs who were perfectly content to spend half their visit sniffing the same tree. We've worked with energetic puppies learning the ropes, senior dogs who prefer a slower pace, and everything in between. Every dog has their own quirks, routines, and personality.

That's part of what makes this work so much fun.

What Is a Minder?

A Minder is someone who looks after something important. It sounds kind of old-timey. We also like how Monster Minders sounds. (Sometimes joy over alliteration can be basic, right? Over the years, we've picked up a few other terms along the way. Shelter dog outings became Rescue Romps.)

While "dog walker" is technically accurate, we've always felt that the job is a little bigger than that.

A good Minder learns routines and notices when something isn't quite right.

A good Minder remembers which block your dog likes to investigate, which route they prefer, and where they always stop for a few extra sniffs.

A good Minder becomes a familiar part of a dog's week. That relationship is one of the reasons we've always focused on one-on-one dog walking. We don't do pack walks. We don't rush dogs through a crowded group outing. Instead, we get to know each dog as an individual and build care around their needs.

How The Monster Minders Started

The Monster Minders was founded in Philadelphia in 2005 via a Craigslist add. Back then, we were a tiny two-person operation with a handful of clients and a lot of enthusiasm. Our story is the classic "I never dreamed it would happen" start-up.

Fun Fact: Right after we named our company and secured our domain, Carrie's Mom begged us to change the name because she thought we'd insult our clients by calling their dogs "monsters." Thankfully that didn't happen!

Many of those early dogs still hold a special place in our hearts. (We thank them for trusting two "kids" with the their dogs. Ok, we weren't children, but we were young!) Some of our current clients have actually been with us since those early years, through multiple dogs, moves across neighborhoods, and all the changes that come with life in the city.

Clearly, we grown a lot since then. But while we've grown, the heart of the business hasn't changed much.

We still get excited about meeting new dogs.

We still laugh at ridiculous walk photos.

We still like alliteration and basic humor.

And we still feel incredibly lucky that people trust us with their pups.

More Than Twenty Years Later

More than two decades after our first walk, we still love the name.

It makes us smile.

It starts conversations.

Most importantly, it reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.

The dogs are the stars of the show. We're just the lucky people who get to spend our days with them. And after all these years, we still think every dog deserves a great Minder.