A pair of sneakers wait by the door right under the leash and harness holder. These sneakers have traversed hundreds of miles, and oh, the stories they could tell!
Luckily, we don’t have to rely on talking shoes to tell us what it’s like to be a professional dog walker.
Jennifer (Jenn) Schlotfeldt is a professional dog walker, pet sitter, and dog trainer based in the Raleigh, NC area with her own business, Jenn’s on the Job. We’ll focus on her story of becoming a professional dog walker to get an inside look into how she turned her passion for dogs into a successful dog-walking business.
Why Do People Hire a Dog Walking Service?
There’s no denying that we treat our dogs as beloved family members, but do we always provide the very best care we can for them? Unfortunately, the answer may be no when it comes to routine exercise for our canine companions. Rarely do we regret taking our dogs on a walk, but we know we could do better. Research from Rover.com’s Dog People Walking Report found that 57% of dog owners surveyed skip walks each week even though 79% think their dog should be walked at least twice a day.
Part of being a responsible dog owner is understanding our dog’s need for physical exercise – and actually following through to meet their needs. Some dog owners are home and can tend to their dogs’ physical needs throughout the day, but what about those who must be gone for a long time or are unable to provide the amount of exercise their dog requires?
That’s where a dog walker’s services become invaluable.
Jenn’s Dog-Loving Background
It would be rather difficult to own a pet-related business if you didn’t like them in the first place. Fortunately, Jenn’s passion is apparent when she discusses her background of how she was inspired to start her business.
Jenn grew up with Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Siberian Huskies. Her parents showed both breeds and raced the Huskies. She says, “I think the first time I didn’t have a dog in the house was my freshman year of college. So by my sophomore year, I went and got myself a sweet baby Siberian Husky of my very own. I have always had dogs since then and currently have two Catahoula mixes.”
Jenn had been working in the restaurant industry since she was 15, and she was making excellent money. However, she knew she didn’t want to do that forever. “I wanted to find something I could make more money long-term and my own schedule when I needed to,” Jenn notes. “I then worked at a kennel/daycare/training place for dogs for maybe two years. It was family-owned and was a great place to work, but I got about as high up as I was going to and I realized I could be doing the same thing but making more money if I did it on my own – so I did!”
Taking a leap of faith
Jenn’s dog walking started with one client and grew from there. “I was slowly but surely filling up my schedule. One of the first gigs I had was taking care of three Schnauzers, two Giant Schnauzers and one Mini Schnauzer. I also helped take care of the owners of the Schnauzers’ human parents. They lived on the same property a driveway or two apart. I helped them out in more ways than one, and I got paid to do two jobs.”
Jenn knew she had something good going on, but she needed to get the word out about her dog-walking business. “I did some advertising on social media. I also had a website and gave out business cards,” states Jenn. “Most of it was word of mouth. And at this point, I have pretty much become exclusively word of mouth! If we don’t have a mutual friend or acquaintance, it’s not likely I am going to take on that new client, specifically for walking and sitting. Training can sometimes be more in and out, a little less personal.”
It’s FriYAY!! 
How y'all feeling? Which Willy face are you? 
Services at Jenn’s on the Job
Jenn’s on the Job offers a variety of services, including walking, sitting, and training. Diversifying helps her clients choose services that benefit both them and their dogs and allows some variety during the day for Jenn.
- Dog walking: “For daily walks, I go to the house where the dogs live, and we walk right at about 40 minutes or usually 2 miles. Some younger dogs can go further and faster, and some older dogs don’t need to go quite as far.”
- Dog sitting: “I go to the client’s house either twice a day or three times a day depending on the need. Similar to the walks, I spend 40-45 minutes making sure they have everything they need – exercise, food, cuddles, water, and medicine if necessary.”
- Dog training: “I do training appointments which can either be a half hour or an hour. We will work on whatever the owner needs or wants the dog to be able to do. That will usually be followed up a week or two later after they’ve had some time to practice the manners.
“I definitely do more walks more than the other services. Once you get them trained correctly, they don’t need that service every day.”
A Day in the Life of a Dog Walker
Some people may assume being a dog walker is just a walk in the park, but there’s way more to it with a jam-packed week working weekdays, weeknights, and weekends catering to the needs of her dog clients.
One factor we may not consider is exactly how much walking a dog walker does! The average dog walking session for an individual is about 20-30 minutes a day. However, Jenn walks 12-15 miles on an average weekday! On average, she has 5 to 8 appointments a day every day during the week. The weekends give a little bit of respite, as her appointments are spread out across the day and are less frequent.
Jenn notes, “On the weekdays, I am up about 7 AM, get my own dogs taken care of, and then I’m out the door around 8:30 with back-to-back appointments until I return home sometime between 4-5 PM. Some of those days I might have a training appointment in the evening. If I work weekends or when I have people out of town who need sitting, I am out to get their breakfast and bathroom break much earlier, closer to 6:30 AM, and then their evening bedtime break at 7-7:30 PM.”
What a week! Jenn said she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Y'all meet Hazel!! 
she is brand new to her home and still trying to figure it all out. Only a few months old and has the BEST parents. We worked on some basic skills and manners today! Looking forward to doing it again soon.
What Should I Look For in a Dog Walker?
Jenn knows the importance of making sure your dog walker is a great fit for you and your dog’s needs. She has some advice for finding a dog sitter.
Ask for a consultation
Before you hire the first person you find online, you should get a consultation for a meet-and-greet to see if the partnership is viable. “The majority of the time it is a good fit and it works out. But there have been a few that I had to say no to,” states Jenn.
Consider your values
Not everyone can pick up a leash, walk a dog around the neighborhood, and call themselves a dog walker. When considering what to look for in a dog walker, think about the values important to you when entrusting your beloved furbaby to someone else. “Your dog walker needs to be personable, trustworthy, reliable, and honest. They should be someone who can physically handle the tasks but also be emotionally able to make quick decisions if an emergency arises,” Jenn explains.
Jenn is a fantastic example of a person who truly cares about her canine clients. “My human clients know how much I truly care. I appreciate them trusting me with their ‘kids that can’t talk’. It’s a different level of trust and respect.”
Working on Lana looking at the camera 
Good boy Bo Biscuits!! #oodlesofdoodles
The Downsides of Dog Walking
While Jenn mostly has positive things to say about her chosen profession, sometimes it’s not all sunshine and wagging tails. “One of the toughest things for me because I genuinely love doing it so much is that I don’t take enough time off. And the absolute hardest part for me is when one of my clients crosses the Rainbow Bridge. They’re all like my ‘other’ kids.” This just demonstrates how much Jenn cares deeply about what she does.
Navigating unsafe environments
It’s important to be present when you take a stroll with your pooch. You may think checking your phone or listening to music is a harmless way to stay busy on a walk, but you may want to reconsider in light of safety issues. According to CNN, multitasking can be dangerous when walking a dog.
We asked Jenn if she listens to podcasts or catches up with friends on phone calls during her walks to pass the time since she pounds the pavement so much.
“I am guilty of checking social media on my phone from time to time,” admits Jenn. “Otherwise, I’m on the lookout for any sort of danger, whether it be another car or possibly a dog off-leash. That happens at least once a week. Sometimes it’s OK, but sometimes the dogs don’t like each other. It’s frustrating meeting off-leash dogs and is illegal for good reasons. I don’t like wearing headphones or listening to anything because I want to know if there’s a car careening up behind us, somebody honking their horn, or a person screaming for help.
Observing the world around you
When you are present on your walks, you have a lot of time to observe and think about issues important to you regarding your business, and Jenn is no different.
Do you like to make connections with people on your walks? Jenn does. She observes a variety of things around her that helps her become part of the communities where she walks. “I do love checking out everyone’s beautiful yards and trees. I’m also one of those crazy ladies who talks to everybody, whether it’s the dog I am walking or the dog in the yard we just walked past. I know more delivery people and neighbors by name in my clients' neighborhoods than I do in my neighborhood! I also enjoy taking pictures and videos to share.”
However, people have to be vigilant and follow safety tips when walking dogs. Jenn also sees some unpleasant and downright unsafe behaviors when she’s out on her routes. Jenn laments, “I wish more people used their blinkers because it’s not only helpful for other motorists but also pedestrians. It would also be nice if there was better enforcement of people on their phones while driving. I almost get hit by a car a couple of days a week. The dramatic lack of people actually paying attention when they’re driving has been noticeable. More sidewalks are always a good thing, but I am fortunate the neighborhoods I walk in that do not have sidewalks tend to be wide streets where the cars slide over to give you room. I think that’s very polite, and I am thankful for that.”
The Funny, Sunny Side of Dog Walking
We asked Jenn if she had any funny, unusual, or heartwarming stories that have happened on her neighborhood adventures, she had a hard time deciding on a few to tell us. “Oh my. I probably have thousands of stories!” Jenn chuckled.
A screwdriver saves the day
“An interesting one when I first got started that I’ve learned a lot from was when I was sitting at a client’s house in Durham with their Golden Retriever named Hadley. I got there for her dinner visit. We went out in the backyard to play and let her go to the bathroom –but I had locked us out of the house!”
Jenn laughs, “The only key was inside. I could not get in touch with the owners and tried multiple outlets to get us back in the house. I finally realized the front door just had a chain-style slide lock near the top of the door, so I walked up the street and asked some random neighbors if they had a screwdriver I could borrow. I got the door open just enough to unscrew the chain lock and let myself in. I haven’t locked myself out of a client's house since!
A heartwarming story
Grab some tissues because this next story from Jenn might make you wonder who is chopping onions.
“I used to walk two Brussels Griffons that looked like little Ewoks – absolutely adorable. They bark at everyone and everything except for small children. Almost every day, we walked we would pass a facility that had pre-K kids on the playground. The kids would come flying up to the fence screaming, ‘Sam and Tony!’ I would always ask if it was OK that they pet them, and the dogs loved it.”
“There was always one kid in particular that had to be front and center, and he would just repeat their names over and over saying, ‘Sam and Tony Sam and Tony’ while petting them. Finally one day one of the people who worked there told me that specific child was mostly nonverbal, and the most they had ever heard him speak was when we would walk by and he would talk to Sam and Tony.”
Your Dog Walker Is Your Partner
Dog walkers provide an invaluable service for people who are not able to get out there once, twice, or even three times a day. National Dog Walker Appreciation Day is celebrated on September 8th of every year. However, don’t wait to show your appreciation to your hard-working dog walker. After all, they are a crucial member of your team of people you surround yourself with as partners in raising a happy, healthy puppy.
Walk a Pawrade Dog
If you’re looking for cute puppies for sale, Pawrade makes the process easy by offering puppies from reputable breeders who can help you understand how much exercise your particular dog breed needs to stay fit. Our Puppy Concierge Team is eager to “walk” you through the process of adopting your forever furbaby.
Follow Jenn on Instagram at @jenn_mutts and her Facebook business page Jenn’s on the Job.
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