How to Choose a Dog Walker

We love our job. Meeting and spending time with dozens of different dogs of all types and sizes is a great way to earn a living. 

Having a dog in your family is a fantastic experience that research shows is good for you, so it is a privilege for us to be able to help busy families share their lives with a dog. We make sure their dogs get the care they need when family members are working, or when older people can no longer give a dog the exercise they need.

So it's no surprise that dog walkers are busy. 

But how do you choose a dog walker when so many people offer dog-walking services?

We are not the only dog walkers in our area and often recommend others when we are too busy to take on new dogs, so what standards do we insist on, and what should you look for when choosing someone to come into your home to care for your pet? 

 Trust Your Dog Walker

This seems like a no-brainer but is easily overlooked when someone seems 'nice'. Someone who is going to probably have a key to your house and be responsible for your dog (that may have cost many hundreds of pounds) should be police-checked to make sure they have a trustworthy background and should be happy to provide references from other customers that you can check.

Reputation is a good guide, so ask around your local area – in the vets or local pet shops who they recommend.

Is Your Dog Walker Insured?

Your dog walker should have third party liability insurance as a minimum, and should be happy to discuss the cover provided. How will your dog be transported? Is the vehicle fit to carry animals and is it insured specifically for that purpose as a business?

Knowledge and Expertise

What experience and knowledge does your dog walker have? They don't have to be dog trainers or behavioural experts but they certainly should be experienced handlers of a wide range of types of dog.

If they are interested in dogs they will probably also be able to tell you about loads of other interesting courses or workshops they have attended too – for example they may be involved in training clubs, or breed clubs with their own dogs, or have done animal first aid training for example.

A Professional Dog Walker

Your dog walker should want to record a wide range of information about you and your dog to make sure they are equipped with enough information to look after your dog for you, including emergency contacts and vets. 

They should also been in regular contact with you with updates about your dog's behaviour, health, socialisation to help you care for your dog. 

The National Association of RegisteredPet Sitters is a membership organisation with a code of practice. Membership is voluntary but is a good guide to the standards and professionalism of your dog walker. 

We are proud to be members and agree to their code of practice and are happy to answer any questions about the service we offer, or about us or our own lovely dogs. You can find out more about us at www.animalassistance.co.uk 

Gum Disease – The no 1 health issue in our dogs and cats

Gum Disease - The Number 1 Health Issue in our Dogs and Cats

by Alison Frost

One of the things about caring for animals as a job is that you can't help but be really interested in the subject because we are dog owners ourselves. We are always on the lookout for interesting information, particularly about animal health so were surprised to learn that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of three  years suffers with gum disease (periodontal disease).

It's not just about dog-breath!

As if smelly dog breath wasn't bad enough, what is even more worrying are the potential health problems that can arise from untreated gum disease, including some heart conditions and cancers.

Spotting dental problems in animals isn't necessarily easy: no matter how painful toothache is, dogs and cats aren't good at letting us know when they are in pain. Look out for these signs:

• Change in eating habits- e.g. a usually greedy dog that is off their food or showing signs of distress when eating.
• Reluctance to eat
• Changes in behavior or temperament
• Persistent bad breath
• Unexplained weight loss
• Brownish tinge along the gum line
• Blood in the saliva

Gum disease in wild animals is unusual, so why the sudden increase in this relatively new disease?

In this excellent article about gum disease, Dr Karen Becker, suggests that what we feed our dogs and cats is causing them dental problems, together with a lack of understanding about the importance of good dental hygiene in pets.

Over the last thirty years the way we feed dogs and cats has changed dramatically with the trend towards feeding biscuit-based 'complete' food. As dog walkers we hear anecdotes of vets recommending biscuits for dogs because they 'clean their teeth', which is a bit like suggesting that a McVities Digestive is a useful tool in our daily dental hygiene routine!

So how do we protect our dogs' and cats' teeth from the dental epidemic?

• Start cleaning your dogs teeth early in life: though this is not right for everyone - I certainly know my two dogs do not like their teeth being cleaned by me! There are tooth brushes and meaty smelling toothpastes available from your local vets or pet shop.
• An “e-cloth” for teeth: Lintbells produce a natural, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal cloth cleaner which is less invasive so easier to use.
• Feed our pets well: biscuits and treats can contain lots of added sugars, which do exactly to your pets what they do to us. There are specific marketed tooth products such as Dentastix on the market, but they can be surprisingly high in carbohydrates themselves. Dogs and cats are carnivores, you can see that in their teeth.
  
  Cats and dogs fed on raw meat foods have much less peritoneal disease than than those fed on commercial feeds. Raw bones from your butcher naturally clean teeth each time they eat (don't feed cooked bones that can splinter and harm your pet, don't leave them unsupervised if your dog is not used to them or is prone to aggression with food like 'guarding')

• High quality chews- we recommend Stag bars , they wont splinter, chip or cause blockages. We do not recommend raw hide chews or any cooked bought stuffed bones because they have a high risk of splintering or causing obstructions.

• Anti Plague powders- If your dog can’t tolerate bones and high quality chews a natural anti plague powder that you can sprinkle onto their food can help.
• Every so often have a look in your pets mouth for cracked teeth, inflammation, bad breath or rotten teeth. If your dog or cat is showing signs of discomfort ask your vet to have a look.

Keeping a close eye on our dogs' and cats' dental health should help to ensure they have a great smile like Archie here, and live long healthy lives.

A Dog is a Dog - Responsible Dog Ownership

Watching one of our own Collies stalking crows in a field near us you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a Lioness stalking a Gazelle in a David Attenborough documentary. As he flattened himself to the floor and inched closer it was easy to see his predatory instincts at work, even if he never catches his prey and comes back wagging his tail, looking mightily pleased with himself.

At Animal Assistance we walk two Chihuahuas. There's no getting away from it, they are incredibly cute. Yet see them with the other dogs in the group we walk and you are left in no doubt that they are absolutely dogs, as they hold their own and put the other dogs in their place.

The point is, and a point that people often forget, dogs are at heart predators with the equipment and instincts of predators.

Today on the news was a report of another tragedy involving a dog. Doubtless there will be a resurgence of debate about dangerous breeds and dog control legislation, yet the proper response is to realise it's often not about the dog.

We promote responsible dog ownership and expect the dogs we walk to have the basics of good behaviour. We work with our customers to make sure their dogs have the groundings of training they need to be well socialised and well behaved.

In light of the most recent tragedy there is good advice about dog behaviour available on line, but we recommend dog training for any dog owner.

In our own areas of Oldham and Tameside we've worked with a number of dog trainers and training organisations including Rachel Bean, Northern Alsatian and All Breeds Training Society and On Track Dog Training School.