Dog Walker Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post presents detailed information on the dog walker job description, including the tasks, duties, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also provides the requirements you may have to meet to be hired for the dog walker role.

What Does a Dog Walker Do?

The dog walker job description involves providing adequate exercise, grooming and training to dogs, particularly those that have behavioral issues or who don’t get along with other animals.

It may also entail helping in searching for lost pets or watching over them for their owners, as well as keeping dogs confined without wandering.

Dog walkers are also responsible for reporting frequently to management about any animal incident or complaint.

This position monitors the dog food intake, health, and fitness of the pet, as well as cleans up the pet as required, and keeps records of all dog’s friendly acts.

It is their duty to carry out regular dog vaccinations and check health of the pet.

Another duty of the dog walker is maintaining the pet’s cage and supplies.

They maintain a record of the pets moving from location to location.

Keeping a log of all dog activities at the veterinary clinics, pet shops or with friends is among their duties.

They inspect the yard, dog house and surrounding area to ensure no intruders coming in to the pet.

More on Dog Walker Job Description

The dog walker work description also includes cleaning up the pet in order to avoid wastage and destruction of property.

It also involves taking care of the dog’s diet and training schedules as required.

Dog walkers are responsible for checking with all veterinary clinics whether they have current vaccine shots for the dog before allowing it to go out on a leash around their neighborhood or with visitors at their home.

They monitor the dog’s health as required and feed and groom the pet as needed on a regular basis.

Dog walkers are required to give proper care and treatment to the pet as required by owners.

To become a dog walker, you must be willing to undergo dog walking job instructions programs and adhere to all legal requirements of the profession, including proper safety training.

You must also be able and willing to carry out duties as assigned and adhere to rules and regulations of establishments where applicable.

Dog Walker Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The dog walker job description involves the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Groom and exercise dogs in accordance with dog walker instructions
• Accompany dogs on walks and ensure their safety
• Make comments on dog behavior to clients based on observations during dog walker instructions sessions
• Confine and carry small dogs as needed when large dogs are present
• Keep and maintain exercise area clean and sanitary to prevent any health or safety risks
• Communicate with clients to provide information on dog behavior, exercise and care during dog walker instructions sessions or when on walks, as needed
• Prepare all necessary documentation related to the dog walker instructions program, including the daily logbook, client file and other reports as required
• Conduct all legal transactions pertaining to the business, including collection of payments, in-person meetings with clients and other business activities as needed
• Monitor dog walks and the fitness and condition of the dogs, including weight, eating habits, breathing rate, temperature, and pulse rates.

Dog Walker Job Description for Resume

If you are writing a new resume or CV and have worked before or currently working as a dog walker, you can apply the above dog walker job description sample in making the Professional Experience part of your resume.

You can highlight the dog walker duties and responsibilities from the above job description to show that you have been effective performing the role.

This can significantly enhance your resume and increase your chances of being hired, especially if the new job that you are seeking requires someone with some dog walker work experience.

Dog Walker Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Here are major requirements that you may be expected to meet to be hired for the dog walker role:

• Must have a clean criminal history
• Ability to apply for and pass a background check
• Must be at least 18 years old to start dog walking job duties, and 21 years or older to finish dog walking job duties when dogs are present with clients in the exercise area during dog walkers instructions sessions or when dogs are present with clients on walks when dogs are present with clients in the exercise area during dog walkers instructions sessions
• Have suitable photo identification (driver’s license, state ID card and work identification card)
• Possess reliable transportation to work
• Must attend and participate in all required training classes, including dog behavior instruction classes, and maintain American Kennel Club certification as needed
• Ability to complete dog behavior instruction programs at a rate of 30 hours per week
• Must be willing to work at least 30 hours per week as a dog walking job duties position, including the time needed to clean, groom and feed the dogs during quality assurance sessions with the dog walkers instructions instructor or supervisor or with other staff members who supervise large groups of dogs during dog walkers instructions sessions under supervision of an instructor as needed
• Ability to accept all responsibilities and duties related to the training program, including keeping all training areas clean, orderly and free of clutter, dust or other dirt or debris.

Dog Walker Salary

The average salary of a dog walker is $32,502 (salary.com) and $50,392 (indeed.com) per year.

Indeed published the top paying cities as San Francisco, CA, $61,724; New York, NY, $58,504; Washington, DC, $57,708, Los Angeles, CA,$55,410; and Chicago, IL, $54,724 per year.

Zippia posted that there are currently over 15,273 dog walkers working in the United States.

Women make up 70.8% of all dog walkers, while men make up 29.2%.

An employed dog walker is 32 years old on average.

White (73.5%) is the most common ethnicity among dog walkers, followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.9%), Black or African American (4.1%), and Unknown (2.9%).

In comparison to public companies, dog walkers are 78% more likely to work for private companies.

Conclusion

The dog walker is responsible for walking dogs and taking care of their grooming, health and training.

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the dog walking job. They will be able to learn all about the dog walker duties and responsibilities.

It is also useful to recruiters/employs in making a detailed job description for the dog walker role.