Why are there so many ‘young people” wanting to start dog walking services?
Question by Divapom: Why are there so many ‘young people” wanting to start dog walking services?
It seems like multiple times a day I see young people on here asking about what to charge for dog walking as they want to earn some money. Some as young as 12 years old.
Where I live, no one pays to have their dogs walked. Also, if they did, I don’t know anyone who would allow anyone not bonded, under age and with little experienc to walk their dogs.
Is this a viable way for young people to earn money? Why do so many young people think this is a good way to earn money? Would you pay a non-adult, or anyone for that matter to “walk” your dog?
Best answer:
Answer by CC
I think kids want to earn money but no where will hire them. Honestly I would not trust any unexperienced kid with my dogs, and without the kids knowing my dogs temperment.
I think that kids should mow the neighbors lawn or something like that
What do you think? Answer below!
Tagged with: many • People • Services • start • there • walking • wanting • young
Filed under: Dogs
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
no, I would not. all of my dogs are extremely strong (great dane, apbt/bloodhound mix, mastiff and boxer/airedale mix)
and could easily drag anyone younger than 17. *I* can hardly walk my pit mix and Im 18
also, some people I see walking their dogs let the dogs pull them. I have worked very hard to teach my dogs not to pull, and I dont want someone messing that up. before ANYONE walks my dogs (parents, family, friends) I show them how to do it correctly
dobiz- yes she is experienced…but how many kids are? not many, and not around where I live. most kids are intimidated by my dogs, and my sisters friends have tried walking them and it did not work out.
I wouldn’t pay for my dog to be walked by someone young and inexperienced but some people might. At least these young people are trying to make money instead of whining to mom and dad for extra cash.
With the economy the way it is many families don’t have much in the way of discretionary funds for entertainment and the extra’s kids want so they are trying to get it themselves. Creates a great work ethic for the next generation .
Because they like dogs and they see it as a potential way to earn money.
In my opinion, if you have to ask about it on here or advertise your ‘business’ online (in regards to dog walking or even sitting) then it’s not worth doing. You’d KNOW if your neighbors needed help with dog walking, and why would you be asking strangers? That’s just asking for trouble.
It’s all the old ‘ideas’ for kids that have gone out of style for various reasons. Car washing (there’s loads of car washes around for a reasonable price; people can sue at the drop of a hat for a mark), lemonade stalls (weather; cost; suing; general disinterest) and even babysitting. All of them (including dog walking) used to be okay jobs for kids to do- it got a bit of pocket money and didn’t take a lot of effort and responsibility.
But now dog owners have more common sense and people in general are more sue happy.
Every one has to start some where i suppose and kids think walking peoples dogs are easy all you have to do is put a lead on and walk the dog but its not that straight forward there are all sorts of potential problems that could happen and a young 12 or 14 year old would not be able to handle that situation
I would not pay a teenager under the age of 16 to walk my dogs i have seen what happens when you do dog car and the dog died because it got hit by a car
Given that the pet owner is giving the dog walker the keys to their home and entrusting their beloved pets into their care – nobody is going to hire just some kid unless the kid is family or neighbors/close family friends.
Young people think this is a good way to earn money because they have this pie-in-the-sky notion of what this job is. Yay – walk a nice doggie around for a while in the warm sunshine whenever I feel like it and not when I don’t feel like it and make easy bank. The realities of it don’t dawn on them.
Personally i dont trust many people with my dogs, i’m a 15 year old but i’ve been around dogs and dog training since i was about 3, so i would feel very uncomfortable having someone i dont know and has very little experience with dogs walk my dogs. But i guess they are thinking it a quick alternative to the usually baby sitting to earn money, personally i think there are better ways for a young teen or twelve year old to earn money, there are always chores to do around the house that you can ask for a higher allowance ask your neighbors for more work. but i guess they really want a simple way to earn money.
But the fact of the matter is it’s actually a very big job, how would the react if one of the dogs leashes slipped out of their hand? or how would the respond to passing another dog? if i let anyone walk my dog i walk with them to make sure they keep them under control. They need to have some experience and understand some dog behavior and know to to react in many situations such as if a small child came up and started petting the dog, what if the dog doesn’t like kids? or something else. its a lot to think about.
in some neighborhoods parents are short of money and therefore cannot afford allowances so kids find ways to earn extra money like yard work, housework or walking animals. Of course you wont let just any person in to your house or out to walk your dog so use your best judgement.
And yes, I would let a kid walk my dog as long as i know the kid and know that that particular kid is a responsible one that i could trust it with my dog. It’s like trusting it to sit with your kid while you go out. Use your common sense, i say.
They seriously think they can make $ 10/hour just for walking doggies.
They don’t know that it requires a certain amount of physical strength, courage, confidence, street smarts, and a whole heap of common sense. Not to mention a cell phone, driver’s license, and contracts – if a dog bites/bolts, etc., what are they going to do?
Personally I would not.
Unless I was going out of town and needed a pet sitter. Then I would only hire a licensed and bonded service with references.
That said, I was on CraigsList this morning and came across an ad by some lady looking for some one to walk her 15 year old dog 4 days a week for $ 25.00 a week.
The real killer came when she noted that she works days and her husband works nights and he would either be sleeping or playing video games, so he would not be a problem.