How do I choose a dog walker or a pet sitter?
An unlicensed trade with real variation. Insurance, group size, transport arrangements and what happens in an emergency are the four things that separate them.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 30 min
- Read
- 3 min
- Safety
- caution
Short answer
Ask for proof of public liability and care, custody and control insurance, ask how many dogs they walk at once and how they are transported, and do a trial walk with you present. Get an emergency arrangement in writing, including which vet they use and what they are authorised to spend. Home boarding and daycare do require a licence — dog walking does not.
The absence of licensing means the range runs from professionals with qualifications, insurance, canine first aid training and secure transport to someone with a lead and a phone. The difference is invisible from a card in a shop window, so the questions matter more here than in almost any other pet service.
Safety
Step by step
- Ask to see the insurance.Public liability covers damage or injury the dog causes. Care, custody and control covers the dog while it is in their charge — including a dog that is lost or injured. Both matter and they are different policies. Ask for the certificate, not a verbal assurance.
- Ask about group size and composition.How many dogs at once, how they are matched, and what happens if one does not get on. Some councils impose limits on the number of dogs one person may walk on public land — ask whether any applies locally.
- Ask how dogs are transported.Individually crated or partitioned in a ventilated vehicle, not loose in a boot together. Ask what happens in hot weather and whether the vehicle is ever left with dogs in it.
- Ask where they walk and whether dogs go off lead.Off-lead walking with someone else's dog requires a reliable recall and a lot of trust. Ask what their policy is, and be honest about your own dog's recall — see the guide on teaching one.
- Do a trial walk with you present.Watch how they handle the dog, what equipment they use, and how they respond when something goes wrong. Anything aversive — a check chain, a prong collar, a spray — is a reason to stop there.
- Agree the emergency arrangement in writing.Which vet, what they are authorised to do, what they may spend before reaching you, and who the backup contact is. Give the practice a note authorising treatment on your behalf.
- Deal with keys properly.How the key is labelled — never with your address — where it is kept, and who else has access. A key safe with a code you can change is better than handing over a key permanently.
- Ask about canine first aid and cover.Whether they hold a canine first aid certificate, and who covers if they are ill. A one-person business with no cover is a risk on a day you cannot get home.
- Check the licensing position for overnight care.Dog walking is not licensed, but home boarding and day care for dogs are licensable activities in England. If your dog will stay overnight or be looked after in someone's home during the day, ask for the licence.
- Get updates, and check them.Most reputable walkers send a photograph or a message each visit. It is reassurance and it is also a record.
Questions people ask
Do dog walkers need a licence in the UK?
Dog walking is not a licensable activity in England. Home boarding and dog day care are, so ask for the licence if your dog will be kept in someone's home overnight or during the day.
What insurance should a dog walker have?
Public liability and care, custody and control cover. The second is what applies if your dog is lost or injured while in their charge, and it is the one most often missing.
How many dogs is too many on one walk?
There is no universal figure, but more dogs means less individual attention and more risk if something goes wrong. Some councils cap the number on public land. Ask, and judge whether they can genuinely manage that many.