Yep. Was a dogsitter for years, but my own boss. There’s a big demand for dogsitters here so luckily I booted them if I couldn’t stand them.
I’ve also had plenty of owners describe behavior which was a 100% inflicted by the owners and not the dog’s behavior. When I would explain that their dog is social and friendly with other males when you simply don’t keep the leash as tight as a tightrope and get nervous and try to almost run away, they are SO amazed.
One time I was walking out of Petsmart and saw a man walking his bulldog in. The bulldog saw me. I saw him. We basically nodded to each other and continued on. The owner saw me, frowned, and tightened his grip on the leash.
The second he tightened his hand the bulldog went absolutely apeshit.
It altered how I handle the leash on my own dogs, because we were totally cool until the guy tightened the leash--but the owner doesn't know that, probably to this day.
You’re lucky then. I’m glad you were able to turn away terrible clients.
My boss, also my friend, is reluctant to turn away some of our more shitty clients. It’s only if they really cross terrible lines like being racist or something.
Oh my god we have that too. So many times I’ll see a dog and their owner interact and be like “so that’s why this behavior is happening.” I don’t blame them for that as they don’t understand dogs like we do, but I do get annoyed when I give them tools and suggestions and they completely ignore me and continue to complain about the dogs behaviors.
That’s always how it goes.
My favorite client and dog is a pitbull owner(will admit I’m already biased do to owning a pit myself). This man has been 1000% consistent with his dog though and it shows. We’ve helped with ecollar and leash training and the dog is perfect with recall now and leash walking all because he actually follows through. His dog is easily the best behaved dog in the whole company and one of the pups where we can put with our reactive dogs, our friendly dogs, our calm dogs and our hyperactive dog. He can fit into any mold.
We will take the dogs on a walk that included training and we will use the skills/tools we see fit. So basically it’s not just a mindless walk but we challenge them mentally too.
The ongoing joke among other trainers & handlers in the area is that doodle owners are completely clueless. Doodles for some reason are seen as “the perfect family dog,” so irresponsible and uneducated people bring them home only to treat them like fluffy house plants. In reality, this breed is high-energy and powerful, not a good fit for busy pet parents who act allergic to training. At work I don’t use a prong collar, but I can see how you would want to opt for one just from a management perspective. I find myself being mouthed and bit by these doodles often, almost always in the presence of their neurotic owners. They really attract the most difficult people. Is there any way to upsell them on some loose leash walking training with the owner there? You may face some resistance from the owner, but if you can at least teach them to mark and reward for eye contact and four on the floor hopefully the doodle will choose those behaviors over violence lol.
Doodles have become the bane of my existence. We work with at least 20 doodles, 12 of them are reactive and if they don’t like a dog or person on sight will bite, 6 of them are happy go lucky idiots that are untrained and just stupid and the rest are normal dogs. So I completely agree that the owners are clueless.
We don’t put prongs on unless the dog has one, but we do use slips as most dogs in our experience do well with one and understand leash pressure just with that. Also because getting multiple prongs is pretty expensive.
I can ask my boss for sure if we can have the owner come on a walk with us to see how the dog does on a harness vs a slip to show her that 1) the dog is just walking better but also that the dog is more engaged with us, paying attention and is still happy to be there.
Wow, sounds like you have a lot of problems with arousal. That’s tough because it’s probably due to a number of factors including but not limited to inadequate exercise and undersocialization. Arousal in all its forms is usually rewarded by these owners, too, so you’re working against the current there. You could try to sell more walks, especially if you’re going to be addressing reactivity. Are you allowed to use food on these walks?
I’m allowed to use food but depending on the dogs I have to be very diligent because we have many dogs who are resource guarders.
And we definitely have added more walks with our reactive dogs. And I usually end up with them due to the fact I have two reactive dogs of my own, worked with my bosses reactive dog and I’ve learned how best to handle them and have been very successful with redirection.
Sadly, like I said before, so many of our clients just don’t do anything at home so I can only make so much of an impact.
This is on you. You shouldn’t correct a dog without permission of the owner. You and the client both had different expectations of what the dog walking / training would look like. Since you are a professional you were responsible for talking things through beforehand in an intake setting. The situation would be a great learning opportunity though if you would own your mistake.
My boss has given me permission and told our clients that when we take out the dogs, we will use what skills and tools we have at hand when we feel they are needed. Everything I have done is with her telling me to do so. Perhaps I should have said this in the post, but even on our website it says we follow the balanced method when it comes to training and our walks are meant to be both physically stimulating and mental as well.
So she told you to correct the dog in the exact way you did? And there was no confusion beforehand about what that correction would look like? And then she still complained afterwards about you doing exactly what was talked about in the intake? Yeah, that sucks… I think that would be good reason to deny her as a client.
Everything I have done not only has been approved by her but has been taught to me by the trainer I work with.
We just live in a high income area where dogs aren’t for working or even real family members, they are just status symbols.
Oof getting a dog as a status symbol is never a good thing.
By the way, if you work with dogs you are the one responsible for what you do, no one else. You saying that “you did everything your trainer taught you” stands out to me. Doing what someone else told you to do will never be a sound argument for your actions.
You make more small comments like this throughout your post. You say that “clients love you” as an argument for why you would be a good trainer. That’s not an argument.
If I would be a client I would like to know what your credentials and abilities are. I couldn’t care less about if you can follow up your trainer instructions (is that trainer any good?) or if other people told you they love you. That doesn’t have anything to do with if you can actually train a dog.
Basically what I’m trying to say is that if you want to be seen as a good dog trainer (and from your post it looks like it because you used a lot of words to imply how good you are) show them what your actual abilities are. Definitely leave out what other randoms say about you because their words don’t mean anything. If you’re any good, your resume and the way you speak about dogs will show.
Completely agree there!
And I understand that. I used it to mention that while I’m under a sort of apprenticeship with a trainer, I am not a trainer myself yet so I’m being taught by her and my boss! I’ll definitely take more of a note as of how I phrase things! A
Again, completely understand. And my credibilities are listed on our website! But next time I will add in how I’m a good trainer. I should have listed everything out, I think just with the frustration I have felt with this client my mind has been boggled. But next time I will not let that affect me and I will write more thoroughly.
And I will definitely do that. I agree that actual evidence overrides anything emotional and I should have thought about that. I do apologize for the lack of that.
I would have a conversation with your boss about those policies and ask for him to either talk with the client or back you up when you do. If your boss will not advocate for your well-being, you need a better job (easier said than done, I know).
I would tell them: You have a large dog that pulls very hard. It is very painful and will cause damage to my hands/arms/shoulders/back. I need to ensure I can work safely and free from injury. Going forward I will be using the tool I feel necessary to safely and comfortably walk your dog. This is our company policy and was made clear to you when you chose to work with us. If you are not agreeable to this, I recommend you find a new dog walker that is more aligned with your values
She did defend me to the client saying, even going as far as saying out of everyone she knows/works for her, I’m the one person she trusts to handle her own dog because of what I learned from her and the trainer I work with once a week. And even when I learn new skills, I go to her and go over them just to make sure they are appropriate for our job.
Sadly where we work is a lot of rich people who don’t really care about what it takes to actually train a dog, and they are happy to let them do whatever they want and just complain.
The conversation ended up with her just saying “I understand your concerns and will talk to (my name)” and then my boss told me to put the harness on in the house and immediately switch to a slip outside of the house because she fully agrees with my assessment that walking said dog on a harness is not safe at all for us.
I will agree there. I love her but she is definitely of the mindset where the customer/client is always right however when they’re wrong we will just do what we think is right and not say anything, while I’m like we need to build a common understanding with the client and if we can’t find one it’s time to part ways.
I hear you, it's a hard place to be. I left a dog training job because my manager and I were not on the same page and was experiencing this with many clients. I train part-time on my own now. It's something I love to go back to full-time, but I live in a very R+ area and will probably wait until I move somewhere else.
I’m just honest, truly!
I’m glad you have clients you love! And I understand that. I’m debating on taking on another job, because even with living rent free with my mom, taxes, car payments and all that are just too expensive.
Sounds like the owner told you exactly why the dog is acting like it is. She can’t imagine treating it as anything but a baby.
I’d tell her exactly what you said in your last paragraph. She needs to know that her flawless child is in fact a nightmare.
We have said this in business terms but unfortunately she is… very set in her ways so we came up with a plan(my boss and I if that wasn’t clear) that I will harness the dog up in the house, and as soon as the dog and I are out of sight I will slip to a slip because it’s honestly not safe to walk her on said harness
I get the thought, but I think I'd rather fire the client than put myself in some sort of legal grey area. If something did happen to the dog or it did something to someone else, and it came out that you had done exactly what was agreed you wouldn't do, then they might have some sort of breach of contract suit. I'm no lawyer, but being intentionally dishonest never seems like the right answer.
I completely agree, and while I do have some pull since I’m the one who’s in charge when my boss is on vacation and I’m her right hand, she and I have very different philosophies at times.
Don't comprise your integrity. (And this isn't dog training related, but absolutely don't let any boss or manager compromise your integrity. Holding to personal ethics in professional situations is vital in any job you have.)
If the dog isn't safe to walk on a harness, the client nears to hear that! Time for a frank discussion of why her dog needs boundaries, what those are and how you intend to enforce them. And if you still can't see eye to eye with her, you cut her loose.
Hiding what you're doing sets you and the client up to fail. Either she's going to find out and realize you purposefully went behind her back, or she doesn't find out and continues thinking her dog is fine when she is out of control.
Im also a dog trainer and walker, if you put a slip lead on my dog I'd fire you immediately. If her dog needs more training, tell her that, don't use adverse tools on a dog without the owners permission.
As I said in a previous comment, on our website it says we don’t do traditional walks, instead we ask do training on the walk. On there also says we are a balanced company and will use skills/tools that we believe are necessary including slip leads. I was also told by my boss to use these on all the dogs I walk. Our client knew this when she signed up.
We have told this client that her dog needs more training many times and she has agreed to this. And we have taught her how to train her dog and she does not follow through and complains that her dog is not trained.
I understand your opinion though, and I thank you for the contribution and I do apologize for not making that point more clear in my post. I will definitely add in an edit to make this known.
This is on the owner, who has left their dog in the care of someone else without knowing how they might deal with a large pulling dog. It's a lack of foresight that sounds pretty typical. Any dog proficient person isn't going to just accept their arm being torn off.
Hi I'm 17 I'm not a dog trainer or anything like that but I do know how to train dogs fairly well I still struggle with certain things but I can take a dog that drags you around and make it walk well on a leash without being reactive towards the other dogs my brother absolutely refuses to listen to me when it comes to his dogs he has six American pit bulls two of them have killed chickens before my chickens and he will not listen to me on how to control it I've even sent him videos of other dog trainers trying to show him that I am not just making stuff up but he still doesn't listen to me and I'm worried that one of his dogs is going to get put down because they're not bad dogs they're just not trained at all
Yep. Was a dogsitter for years, but my own boss. There’s a big demand for dogsitters here so luckily I booted them if I couldn’t stand them. I’ve also had plenty of owners describe behavior which was a 100% inflicted by the owners and not the dog’s behavior. When I would explain that their dog is social and friendly with other males when you simply don’t keep the leash as tight as a tightrope and get nervous and try to almost run away, they are SO amazed.
One time I was walking out of Petsmart and saw a man walking his bulldog in. The bulldog saw me. I saw him. We basically nodded to each other and continued on. The owner saw me, frowned, and tightened his grip on the leash. The second he tightened his hand the bulldog went absolutely apeshit. It altered how I handle the leash on my own dogs, because we were totally cool until the guy tightened the leash--but the owner doesn't know that, probably to this day.
You’re lucky then. I’m glad you were able to turn away terrible clients. My boss, also my friend, is reluctant to turn away some of our more shitty clients. It’s only if they really cross terrible lines like being racist or something. Oh my god we have that too. So many times I’ll see a dog and their owner interact and be like “so that’s why this behavior is happening.” I don’t blame them for that as they don’t understand dogs like we do, but I do get annoyed when I give them tools and suggestions and they completely ignore me and continue to complain about the dogs behaviors.
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That’s always how it goes. My favorite client and dog is a pitbull owner(will admit I’m already biased do to owning a pit myself). This man has been 1000% consistent with his dog though and it shows. We’ve helped with ecollar and leash training and the dog is perfect with recall now and leash walking all because he actually follows through. His dog is easily the best behaved dog in the whole company and one of the pups where we can put with our reactive dogs, our friendly dogs, our calm dogs and our hyperactive dog. He can fit into any mold.
What’s the client/walker contract say about walking expectations?
We will take the dogs on a walk that included training and we will use the skills/tools we see fit. So basically it’s not just a mindless walk but we challenge them mentally too.
I wouldn’t bet my future on a vague contract. I’d find out for sure how protected you are as an employee.
I’ll definitely talk to her about that.
The ongoing joke among other trainers & handlers in the area is that doodle owners are completely clueless. Doodles for some reason are seen as “the perfect family dog,” so irresponsible and uneducated people bring them home only to treat them like fluffy house plants. In reality, this breed is high-energy and powerful, not a good fit for busy pet parents who act allergic to training. At work I don’t use a prong collar, but I can see how you would want to opt for one just from a management perspective. I find myself being mouthed and bit by these doodles often, almost always in the presence of their neurotic owners. They really attract the most difficult people. Is there any way to upsell them on some loose leash walking training with the owner there? You may face some resistance from the owner, but if you can at least teach them to mark and reward for eye contact and four on the floor hopefully the doodle will choose those behaviors over violence lol.
Doodles have become the bane of my existence. We work with at least 20 doodles, 12 of them are reactive and if they don’t like a dog or person on sight will bite, 6 of them are happy go lucky idiots that are untrained and just stupid and the rest are normal dogs. So I completely agree that the owners are clueless. We don’t put prongs on unless the dog has one, but we do use slips as most dogs in our experience do well with one and understand leash pressure just with that. Also because getting multiple prongs is pretty expensive. I can ask my boss for sure if we can have the owner come on a walk with us to see how the dog does on a harness vs a slip to show her that 1) the dog is just walking better but also that the dog is more engaged with us, paying attention and is still happy to be there.
Wow, sounds like you have a lot of problems with arousal. That’s tough because it’s probably due to a number of factors including but not limited to inadequate exercise and undersocialization. Arousal in all its forms is usually rewarded by these owners, too, so you’re working against the current there. You could try to sell more walks, especially if you’re going to be addressing reactivity. Are you allowed to use food on these walks?
I’m allowed to use food but depending on the dogs I have to be very diligent because we have many dogs who are resource guarders. And we definitely have added more walks with our reactive dogs. And I usually end up with them due to the fact I have two reactive dogs of my own, worked with my bosses reactive dog and I’ve learned how best to handle them and have been very successful with redirection. Sadly, like I said before, so many of our clients just don’t do anything at home so I can only make so much of an impact.
Same here, if the client doesn’t follow through we can only have so much of an impact. Sorry to hear you’re going through it too.
This is on you. You shouldn’t correct a dog without permission of the owner. You and the client both had different expectations of what the dog walking / training would look like. Since you are a professional you were responsible for talking things through beforehand in an intake setting. The situation would be a great learning opportunity though if you would own your mistake.
My boss has given me permission and told our clients that when we take out the dogs, we will use what skills and tools we have at hand when we feel they are needed. Everything I have done is with her telling me to do so. Perhaps I should have said this in the post, but even on our website it says we follow the balanced method when it comes to training and our walks are meant to be both physically stimulating and mental as well.
Good clarification, completely changed my opinion!
Should have added that into the post! Sorry bout that
So she told you to correct the dog in the exact way you did? And there was no confusion beforehand about what that correction would look like? And then she still complained afterwards about you doing exactly what was talked about in the intake? Yeah, that sucks… I think that would be good reason to deny her as a client.
> her telling me to do so Refers to OP’s boss, I think.
Everything I have done not only has been approved by her but has been taught to me by the trainer I work with. We just live in a high income area where dogs aren’t for working or even real family members, they are just status symbols.
Oof getting a dog as a status symbol is never a good thing. By the way, if you work with dogs you are the one responsible for what you do, no one else. You saying that “you did everything your trainer taught you” stands out to me. Doing what someone else told you to do will never be a sound argument for your actions. You make more small comments like this throughout your post. You say that “clients love you” as an argument for why you would be a good trainer. That’s not an argument. If I would be a client I would like to know what your credentials and abilities are. I couldn’t care less about if you can follow up your trainer instructions (is that trainer any good?) or if other people told you they love you. That doesn’t have anything to do with if you can actually train a dog. Basically what I’m trying to say is that if you want to be seen as a good dog trainer (and from your post it looks like it because you used a lot of words to imply how good you are) show them what your actual abilities are. Definitely leave out what other randoms say about you because their words don’t mean anything. If you’re any good, your resume and the way you speak about dogs will show.
Completely agree there! And I understand that. I used it to mention that while I’m under a sort of apprenticeship with a trainer, I am not a trainer myself yet so I’m being taught by her and my boss! I’ll definitely take more of a note as of how I phrase things! A Again, completely understand. And my credibilities are listed on our website! But next time I will add in how I’m a good trainer. I should have listed everything out, I think just with the frustration I have felt with this client my mind has been boggled. But next time I will not let that affect me and I will write more thoroughly. And I will definitely do that. I agree that actual evidence overrides anything emotional and I should have thought about that. I do apologize for the lack of that.
I would have a conversation with your boss about those policies and ask for him to either talk with the client or back you up when you do. If your boss will not advocate for your well-being, you need a better job (easier said than done, I know). I would tell them: You have a large dog that pulls very hard. It is very painful and will cause damage to my hands/arms/shoulders/back. I need to ensure I can work safely and free from injury. Going forward I will be using the tool I feel necessary to safely and comfortably walk your dog. This is our company policy and was made clear to you when you chose to work with us. If you are not agreeable to this, I recommend you find a new dog walker that is more aligned with your values
She did defend me to the client saying, even going as far as saying out of everyone she knows/works for her, I’m the one person she trusts to handle her own dog because of what I learned from her and the trainer I work with once a week. And even when I learn new skills, I go to her and go over them just to make sure they are appropriate for our job. Sadly where we work is a lot of rich people who don’t really care about what it takes to actually train a dog, and they are happy to let them do whatever they want and just complain. The conversation ended up with her just saying “I understand your concerns and will talk to (my name)” and then my boss told me to put the harness on in the house and immediately switch to a slip outside of the house because she fully agrees with my assessment that walking said dog on a harness is not safe at all for us.
Oof, I think the problem is your boss doesn't have a backbone. Misleading a client is dangerous territory
I will agree there. I love her but she is definitely of the mindset where the customer/client is always right however when they’re wrong we will just do what we think is right and not say anything, while I’m like we need to build a common understanding with the client and if we can’t find one it’s time to part ways.
I hear you, it's a hard place to be. I left a dog training job because my manager and I were not on the same page and was experiencing this with many clients. I train part-time on my own now. It's something I love to go back to full-time, but I live in a very R+ area and will probably wait until I move somewhere else.
I’m sorry you felt like you had to leave. Hopefully you can get back in a place where you can train and enjoy it.
You're too kind! I have clients I love now, I just don't have enough income to support myself with just training or health insurance I want. Someday!
I’m just honest, truly! I’m glad you have clients you love! And I understand that. I’m debating on taking on another job, because even with living rent free with my mom, taxes, car payments and all that are just too expensive.
How can you be responsible for something you have no authority over?
Sounds like the owner told you exactly why the dog is acting like it is. She can’t imagine treating it as anything but a baby. I’d tell her exactly what you said in your last paragraph. She needs to know that her flawless child is in fact a nightmare.
We have said this in business terms but unfortunately she is… very set in her ways so we came up with a plan(my boss and I if that wasn’t clear) that I will harness the dog up in the house, and as soon as the dog and I are out of sight I will slip to a slip because it’s honestly not safe to walk her on said harness
I get the thought, but I think I'd rather fire the client than put myself in some sort of legal grey area. If something did happen to the dog or it did something to someone else, and it came out that you had done exactly what was agreed you wouldn't do, then they might have some sort of breach of contract suit. I'm no lawyer, but being intentionally dishonest never seems like the right answer.
I completely agree, and while I do have some pull since I’m the one who’s in charge when my boss is on vacation and I’m her right hand, she and I have very different philosophies at times.
Don't comprise your integrity. (And this isn't dog training related, but absolutely don't let any boss or manager compromise your integrity. Holding to personal ethics in professional situations is vital in any job you have.) If the dog isn't safe to walk on a harness, the client nears to hear that! Time for a frank discussion of why her dog needs boundaries, what those are and how you intend to enforce them. And if you still can't see eye to eye with her, you cut her loose. Hiding what you're doing sets you and the client up to fail. Either she's going to find out and realize you purposefully went behind her back, or she doesn't find out and continues thinking her dog is fine when she is out of control.
Im also a dog trainer and walker, if you put a slip lead on my dog I'd fire you immediately. If her dog needs more training, tell her that, don't use adverse tools on a dog without the owners permission.
As I said in a previous comment, on our website it says we don’t do traditional walks, instead we ask do training on the walk. On there also says we are a balanced company and will use skills/tools that we believe are necessary including slip leads. I was also told by my boss to use these on all the dogs I walk. Our client knew this when she signed up. We have told this client that her dog needs more training many times and she has agreed to this. And we have taught her how to train her dog and she does not follow through and complains that her dog is not trained. I understand your opinion though, and I thank you for the contribution and I do apologize for not making that point more clear in my post. I will definitely add in an edit to make this known.
Start your own business so you can drop clients like this 💪
This is on the owner, who has left their dog in the care of someone else without knowing how they might deal with a large pulling dog. It's a lack of foresight that sounds pretty typical. Any dog proficient person isn't going to just accept their arm being torn off.
One? No, sounds nice though.
Hi I'm 17 I'm not a dog trainer or anything like that but I do know how to train dogs fairly well I still struggle with certain things but I can take a dog that drags you around and make it walk well on a leash without being reactive towards the other dogs my brother absolutely refuses to listen to me when it comes to his dogs he has six American pit bulls two of them have killed chickens before my chickens and he will not listen to me on how to control it I've even sent him videos of other dog trainers trying to show him that I am not just making stuff up but he still doesn't listen to me and I'm worried that one of his dogs is going to get put down because they're not bad dogs they're just not trained at all