Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a Dallas dog walker? Obviously, we cannot speak for all Dallas dog walking companies, but we can definitely give you a glimpse into what it is like to work for us.
Here are some of the key components in the daily life of a Dallas dog walker for PCPSI that we will highlight:
• Daily Work Schedule
• Communication/Technology
• On the Job
Daily Work Schedule
First, the majority of our Dallas dog walkers don’t just walk dogs, they also pet sit a variety of pets when people go out of town for vacations or business travel. So, the time they start working each day varies based on when their first pet sitting visit or first dog walk is scheduled. Most recurring dog walks occur between 11am-3pm Monday through Friday, but pet sitting visits can happen anytime between 7am-10pm every day of the week.
In addition, not every dog walker we have has the same schedule availability. It would be ideal for us if everyone that applied to become a Dallas dog walker had full schedule availability, seven days a week from 7am-10pm, but that is unfortunately not the norm these days. So, in terms of when the day starts for our Dallas dog walkers, it varies by employee, and can literally vary every single day of the week based on time of year and other factors. We also tell our Dallas dog walkers they should work as much as they are comfortable with when the work is available, because we cannot control when or how often a client will book with us.
Some of our Dallas dog walkers have walks every morning and can start as early as 7am. Others have just a regular midday walking schedule, and thus their day starts later, around 11am. While the bulk of the Dallas dog walking visits we perform occur between 11am-3pm as mentioned previously, it is not uncommon for us to also walk dogs on a recurring schedule in the morning and evenings as well.
Communication/Technology
We have 40 employees, so making sure everyone is where they need to be at the time they need to be can be a lot like air traffic control!
Since all of our Dallas dog walkers’ schedule, client and pet information is accessible electronically, they all carry password protected smart phones or tablets to do their job. It is important that every Dallas dog walker we hire is comfortable with smart phone technology and using apps so they can access all of the tools they will need for the job.
We also require that when every staff member wakes up, they must look at their schedule for the day, and then acknowledge all of their visits that day. That way we know they are aware of everything they have on their schedule. We also require that our Dallas dog walkers and pet sitters look a few days ahead on their schedule as well, so they can make sure they have all of the client keys they may need, and so they can ask any questions they may have about a visit series prior to it starting.
Our Operations Manager, Christy, is responsible for daily scheduling, so many of our Dallas dog walkers email, text or speak to Christy on a daily basis as she confirms a walker’s availability for a particular job, and provides necessary details about a client and their upcoming reservation. Our Hiring & Training Manager, Mandy, is responsible for monitoring the daily schedule. This means she watches our scheduling software’s “dashboard” to ensure all employees have checked in and out of their scheduled visits in the appropriate time blocks. She also makes adjustments on the Dashboard if someone forgets to check in or out, or if a walker alerts her to an anomaly like a client forgot to tell us their dog was going to be at the groomer that day so they didn’t need a walk.
Quick and professional communication between our Dallas dog walking staff and our administrative staff is key to finalizing scheduling decisions and making clients happy, so this is something that is stressed regularly with everyone. We tell our Dallas dog walkers to over-communicate; that more information is better than little or no information when it comes to managing a remote staff that works out of sight.
On the Job.
When on the job, our Dallas dog walkers need to be appropriately dressed for the weather, and have safe and comfortable shoes. While everyone loves to walk when it’s 70 degrees and sunny outside, our Dallas dog walkers also have to perform their duties when it’s cold and rainy, or when temperatures soar to a hundred degrees. So paying attention to the weather and having a great attitude despite what Mother Nature might throw our way is key.
Being attentive to details while on the job is also very important, as clients often leave detailed notes or have very specific pet needs that may vary regularly. It’s important that our Dallas dog walkers follow all care instructions, are aware of their surroundings while out on walks to keep pets safe, and that they do things like look for pet messes whenever they are in a client home.
Being service oriented is also important while on the job. While our Dallas dog walkers often don’t see the client whose pet they are walking, it is important to always behave like they ARE being watched and to have integrity in everything they do. This means doing the requested visits in the time blocks the client selects, spending the appropriate time with the pet, cleaning up any messes the pet or walker may have made, making sure the pet is in good health and keeping the client’s home secure at all times. It also means communicating with the client as much (or as little) as the client requests, and leaving good notes about the visits that are performed.
Most of our Dallas dog walkers and pet sitters would agree that the pets are the greatest part of the job. It is so rewarding to be regularly greeted by a happy and excited pet that can’t wait to spend time with you. It is also incredibly fulfilling to win over the more shy or reserved pets that simply take longer to warm up to you or gain their trust. Seeing the same pets regularly forges really strong bonds too. We have heard many of our Dallas dog walkers and pet sitters comment that the pets they care for are some of their best friends. And when inevitably some of them cross the Rainbow Bridge, it leaves a hole in their heart to have lost someone they dearly loved.
Being a Dallas dog walker and pet sitter for Park Cities Pet Sitter can be incredibly rewarding for people that like a varied schedule, who love pets, love to provide great customer service, are detailed communicators and are good with technology. If that sounds like you, and you live in our service area, go to our website to apply. You never know, you just might be our next, newest Dallas dog walker!
