1. Experience

When you hire someone to look after your dog, you want to have confidence that they know what they're doing. That's why it's always best to select a company with a proven track record and customer testimonials to vouch for their abilities.

The best dog walking companies will showcase this experience front and center on their landing page. You want to see a healthy collection of positive testimonials from actual customers, including details about how the services were provided, standout characteristics of the dog walker and office staff, and other snippets to signify the business is well-versed in quality pet care.

Looking over third-party sites like Yelp!, Nextdoor, and Facebook never hurts either. The best dog walkers and dog walking companies may not have the most reviews in terms of quality, but so long as the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, you can have confidence in trying them out.

2. Insurance

Back in the day, it was fine to find a neighbor with a bored teenager at home and ask them to swing by after school to walk your pup. That's still viable for many people today, but hiring someone you know from the neighborhood does pose some risk, namely insurance.

The best dog walkers and dog walking companies in Greenville should have a comprehensive insurance policy that protects all involved parties, including the dog walker, your dog, and anyone else who may be there at the time of an incident.

Having insurance doesn't only work to protect you in the event of an accident or situation. It also shows that the company you've chosen to work with is committed to professionalism and establishing itself as a reputable business in the community.

3. Communication

You're trusting someone to take your precious puppy pal on a walk and give them scritches, scratches, and tons of their favorite treats while you're away. So, how are you going to know that everything is okay?

You're counting on your dog walker to have excellent communication, keeping you informed about their arrival time, the amount of time they spend with your pup, where the walk was, and what your dog was up to, including walk highlights, how they're behaving today, and other stuff that keeps you informed and staves off FOMO while you're stuck at work or otherwise away.

Ask how your dog walker will be in touch. Today, texting is ubiquitous, so it's likely that they can provide minute-to-minute updates if need be. Some dog walking services use an app as well that logs each action and sometimes even the GPS location of your dog in real-time.

Gotta love the future, am I right?

4. Accessibility

So, you've settled on a fantastic dog walker, and you're eager to reach out, introduce yourself, and discuss services.

You click the link on Google to access the dog walker's site. Nothing loads. You go back to the business phone number and call. Ring, ring, ring— it goes to voicemail.

If it's this challenging to get in touch with them now, can you imagine the distress you'd experience trying to get them on the phone while your dog is under their care?

The best dog walkers and dog walking services have a professional website that clearly posts the hours of operation, the best numbers to reach staff, and additional methods of communication, including an email address or contact form right there on the site. You should be able to easily reach out and should expect correspondence within a reasonable time frame.

We'd never take chances with your dog and their well-being, and we don't expect you would either. That's why we here at Happy Paws Pet Sitting make communicating with you and being reachable a top priority.

5. Trust Your Dog

Our dogs have a sixth sense when it comes to people. They know when something's not right, even if we see no red flags.

That's why it's important that, even if your choice of dog walker looks flawless on paper, that you schedule an actual meet and greet with the walker and the dog to see if they mesh. If your dog isn't sold for any reason, it could mean that the arrangement won't work out in the long run.

Our walkers at Happy Paws Pet Sitting are pet people through and through. We love just about every dog we meet, and we're sure your dog will love us right back!

Don't wait; call us today to get started with us today! Find out what makes us the best dog walkers in Greenville, SC now!