Safety-Focused Dog Walking: Exercise & Fun for Your Dogs!

There are many benefits to dog walks!

• Regular physical activity helps with weight control
• Can often reduce anxiety and ease common behavior problems
• Can reduce health related problems
• Walks help relax your dog and build their confidence

However, the risks start to outweigh the benefits, when dog walkers who aren’t “Safety Focused” provide risky, dangerous, or substandard walking services.

Bat Country Pet Sitting takes pride in providing safety first, “Safety Focused” dog sitting and walking!

Safety & Individualized Attention for Your Special Pup are #1

Some dog walker services gather many clients’ dogs together and walk them at the same time. While this can save the dog walker time, for inexperienced or poorly-trained walkers, it can also raise the risk of losing control of the dogs, fights or aggression between dogs, or injuries to the walker from dogs that might pull or drag them.

At Bat Country Pet Sitting, your dog’s safety and happiness are the first priority. I will only walk YOUR dogs at each visit, allowing me to handle your pets safely, provide appropriate supervision free of distractions, and lower the risk of injuries and accidents for your pets.

My dog walking visits include:

• Up to 20 minute dog walk (based on age, health, medical status)
• Basic light grooming (brushing, ear cleaning on request)
• Medication and basic medical care
• Additional care for senior and special needs pets

Leashes, Collars & Pet Safety

As a member of The Pet Professional Guild, I avoid the use of choke chains, spiked/pronged collars, shock collars, or any other pain or fear-based methods of working with dogs. Martingale collars, harnesses, flat buckle collars, and properly fitted head collars are acceptable.

In Multnomah County, dogs are not permitted to roam at large without a leash. The leash ordinance requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 8 feet on all city land.  If you do not properly leash and control your dogs, or if you allow your dogs to run at large, you could face hefty fines.

Dogs must be on a leash of a length that will allow for direct control of the dog by the handler in control of the dog. BatCo does not support the use of retractable leashes because they don’t allow for direct control of the dog attached to it.  For everyone’s safety, only 6-8′ leashes as designated by city ordinance will be used on walks.

Dog Parks? No, Thank You!

I do not visit public dog parks with clients’ dogs. While dog parks do offer very low-quality socialization and a chance to run off some energy, they are also high safety and liability risks. Dog park visits can result in injuries or death to pets, and injuries to walkers and other people in the dog park.

For my safety and the safety of your pooch, I will walk your dogs in your immediate neighborhood or in nearby, previously designated pet areas.

If you live in a complex that offers a private dog park for residents, I’ll be happy to take your dogs there, after a visit to check out the location and condition (fences and gates in good repair, secure and safe, etc).

Your dog’s safety always comes first, and I will only walk in or visit areas that are safe for everyone involved.

Hire a Neighborhood Dog Walker You Can Trust!

Please contact me for a customized quote. Note that I am not a standalone, daily dog walking service–I generally walk dogs for clients who have also contracted with me for full service pet sitting.