A typical day in the life of a dog walker
(Thank you Lisa, for sharing)
April 3rd
7:53 pm – Receive text from a client asking if I can stop by as her daughter will be at a friend’s house. And oh, by the way, the puppy cannot run or jump because she has stitches from being spayed recently.
April 4th
7:15 a.m. – Leave house to go to a morning visit for a vacation client.
7:30 a.m. – Discover the road to their neighborhood is closed–in both directions!
7:30 – 8:15 a.m. – Drive aimlessly through the county trying to find a detour to get to the dog. Call Manager to look at map. We both conclude that there is no other access to the neighborhood! Contemplate parking the car and walking 2 miles to the house.
8:19 a.m. – Client from last night sends a text to say her daughter will now be home, but please come anyway.
8:25 a.m. – Beg police officer at the road barrier to let me through to get to the poor dog. (He does!)
8:35 a.m. – Finally get to my first morning visit – one happy dog, one happy walker!
11:08 a.m. – A client with a pool texts to say the pool is being opened today — note in the house to cover every aspect of dog care during pool care–this should be interesting.
11:17 a.m. – A client texts to say she is leaving work early – no need to come today.
11:52 a.m. – Visit Golden puppy (the one with the stitches) and spend 20 minutes trying to convince her she should not run or jump.
12:20 p.m. – Drive past client house with the pool – pool people are there. Decide they do not need any help from the dogs to open the pool. Will go back later.
12:40 p.m. – Visit another Golden puppy who likes to pee on the area rug near the door. I get smart and move the rug before leashing him up to go out. We get outside and he sits down right at my feet. I congratulate him (and myself) on getting outside in time, only to realize he’s not sitting–he’s squatting–he’s actually peeing on the mesh part of my brand new walking shoes. Before you know it, my sock is soaked as well. Now who’s the smart one?
1:30 p.m. – Back to the vacation client dog who will not leave my shoe alone; courtesy of the leaking Golden puppy.
2:15 p.m. – Return to the client house with the pool. Pool is now open, but so full of chemicals that I need to keep the dogs away. I leash the Newfoundland (she loves the pool and has a mind of her own). Her brother, Burmese Mountain Dog, pees. Newfoundland just sits down and looks at the pool. I bring them back to the deck and shut the gate – leaving the leash on the Newfie so I can take her to pee again later. I take the other dog in for a treat and find poo in both the dining and living rooms on BRAND NEW area rugs! After cleaning up the
mounds of BMD bm’s I check on our precious darling on the deck. I reach for her leash to take her out again; but now it’s in three pieces, rendering it completely useless. I guess she told me.
3:00 p.m. – Go home to walk my own dog, who is distracted by my not-so-sweet-smelling shoe.
3:45 p.m. – Wash shoe – Febreeze heavily.
4:00 p.m. – Raid son’s Easter basket for a Reese’s Egg because I forgot to eat lunch.
7:00 p.m. – Back to vacation client wearing a different pair of shoes.
8:30 p.m. – Finally get a shower and fall into bed so I can get up and do it all again bright and early tomorrow.
The good news? It wasn’t raining!
Would I trade this life for something more dignified? Not a chance. It’s the best job ever!
DO NOT make your pet throw up if the toxin is caustic like drain cleaner, acidic (like battery acid), or a petroleum-based product. If you are unsure if the material that was ingested is toxic, contact your personal vet or emergency vet (if after hours) and let them tell you how best to handle the situation. (Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 is an option, but there is a $65 fee for this service.)
If you dog has a wound from another animal biting it, seek immediate veterinary advice. For after-the-vet at home care, you can clean the area gently with a hydrogen peroxide moistened gauze three or four times a day, followed by triple-antibiotic ointment. It is important to monitor the wound for infections by looking for 
