How to Choose the Best Dog Walker in Larne: The Questions That Actually Matter

By your dedicated walkers at Larne Dog Walking.

Choosing a dog walker means handing someone your house keys and the most trusting member of your family, then going to work and hoping for the best. It's a big decision, and most people make it on price and a nice Facebook page.

There's a better way. Below are the checks every dog walker in Larne should pass without blinking, the questions that tell you what your dog's walk will really be like, and the red flags worth walking away from. Use them on anyone — including us.

The basics: what every dog walker should have

These aren't extras. If a walker can't show you all of them, keep looking.

Insurance — and ask what it actually covers. Public liability is the minimum. Ask too whether they're covered if your dog is injured while in their care, and if they lose your key. A good walker will tell you straight and happily show you the certificate.

A background check. In Northern Ireland, that's an AccessNI check. Someone holding your keys and knowing when your house is empty should have one, and should be glad you asked.

Canine first aid. Training, and a first aid kit on every walk.

References. From real clients, ideally ones with dogs like yours.

Clear terms. Prices, cancellation, what happens on bank holidays — written down before you start.

A health requirement for other dogs. If they walk dogs together, they should insist every dog is vaccinated and microchipped. A walker who doesn't ask about your dog's health isn't asking about anyone else's either.

The questions that show you what the walk is really like

The basics tell you a walker is legitimate. These tell you whether they're any good.

1. Will it be the same walker every time? Some services send whoever's free that day. Your dog then spends every walk with someone who doesn't know them, and nobody builds on anything. Ask who'll actually turn up — and who covers when they're off, and how that person will know your dog.
2. Does my dog get in a vehicle? A lot of dog walking happens in the back of a van: collected on a round, driven to a field, driven home. Ask how long your dog spends in transit, whether they're crated, and how much of the time you're paying for is actually walking.
3. How many dogs at once, and how are they matched? Big mixed groups are easy money and hard on dogs. Ask how many, and how they decide which dogs walk together.
4. What does a walk actually involve? "We'll take him round the park" is a lap. A good answer has a purpose in it — settling an excitable dog, building loose-lead habits, giving a nervous one space. Our guide to what a structured dog walk is explains the difference.
5. What will I hear afterwards? A photo is nice. A proper report — what your dog did, what they found hard, what they handled well, what's next — is how you know what you're paying for.
6. Will you meet my dog before the first walk? At home, in their own space, before anything's agreed. A walker who'll take your keys without meeting your dog isn't assessing anything.
7. What happens in an emergency? Do they have your vet's details? Have you agreed what they can spend if your dog needs treatment? Will they ring you, or go straight to the vet?
8. How do you look after my keys? Never labelled with your address. Stored safely. Ask.
9. What if my dog is nervous, reactive or a puppy? Listen for honesty. "Every dog loves me" isn't an answer. A good walker will tell you what they can handle, how they'd approach it, and when they'd bring in more help. If your dog struggles with other dogs, our guide to reactive dogs on walks is worth a read first.
10. What does it cost — and what's included? Not just the price per walk, but how long the walk really is, and what you get with it. Our breakdown of what a dog walker costs in Northern Ireland gives you the going rates.

Red flags

• Vague about insurance, or no AccessNI check.
• Can't tell you who'll actually turn up.
• Happy to start without meeting your dog.
• Walks large groups of dogs who've never met.
• Uses tools or methods that work by hurting or frightening a dog.
• Promises to "fix" a difficult dog in a couple of weeks.
• A price so low it only works with a full van.

How we answer those questions

It would be odd to write all this and not answer it ourselves. So, briefly:

Every walker passes the same checks before they walk a single dog — right to work, two references, a clear AccessNI check, canine first aid, named on our insurance, and a shadowed walk before they ever go out alone. We're insured for public liability, for accidental injury to a dog in our care, and for lost keys.

Your dog has a dedicated walker. The same person, building each session on the last. If they're ever off, cover comes from a colleague who knows your dog and has read their walk reports — never a stranger.

Your dog never gets in a vehicle. Your walker comes to your door, and the walk starts and finishes there, on your dog's own streets — across Larne and out as far as Drains Bay, Millbrook and the Glynn. No collection round, no crate, no time in transit. The whole session is walking.

Dogs walk solo or in small, matched groups, depending on what suits them — matched by size, age and temperament. Every dog must be vaccinated and microchipped.

We meet your dog first. A free consultation, about twenty minutes, at your home. We meet your dog on their own turf, talk through their routine and what you'd like to be different, and recommend the right walk and plan. No obligation.

A walk report after every visit. What your dog did, how they coped, what they're ready for next.

Your vet's details are on file before the first walk. If your dog is ever hurt, getting them to a vet comes first, and you get a call on the way.

Honest about what a dog needs. For nervous, reactive or difficult dogs, we can step up to a full behaviour assessment and a structured plan, and work alongside your vet where it's needed.

Clear prices. Walks from £15. Larne Structured Walks™ start at three walks a week, from £35 — below that, there isn't enough contact in a week to build anything, and we'd rather say so.

The right walker for your dog

The right walker isn't the cheapest or the nearest. It's the one who'll know your dog properly, walk them with a purpose, and tell you honestly how it's going. That's what turns a walk into something your dog looks forward to — and it's what we mean when we say They Come Alive.

If you'd like to put those questions to us, we'd love to hear from you. Book a free consultation, or check we cover your street.