Finding someone to walk your dog sounds straightforward. Type "dog walker Taunton" into Google, pick the first result, job done. But handing over a spare key and your dog to someone you found in thirty seconds on the internet is a bigger decision than it looks. This is the person who'll be in your home when you're not there, managing your dog around traffic, livestock, other dogs, and the hundred small judgement calls that come up on any walk. Getting it right matters.
I'm a dog walker myself, so I know what the job involves from the inside. But I'm also a dog owner, I have two, Athena and Apollo, and I know what I'd want to know if I were hiring someone to walk them. This guide walks through the questions worth asking, the things worth checking, and the difference between someone who walks dogs and a professional dog walking service.
If you're reading this because you're actively looking, I offer solo walks and small group walks across Taunton and the surrounding villages. If you're looking for ideas for places to walk your dog yourself, I've also put together a guide to the top 10 dog walking routes around Taunton. But whether it's me or someone else, the questions below are the ones that matter.
1. Insurance: the non-negotiable baseline
Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for dog walkers in the UK, which surprises a lot of people. A professional walker will have it anyway. It covers third-party claims — injury to members of the public and damage to property. Ask whether the policy also includes care, custody and control cover (or veterinary fees) so your dog is covered if injured while in the walker's care. If a walker can't produce an insurance certificate when you ask, that's the end of the conversation. No exceptions.
Ask to see the certificate. Check the cover level, most professional policies sit around £1 to £5 million in public liability. Check that it specifically covers dog walking (not just pet sitting or a generic business policy). And check the renewal date, an expired certificate is as useful as no certificate at all.
2. DBS checks: why they're a starting point, not a guarantee
A DBS check shows any relevant criminal history (a Basic check covers unspent convictions). It's a trust baseline, not a guarantee of dog skills — but a professional will have one and be happy to show it. It's a baseline. Every professional walker should have one and be happy to show it to you. But a clean DBS doesn't tell you someone is good with dogs, reliable, or going to show up when they say they will. It's one piece of the picture. The meet and greet, the references, and your own gut feel fill in the rest.
3. Qualifications and experience: what actually matters
The UK dog walking industry isn't regulated. Anyone can call themselves a dog walker. That means qualifications are one of the few ways to separate someone who's invested in their knowledge from someone who bought a lead and printed some flyers.
An Animal Behaviour degree (like my BSc) means they've spent years studying the science behind how dogs learn, communicate, and respond to the world. Canine first aid certification means they know what to do if your dog cuts a pad, overheats, or eats something they shouldn't.
None of these guarantees a great walker, but a walker who hasn't bothered with any of them is telling you something about how seriously they take the job.
4. Group sizes and who your dog is walking with
This is the question most people don't think to ask, and it's one of the most important. How many dogs does the walker take out at once? Are the dogs screened for compatibility? Do they mix dogs from different households in the same vehicle?
A solo walk means exactly that: your dog, the walker, nobody else. It's the right choice for dogs who are reactive, nervous, elderly, recovering from surgery, or simply prefer their own company. A small group walk (two to four compatible dogs) works well for social dogs who enjoy company. A walker running six, eight, or ten dogs at once in a field might be cheap, but they're not giving your dog much individual attention, and the risk of something going wrong scales with every extra dog in the pack.
Ask how groups are formed. A good walker matches dogs by temperament, not by postcode. If the answer is "whoever's booked in that day," keep looking.
5. Where they walk: variety and safety
A good Taunton dog walker doesn't walk the same loop of the same park every single day. Dogs need variety: new smells, different terrain, a mix of open space and sheltered paths. Ask where they walk. If they can name five or six different locations around Taunton without hesitating (Vivary, Longrun Meadow, the Quantocks, the Blackdowns, Netherclay), that's a good sign. If the answer is "the local field," your dog is going to be bored within a week.
6. The meet and greet: what a proper one looks like
A professional walker will insist on meeting you and your dog before the first walk. It's not optional. The meet and greet is where they learn your dog's routines, triggers, likes, and dislikes. It's where you watch how they interact with your dog. And it's where you get a feel for whether you trust this person with your house key.
A proper meet and greet takes at least twenty to thirty minutes. The walker should ask about your dog's recall, lead manners, reactivity around other dogs, food motivation, medical history, and what "normal" looks like for your dog. They should interact with your dog, not ignore them and talk only to you. And they should leave you with a clear sense of what a walk with them looks like, from pickup to drop-off.
7. Emergency procedures: before you need them
Ask the question directly: "What would you do if my dog was injured on a walk?" A professional walker will have a clear, immediate answer. They'll know the nearest emergency vet to your home and to the areas they walk in. They'll have your vet's details saved in their phone. They'll carry a first aid kit in their vehicle and know how to use it. And they'll have a plan for contacting you, or your emergency contact, within minutes.
If the answer is vague ("depends what happened" or "I'd figure it out"), that's not good enough. Emergencies are rare, but they're the moment when the difference between a professional and an amateur becomes very real.
8. Trial walks and the settling-in period
A good walker expects a settling-in period. The first walk with a new dog isn't representative; the dog doesn't know the walker yet, everything is novel, and behaviour can look very different from the dog's normal self. A professional walker knows this and doesn't make snap judgements.
Ask whether they offer a trial period. Some walkers do a shorter initial walk (or a couple of them) before committing to a regular schedule. This gives your dog a chance to build familiarity and gives the walker a chance to spot anything that needs attention: a loose collar, a lead that's fraying, a recall that's weaker than described.
9. Reviews, word of mouth, and what to actually trust
Online reviews are a starting point, not the whole story. A walker with fifty five-star Google reviews is doing something right, but read the words, not just the star rating. Look for reviews that mention reliability, communication, and how the dog seems after the walk. "My dog comes back happy and tired" is a better review than "nice person."
Better than online reviews: word of mouth. Ask in Taunton dog-owner circles. The local Facebook groups, the vet's noticeboard, the person you chat to every morning at Vivary Park. A walker who's been recommended independently by two or three people you've actually met is worth more than a page of anonymous Google reviews. As with any service, visit the site directly to verify the business exists and is active; a website that hasn't been updated in three years tells its own story.
10. The gut-feel test: does your dog like them?
Dogs are better judges of character than we are. Watch your dog during the meet and greet. Do they approach the walker? Do they relax around them? Do they take a treat gently? A dog who backs away, hides behind you, or refuses to engage is telling you something. Listen to that.
It's not about whether the walker is a good person. It's about whether they're the right person for your particular dog. A walker who's brilliant with confident, boisterous labs might be wrong for a nervous rescue greyhound, and vice versa. The best walker for your dog is the one your dog chooses.
Finding the Right Dog Walker for Your Dog
There isn't one type of dog walker that's right for every dog. A young, energetic dog that loves playing with others may thrive on group walks, while an older, nervous or reactive dog might be much happier with one-to-one attention. The important thing is finding a service that matches your dog's personality, needs and routine.
Think about what your dog actually enjoys. Do they love meeting other dogs, or would they rather have their own space? Are they confident in new environments, or do they need someone they're familiar with? Do they need a long, active walk, or would a shorter, slower outing be more appropriate?
It's also worth considering what you want from the service. Some owners want a regular weekday walk while they're at work, while others need occasional help when their schedule changes. Finding a walker who can offer the right combination of flexibility, consistency and care can make the whole experience much easier.
Ultimately, the best dog walker isn't necessarily the one with the most availability or the biggest list of services. It's the person whose approach feels right for you and whose care suits your dog.
Want someone else to do the walking?
Hi, I'm Emma, the dog walker and trainer behind Dogs and Fairy Tails, based in Taunton. I run solo walks and small group walks across Taunton and the surrounding villages. I'm BSc Animal Behaviour qualified, fully insured, DBS checked, and I compete at Crufts in Heelwork to Music and Agility. Every dog I walk gets my full attention, not a place in a crowd. You can read more about how I work and what I believe about dogs here.
Book a free meet and greet and we'll work out the right walk for your dog.