Dog Owners’ Opinions Sought: New Code Of Practice For Commercial Dog Walkers

Does someone walk your dog for payment?

Do you walk other people's dogs as a business?

The Kennel Club, the UK's largest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs, is seeking the views of all dog walkers around the UK, to help shape a nationwide code of practice for commercial dog walkers (CDW).

In 2016, the Kennel Club will publish its first Code of Practice for Commercial Dog Walkers, for people who walk other people's dogs for payment, and to ensure that it is as effective and relevant as possible, the Kennel Club wants to know the views of commercial dog walkers, their clients and people who walk their own dog(s).

The Kennel Club has launched a questionnaire, which will run until 5th February 2016, for anyone who walks a dog.

The Code of Practice for Commercial Dog Walkers aims to:

• * help dog owners employ the most responsible CDWs
  
• * increase professionalism by all CDWs
  
• * improve dog safety and welfare
  
• * help CDWs be ambassadors for responsible dog ownership
  
• * minimise any problems for wildlife, livestock and other greenspace users
  
• * help land managers deal with irresponsible dog walking

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "With the number of commercial dog walkers ever increasing, we want to provide a concise and effective code of practice to help them operate professionally, with safety and consideration at the core of their services. This will help to ensure that dog owners who wish to use their services can do so knowing that their dog is in good hands, the dogs themselves will be kept happy and safe, and that everyone who uses public places can do so harmoniously.

"We would encourage as many dog owners as possible to have their say by spending a few minutes filling out the survey, to ensure that the code of practice is as effective and beneficial as possible, to dogs, dog owners and commercial dog walkers."

Visit www.dogwalkingsurvey.org.uk to complete the survey.

Responses to the questionnaire will remain confidential and results will only be disclosed in summary form.

After completing the survey, participants can opt in to be kept up to date about the code of practice and enter a prize draw to win one of three pairs of day tickets to Crufts, the world's biggest and best dog show, held at the NEC in Birmingham from 10th to 13th March 2016. Visit www.crufts.org.uk for more information on the show.