Professional Dog Walking During Coronavirus

Dog Walking During Coronavirus

It is safe to let your professional one-to-one dog walker take your dog out for you if you are a key worker at work, self-isolating or shielding from coronavirus. There is no evidence that dogs can carry Covid-19, however dog fur could carry the virus from one person to another, so the advice is that you wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling a pet, and you should expect your dog walker to do the same. You and your dog walker should also disinfect harnesses, collars and leads before and after each walk.

If you are at the property when the dog walker arrives, ideally you should hand over your dog to the dog walker outside of the house. Make arrangements by text to do this when your dog walker arrives.

Handing over indoors

If it is not possible to make the handover outside, please place yourself in another room while your dog walker prepares your dog for the walk. And preferably vacate any room that the dog walker needs access to some time before the walker arrives to allow any aerosol virus breathed out by yourself to settle out of the atmosphere of the room. The same applies when the dog walker returns your dog after their walk.

Your dog walker should hand sanitise on arrival, at the front door on arrival and on leaving. They should touch as few surfaces as possible and remain in the property for as short a time as possible. You should note which surfaces your dog walker may have touched – door handles, baby gates and you should sanitise these once the dog walker has left

Stay Safe..

Please note that this advice applies ONLY to one-to-one dog walking during coronavirus. It is not clear yet whether group dog walking has been advised as safe.

Your dog walker should be carrying hand sanitisers and anti-viral wipes for use in their vehicle between visits.

Please keep in close contact with your dog walker and inform them of any changes in your health. Your dog walker will also keep you informed of the same. Let’s keep each other safe during these disturbing times.

More information about dog walking during coronavirus is available from The Blue Cross.

I will update this article should any new advice come from government.

Find out more about PAWS INDOORS ONE-TO-ONE DOG WALKING here: https://ukpets.co.uk/pet-sitting/dog-walking/