Choosing the Best Dog Walker: Everything You Need to Know
When you brought your dog home, you probably imagined daily adventures, long walks, and always having them by your side. But life happens - work, travel, unexpected overtime - and suddenly you’re trying to figure out how to give your dog the care, attention, and exercise they deserve when you can’t always be there.
That’s why you need to find the best dog walker, someone reliable, trustworthy, and professional.
These days, it seems like dog walking has become the ultimate side hustle. Your neighbor’s teenager, a friend's college kid, someone on the apps with a cute profile pic…suddenly everyone’s a “dog walker.” But here’s the part no one talks about: most of them aren’t insured, bonded, background-checked, or trained in anything beyond grabbing a leash. If something goes wrong (your dog gets loose, your home is damaged, or there’s an emergency), they’re on their own, and so are you.
With so many options out there, we want to help you make the best decision in choosing the best dog walker for you and your family!
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
What to look for in a dog walker (Do they have basic or comprehensive insurance? Are they background-checked? What training and certifications do they have?)
What’s the best dog walking service (because sometimes the best dog walker is actually a team of dog walkers)
Best dog boarding vs. pet sitting options
Will dog walkers come to my apartment if I don’t have a house?
Because your dog deserves the best, and frankly, so do you.
What to look for in the best dog walker
You’ve heard the horror stories of a local Denville, NJ dog walker burglarizing a home, dog walkers losing a dog, or pet sitters dealing with an emergency while you’re on vacation and the sitter didn’t know what to do (and is now a good time to bring up Dwight watching Angela’s cat?).
When it comes to choosing someone to care for your pet, trust is everything. You're not just hiring someone to walk your dog. You're inviting them into your home and trusting them with a member of your family. The best dog walker or pet sitter is a reliable professional with training to care for your pets.
✅ Background Checked
Make sure anyone entering your home has passed a thorough federal-level background check, not just a quick online screening.
✅ Insured & Bonded
Your dog walker should be fully insured and bonded to protect your pet, your home, and your belongings. While dog walking has become more common among neighbors, friends, college kids, and someone recommended from a local Facebook group, your next-door 15-year-old neighbor probably isn’t insured and licensed. Which means if your dog pulls them down the street, you will probably be paying for any injuries yourself.
✅ Trained in Pet Language and Emergency Preparedness
Ask if they’re trained in pet CPR & first aid, leash handling, and emergency response. Do they know what to do if your dog gets injured, scared, or tries to bolt?
The Walks Wiggles and Wags team would know what to do, and our company invests in our employees' education. We also invest heavily in training around dog body language, bite prevention, handling reactive dogs, and safe leash skills, so our team knows how to prevent issues before they start.
✅ Consistent & Transparent
Will you always know who’s coming to your home? Do you get detailed updates after each visit with a fully transparent GPS route, detailed report card, photos, and videos? Reliable walkers don’t just show up; they keep you in the loop from beginning to end.
We use an app, Time To Pet, to manage schedules, track visits in real time, and send updates with photos, potty reports, and more. No pen-and-paper calendars or sticky notes here, just a streamlined system that helps us stay organized and always accountable.
✅ Friendly & Energetic
It’s hard to be the best dog walker without a lot of friendly energy. Essentially, they should be the golden retriever for your golden retriever. You want someone who is excited to meet you and your dog, and who has the ability to walk long distances (if you have a large dog).
Dogs know who to trust, and if the person works with a lot of dogs, your pet will know.
Best dog walking service
At Walks Wiggles and Wags, we do things differently from the big dog walking apps. All of our dog walkers are trained employees, not gig workers or independent contractors. That means we know exactly who we’re sending to your door. We run federal background checks, provide ongoing training, and carry comprehensive insurance and bonding, because your peace of mind (and your dog’s safety) matter just as much as getting those daily walks in.
✅ Employment Status
Is your new dog walker an actual employee of the company or just a freelancer? Employees are usually background-checked, trained, and held to higher accountability standards. At Walks Wiggles and Wags, our walkers are employees, and yes, that means they’re covered by workers’ compensation and protected while on the job, so you never have to worry about being sued.
✅ Support System
Does the walker have backup if they get sick or stuck in traffic? Services with a team structure can offer reliability that solo walkers often can’t match.
At Walks Wiggles and Wags, we’re a team, not a one-person show. If your primary dog walker is ever unavailable due to illness, car trouble, or an emergency, we have trained backup staff ready to step in. Our office team actively monitors the schedule in real-time using Time To Pet to prevent gaps, missed visits, or last-minute scrambles. Your pet never gets left behind, and you’re never left wondering what’s going on.
✅ Comprehensive Insurance
Insurance is a big factor that many dog owners forget to consider. With the comprehensive insurance of a dog walking service, like Walks Wiggles and Wags, you know your pet and home are safe. You can be confident that they’re prepared for anything that might happen on their watch.
✅ Training & Emergency Resources
The best dog walkers have training and resources, but many times, they only get that training if someone else pays for it. The team at Walks Wiggles and Wags in Northern NJ regularly reviews best practices for pet care. We have all the training mentioned in the previous section, along with tools to protect them in case someone else’s dog attacks our walkers while on a walk.
Each of our new dog walkers is trained by an experienced dog walker who already knows your dog, so they’re not sent in without a plan. We continually invest in our pet care training so our walks only get better and better.
Best dog boarding vs. dog sitting
Along with the best dog walker, you might be looking for the best dog boarding experience when you travel. Or would dog sitting be the better option?
Click here to read the blog post about preparing for an overnight dog sitter.
With a dog sitter, it’s even more important to find someone trustworthy if they’ll be staying in your home. This provides protection while you’re away and keeps dogs comfortable in their space.
Dog boarding may be an option for you, but it’s a hassle getting to and from the boarding facility while you’re also packing for the trip. You may have to pay for extra nights depending on when your flight goes out, and it’s almost never truly convenient.
Overnight dog sitting from a trusted pet care professional is often the best option.
Will a dog walker come to my apartment if I don’t have a house?
Yes! In fact, some dog walkers may offer a discount if you refer your neighbors in the same building to your dog walker. While they may not walk all the dogs at the same time (we wouldn’t do that at Walks Wiggles and Wags), they can make a single trip to the building and save themselves time traveling between walks.
You may need to discuss the best way to let guests into your apartment, but it can be done easily for most properties.
Ready to meet the best dog walkers in northern NJ?
If you live in Northern NJ, specifically Morris County or Somerset County, NJ, Walks Wiggles and Wags is the best dog walker you’ll find. At our company, we don’t cut corners. We invest in our team so they can provide safe, reliable, and reliable care at every single visit. From employee-based walkers with full background checks and training, to real-time updates and tech-forward scheduling, we’ve built a service that’s designed with your peace of mind in mind.
Learn more about our NJ dog walking services here! We’d love to get to know you and your dog!
