Dog Walker is one of the most vogue jobs in the pet industry. Its demands are often high when compared to other jobs in the pet industry. The most important aspect of being a Dog Walker is, you need not have much prior experience. If you are a teenager, a college kid, and can manage off of some time, you can apply for this job to survive exorbitant prices in college. And it pays well, hence, you might make good money too from it. Here, in this piece, I will guide you on the type of questions that are often asked in a Dog Walker interview and how you can be better prepared for this position.
List of Questions and Answers
How to answer some basic sample questions right off the back?
What motivated you to become a Dog Walker?
I was always motivated to do this job. I have loved Dogs since my childhood. We had a Dog ‘Cookie’ in our family, she was the sweetest Dalmatian. She had around 8-10 babies that we had to give away and I remember crying for the whole day. Dalmatians are such a treat to watch. They are amazing, so I have loved Dogs always.
What does a Dog Walker work entail?
A Dog Walker’s work involves taking your Dog for a walk. It would be better if I take your Dalmatian through the fixed route that we usually take. That way, she won’t be agitated and run away, it can happen if we take a new route. We will stop at a park and allow her to sit around in the park and roam around while I hold the leash. After a few halts and if she wants to get cleaned and do all her ablutions she can. After that when we head home, I need to give her a snack and ensure all Dog-proofing is taken care of especially restricted areas. If you guys come home then I won’t lock your home. In case, you guys come, I will take my borrowed key and leave for the day.
Type of Questions Asked
Job-related questions
A Dog Walker has to know the procedural aspect of the job. He is often proficient in pet behavior and distress patterns. He/She who will be assigned the role can read, and decode the expressions, tail wagging, and other aspects of common Dog-related behaviors. Nowadays a Dog Walker job has become so specialized that breed training is also imparted. It would be extremely helpful if you could meet up with a Dog expert before going for the job.
This way you will understand. How do different Dogs behave and perceive threats? For instance, a Rottweiler has to be managed and train differently than a Poodle. For instance, Rottweilers can get aggressive when they even get an inkling or perceived threat to the person he knows. While the Poodle will be calmer in their walks. The same German Shephard, Dalmatians, Pugs, BullDogs, and Pitbulls all are different and behave extensively differently.
Behavior-related questions
Your behavior also matters, when you become part of an industry where your work only involves taking care and nourishing another being, your behavior has to be kind, or else it will be difficult for you to get the job, The pet owners themselves will check how you behave with their Dog. How patient you are with them?
Are you treating them rightly? Are you doing this job just to earn some extra bucks? A pet owner nourishes and brings up a living being, they will shed unlimited love if they see their pet Dog being happy. In inverse, if they spot some kind of malaise they will be furious with you. Treat the Dog rightly, observe if they are okay in the walk, and do not beat them in any manner, that will account to pet abuse.
Apart from that, you need to know pet psychology, and Dog psychology, and many general questions will be asked from this broad category of questions. The bulk of your behavior questions will come from EQ questions, and we will discuss broadly that theme in the next section.
Emotional Quotient
Dog Walkers can have average IQ, but their EQ has to be above average. EQ unlike IQ which deconstructs your rational and understanding strength is about perceiving situations, knowing people’s feelings, and spotting people’s distress when you see it. EQ is extremely required when you are in customer service, self-care, self-help, and pet care industries. If you have a below-average EQ then Dog Walker Job and EQ questions can be hard for you to answer. Often people band EQ and IQ together. But the major difference between EQ and IQ is through the type of question asked.
What to do when your Dog becomes agitated seeing other Dogs?
The IQ response
This is an important question if you see it from the partial IQ lens. The answer shall be. As, far as I know, when Dogs behave in such a manner a little bit of force exertion is necessary. I would apply force and might use fear as a motivator to stop the Dog or shoo away the other Dogs or cane a few especially if they are street Dogs.
This is a proper IQ answer where each response in the verse is backed by proof, but this job entails your EQ intelligence more than IQ. Yes, Dogs do see their owners are masters. Especially, they have this tendency with the one that gives them food. Beings tend to subserve when someone gives them food. It’s the matrix of power and has borrowed from the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest. Where a Dog sees you are its master as you are fit to be served since you provide them food.
Whatever may be, this answer is incorrect. A Dog Walker is doing things as per the Dog. You are accompanying the Dog and not yourself. It’s not your walk, it’s the Dog’s walk. So, you cannot use force unnecessarily.
The EQ response
You can lure the Dog with a treat and pet them in case you see him/her agitated. Dogs love that when you touch their neck coat, they automatically go into a satisfaction trip instantaneously. So, you need to think of ways to manage the Dog without force. And, you should not cane any other Dog unnecessarily, as this accounts to be violence. And, if you are beating other Dogs Pet Owners might assume you can do that with their dogs too.
Now, all the questions from these broad categories which include: Job, EQ, and Behavior questions, I will give you some examples of the type of Questions that you can get while you are in an interview. Many times these questions are the same but responses will be different:
| Job Questions | Behavioral Questions | EQ Questions |
| How you will calm a Dog when agitated in walking? | When does a Dog behave defiantly? | What will be your response when a Dog gets agitated in mid of walking? |
| How will you stop a Dog from having something random on street? | Why do Dogs find eating food on a street unattended interesting? | Imagine the Dog tries to eat something from the street, how will you stop him? |
| If other Dogs appear and your Dog becomes territorial, how will you counter that? | Why do Dogs become territorial? | What shall be your reaction when my Dog becomes territorial? |
| If my Dog, asks you for a snack, will you buy it from the supermarket? | Why do Dogs love junk food? | How will you stop a Dog who is adamant about eating junk and drags you to a supermarket? |
| What shall be your response when my Dog simply does not cooperate in your walks? | Why do Dogs tend to be rebellious with estranged people? | How will you deal with a Dog who won’t budge and stop at one place as an act od rebellion? |
| If my Dog follows and wants to follow a smell, will you make him go? | Why do Dogs love following the random smells emanating from any corner of the street? | How will you deal with a Dog hooked on a particular smell? |
| If my Dog follows the Dog of the other sex, what will be the response? | What is the breeding season for Dogs? | How will you deal with a Dog while taking them for a walk in breeding season? |
| My Dog wants to befriend street Dogs, will you allow him? | Why do Dogs get friendly like peers sometimes? | How will you deal with a stray Dog if he comes and behaves like peers with my Dog? |
| If my Dog for some reason gets hurt in the walk, what will you do? | How do Dogs behave when they get hurt? | What will you do if my Dog hurts himself/herself while on a walk? |
| Will you provide a chew toy to my Dog after leaving the home premises? | Why do Dogs crave chew toys after walks? | My Dog asks you for a chew toy post the walking session. Will you give him one? |
Since we have discussed all the questions rather pertinently now let us elaborate on How you can answer them through some examples.
How you will calm a Dog when agitated in walking?
This is a job-related question. Here the emphasis in your answer should lay on the domains of pet psychology and also gentleness and knowing when unpredictability strikes amidst going for long walks. You can use many examples either to draw the attention of the Dog to any other thing, but the force is not one of them as discussed earlier.
Sample Answer
If this situation occurs, my first move will be to give some treats to the Dog. Dogs have to be deviated to draw extra attention. And as the situation or the trigger has passed or surpassed, I will stop the endless sharing of treats. I will also make the Dog calm down by betting them, especially rubbing their furry neck coat. That tends to make Dogs feel warm and comfortable.
Why do Dogs find eating food on a street unattended interesting?
This is a behavior-related question where you need to understand why a Dog loves something foreign on the street. It happens with most Dogs. Dogs have crazy noses, they can smell things almost 500 meters away. They have a strong sense of smell and can put thrown-away stuff from the street in their mouth.
Sample Answer
Dogs have a strange sense of smell. Most of the time a Dog puts something in their mouth out of curiosity. They will immediately avoid something that smells funny to them. Might even taste it and then spill it out. In case they are putting something in their mouth that can mean they are liking the taste of it. The best way to get rid of this behavior is to distract them. By luring them with other favorite treats. I can also use some phrases that I normally use to discipline them. For the first few months, I have to manage to lure them with treats. But with time I will develop sign language and train them to catch up on key signs.
If my Dog for some reason gets hurt in the walk, what will you do?
This is both EQ and job-related question. Accidents tend to happen a lot. You cannot control the fate of a Dog when you are out for a walk. Time and again a Dog can cut itself on barbed wire. A Dog can also fall in an accident. You need to manage the emergency with caution and calm.
Sample Answer
I will, first of all, inspect the situation and try to check its vitals. If it’s just a small scratch I will let the Dog walk slowly. In case the injury is extreme. I will take her to a nearby Vet hospital. In that case, I will book a cab and cover that distance.
If other Dogs appear and your Dog becomes territorial, how will you counter that?
This is a job and behavior-related question. Dogs will always be territorial, not much can be done there. Every canine is territorial. But we can also understand what leads them to become territorial. That is fear and anxiety. Here, also the issue is the same, but the reaction has to be different than when he is agitated. Agitation is a momentary emotion while being in fear might cause your Dog to panic and attack the other Dog.
Sample Answer
The best way to deal with a Dog’s fear is to draw their attention with treats and exert a little force on them. To possibly restrain. But I need to get the other Dog out of the scene. I will request the owner of the Dog to please move away and carry on their walk as even his/her Dog can also get agitated seeing the reaction. If it’s a street Dog or a pack of Dogs, you need to take your safety stick and make them fear away. You cannot cane a Dog, just let the fear overhaul them.
Why do Dogs tend to be rebellious with estranged people?
Imagine you are walking your Dog and suddenly he fixates on a person and tries to follow him and hound him. If that occurs, what will you do? This happens far too often. You need to frame an answer that can mitigate a Dog’s fear responses and how scared they can become. The best way to respond to this question has to be from the point of Dog and pet psychology of canines. This is a very grave question and a suggestion will be for you to not take up a Dog walker job if you are in charge of aggressive breeds like Rottweilers for instance.
Sample Answer
Dogs are faithful and loyal living beings. Among pets, they are known to be faithful. Now Dogs are just wolves that with time got domesticated and their flair for their size and purpose made them shrink to the size that they are. But the instincts are strong. Whenever an estranged person comes near the Dog, his defense mechanisms, or if he perceives someone is trying to come your way he can get defensive and might force to attack. This is more common with more aggressive breeds like Pitbull, Doberman, and Rottweiler. They are powerful Dogs and taming them requires expert supervision. I am trained in it and know to control aggressive beings.
Conclusion
Dogs are faithful and very loyal, one of the most loyal pets there is. For a Dog walker’s interview, you need to be compassionate, loving, and caring. But beyond that, if you get called for an interview, know and research a bit about the breed. If this will be your first job, do not pick up aggressive breeds of Dogs. Choose mellow breeds like Poodle, Pugs, or Bull Dog. I have actually descriptively given the type of questions and the type of response you would be asked to provide.
