Tipping dog walkers

Do you? Should you?

I'll need a walker soon and am wondering if it's standard procedure to tip daily/weekly/just on holidays? I sort of classify this as babysitting in that you're basically paying a person to do a service and they therefor don't rely on tips (meaning a lot of walkers are independent so they're keeping 100%) I can see tipping on holidays or if they really go the extra mile or work in terrible weather or something, but maybe I'm just cheap...

thoughts?

Man, if people reply saying they tip dogwalkers on top of the $20/hr they pay them I am quitting my job and starting my own business.

Haha exactly. I'm going to probably do halfhour walks which I anticipate being $12-$14 a pop, should I be tipping an extra dollar on top of that?

Shoutout to all you funemployed brooklynians- if you'd like a small fluffy white dog to cuddle during the day I can pay you in muffins and haircuts!

No don't tip regularly. If you want and are happy with services, I think the occasional bonus (end of year if you use them year round, or when you are stopping service for a while) is okay.

a good way to get them more money is to refer them to other people. i loved my dogwalker so i always suggest her to people. (i have joined the unwashed slovenly masses of unemployeroonies and no longer need a dog walker)

I tip at least four biscuits per shift.

my dog walker is great, and very flexible with any last minute changes i may (ok, do) have. i always give her a tip/bonus at the end of the year equal to a week of walks. it is an extra cost which is hard to spare, but i think if you have a great dog walker (which i do) it is worth it.

I do not tip my dogwalker. If (s)he comes on a daily basis you might wanna tip only for xmas...BTW, if I were you I´d hire sb with good references. We had a couple of very bad experiences...Now we have a great one we really trust! Good luck :P

Subject: tipping

I am a dog walker (and cat sitter) and my dog people don't regularly tip me; however, they do give me a "bonus" at Xmas time. Some of my cat clients though DO regularly tip me and I feel sooo grateful when they do. I always give my best to all my clients but honestly if someone gives me a little extra, then I give a little extra as well.

Subject: My dog walker

I'm going to plug my dog walker here because she's the best ever with my neurotic, goofy Kerry the Wonderdog:

http://undiscoverednewyork.com/sidandtapkas/

Wow. I regularly tip the person who walks my dog. I don't want him to ever doubt how much we appreciate him. He makes our life better. A 15% tip is a small amount for my peace of mind and a well exercised dog.

i give a bonus around christmas time and always round up for the week, but that's really only an extra 3-5 per week and mainly because i never have proper change. if i need pet sitting and not just walks i tip and leave goodies.

depends on the dog walker really. If my pets seem really happy about the dog walker, I'd throw them some Ds for excellent work! haha

I try to tip during the holidays if my pooch has been getting regular walks. If I have someone dog sitting I'll round up often and if they're watching my guy on days where I have nightly commitments too and I don't want him alone for a long time I'll make sure they get more than the standard.

I can't give a ton of money though so I just recommend the hell out of them since I love them so much.

I was a full-time dog walker for about a year, and most of my clients gave a year-end bonus, and one or two did so on other holidays as well, which I think is fair.

Even as a walker, I think regular tips are a bit overboard, especially if you have daily walks... It's an exhausting (though rewarding!) job though, and you should perhaps also take into consideration if your walker is independent or part of a company... If they're part of a company, they're only seeing a (sometimes shockingly small) portion of the fee their clients pay.

And maybe this sounds silly... but listen to your dog. Your dog should be excited to see your walker; let your dog be a helpful gauge when it comes to considering tipping.