Dog Walker Essentials

I woke up today, excited to take on the day full of dogs.

I had stayed at my partners house, went to grab my bags I had packed the night before, and realized that I had left one; the one with all my stuff for work. Thankfully I saw the bright pink lanyard holding the keys I needed for the day.

That is one amazing thing about dog walking, you don’t need much to physically walk a dog. However, this day was a challenge. Living in Canada and it being the start of winter, it was cold, and I was unprepared.

It made me realize how many things make my life easier and make my day more fun (you never realize how much you love something until it’s gone).

So here is a list of my must-haves. Dog walkers and owners, please comment below your favorite things to bring on your walks. 

(NOTE: these are specific tools we use on a daily basis. If you want to be a professional dog walker you will need more than what is listed below.)

Leash System

If you are walking more than one dog at a time or transferring dogs to and from a vehicle, a proper leash makes all the difference.

Even if you are just walking your one dog at home, you will be happy if you get something you and your dog will love.

You want it to be safe and practical. We personally love the Tiny Horse Mercantile leashes. It has made everyday easier and I seriously missed them today.

Poop Bags

Lots and lots of poop bags, we love the biodegradable bags by Pawsitive Solutions (A Canadian company) you can find them here.

Water and Collapsible Bowl

Some parks have running water, some don’t but you never know what can happen and it’s great to have these in your car at all times.

You can find them in most pet stores, but they have them on Amazon as well.

Thermal Gear

I can’t say this enough, THERMAL GEAR. Everyone always asks me how I can do my job in the winter.

Let me tell you, it is hard to even hear them asking under all the layers I am wearing.

Thermal leggings, long johns, thermal socks, a proper hat and gloves, a neckwarmer. I started walking dogs because I love it, and being cold makes it difficult to enjoy.

Pro tip: You can also get heated jackets and hoodies from brands like Milwaukee. I have this one for really cold days. It keeps your core toasty with three different heat settings, and is great for walking dogs because you can turn it off when you are doing pickups and drop offs to avoid over-heating!

Raincoat and Boots

Same as above but to stay dry (bonus points if you have an extra pair of dry socks).

Our Favourite rain boots are the Wild Bird Society of Japan boots they are lightweight, foldable and easy to store.

The best part is proceeds from sales go to the Wild Bird Society of Japan, a non-profit focused on bird habitat conservation. Click here to get yours now!

First Aid Kit

Everyone should have this in their car, but especially if you are handling animals and spending time outdoors. You never know when you or a furry friend will need it.

Here is a small pet friendly first aid kit.

Fanny Pack

If you have a good jacket with zippered pockets you might not need this in the winter.

You will definitely want a fanny pack in the summer though, you can thank us later when you haven’t lost your car keys in the dog park…speaking from experience here. 

We love this one by Canada Pooch because of the poop bag dispenser.

Traction Cleats

If your winters are anything like ours (icy) then these will be life savers, they really could save your life, or at the very least your back.

You can get winter boots with cleats built in or you can get these that go over your existing boots.

Towels and Doggy wipes

It can be messy out there, something we personally love about the job.

That means messy dogs though, so you want to have towels, and maybe even some dog safe wipes like these ones for the really messy dogs. 

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Check out our website if your dog would like to roll with us💩 (link in bio)🦴 🐾 🐾 ✨Obi heard mud baths work wonders for aging [a little dirt don’t hurt, right?!]✨ ➡️ for before and after… yes, that’s the same dog! 🙊 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 #snoutshonour #honourthysnout #dirtydog #pawspa #dogsofoakville #dogsofmississauga #mississauga #oakville #dogpack #packlife #livelifeoffleash #thegreatoutdogs #mudbath #dogspa #dogdays #oakvilledogwalking #puppylove #mississaugadogwalking #dogsonadventures #dogsofcanada #outdoordog #dogwalk #mustlovedogs #pawsthatwander #offleash #domorewithyourdog #dogsocialization #goldenretriever

A post shared by Snouts Honour: Dog & Pet Care (@snoutshonour) on Nov 5, 2018 at 12:45pm PST

We could go on forever about all the things stored in our trunk, but we thought this was a great start.

Comment below your favourite brands and anything we missed!