Okay, I'm preparing to bring home a new puppy. I've still got plenty of time to research this dilemma of mine as the litter will not be born until mid January and the soonest that we would bring home the new pup is mid-March.
Anyhoo, I'm going to need someone to come by during the work week around mid-day to let the puppy out. I've spoken with some professionals dog walkers recently and their prices are in the $18 - $20 range -- that will get me someone to come by and let the dog out to go potty and perhaps even take him/her for a brief walk. All in all, they would spend approximately 20 minutes with the dog. Now, I'm having a hard time with these rates because (a) kennelling a Great Dane (my breed) overnight costs only slightly higher than this per day, and (b) A month of walks at this price would cost the same amount that I pay for Full Board of my horse at a very nice farm with lots of amenities.
My question for you is this ... Do you have a dog walker? Have you found a creative way to get around high prices for a walking service? I'm thinking of talking to the stay-at-home mothers in my neighborhood to see if I can either come up with some sort of cost-effective arrangement with them. Perhaps I can work out a trade of some sort ... problem there is that we do not have (two-legged) children. Also, since I live in a college town, I'm thinking of hiring a student, but I'm not sure how to go about screening them. I'm pretty picky...
Any suggestions?
Dog Walkers
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