Every week, thousands of owners hand the lead to someone they met recently: a new walker, a neighbour's teenager, a friend of a friend. Most of the time it goes perfectly well. When it doesn't, it is almost always because a step was skipped before the walk, not because of bad luck during it.
The honest answer to the question is: it can be very safe, if you check the person, prepare your dog and build trust gradually. Here's a checklist you can work through.
Check the person
- Identity. Do you know their real name, and has anyone verified it? On a platform, look for phone and ID verification rather than just an email address.
- History. Read reviews from other owners. A short history is fine; no history and a reluctance to meet first is not.
- Experience with dogs like yours. Walking a calm senior spaniel is a different job from walking a strong, reactive young dog. Ask what they're used to.
- Their plan. Where will they go? For how long? Will they be on their phone the whole time? Good walkers have thought about it.
Meet first, with you there
Never make the first walk a handover. Meet somewhere familiar to your dog, walk together for twenty minutes, and watch:
- How do they hold the lead? Wrapped around a wrist is a warning sign; a relaxed, secure grip is good.
- Do they let your dog approach them, or lunge in for a cuddle?
- Do they notice other dogs, bikes and kids before your dog does?
- Do they ask you questions? People who ask questions usually listen to the answers.
Most importantly, watch your dog. Dogs are not infallible judges of character, but a dog who stays tense and avoids someone after twenty minutes is telling you something.
Prepare your dog
- An ID tag with your phone number, and microchip details that are up to date.
- A harness or collar that fits properly. If your dog has ever backed out of one, use an escape-resistant harness.
- A lead in good condition. Retractable leads are hard to handle for someone who doesn't know your dog.
- Written house rules: lead on or off, treats, places to avoid, other dogs to avoid, how to handle the stairs.
- Your vet's name and number, and how to reach you. Make sure they know what to do if they can't reach you.
Make the first solo walk short
Keep the first walk without you to thirty to sixty minutes on a route your dog knows. Agree a time to be back. Ask for a quick message halfway through. It is not about distrust; it is about both of you learning how the other works.
Agree the rules that matter most
- The lead stays on unless you have explicitly agreed otherwise, in a specific place.
- No dog parks on the first few walks; they are unpredictable.
- Your dog is never left alone, tied up outside or handed to anyone else.
- No food from strangers, no treats you haven't approved.
- If anything goes wrong, they call local emergency services or a vet first, then you.
Red flags
- They want to skip the meeting and just collect your dog.
- They suggest meeting somewhere private, or taking your dog to their home, without discussing it.
- They push for longer walks than you offered, or get irritated by your rules.
- They avoid verification, or their story about who they are keeps changing.
- They ask for money, deposits or payment outside an app for something that was meant to be free.
Any one of these is reason enough to say no. You never need to explain.
After the walk
Ask how it went and listen to the details. Check paws, coat and energy level. A tired, happy dog who greets the walker the second time is the best review there is. Then leave an honest review yourself, so the next owner benefits from what you saw.
A note on insurance
Before anyone else walks your dog, check what your own pet, home or liability insurance covers when someone else is in charge of your dog. Policies vary a lot between countries and providers. Tomopaw does not provide insurance, so it is worth knowing where you stand before the first walk, not after.
Spend time with pets near you
Tomopaw connects verified members with neighbours' pets for visits of one to four hours. Owners lend for free.