At Carlen's Canines & Companions, we provide professional dog walking and pet sitting services across Pinner and the surrounding areas. Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do, and every pet is treated as if they were our own.
We're committed to raising the standard of professional pet care through knowledge, compassion, and exceptional animal welfare.
We're looking for a passionate, reliable Dog Walker & Pet Sitter to join our growing team, manage an established weekday dog walking route, and occasionally provide overnight pet sitting in our clients' homes.
Who We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who wants a career working with animals not simply a job involving dogs.
Professional dog walking is about far more than simply taking dogs for a stroll. It's about understanding behaviour, building trust, and providing every animal with the highest standard of care.
If you enjoy working outdoors, thrive in a hands-on role, and take pride in doing things properly, we'd love to hear from you.
The Role
This is an active, outdoor role where no two days are the same. You'll spend your days ensuring every dog receives the exercise, enrichment, care and attention they need while maintaining the highest standards of safety and welfare.
As a core member of our team, your day will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Key Responsibilities
- Safely leading group and individual walks across local parks, woodlands, and green spaces.
- Safely handling and transporting groups of up to six dogs between their homes and local walking locations.
- Using positive reinforcement methods and following individual care instructions, training plans, and behaviour management protocols.
- Managing your daily route efficiently to ensure punctual arrivals.
- Monitoring each dog's health, behaviour, and wellbeing, reporting any concerns promptly.
- Maintaining high standards of hygiene, including cleaning equipment, washing paws where required, picking up dog waste, and ensuring fresh drinking water is always available.
- Capturing photos and videos during walks to support owner updates.
- Checking that all equipment and vehicles are clean, safe, and ready for use.
- Providing occasional overnight pet sitting in clients' homes, following each pet's normal routine and ensuring they remain safe, comfortable, and well cared for.
Essential Requirements
- Previous experience handling dogs (professional experience preferred, although extensive personal experience with a range of breeds and sizes will also be considered).
- Full, clean UK driving licence held for at least two years, with confidence driving a car or small van.
- Comfortable walking approximately 8–10 miles per day, often with multiple dogs and in all weather conditions.
- Comfortable working independently while staying in regular contact with the team throughout the day.
- Able to pass an enhanced DBS check and provide excellent references.
- Punctual, trustworthy, organised, adaptable, and confident communicating with clients.
Desirable
- Canine First Aid certification.
- Qualifications or a genuine interest in animal care, canine behaviour, or dog training.
- Experience managing multiple dogs.
Salary & Benefits
- Competitive hourly rate of £12.71–£14.00, depending on experience and qualifications.
- Consistent Monday–Friday working week.
- Optional opportunities to pet sit over night and on weekends
- Branded uniform and essential equipment provided.
- Ongoing training and professional development opportunities.
- The opportunity to develop your skills in canine behaviour and progress into training work as you gain experience.
- Staff discount on our pet care services.
How to Apply
If you think you'd be a great fit for our team, we'd love to hear from you.
Please send your CV along with a short cover note telling us about your experience with dogs, why you'd like to work with us, and what attracts you to a career in animal care.
Our recruitment process includes an informal interview followed by a supervised shadow walk, giving you the opportunity to experience the role firsthand and allowing us to see how you interact with our dogs and team. Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.
A Note on AI
Please write your cover note in your own words. We're far more interested in getting to know you, your communication style, and your genuine passion for working with animals than reading something perfectly polished. Authentic applications will always stand out.
Pay: £12.71-£14.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company events
- Employee discount
Experience:
- Previous experience handling dogs : 1 year (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Full, clean UK driving licence held for at least two years (required)
Work Location: In person
