So you want to be an
Off-Leash Dog-Hike Leader…

There’s actually quite a bit more to being an off-leash dog hiker than you might imagine!

Some of it might surprise you… Some might not!

-It is NOT a job that requires previous off-leash specific experience
-It IS a job that requires for all humans to LOVE dogpals
-It IS a job that requires an excitement to soak it all up and learn All Kinds of things! 
-It is NOT a job that requires Hike Leaders to love all humans
-It IS a job that requires all Hike Leaders be a good fit with me, the dogs, And the clients (any other humans we might bump into).

If you aren’t scared off yet, the following are a handful of details which could end up being deal-breakers for someone.
Bear with me — I’m mentioning these now to save both of us a lot of time and energy in case any items are a Hard No right out of the gate!!

🌟I would *highly* recommend reading all the way through!🌟

✅ 1.) WE HIKE YEAR ROUND NO MATTER THE WEATHER
Rain/snow/sun/humidity & blazing heat/freezing cold/torrential downpours . . . All of it!
Humans have to go to work... Dogpals have to run out their crazies… And of course, our buddies will also need potty breaks!
And so, we are out there Monday through Friday… Us and the Mail Carriers!

✅ 2.) SCHEDULE
Current Hike Leader Opening: Monday-Friday hike spot.
The new hiker will need to be able to arrive in Newton at 9am, and a typical day would mean finishing with work around noon.
[*I can also expand that to 9am-3pm if someone is interested in more hours / doing two hikes per day rather than 1 hike per day!*]

✅ 3.) PAY
All new hikers start off at a pay rate of 50% per service completed. 
[What that means is starting off at approximately $23.33 per hour, if the new hiker takes 5 dogs per hike AND if the day runs fairly typically... meaning no significant delays which would cause the day length to extend beyond approx 3 hours (9-12).]

  The way that rate is determined:
A hike for one dog is currently $28. As a new hike leader, that person would make $14 for that dog (50% of that service).
We (Trail Rompers) is permitted to take 5 dogs on each hike, which means that a new hike leader could make $70 per hike.
That $70 divided by the approximate 3 hours of work time = ~$23.33 for each hour.
(*As a new hiker gets comfortable and as things go well along the way, there are opportunities for raises and bonuses*)

✅ 4.) MUST BE A HUMAN-PERSON, NOT JUST A DOG-PERSON.
As mentioned above, we are dogpeople *however,* we MUST be able to communicate with clients and the general public as well!
We are entering people's homes... We are taking care of their beloved dogpals...
Having strong relationships with our clients is extremely important.
To provide more insight, I myself am a helicopter mom. Big time. Because of this I base a lot of our guidelines on how I personally would want my own buddies taken care of!

✅ 5.) VEHICLE
Having a car is a MUST.
Having a vehicle with seats that fold down is Also a must!
And now here's the nitty gritty -- Dogpals get in and out of our cars covered in ALL kinds of gnarly stuff.
Your car will Definitely get gross. It will Definitely smell bad. You will absolutely be required to use a gate separating the back of the car from the front of the car (TRs provides the gate).
The gnarly stuff is of course all cleanable . . . but it’s something important to be aware of!
If your car being full of dirt and dog fur is going to make you a crabby human then figure out how you’ll go about handling that, or maybe there’s an on-leash walking company better-suited for you!
We (TRs) definitely want you to want this job — but it comes with it’s hiccups! So we want you prepared and aware of them nice and early.

✅ 6.) SCREENING
Background checks and calling references are a Definite! No leniency.
As I mentioned above, all of the hikers are accessing peoples homes and taking care of their dogpals.
It would irresponsible of me to NOT run everyone’s background and check references in advance. 
If this isn’t going to work for you, that’s ok! I appreciate you reading this far. Best of luck in your job search!!

✅ 7.) LEARNING
There is ABSOLUTELY a learning curve with this job.
You could be a veterinary wizard, a certified dog trainer, a rancher with 2938 years of dog experiece….
And I promise there will STILL be a learning curve. Best for all humans to check egos at the door, bc I too still find myself learning new things on a daily basis!

✅ 8.) MINIMUM One Year Commitment!
This one's a biggie, and unfortunately a detail without a lot of leniency.
The dogpals and their parents both get very attached to the hikers, and it's stressful for them when hikers change. A new hiker coming in means they have new people to get used to, new people going in and out of their home, new names to learn, new habits to get used to…. All for the sake of their lovebug dogpal.

It's a fair amount of exercise, a lot of learning (fun learning, but still learning!), a lot of driving, occasional run-ins with crabby humans who don't like dog walkers… dog poop, deer poop, dead animals, ... it's just part of the gig!! 

The true bottom-line is that this job is 85% AMAZING for a new hiker, but it is definitely 15% challenging ~ More or less of each depending on the person.
For the right person though, who is open to learning, comfortable with constructive feedback, OK with a background check, can stick around for at least one year (if not forever!), and someone who isn’t going to panic if they get poop on their shoes or their car gets messy… then we are off to a Great start!! 

*On the flip-side, thought….
For someone who has a hard time with change, a hard time with rules, finds being alone for long stretches of time difficult…
If bad weather will make you call out “sick” or or if flexibility isn’t your forte... Then this is going to be a nightmare.
[Which I don't say to scare anyone off . . PARTICULARLY the right person! But I definitely don't want to set Either of us up for a lot of wasted time, in case any of those above items are, as I’ve said…. deal-breakers for you.]

Many people get Very excited about this job and have a visual in their mind of amazing wooded trails, dogpals frolicking around happily, dog-buddies rolling in the grass with puppies....  Now while those visuals are all on-point… Do not be fooled!!

This is NOT an easy job!!

But if you are still reading…. And you are still interested in joining the team….

Then the boys and I are really looking forward to hearing from you. :-)

📍 Click Here To Apply 📍

Stacey Oscar & Enzo
Trail Rompers DogMom
Coverage Area: Newton / Weston MA
🌲🐾🌲🐾🌲🐾🌲🐾🌲🐾🌲🐾🌲