Stephen Walks Dogs

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About

I walk dogs and do pet-sitting because I love animals and I enjoy the outdoor exercise. I don't do it trying to pay my way through college. I'm a self-employed but semi-retired attorney. Dogs and cats are endlessly fascinating to me (I own five of the former, one of the latter). My dog walks are about 45 - 75 minutes, depending on the dog(s) and weather (hotter days = shorter walks, particularly if the dogs have thick or long dark fur). They're also a lot of fun, both for me and for the dog(s) -- I'm not checking my watch every five minutes hoping to be finished! I walk at a brisk pace, but there is always ample time for the dog(s) I'm walking to stop, read the news, and take care of any pressing business. And I always make a little extra time at the end just to play and reward the dog(s) with affection for a job well done. Every interaction with an animal leaves me happier and better off. Animals are so pure. They help us to understand the world and "be in the moment." I love the chance to make an animal's day or night better. Simple as that. I also enjoy every opportunity to make a connection with an animal, to develop a relationship of trust, and go out and experience the world together. Dog walks are bonding events. I have always been fascinated by cats. When a cat bonds with you, both of you know that the relationship is not one of dependence. The cat simply made a choice. It's sublime, really.

Overview

Hired 16 times

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Services offered

Dog size

Extra Small (1 - 15 lbs)

Small (16 - 25 lbs)

Medium (26 - 40 lbs)

Large (41 - 70 lbs)

Frequency

One time

Once per week

Multiple per week

Additional services

Feeding

Baths

Grooming

Medication

Projects and media

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

19 reviews

100%

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Debbie C.

Dec 4, 2014

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Hired on Thumbtack

My Boxer and I are both very happy to have found Stephen! I was so impressed with his approach in establishing a sound foundation and developing a strong relationship with Java and am grateful for the exercise and socialization their walks provide. Stephen has helped my boy learn to be calm and restrained when meeting other dogs, such an improvement from the melt-downs he would have at the sight of a potential playmate that would send other dogs & owners dashing away! I am very impressed and pleased and so is Java :)

Dog Walking

Paula G.

Dec 5, 2014

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Hired on Thumbtack

I don't even know where to begin when I talk about Stephen Perry and his remarkable abilities with dogs. He has been the answer to my prayers. My dog, Keeper, has been a huge problem for me because of his chronic separation anxiety. He wants only to be with me. His behavior when he is away from me has caused him to be rejected by kennels for daytime or overnight stays. I have felt "burdened" by this for the entire 3 years that I have owned him. I have talked to trainers and other dog professionals but no one has been able to help me. Then I was lucky enough to find Stephen. He miraculously and almost immediately transformed Keeper's negative experience of being away from me into something pleasurable and comfortable for Keeper. Stephen walks him once a week, and Keeper has stayed overnight in his home with his other dogs (both his own and dogs that are being boarding). These dogs function like a "pack" with Stephen at the head. The dogs love and trust him. I could see that clearly when I visited his home. When he is with dogs, Stephen is in control, no nonsense, calm, consistent, fair, and very kind. He loves dogs and they love him. I don't know if those who are reading this are familiar with Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, but when I leave Keeper with Stephen, it's like leaving him with Cesar Milan. And by the way, Stephen's prices are very reasonable, although that is not at all important to me. I am motivated to hire Stephen only because of his remarkable abilities.

Dog Walking

Jeannie H.

Jul 1, 2015

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Hired on Thumbtack

Stephen is absolutely amazing! His ability with dogs is incredible and his understanding of the dogs' rationale is amazing. A true dog whisperer! We've just started with him and he is slowing introducing our dog to the pack. He's taking his time and making sure that our dog is comfortable and behaving appropriately. Stephen is training us how to interact with our dog in a way that she'll understand. We've started with dog walking, but will take advantage of the day care and boarding in the future. This guy has saved our vacation!! We weren't leaving until we found someone we felt we could trust with our beloved dog! Stephen is that person!! Can't say enough about how he goes above and beyond what we expected. And he'll send photos as they are out on a walk! So cool!

Dog Walking

Jean k.

Jun 9, 2017

. We had seen him walking his pack around town and thought he would be just the person we needed. He was Great with our dogs and very good at explaining how he interacts with animals, and the steps we need to take. He had our two high energy dogs behaving and calmly walking together on their leashes on his first visit.

Dog Walking

Arika A.

Sep 10, 2012

Stephen has been our dog sitter (sorry, not really our dog walker since our dog is a big ol' baby and isn't keen on walking in big groups) for over a year and we L-O-V-E him. I'm sure if Zeek could do anything beyond wag his tail he'd give Stephen two paws up. Stephen has this magic about him, he's really in-tune with dogs and somehow gets the dogs to do what HE wants when he needs them to - I think Stephen should start bottling this and offering it up for sale ;-) Joking aside, I love knowing that Zeek is cozy lounging on Stephen's bed (or couch or floor or grass) rather than cooped up in a cage. Zeek gets to play to his hearts content, so even if he may puss out on the walks, he comes home exhausted ... and when I'm trying to readjust to a week (or two) away having an exhausted dog is a WONDERFUL thing.

FAQs

How did you get started doing this type of work?
I spent 8 years working full-time as a litigator (graduated from law school in 2000) before I realized I wasn't personally fulfilled. I wanted to spend more time around animals and more time outdoors. At the time, I only had one cat. But I had grown up with dogs. I last owned a dog in high school. Ever since then I thought I didn't have time for dogs. I decided in 2008 to change that, and re-arrange my life so that it suited me better. I've never been happier!
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
I am a pet owner, and if I needed someone to look after my pets, I would want to know, first and foremost, whether that person has pets of his or her own. If they did not, I would not hire them. I would suggest that anyone looking to hire a dog walker or pet sitter invite the service provider to spend a few minutes with the animals that are to be looked after, and observe the interaction. Pets are very good at intuiting whether humans are kind, loving, or otherwise. You can tell a lot from that initial interaction.

Stephen Walks Dogs

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