Education

1. Welfare First

Every decision prioritizes canine welfare — physical, emotional, and behavioral. Safety, comfort, and individual needs come before convenience or profit.

2. Knowledge & Education

Understanding dog behavior education, including canine behavior, body language, learning theory, and breed tendencies, is essential. Professional practice is grounded in education, not assumptions.

3. Risk Assessment & Management

Routes, environments, group composition, equipment, weather, and public interactions are continually assessed. Prevention is the cornerstone of professionalism.

4. Accountability & Professional Standards

Clear policies, insurance, record-keeping, client communication, and ethical conduct underpin trust. Professionals operate transparently and responsibly.

5. Advocacy & Public Responsibility

Professional dog walkers advocate for dogs in shared spaces — managing interactions, educating the public when appropriate, and modeling best practices at all times.

Professional dog walking isn’t 'just walking dogs.' It’s a skilled, accountable service with welfare and safety at its core, grounded in the dog walking fundamentals.

When you see a dog on lead, it’s usually a deliberate choice reflecting canine welfare. Being on lead can indicate: 

• training in progress 

• behavioral management 

• recovery or rehabilitation 

• safety for people, dogs, or the handler 

A lead is not a judgment — it’s a form of communication. 

Allowing off-lead dogs to approach on-lead dogs removes that choice and increases risk for everyone involved. Good intentions don’t replace control. 

- Let’s add some context and scale 

In Christchurch, there are approximately: 

• 40–50 professional dog walkers, and 

• around 39,000 registered dog owners 

With numbers like these, it’s reasonable to ask: How could such a small professional group realistically account for the majority of dog-related issues? 

Risk in shared spaces is not determined by the number of dogs alone — it’s determined by management, education, and control. Education, particularly dog behavior education, leads to less risk, not merely the dog count. 

Yet casual dog owners may legally walk up to four dogs without formal training requirements, while professionals — who operate with planning, experience, and accountability — are often viewed as higher risk by default. That mismatch matters. 

Professional walkers may manage multiple dogs safely on lead because: 

- Education plays a part 

• groups are carefully selected 

• dogs are familiar with one another 

• distance and structure are maintained 

• risk is actively managed 

- systems are in place 

A single uncontrolled off-lead approach can undo all of that in seconds. 

On-lead means: please don’t approach. Off-lead comes with responsibility. 

Respecting leads protects: 

• dogs 

• people 

• public confidence in shared spaces 

Control is the responsibility. Education is the safeguard, and understanding dog walking fundamentals is crucial for everyone involved. 

𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧: 

This content is shared for educational purposes only. It is not intended to benefit or disadvantage any individual, group, or sector. The information presented reflects general, factual context intended to support public understanding of on-lead and off-lead dog management in shared spaces.

CPDW Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated society dedicated to advancing canine welfare. This resource has been created in good faith to promote education around dog behavior education, welfare, and safer shared outcomes for both dogs and people. It is important to note that this resource is not instructional, diagnostic, or prescriptive, and should not be used as a substitute for professional services, including guidance on dog walking fundamentals.