Tauranga dog expert calls for licences for professional dog walkers

Misha Gildenberger with the dogs she walks at the Papamoa Beach. Photo: Debbie Griffiths

A Pāpāmoa dog behaviour expert is lobbying for the introduction of licences for professional dog walkers in Tauranga to weed out those who are giving the industry a bad name.

Roma Dog Behaviour Academy owner Misha Gildenberger has been a dog walker for 15 years and has studied dog psychology and training.

Gildenberger said structured pack walks were an excellent way for dogs to get exercise and offered positive doses of socialisation – but inexperienced dog walkers could cause problems.

“I personally [have] had a couple of bad experiences with dog walkers allowing five or seven dogs to rush up to me and my dogs many times,” Gildenberger said.

“It’s frustrating and scary, as you don’t know how that interaction can go.”

Tauranga City Council’s Dog Management Bylaw limits the number of dogs that can be walked by any person to a maximum of four, with no more than two dogs off leash at a time.

“This was introduced as we were receiving complaints about dog walkers with multiple dogs off-leash not being able to control the dogs properly,” Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln said.

But Gildenberger insisted capping the number of dogs per person was not the only solution.

“There’s a misconception that it’s hard to control a group of dogs, but if you have knowledge about dog psychology, language and behaviour as well as the right credentials, you can have a group of six or even 10 perfectly under control,” she said.

Gildenberger had a strict onboarding assessments of dogs before they joined her packs, that included recall training and temperament analysis, which aided keeping her dog packs under control when out and about in public.

As such Gildenberger wanted local authorities to introduce the Commercial Dog Walker licence, which already exists in Wellington, where applicants undergo a course and get assessed by a dog control officer.

“Our mission is to exercise the dogs safely, and we take it very seriously,” she said.

“Responsible pack walkers go to secluded places that we know well and move the dogs out of the path of others, even into the dunes if we need to.

“Dog walkers who allow their dogs to mix with others are a red flag for me. There’s a lot of risk when meeting strange dogs.”

Gildenberger runs training classes and was calling for local authorities to insist pack walkers be more responsible.

“Because the industry isn’t regulated, anyone could be a dog walker and run 10 dogs – but it’s so dangerous if you have no idea about dog psychology and relationships.

“That’s what’s giving us a bad name. Instead of pushing for a cap on the numbers, we want councils to need professionalism.”

Lincoln said the [TCC] bylaw had been working well, with very few complaints received.

“Work is currently under way on reviewing the Dog Management Bylaw, along with the Dog Management Policy and Keeping of Animals Bylaw, and we will be seeking public consultation on these policies and bylaws later in the year.”

At this stage, Western Bay of Plenty Regional Council does not see a need to introduce a Commercial Dog Walker Licence similar to Wellington’s system, said senior communications and engagement specialist Rachel McLeod.

“We have not encountered significant issues with people walking multiple dogs, and there is no evidence to suggest that this is a growing concern in our district,” McLeod said.

“Given our predominantly rural environment, our challenges differ from those of urban areas like Tauranga or Wellington. However, should this issue emerge as a problem in the future, we would consider reviewing our approach.”