How to Verify a Dog Walker, Sitter or Boarding Facility

A cheerful Instagram feed and a high star rating tell you almost nothing about what happens after the handover. Checking a provider means knowing who has your dog, where your dog will be, who else can get in, and what happens when something goes wrong.

You don't have to do everything on this page for a twenty-minute walk. Do the three checks below for anyone, and the rest in proportion to how long they'll have your dog and whether they'll have your keys.

If you only do three things

Meet them and see the place. Meet the person who will actually do the work. For boarding, see the room your dog will sleep in.
Call two recent clients. A phone call, not a screenshot.
Run a short trial while you're in town. One walk, a two-hour visit or half a day of daycare.

A provider who takes these calmly is easier to trust than one who treats them as an insult.

Red flags

Walk away if you meet any of these. One is enough.

no visit, video call or trial allowed
cash only, no receipt, and a different name on the payment account
they won't say who the actual caregiver is
more dogs on site than they told you
punishment-based handling: alpha rolls, choke tools or hitting
no vaccination or tick-prevention checks for group care
sedating dogs for convenience
reluctance to tell you about small incidents
pressure to pay a large non-refundable amount straight away
a contract that says the provider is never responsible for anything

Check the person and the place

A name that matches the payment account, and a room you have seen yourself.

Full name, phone number and current address
A government photo ID, for anyone who will enter your home or hold your keys
The same name on the payment account and the receipt. For a business, a bill or booking confirmation with its address
For boarding: the room where your dog will sleep, the gates and boundary, ventilation, water, and the route used for walks
Who is physically there overnight

For someone who will have your keys for weeks, you can also ask whether they'll agree to police verification. Karnataka has an online service for verifying domestic help. Use the government portal or your local police station, not a paid agent. For a walker who collects your dog at the door, it's more than you need.

Call two recent references

Two clients with dogs like yours, on the phone.

Ask for two clients whose dogs are similar to yours in size, age or temperament, then ask them:

How many times have you used them, and when was the last booking?
Did the person named in the booking do the work?
Did updates arrive when promised?
Was your dog ever hurt, ill, unusually thirsty, dirty or frightened afterwards?
Did they tell you about problems without being chased?
Would you hand over your dog and your keys again?

One glowing call proves little. Two recent accounts that agree are worth much more.

Keys and cameras

Never the only key, a code that expires, and cameras you have told them about.

Don't hand over your only key. Use a spare with no address on the tag, or a lock code made for that booking
Note who has each key and when it comes back. Switch off temporary codes when the booking ends
Put documents, spare keys, medicines and valuables away
Give building security the provider's name, photo and dates
Tell a sitter about your cameras before the booking. Never put one in a bathroom or where they sleep

For boarding, ask which areas the cameras cover, whether footage is recorded or only live, and how long it's kept. A live feed is useful, but it doesn't replace enough staff or sensible grouping of dogs. If they promise you camera access, test the login before you leave town.

Put the handover in writing

One page from you, one message back from them.

Write a one-page care sheet: feeding, medicines, walk equipment, your dog's triggers, who is allowed to collect them, your vet and an emergency contact. Show them the harness and the door routine. Photograph the medicines and count the doses.

Ask the provider to confirm by message:

Arrival, walk and return times
Whether walks are solo or in a group, and the most dogs one person handles
How your dog travels, and how they're secured in the vehicle
Where your dog sleeps and who stays overnight
When you'll get updates
How much they may spend at a vet without asking you
Who they call first: you, your backup contact or the vet

Unless you have agreed otherwise, your dog stays on the leash.

Run a short trial

The trial is passed when instructions were followed, not when the photos look good.

Start with a walk you watch, a two-hour sitter visit or half a day at daycare. Watch the handover, then check your dog's body and behaviour afterwards. It has gone well when your dog comes back on time, the equipment is intact, your instructions were followed and small problems were mentioned without being asked.

For boarding, do a daycare day or one night while you're still in the city. That tests eating, sleep, group handling and communication before a long trip.

If something goes wrong

Agree this before the first booking. For immediate danger, the provider calls the vet first, then you. For a missing dog, they tell you at once, keep the camera footage, alert building security and start searching nearby.

For anything else (a bite, a fall, a fight, vomiting, diarrhoea, a missed medicine or a vet visit), ask for a short written note: the time, the place, who and which dogs were there, what was done, and a photo or video.

If you suspect cruelty or theft, get your dog back first. Then save the original footage and messages, get a vet's record, and report the facts to the police. A social-media post is not a record.

We list walkers and sitters and boarding and daycare in Bengaluru, with numbers to call. For choosing between them, see daycare, sitter or home alone.

Common questions

Quick answers to what people ask most.

Do I need police verification for a dog walker?

Not for someone who collects your dog at the door. It's worth asking for when a sitter will hold your keys or stay in your home for days. Karnataka's online service for verifying domestic help is the route to use.

Are reviews and star ratings enough?

No. They can't tell you who will actually handle your dog or what happened on a bad day. Two phone calls to recent clients tell you more.

What should I have in writing before the first booking?

Times, whether walks are solo or grouped, where your dog sleeps, who stays overnight, how much they may spend at a vet without asking, and who they call first.