New Service Lets You Track Your Dog Walker

Walkies have never been so high tech

Ever wonder if your dog walker really gets to your house when she’s supposed to, or if your dog gets the kind of walks you’re paying for? With a new high-tech service, you can track your dog-walker’s every move – or lack thereof.

In other words, Big Brother is now in the business of watching walkies.

While most dog walkers are responsible, hard-working people, there are some lazy ones who take advantage of the fact that dogs can walk, not talk. If they’re super late for a walk (or miss one), who’s going to tell? If they take Fido to that bedraggled flea-filled dog park instead of the tree-filled haven you’d agreed on, how will you find out (besides fleas setting up camp on your dog)? And even the most well-meaning walker can make a mistake or be stuck dealing with an emergency.

The people behind Pet Check Technology aim to put dog lovers at ease by providing them with real-time evidence that their dogs are going where they’re supposed to, when they’re supposed to. Here’s how it works: Your dog walker gets to your house, swipes your QR code (a type of barcode) once there, and goes on her way with your dog. If she’s late, you’ll be notified immediately by email.

Then GPS technology takes over, and your dog walker’s movements are tracked until she swipes the QR code again at the end of the walk. You’ll be able to get a report of start and end times, and the route the walker took during the outing. About the only thing you won’t see are where your dog did his leg lifts.

The technology is available only to dog-walking businesses, and not to dog owners. The idea is that dog-walking companies will want to make sure their employees are doing what they’re supposed be doing, and if they’re not, they want to know right away.

What do you think, Dogsters? A step in the right direction, or a bit over the top? Have you had bad experiences with dog walkers that would make you value a service like this? I know we have some fine professional dog walkers in our midst, so I’d love to hear from you, too.

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