Why HK needs so many dogwalkers?

Just an observation… there are many many posts here from people either looking for or offering to do dogwalking.


Working hours in Hong Kong are long, even without any overtime it regularly comes to 9 hours (9am to 6pm w/ 1 hr lunch). Add to this the time spent commuting to and from work, and we are easily talking about 10 hours or more.


No dog can hold it that long for going to toilet (at least not comfortably!), so why are people still acquiring dogs as pets when they have no means of providing them with regular toilet breaks and walks?


I am asking this as an animal lover and in hopes that no dog would get confined in a cage with net floor for the faeces and urine to drop thru, or locked up on balcony or roof top so they don’t mess the house while the owners are at work.


If your lifestyle does not suit for keeping a dog, get some other pet instead. – I have two cats that, as everybody knows, take care of their own toileting in a very neat manner, and since there are two, also keep each other company during the day. A rabbit can also be house trained with little bit of patience, and a hamster is a suitable pet even for the most cramped small flat.

Cara, I was not implying anything, I was asking why people get a type of pet that does not fit their lifestyle and for which they have to make special arrangements just to meet its basic daily needs. And they do it even though there would be more “suitable” options available.


And me, personally, don’t understand people who have kids and then leave most of the actual daily care for kindergarten / grandparents / nanny / helper. I would want to be there for my kid to see all the small miracles in his/her daily life and the day-to-day growing up. And no, spending couple of hours of “quality time” with my child in the evening after work while the helper is ironing my clothes and preparing our dinner does not compensate for me the whole missed day.


Cara, I know from your previous posts that you will vehemently attack people who dare to question the logic of people using domestic help with their kids etc, but please try to refrain from those comments here. I’d like to keep this thread for opinions and comments from other animal lovers about the reality of keeping pets in Hong Kong.

I'm with cara on this one. It is not unhealthy for the dog per se if the owners hire a dog walker. As cara says, the responsible owners ensure their dog's needs are met, and they are!


I fully agree that dogs should not be asked to hold it for 9-10 hours and they should not be kept in cages and do their business indoors. I don't see the problem with having someone else take the dog out when we are not home. You say "why are people still acquiring dogs as pets when they have no means of providing them with regular toilet breaks and walks?". Well, isn't that what people who hire a dog walker are doing? Providing them with regular toilet breaks and walks.


You're also assuming that a cat, a hamster or a rabbit can somehow substitute a dog. As a "dog person" I strongly disagree. If we couldn't have a dog we wouldn't get another pet instead. It's not the same thing. Many "cat people" feel the same way about cats.


For the record we have a dog. He gets regular walks from me and from our helper. Does this make us bad dog owners? We are, after all, providing for the dog's needs.



"And me, personally, don’t understand people who have kids and then leave most of the actual daily care for kindergarten / grandparents / nanny / helper. I would want to be there for my kid to see all the small miracles in his/her daily life and the day-to-day growing up."


Good for you. What I don't understand is why so many people who choose not to have a helper need to feel superior to those of us who do. Hire a helper or not, I don't care. But please stop thinking you are somehow better than we are.

I have several friends who have dogs and have a dog walker for them. I don't see the problem. Yes, most people in HK have to work around 9 hours a day, 10 hours + travel, so this is the reason why many responsible owners take money out of their salary to ensure their dogs are as happy as possible. I know you are saying that they shouldn't have to adjust their lifestyle for a dog and that they shouldn't have one in the first place, but it think that's so wrong. Speaking on behalf of my best friend she would be so lonely without her companion in her life. Have you owned a dog before?

Thanks for the opinions and comments. Rumdoodle brought up a good angle; just having / hiring a dog-walker does not yet mean the dog actually gets properly walked. Indeed, I see so many helpers walking maximum the distance to the nearest grassy patch for the dog to do its business and then it’s an immediate return to home. Dog-walking should be about the distance and exercise, not just quickly taking the dog out to do its toileting.


Cara, you said that “I state my opinion, just as you are stating yours. just because we don't agree doesn't make one of us right and one of us wrong.” Yet you still wrote about me: “you are WAY wrong”. Try at least not to contradict yourself…


I came to think of one more thing in this, and that is the side of the person who offers to walk or sit another person’s dog. Some of these people are maybe great animal lovers but live in public housing flats or in apartments where pets are not allowed. Or they have allergies in the family and cannot keep a pet of their own. For these people it must be a great joy to interact with the dog they are walking or the pet they are looking after while the owners are away. Me, personally, sometimes cannot decide who enjoys more, my cats when I play with them and get them chasing after their toys, or me when I’m watching their eyes darken in excitement and the acrobatic leaps they take to catch their “prey”.


So, given the urban and busy living style in HK, there are apparently people who still opt to have a dog, but have to engage the assistance of a helper or a dog-walker to meet the care needs of the dog. Some of these helpers / dog-walkers do the bare minimum to just take to dog out for toilet and then bring it back in. Some others really enjoy the time spent with the dog, be in on long walks or holiday pet-sitting. Bad pet owners can be everywhere; in HK their negligence can come in forms quite unique to the city. – Lastly, yes, I have had a dog in Hong Kong myself. I was living in a village that time, and together with my husband we took care of the dog, no helpers or dog-walkers involved.

Christelita is 100% correct is saying "dog walking should be about the distance and exercise, not just quickly taking the dog out to do it's toileting."


Half the helpers around where I live don't even give dogs time to do that! And what's more, because of a major lack of exercise and boredom the dog endures, the behaviour as a result is more than often, excessive barking at other dogs and people, pulling on the lead in frustration at it's limitations and aggression. The dogs bark or growl and it either gets hit or an index finger waved in it's face (like the dog knows what that's all about!). It drives me nuts!

Cara, I'm not suggesting your husband is lazy, uncaring and inattentive at all. Er.. he's not a helper is he? We're talking about helpers/maids or whatever you wanna call them. Not all maids are lazy either but from what I witness on a daily basis, the vast majority of them are.

Sorry Cara, I've just re-read Christelia's original and it does imply that people are unfit dog owners (or any animal I assume) if they have to have someone else look after it for a while. I completely disagree but I must be in that category because my dog has an anual "holiday" at Ferndale! lol Shame on me!

As a dog lover , I agree with you Christelita, people should think over and over again before making the idea to own a pet in order to fulfil ourself. But we are not living in a prefect world and there's no a peace world although we always hope there will be, we can't stop unreasonable things happen. And I agree with Cara too as those busy and good owners spend their money to hire the dog walking service. The point is, they should hire a professional dog walker who will exercise enough and fulfil the pack's need.