If you own a dog in San Francisco, you've probably heard someone say, "Hey, did you know that there are more dogs in SF than there are babies?" And, while the validity of that statistic from census data gathered from 2000 to 2005 may or may not be accurate, the reality is pretty clear: San Franciscans love dogs.
However, San Franciscans also like to work. So what are you to do with your pooch while you're out making scratch? Many who afford it hire dog walkers, and we thought we'd alert the neighborhood to a new one in town. His name is Mike Johnston, and he just started a company called Ruff Paws, located right here in the Lower Haight.
Originally from Mahwah, New Jersey, Johnston moved out to San Francisco to play music. Once he got here, he began touring the better part of the country with a "Mariachi Surf" band called Posole. He needed a job that could fit his schedule, so he started working with another company, Running with Rover, using his experience growing up with dogs and a recent stint at a doggie day care center back in Jersey to land him the job.
Roughly three and a half years later, Mike is no longer on the road with Posole. However, his love for working with dogs hasn't ceased. In fact, it inspired him to go into business for himself.
"I wanted to start my own business because it was the logical progression," he told us. "Also, my band stopped touring."
Johnston says he gained a lot from his three years walking large packs of dogs with Running with Rover. "When I first started working with dogs, there were a lot of things to learn, like working on leash aggression and pack control. At Running with Rover, you're working with up to six dogs at a time, so you have to work on pack control," said Johnston.
Now, Johnston works exclusively for his own venture, and is in fact the only current employee. He'd like to expand and hire in the future, but for now he's happy building his business on his own. He tells us two main things that set him apart from other companies: the fact that he only walks up to five dog at a time, and that he is "car-free."
"Most dog walking companies use cars or pick-up trucks. Ruff Paws is car-free, so as soon as we pick up the dog, they are on their feet, walking," he tells us. "Also, it's my own business, so I'm able to screen the dogs more carefully. There's going to be issues with some dogs no matter what. What you want to do is work with them and see improvement. For instance, if you have a dog that has problems with leash aggression, I'm able to walk them with a group of two other dogs and slowly introduce them to the group using positive reinforcement."
His "full time" (five walks per week) is $20 an hour, and "half time" (two to four walks per week) is $25 an hour. Each of these options is only available Monday through Friday. He also offers in-home boarding," where he will either stay at the owner's house or not (depending on the dog's needs), and provide three 30-minute walks a day and a potty break in the evening, along with normal feeding, for $65 a day.
Mike currently serves the Lower Haight, Divisadero, The Panhandle, NoPa, Upper Haight, Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, Cole Valley, and The Fillmore. Ruff Paws is also Dog*Tec Certified and bonded and insured through Petsitters, LLC.
Interested? You can set up a free consultation through the Ruff Paws website here, or give Mike a call at (415) 271-9106.
