Ever wonder what it is like to be a Whistler dog walker? We asked Kayla, the Whistler Dog Nanny, to share some of her experiences.
Kayla’s journey to becoming The Dog Nanny began in an unexpected place. After moving to Whistler from Australia as a nanny for a local family, she started volunteering as a kennel assistant at Twin Trees Veterinary Clinic, where she discovered her passion for caring for animals and connected with the founders of Twin Trees and Little Pine Pet.
Fun fact: it was Dr. Melinda Lopez, founder of Twin Trees Veterinary Clinic and Little Pine Pet, who came up with the name “The Dog Nanny” for Kayla’s new business—a name inspired by Kayla’s background as a nanny and her desire to attract clients looking for the same level of trust, care, and personalized attention they would expect from a nanny.
Q: Can you tell us a little about the Whistler Dog Nanny?
A: I started this company in 2019 with one goal in mind: To serve the Whistler community with customizable care. My goal is and always has been to provide owners with a dog walker they know and trust. I started to offer private walks as I felt a deep connection to reactive dogs. I am an anxious person myself, I just like dogs who have a need for space and familiarity. Since 2019 we have expanded our services and team, we now offer hotel sitting, group walks, overnight care and private walks.
Q: What inspired you to become a dog walker?
A: I mean, who doesn't want to spend all day in the forest with dogs? With that being said, it all came from my original love and passion for animals and wanting to help them in one way or another. After discovering how much I enjoyed private walks and dog walking in general, I got some more experience and education through working at the local emergency vet clinic and getting certified through force-free organizations so I could learn to handle more than 1 dog at a time. Through this became my next passion, compatible small group walks. Providing dogs a safe environment to socialize with dogs of similar personalities is so wonderful to watch!
