# What problems have you had?



## Ownedbymany (Nov 16, 2014)

Just curious as to what situations everyone has found themselves in where things haven't quite gone to plan. I've only been trading a few months and already had a police block at the end of my road so I couldn't get my car out, a lock that malfunctioned so I couldn't lock the house back up and a couple of other minor issues such as leads breaking. 
Luckily I had plans in place in case I couldn't use my car (use of another car at a different address) and managed to get the lock problem sorted quickly (funny how it was my only client that only has one entrance to the property...). I also carry spare leads for emergency use.

What issues has everyone else had and how did you resolve the problem?


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

I had a house alarm go off when the owner hadn't told me how to disarm it 

Luckily one of the neighbours had the number


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## Ownedbymany (Nov 16, 2014)

rona said:


> I had a house alarm go off when the owner hadn't told me how to disarm it
> 
> Luckily one of the neighbours had the number


oh rubbish. Glad that one got sorted. I always make sure I ask if they have one and get the number even if they don't usually arm it. I did have one person who wasn't happy about my insistence that I had the number just in case it malfunctioned or armed itself after a power cut. I read elsewhere about one alarm that automatically set itself after a power cut and that's been enough to make me paranoid even though we rarely get them round here.


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

I had to ring an owner at a funeral(!) because she hadn't given me the alarm code. As it was an extra day she had set it (she never set it on walk days).

Have also set off alarms that I don't have codes for owners have gone on holiday and forgotten to cancel us! 

Leads, collars, dog tags, harnesses, all have their moments, so we always carry spares. Had a fan belt go on one van, AA came out and fixed it, then it went again about 500 yards down the road so I had to wait for a lorry to take me home. Recently the starter motor packed up when in a different van and it wouldn't start after the walk.

Roads closed due to roadworks, mostly there is another way round, but they can't deny me access if I need to get to a dog in the middle of the road they have closed, so had to drive round some big holes and cones in my time!

Also had keys and locks malfunction, one the owner had to get their mum to come round and get a locksmith to open the door (door had to come off!). 

We've also people drive into our vehicles, one was completely written off while parked outside my house.  Two of my vehicles were hit last week!

Dogs not there when we arrive is probably the best one.


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## Ownedbymany (Nov 16, 2014)

Wow Linda, that's quite a lot of things but you have been business a long time.

The police wouldn't let me through, it was an overturned vehicle, no injuries, they were not in the middle of any work and there was room for me to get through- I was fuming tbh but it was a dead set no even after explaining I had a dog on medication. Luckily it wasn't time sensitive and even with the inconvenience of having to get a bus to get another car it didn't delay that particular visit.

I've also had a client who's dog wasn't there on one occasion and another who had put a bolt across the back door so I had to call her contact to get a front door key- since then I've always insisted on having keys to more than one door if possible.

I'm surprised at the number of things that have happened so far even though I've been prepared for it. I probably shouldn't be surprised though


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

Owners locking us out, yes I'd forgotten about that. We insist on a key for every door we have to go through and for every lock on the door because it's a risk otherwise, but people leave keys in their side then we can't get in.


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