The Gentle Parenting Movement Has Entered Dog Care. Here's What It Actually Means

"Can you believe people are actually calling it 'gentle parenting' for dogs now?"

A friend sent me this article last week with an eye roll emoji, like it was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

But here's what I told her:

We've been doing this for years. We just didn't have a trendy name for it.

When I left my six-figure tech career to start Betches Walking Betches, it was because I saw a gap in the pet care industry. Too many walkers were going through the motions. Checking boxes. Treating dogs like tasks on a to-do list instead of living beings with complex emotional lives.

I knew there had to be a better way.

The so-called "gentle parenting" movement in dog care isn't new. It's just finally catching up to what devoted dog parents have known all along: our pets deserve the same patience, empathy, and emotional intelligence we'd give any loved one.

This means we don't just show up and clip on a leash. We read the room. We notice when a dog is having an off day. We adjust our approach based on their mood, energy level, and comfort. We celebrate small victories and never punish fear.

Every member of our team is Small Animal CPR & First Aid Certified. They're background checked and insured. But more importantly? They're chosen because they genuinely see animals as individuals worthy of respect and understanding.

Because here's the truth: you can teach someone to walk a dog in five minutes. But teaching someone to truly care, to notice the subtle shifts in behavior, to build trust instead of just compliance? That's not a skill. That's a value system.

So call it gentle parenting if you want. We call it doing right by the animals who trust us with their wellbeing.

And in a city like LA where your dog is family, that's the only standard worth holding.