With the pet industry growing at an alarming rate in terms of revenue, venturing in a Dog walking business could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to get established. 

So if you love dogs, great! If you love walking, even better, but if you love dogs and walking, excellent you’ve just found yourself a business you can do while still pursuing your passion.

We are no expert, but after working with pets, especially dogs for ages, we have a pretty good perspective on what it takes to start a dog walking business and make money out of it.

Let’s get started

Deciding to become in Dog walking business

As mentioned above, deciding to become a dog walker is not quantum physics (no offence); it is just walking a dog and caring for the dog as you walk along.

Pretty easy eh, No!

If you have decided to start a dog walking business, there are some things you need to know and keep in mind.

Dogs are nice (well, maybe not all of them), but they are a handful and can keep you on your toes. So make it your business to read up or Google search all about dogs (different breeds or the ones common to your locality) before you begin.

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 Qualification needed to become a dog walker

 While there are no academic qualifications required for becoming a professional dog walker, you do need a high school diploma in animal science and business to be established in this field.

Furthermore, you can take courses relating to animals and dogs; like how to walk a dog,  how to control a dog walking too fast, how to spot a dog with a problem, dog nutrition, behaviour, dog obedience classes, disease prevention, emergency tactics, and grooming, etc. In addition to going for a special dog course, you can volunteer at a well-known dog kernel to get firsthand knowledge on how to behave and treat the animal right under different circumstances.

You can also get first-hand job training through entry-level positions at other dog walking businesses where you will learn the basics and tricks of successfully running a dog walking business from the experts.

Develop your skills

A dog walking business involves talking to the dog owner about what you do, and why you should be entrusted with their dog. Remember that animals are unpredictable, and it only takes a second for a happy fun and loving dog to display a nasty behaviour change.

Having a strong, confident persona and love for the dog (and all animals) is the number one selling point for the business.

You must be physically fit –dog walking is no small feat, it is endurance and miles covered depending on the dog. Some dogs are strong and will drag you along.

Dog walkers don’t select favourable weather – whether it is hot or pouring, dogs love all-weather except for storms. So if you are squeamish about mud or wet place, you should reconsider why you want to start a dog walking business.

Some tips to consider as you are just starting your business are:

• Always meet the owner of the dog you are walking before taking the dog for a walk
• Let the maximum number of dogs in a walk be 5 and never more than else you will get confused and lose track of their needs
• Keep a record of all dogs in your care; pick up time, and all activity is done during the walk
• Never divulge client information under any circumstances
• Never go dog walking without a collar and name tag on the dog
• Remember to clean up after your dogs (you will be fine for gross neglect of public property, so be wise).

You should also think of joining popular pet groups or companies to learn more about dog walking business, Moreover being a member of a pet society will give your customers peace of mind that their beloved pet is in good hands.

Take Dog walking business/administration courses

People who truly want to start their dog walking business can gain a whole lot of experience by working with professionals as staff. This will give you inside knowledge on how to manage schedules, customers, market the business, charge clients, control spending, talk to clients and promote your dog walking business as an entity.

Take a business course –this will empower you with the skills and certifications to enable you to start your own dog walking business. Once you have acquired the knowledge required to start your business, think of becoming certified.

You can enrol and attend a program that will certify you as a legit business owner. The course work can be online or offline. Courses include animal body language, behaviour, leash training, and others.

Get a Business Name

Now we are getting ready to put our dog walking business together. Choosing a business name; this allows you to be recognized by the law and the neighbourhood where your business is operating in. A business name allows you to get the necessary permits and licenses to run your dog walking business smoothly.

Remember to choose one that is memorable for clients to remember and easy to find on search engines like Google.

Get a business license

As a potential dog walking business owner, you should acquaint yourself with the laws and regulations related to dogs and animal care. For example, some states and cities require that a person is allowed to walk one dog a time

Others have strict laws regarding animals on a leash, transporting animals, animal safety in public places, animal waste disposal, and reporting a lost animal. Self-employed dog walkers must register for a dog walking permits for their business; this allows them to walk the dogs in public places like parks.

Some cities required carrying a health card on the dog and license number for security checks. For people who have a dog walking business and transport these animals, they are required to have a valid driver’s license and business license on them at all times.

Dog Walking Insurance

Even though a permit is enough for walking a dog, you should consider getting a dog walking insurance policy for your business.

Dogs love walking; a comprehensive dog insurance plan will protect you in case anything goes wrong with you or the animal on the walk. There is lots of pet business insurance on the market, while all of them might not be for you, you can have a tailored plan for your dog walking business or a flexible plan that allows you to add other services in the future.

Dog Walking Business Insurance

Having a dog walking insurance is the peace of mind for you and your clients. It is also a level of responsibility that shows that you are reliable, and their pets are okay in your care. It will also make you sleep easy knowing that you are covered in eventualities beyond your control, and show customers that you are in it to win.

Some insurance plans are public liability plan, or employee liability claim that safeguards your business or the pet from mishaps on the job.

Mode of Transportation

If you’re truly serious about starting a dog walking business, then you need transportation unless you live in a well-connected city with enough public mobility to get you and the pups around.

While the above is a great choice, some clients may not like their dogs using the public system hence the need for a good vehicle that will allow you to pick up the dog and take them to a park or wherever the walking route is located is essential to your business.

The charges for walking your dog

 Like any business, determining the price of your dog walking service is a top priority, while location, distance to the park and breed matter, dog walkers charge by the minute/hour in most cities in the US and UK

In the US, a 15 to 20 minutes walk with your pup will set you back $15 to $20 and up to $30 for half an hour and above. If the client has more than a pup to be walked, the dog walker charges an extra $5 to $10 to the initial cost and duration.

In the UK, the average dog walking price is £6 to £10 for a 30-minutes walk and extra for more than one pup. These prices do vary according to location, what other services are offered on the walk and how many dogs are coming on the walk with you.

Even though dog walking is a busy job, the dollar and cents can add up to a huge income if well managed and how many walks you take in a day.

As a startup dog walking business, know your competition and their rates; then work on affordability. Don’t forget the overhead cost of the business, so don’t go too low just for the customer’s sake.

Marketing your dog walking business

Marketing your dog walking business shouldn’t be that tricky in the age of technology and social media. It is actually very simple; you can join other pet walking professional/business groups online, register with recognized pet society in your neighbourhood, and go for pet events.  In fact, dog shows and events are a great place to get potential clients or convince a dog owner to work with you.

Remember to have printed copies of your business card to be handed out so they can reach you. If you are a savvy business person, strike a conversation and exchange numbers with the clients and request a good time to reach out to them.

Methods to market your dog walking business

• Sell your niche – knowing the what, why, how, and when of your dog walking business can make you stand out and endear to clients. So if you are good at making dogs following instructions during a walk, sell that to the clients. Remember, you have to be good at it and show the passion to your customers (pets and owners alike).
• Wear your business t-shirt to an event or for a meeting with clients. This is the best advertising, and you are not paying a dime except for printing the shirt
• Print colourful flyers with your name, address, and telephone number, and ask local veterinary offices and pet care store to help you disburse them to clients that come in for their services. Also, speak to a local dog trainer or people that work with dogs regularly
• Offer loyalty plan to loyal and regular customers – you can offer a free dog walk on the fifteenth walk or give them a discount on the tenth walk. For example, if you charge $10 per 20 minutes, ask them to pay $8 on the 10th walk as an appreciation for doing business with you.
• Social media – create captivating social media ads that will attract potential clients, use Facebook, Instagram, or other dog sites to make your business known. Upload videos and pictures of you and the dog on the job on your site for public viewing.
• Talk about dog walking and why you are the best in the business or other dog-related topics that people want to hear or know about.
• Google My Business your dog walking business – local business can benefit immensely from this, as your business will be found across all Google Search engine at the click of a button.
• Target a specific audience– so many people own dogs, but due to health issues can’t walk their dogs. Look for such clientele, and offer you services to them.
• Having an active website where clients can leave testimonials, and review about your work ethics on your page – whether on your Facebook, your business page, or others.
• Network your dog walking business – the world business circle moves by referring and words of mouth. It has worked, is still working, and is the best way to get your business far and wide in a competitive market as the pet industry.

Finally, a dog walking business is not the most manageable business around, but with exceptional customer service, you will get off on the right foot. If you are a professional dog walker, it will take more than love or passion to turn a hobby into a business. Furthermore, it is okay to dream big, but don’t go beyond your capabilities or else you might come crashing down.

Want to grow and scale your ‘Dog Walking’ Business ?? Then you need to apply right targeted strategies & an Automated System which can bring a lot of Dog owners as your customers!! Click here to know more!