How to be a Dog Walker (Updated for 2024)

by | Apr 29, 2022 | Free Dog Walking Resources | 1,033 comments

If you’ve been contemplating entering the world of dog walking, there’s no better time to start than now. The surge in puppy sales since 2019 has led to an unprecedented demand for dog walkers. Opportunities are abundant, and those who have recently embarked on this journey are already finding themselves at full capacity. With a shortage of dog walkers and a surplus of work (for now), the window of opportunity is wide open. Don’t delay – seize the moment and start your dog walking venture as soon as you can!

How to start a dog walking business

The chances are high that you own a dog. In that case, you’ve no doubt been out walking at your go-to place and seen the local dog walkers arriving in their vans, taking their group out for a walk, and wished you could do the same. Spending time outdoors with dogs, and dog walkers do get paid a good living for it, it seems almost too good to be true. Especially if you’re not happy in your current job – I wonder if it’s your job that brought you here?

Dog walkers are popping up everywhere, and all share the dream of finally earning a fair wage, in proper working conditions, and doing something they love.

Do you need qualifications or training?

You can start with little to no funds to invest, nor do you need any qualifications or training to become a dog walker, and at this moment in time, there aren’t even licenses required to walk dogs either (but please check your local council to be sure).  You just need to be 100% committed to make your new business work!

To make sure your business doesn’t fail in the first few months, plan how you will pay your bills while you build a client base.  If you have a partner or family that can support you, that’s great. But if not, consider looking for evening and weekend work to bring in extra income while leaving the daytime available for dog walking.  An evening job like a takeaway driver is ideal.

The first thing you should do is research your local dog walkers. So get on Google and Facebook and find all your local dog walkers in your area.  Find out what their prices are like and what services they offer.

Areas vary slightly, so London prices are different from the rest of the UK, and even one town can have different prices from the town next to it.  Find the average price the locals are charging and set that price as yours. For example, walking a dog for an hour where I live, dog walkers get paid around £10-£15 per dog and walk dogs in groups of around 6.

There are two types of dog walks – group and solo.  Most people are happy to get their dog walked in a group, so they get to socialise and play.  You can charge more money for a solo walk, but you get paid way more money walking six dogs in a group than one dog on its own.  A couple of group walks a day can be enough for a dog walker to make a living. Some do just that – it makes for an ideal job for those who have kids and want to work during school hours.

So what is the main reason someone hires a dog walker? Answer: They’re usually at work or working from home.  I didn’t know this when I started, and I just hoped someone would pay me to walk their dog. I didn’t even consider the motivation of those who hire a dog walker.  Who wants to give their money away, after all?  Dog walking for most dog owners is enjoyable. So for most clients, it’s a necessity, as in there’s no one else at home to do it. And because the most common need for a dog walker is that the owner is at work, nearly everyone wants their dog walked in the middle of the working day. Not 9 am just after they’ve left home and not 5 pm when they’re on their way back or can do it themselves.  So the lunchtime period is peak working hours for a dog walker. You may only manage two walks at that time (an early lunch walk and a late lunch walk. Eg. 11 am & 1 pm). You will earn most of your money for the day during lunch, so you can’t do solo walks or offer any other service during this time – that time is for group walks only.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t do solo walks. You may get asked to do walks by people like the elderly and the disabled who don’t mind what time their dogs get walked during the day; as long as they get walked – you can fit them around your schedule. But solo walks tend to be done more by those just starting with time on their hands, while the established dog walkers tend to stick to group walks only. For example, I walk three group walks a day, and then I’m done.

You’ll be surprised how much time it takes to pick up and drop off dogs. Taking three groups of dogs out for a 1-hour walk takes me around 6 hours – half my working day is collecting or dropping dogs off – in a small area.  Dog walkers are always racing against the clock, so working in a small area is always advisable.

Potiphar and Chilli getting picked up for a walk

Decide what pet services to offer

The most popular services are doggy daycare, dog boarding, and cat visits outside of dog walking. Doggy daycare is taking off nowadays. Dogs come to stay with you for the day (or half-day) while their owners are at work, with usually the option of a pick-up and drop-off service available. I don’t offer daycare, but it’s a significant rival/addition to dog walking and growing by the day. You can charge quite a bit more for daycare, but someone will have to be at home to look after the pups if you are out dog walking. Some dog walkers offer this service, and some folks provide daycare exclusively.  There are dedicated premises for larger daycare centres that also hire staff.

When looking for a dog walker, clients will sometimes look for those that can board their dogs, too – this is quite important to some, but it’s not a deal-breaker. People like to go on holiday or the odd weekend away, so having a dog walker that can look after their dog is a big bonus, plus boarding pays well (£20-£30+ per night, per dog). In the summer months and school holidays, a dog walker’s wage can almost double with the addition of the boarders, but it can be hard work.  Expect to wake up to ‘accidents’. Several dogs living with you can bring a lot of dirt and fur into the house and along the walls – your once beautiful lawn is now scorched with urine.

Apart from group dog walking, dog boarding, and doggy daycare, all other services are just pocket money. If you don’t fancy them, it’s OK to forget about them, including pet sitting cats and other furries. But what is Pet Sitting? Do you know? I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and I sometimes wonder. Is it cat visits? Is it dog sitting in the owner’s home or dog boarding in yours? Is it something to do with caged pets? Well, it’s all those things actually and more. Technically, Pet Sitting is an umbrella term.  Any pet that is cared for in either their own home or your home is Pet Sitting. It’s a vague term, and I wouldn’t say I like it, as it can mean anything to anyone.

So if you do promote Pet Sitting as a service, then describe what it is you’re offering to potential clients. Think about how your potential clients will feel if you list it as a service alongside cat visits and dog sitting, as I often see. I prefer only to list actual pet sitting services I offer, e.g., cat visits and dog boarding. But whatever services you offer, describe clearly what each service is in layman’s terms, and don’t just assume clients will know. Most are hoping you will explain what you do, how you do it, and what it will cost them.

Quote: “You’ve got your hands full!” and “You must be fit!” are the two most common phrases you’ll hear from the public, day after day.

Elsa and Jack are staying at my house

Learn basic canine first aid

Caring for someone’s cherished pet is an enormous responsibility.  Walking a single dog on a lead is usually a carefree walk, but walking six dogs off lead in a public place with distractions is another matter. Therefore, we must remain 100% focused and on the lookout for problems and potential problems.

You will learn that you have to see problems before they arise, and for most, this will come naturally and with experience. For example, if one of your dogs is prone to running over to greet other people’s dogs,  it’s up to you to see that dog before your dog does and respond accordingly. Likewise, if you have a male who doesn’t like other males or likes to hump other males, you have to see that other male first and move away, put your dog on a lead, or distract him.

When approaching other people and their dogs, I always look for the owner’s body language first. Do they look nervous seeing me and the dogs approach?  Are they relaxed and happy?  Is their dog on lead or off?  Being alert and seeing problems before they arise is the first rule of canine first aid – preventing injury.

I’ve been lucky that no dog I walk has ever suffered from severe injury – sure, I’ve seen the odd cut pad, broken toenail, but I haven’t had to deal with much! But I’m always cautious as something can happen in a split second that results in injury, resulting in substantial vet bills.

A first aid course will teach you how to treat injured dogs in an emergency. From bleeding to choking, dealing with broken bones, and even CPR and heart massage – this will give you peace of mind and a good selling point to clients. With experience, I’ve learned that it’s usually the same dogs that will injure themselves repeatedly rather than random members of the group. It’s always those same dogs that run the most that get the sprains, cut pads, or worse – hypoglycemia! I explained this to the editor of Country Walking magazine in 2016 when I helped him write an article about hiking with your dog.

Hypoglycaemia is when the dog’s sugar levels drop after they push themselves too hard – I’ve seen it happen within 30 minutes of a walk. If a dog is not used to much activity, it’s more common than a regularly exercised dog. They become lethargic and dizzy, it can be pretty dangerous, so I always have some honey in my first aid kit just in case, but it’s scarce. It’s happened to me twice, and it’s always those same dogs that want to run after every ball, chase after everything, and do it all as fast as possible. You have to be their brakes because they won’t stop, and usually, the working breeds are guilty of this.

An excellent simple precaution is not to push the dog harder than it gets at home. Sure, let the dogs play, have fun, and tire themselves out, but in moderation. Clients’ dogs may only get one long walk a day or long walks only on weekends, so I give them timeouts throughout the walk if it’s a highly charged one. The last dog that went hypo on a walk did so, trying to keep up with my super fit Springer Spaniel, but I carried a 30-kilo dog back to the van. But like I said, it’s infrequent, and you will probably never experience it.

Dog walking isn’t all the ‘Sunshine and rainbows’ that some think it is and, at times, can be pretty stressful. But learning some basic first aid will make your life a lot easier and take a lot of the anxiety away. It could be the difference between life and death for the pet in your care! Get to know a dog behaviourist! They can be pretty easy to find on Google in your local area. Learning and understanding some dog behaviour basics is beneficial for a dog walker. Even if you are an experienced dog owner, it will make a big difference. It’s pretty easy to reinforce lousy behaviour; simply giving the behaviour attention can be enough to make it worse! Understanding why a dog is doing what it does can be essential and help you learn about the dog you are walking. How would you deal with it if a new dog joined the group, but one of the other dogs didn’t like it, or there were group issues?

Tip: In an emergency, you can take the dog to any vet (meaning the closest at hand), not just their registered vet. All that vet needs to know is what clinic the dog’s registered with so they can get their info. Vets will also treat injured wild animals should you come across any.

I have the attention of the dogs and they are having fun

Get Pet Business Insurance

Dog walkers need to get insured to start a business. You need to protect yourself from any liabilities.  There are quite a few around and easy to find online. Two big companies are ‘Pet Businesses Insurance‘ and ‘Cliverton‘ with many others online. It should cost about £15-£20 a month. Insurance covers replacing locks of clients’ homes should their keys be lost or stolen. And covers vet bills should the animal you are looking after come to harm through your negligence. Also, insurance will generally (or optionally) cover other pet services like dog boarding, daycare, pet taxi, etc. When taking on new clients, dog walkers need three primary forms which you can find at the bottom of this post: A ‘Dog Walking Contract,’ A ‘Pet and Owner’s Info Sheet,’ and a ‘Vet Release Form.’ Find these forms free at the bottom of the post or buy the form book which contains all the forms you need for dog walking in one handy book! The Dog Walking Contract is the agreement between the dog walker and the client. The Pet and Owner’s Info Sheet contains owner contact details and pet info. Finally, the Vet Release Form may be the most important as it gives you the power to take the dog to the vet and agree to their treatment. A vet can’t do much for an injured dog without consent. They are liable should something happen without it, so they can only offer the most basic treatment.

Tip: I’ve often had emails from dog walkers unable to get their vehicles insured for dog walking. Not many insurance companies want to take us on. So if you are having trouble, try Hastings.

You have to register your dog walking business with HMRC to pay taxes on your income. You can earn around £10,000 a year before starting paying tax. By law, you have to keep your financial records up to date, so everything that’s coming in and going out. Hence, an accountant is worthwhile and relatively cheap. But it’s pretty easy to do yourself. Taxes are done online every January on the HMRC website, and you are paying tax for the previous year.

Using either spreadsheet software or a notepad, write down every time a client pays you, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, for each month – this is your incomings. For outgoings, you are looking at fuel bills, van insurance, dog walking insurance, dog leads, cages, and treats. So it’s not complicated. Online, HRMC will only ask you for your incoming and outgoing total for the year and then work out what you owe in tax.

Some people will be entitled to working tax credits to help top up their earnings (I was) so check into that as the income can help when you start.

You might want to get a business bank account too. They are similar to your personal bank account but used just for business. It makes it easier to keep track of your incomings and outgoings and doesn’t cost anything.

Since you will generally get a key to the owner’s home while they’re out, it’s best to have a certificate showing you have been Police checked (DRB/CRB check).

Letting strangers in their homes alone is a big deal for most people. That is why dog walkers rely so heavily on recommendations. If their friend or someone they know trusts you, they are far more likely to choose you than someone unknown. Disclosure Scotland is a government-run organisation and can offer disclosure certificates to anyone in the UK. But you can Google to find others that provide the same service.

dog walker with dogs

The dogs are all back on lead and ready to go home. 2017

Choosing a business name

There’s more to think about in a business name than you might think. If you plan to work alone, a more personal business name may suit you better as pet care is very personal. I’m known locally as Jamie, the dog walker, and people recommend using that term, so if I needed to start all over again, that could be a suitable business name.

There has also been quite a benefit of using your location in your business name. It made it much easier to rank in Google search. Around 2011-2012 if you Googled for a dog walker using my location, my website, and all the directories it listed on took up the whole first page. But now, I only appear once, like most others do, with maybe my Facebook page listing. Google has changed a lot since those days. Google keeps tweaking its algorithms to improve user experience, so there is a chance that adding your location to your business name may become redundant.

If I planned to start a pet business and hire helpers as it grew, calling my business “Jamie’s dog walking” doesn’t make much sense. Nor does it to offer other pet services, like cat visits and small animal boarding. So for those with ambitions and plans of hiring staff, a less personal, more inclusive name is better. For example, if I started again and wanted a team and offered a spectrum of pet services, a business name like “Bishopton Pet Nannies” would make more sense. It includes the location and the term “pet” rather than just “dog” but also has the plural “Nannies,” letting people know there is more than just me working there.

Since pet care can be so personal, some people won’t use businesses that hire staff. They want to choose their pet person and have them walk their dog or care for their pet. Also, those who hire staff can struggle to keep them for long. It pays poorly, hours are low, and it isn’t as fun as it sounds. Yet, because of the appeal of working with pets, businesses never have trouble getting new staff. Still, their clients have to get used to a new dog walker becoming common every so often.

After four years, I hired someone as I found myself overbooked and told some clients their dogs would get walked by my new helper, and most were ok. But some didn’t like the idea of someone they didn’t know or trust walking their dog or coming into their home. So what I learned is that if you hire help and then pass some clients onto your team, it can make some clients feel disgruntled: the agreement of terms has now changed.

So my advice is, if you get a helper, then give them the new dogs to walk, not current dogs. New clients will be happy to have your helper walk their dog from the start.

Get a dog walking logo

A logo can help build your business identity. There are a few ways to get one:
Pay a graphic artist to make you one – expensive:

  • Choose one from the 40 free dog walking logos I made
  • Create one yourself
  • Steal one from the internet (not advisable)
  • Buy a premade logo from a stock website
  • Visit Fiverr.com – cheapish

Marketing Your Business

If you want an online presence, a Facebook business page may be all you need. But a website can also help. Those who don’t know of any dog walkers will likely Google for one and find local businesses (and their websites) listed. Register on ‘Google Business.’ Doing this will list your business (and website) on local search results and Google maps – a must-do action, and it’s free! But remember, it’s not about being number one on Google; it’s about building an effective website that turns visitors into clients – this is marketing.  I host my website with One.com and have done since I’ve started.  They are very cheap and reliable.

Half of my work comes from Facebook and the other half from my website, and primarily at the beginning, when I had no word of mouth, all of it came from my website. But 2010 was a different time with no Facebook.

There are loads of dog walking websites that rank high on Google, but their sites are hopeless. They will never convert visitors to clients, so make sure that you give the visitor what they want straight away if you have a website. Too many sites focus on talking about themselves when they should be letting visitors know what they can do for them – all people care about is what you can do for them!

On the website, state clearly what services you offer, what areas you work in, your prices, and how to contact you. Lay down the simple facts, and explain how it all works. People are lazy online; bullet points make for easy reading. It’s not about you. It’s about what you can do for the client!

I advertise my dog walking services in Erskine and Bishopton, and I state that on the first line of my website – that tells visitors what I do and where.  I then list how it works in bullet points, and underneath that, I have a ‘call to action’ (CTA). A CTA is a directive used in marketing campaigns. It tells the visitor what we want them to do next. People expect to be led by the hand online. Some CTA examples:

  • Sign up to start your free trial.
  • Buy one pizza, get one free! Order now!
  • Get your dog walked! Call Today!

Since we want them to contact us, we’ll add our CTA telling them to do so on every website page.

Tip: When you walk a new dog for the first time, it’s important to post photos to Facebook that same day (if possible). You can bet your bottom dollar that your new client will be visiting your Facebook page aplenty that first day because the new client wants reassurance. Most are anxious when a stranger takes their dog out for the first time. Photos let clients see for themselves that all is good. Posting photos to Facebook is ideal for reassuring and giving an excellent impression to new clients. Not to do so is to keep your client’s insecurities lingering – this can cause resentment and potentially for the client to find another, more reassuring dog walker.

Advertise your business on your vehicle

An excellent advertising method is to get stickers on your vehicle if you have one. Then, hundreds of people will see you every day, and it doesn’t cost much. Anywhere you park, outside your house, outside a client’s home, or in the supermarket is advertising for your business.

Being a Responsible Dog Walker

Control is what dog walking is all about and the most important thing to remember. Being in control is the number one rule. It’s more important than giving the dogs a good run and play. More important than letting them pee and poo. If you’re in control, dogs are safe. If you’re not, then they’re not.

You have to be able to control the dogs you walk and what that means is that dogs off the lead should stay close to you, come when called, and be focused on you. The easiest way to control dogs is to be the centre of attention and even give the dogs a job to do. That might mean using a ball to keep the focus for some, retrieving things from the water for others or just having playmates. However you do it, the dog must know that being with you is better than being away from you. Else they are likely to entertain themselves. What’s happening over there may look a lot more fun. That means they are running away to greet other dogs, that means they are following a scent they’ve found, that means you are not in control.

Being the centre of attention is the number one mega secret of being a good dog walker. Unfortunately, not many dog walkers understand this, so I’ll repeat it, you are the centre of attention. It’s more fun for dogs to be with you than away from you – play with them – entertain them – talk to them, don’t ignore them – give them a job to do – remember that, and you will be doing well!

If all else fails, they go on the lead. As I said, I’ve said this to many dog walkers who can’t stop their dogs from running off. Still, they don’t seem to get it for some reason, and eventually, most of their dogs end up permanently on lead.

Introducing new dogs to the group

Try to know as much about the new dog before you walk it. Are they dog-friendly? If not neutered, does it get on well with other males? If it’s a female, is it spayed? Are there any breeds they don’t like or anything you need to be made aware of? If you want, you can organise for the owner and dog to join you for a walk with your group so they can meet first.

Sometimes owners won’t tell you what you really should know because they count on you to walk their dog, but there can be signs that can give you insight if you look closely.  For example, if they have a bungee lead, they might not be goon on lead. This can also be true if they use a harness or head collar.  If they have an extendable lead, the dog probably doesn’t get off lead much, find out why.

Outside where dogs can run free and have plenty of room, they can ignore the other dogs if they’re not happy in their company. But in the vehicle, dogs won’t ignore each other. So any problems will surface in the vehicle. New dogs always need to be placed in a separate area from the rest – this is why you need a minimum of two spaces in your vehicle.

Usually, dogs are fine, young puppies are always good, but the most likely scenario you’ll find is from the males and non socialised dogs. Unneutered males don’t always like other males, especially complete males, but this isn’t always the case. Some males do need neutering but haven’t been, and they can cause problems with other males, harass and get too personal towards the girls and cause trouble. Some dog walkers (not many) only walk female dogs because of this.

If you have a complete female, you’ll have to let the owner know that you can’t take them on group walks when they are in season. However, you might be able to offer a solo walk which would have to be on the lead.

Suppose a dog hasn’t been socialised enough at a young age. It really might not like being in proximity to other dogs in the vehicle, but a separate area can remedy that. Your dogs must be dog and people friendly! Most dog owners will tell you their dog is friendly. Whether they are or not is another matter. If their dog doesn’t want anything to do with other dogs but doesn’t go for them, you may expect to hear that it’s friendly! Dog walking can be pretty funny that way, and some owners are, let’s say, very loyal towards their dogs. So unless it’s a puppy, you will have to find out what the dog is like.

You could have a fantastic team filled with lovely sociable dogs having a great time together, all under your control. Then you bring in a new dog that profoundly changes the dynamic of that walk for the worse. For me, dogs that cause problems in the group are the worst part of dog walking. Suppose I come across a dog that doesn’t fit in enough because it’s too hard to control or not friendly. I will let the owner know that its’ not working out and end that dog’s time with us – for the good of the group walk. Regarding new dogs, it should only take a couple of walks for you to get a good idea of how that dog is and how it gets on with the pack. Even after one walk, you should have a reasonable idea.

How to walk multiple dogs at one time

You learn when you can let a dog off the lead with experience, but I can offer some great tips and advice on when to let the dog off the lead for the first time.

Some dogs will happily walk with you off the lead on their first walk and come to you when you call them but not all! Puppies are generally the easiest. Second to pups are the dogs familiar with getting walked by different people or have had a dog walker in the past. But the older the dog gets, the more time it can take to adjust to new things. So older dogs that have never had a dog walker usually need the most time – but that is not always the case.

You might be on a group walk with the new dog on the lead, and it shows signs of wanting to play with the group – this is a good sign but not enough. They might be keen on their pack mates, but they must also be keen on you. If they’re not, they won’t come back to you, respond well to your commands, or let you come close enough to them to put them back on the lead.

So you are looking for signs that they are comfortable with the other dogs and, more importantly, happy with you. Warnings that tell you they must stay on a lead are:

  • They are not pleased to see you when you arrive
  • They are not happy with you in their home
  • They won’t take a treat from you (at home or on a walk)
  • Or they do take a treat but spit it back out
  • They respond poorly to your commands/ignore you
  • They are nervous around their new group mates
  • They are not keen on you touching them while they are on lead

The last sign is vital. If dogs don’t like you touching them while on a lead, you will not get anywhere near them if you let them off, so you must keep them on. Thankfully trust builds quickly, and dogs learn that it’s a walk, and they get to go back home afterwards, so it might be scary at first, but they soon get used to it. If they have a good time, it can take just a couple of walks, but if you’re unsure, keep them on the lead until they get to know you better. Again, the older dogs are more prone to this than the younger ones (not always, though).

If you get a nervous dog, it generally just takes a few walks with the same pack for them to relax soon. However, if you have an unsure dog, it’s crucial that you become Mr/Miss Chilled. No drama, loud voices, nothing that makes them think being walked by you or being in the group is wrong – make it a great thing!

Tip: When out and about and meeting people walking their dogs, chat with them as human and not as a potential client. Don’t try to be a salesperson trying to get work, forcing your business cards down their throat. By just being friendly and chatty and without any agenda you build trust amongst people and should they need a dog walker they will choose you. Why? Cause you are someone they’ve gotten to know, a nice person to chat too and someone they trust.

Don’t let the dogs be a nuisance

When walking dogs in public while they are off the lead, dogs need to behave in a particular manner and not bother or upset other people and their dogs. You can get a bad reputation that can spread quickly on social media. With social media, we get something called ‘call-out’ culture. An opportunity for someone to gain prestige and status by shaming others publicly. If you’re a regular on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll see it now and again. Since you can get prestige from a ‘call-out’, there is much motivation from certain types to do this if given a chance.

A good few years back, I was ‘called out’ when a stranger decided to kick a full-size football into the river for one of my dogs. Since the football was too big to get into the dog’s mouth, the dog just pushed it further and further into the river, ignoring my commands to return and soon was far out. It was a terrifying experience, but she returned, oblivious to the drama. After that, all was fine until I saw later that a witness decided to post about it on the local community group on Facebook.

A close call was when I was walking with a client, and her dog suddenly lunged at a passerby’s dog. Outraged, the owner demanded to know if this was a dog from my pack.  I replied, “No,” and backed off. When the owner realised it was just a person out walking their dog rather than a pro dog walker, she quickly calmed down, and they were both chatting and laughing moments later. She changed that quick.

The response would have been very different if that dog was under my control. Maybe a bad review, perhaps a Facebook rant, but whatever the reaction would have been, it would not be nearly as forgiving since I’m a professional. Since we get paid, are professionals, own a business, offer a service, people have the right to complain. They are entitled to shame us, wag their finger at us, and even shout. This is why so many dog walkers look for quiet areas to walk the dogs away from the public. Ok, so here are some rules for how dogs should behave in public:

  • Dogs need to stay close to you, not running about all over the place. They can run after a ball as long as they come straight back. If your dogs are all close, this is reassuring to people that they are under control, which puts their minds at rest. As soon as any dog wanders, I call it back, it’s second nature for me, and now my dogs stick to me like glue unless I throw a ball for them. But if I’m on a path and a bike comes, I can walk off the path taking all the dogs with me to let the cyclist pass.
  • Don’t let dogs run as a group toward other people’s dogs. Very intimidating.
  • Don’t let your males hump or try to dominate other people’s dogs.
  • Don’t let your dogs surround another dog that you pass.
  • Don’t let your dogs steal other dogs’ toys or chase after them.
  • Dogs should be seen and not heard. Some dogs are very loud, particularly when excited. Not acceptable for a public place if it’s continuous. I’ve let dogs go because of how loud they were.
  • Dogs should focus on you, reassuring the public that they are under control.

Pack Culture

Packs have their own culture, every walk may have a slightly different culture from the next, but the gap is more prominent between dog walkers. For example, it might mean throwing one ball for all six dogs on one walk, one ball for each dog on another, or letting them all play amongst themselves or it could be lead walks for all the dogs. By culture, I mean the learned group social behaviour of dogs on that particular walk.

So my packs are inward-facing, which means they focus on me and their fellow packmates, which is what I want. When new dogs join the group, they adopt this culture, and it’s easier for them to do this when they are young. So the pack is like a bubble, and what is happening outside of the bubble is irrelevant and ignored.

Some other dog walkers have outward-facing packs. That means what is happening over there is a lot more interesting. So when new dogs join that group, they adopt that culture and become focused on what’s happening outside the pack.

I’ve seen this before with another dog walker whose own dog felt threatened by other people and always ran over to other people’s dogs. It was always on the lookout for something. What was that noise? Who’s that in the distance? What’s that smell? Is this a threat? The whole pack soon adopted that behaviour.

I ended up with some of their dogs, and it took weeks of work to bring them back into ‘the bubble’ and lose focus on what was happening over there.

 

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40 Free dog walking logos

Welcome to the Free Dog Walker Logo Gallery! Whether you're an established dog walker or just learning how to begin your own dog walking business, feel free to browse and choose a logo that resonates with your style. No strings attached, no cost, and no attribution...

Dog Walking Planner & Organiser

Dog Walking Planner & Organiser

Keep Organised all 2024 Keep all your client appointments, dog walking and pet visit schedules safe and together in this handy 2024 daily organiser/planner. Never forget an appointment again! Each page for every day of 2024, plenty of space for notes, tasks and...

Essential Items for Dog Walkers

Essential Items for Dog Walkers

Since 2010 I've spent thousands buying gear I thought would help me one way or another.  Most things failed or became redundant but some things worked.  So I thought I'd post some handy gear advice to help out new dog walkers.  Some of the items I'm sure will really...

New! Dog Walking Form Book

New! Dog Walking Form Book

ALL YOUR FORMS IN ONE HANDY BOOK! Dog walkers need 3 forms when taking on new clients: The Dog Walking Contract The Vet Release Form Pet and Owner's Info Sheet This book contains all three in order of sequence x 50 Together these forms are required to make sure a dog...

Free Dog Boarding Form

Free Dog Boarding Form

TEMPLATE Download the PDF, or the DOCX file if you want to edit on MS Office or Google Docs etc. Or copy and paste the embedded template below.[dipi_button_grid flex_direction="row" _builder_version="4.17.3" _module_preset="default" locked="off"...

Free Pet Sitting Contract

Free Pet Sitting Contract

Example Template Download the PDF, or the DOCX file if you want to edit on MS Office or Google Docs etc. Or copy and paste the embedded template below.  Please check your own insurance docs to ensure these forms match your policy.[dipi_button_grid flex_direction="row"...

Free Vet Release Form

Free Vet Release Form

Example Template Download the PDF, or the DOCX file if you want to edit on MS Office or Google Docs etc. Or copy and paste the embedded template below.  Please check your own insurance docs to ensure these forms match your policy.[dipi_button_grid flex_direction="row"...

Free Dog Walking Contract

Free Dog Walking Contract

Free Dog Walking Form Download the PDF file and print or use a PDF editer to modify, or download the DOCX file if you want to edit on MS Office or Google Docs etc. Or copy and paste from the embedded template below.  Please check your own insurance docs to ensure...

Free First Aid Guide For Dogs

Free First Aid Guide For Dogs

Learn dog first aid By Bev Cobley for BDWS Accidents happen and illness can occur anytime, usually in the most inappropriate place or when the cause is no longer apparent.  I have lost count of the number of times over the years I have had to perform first aid on a...

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jamie the dog walker

By Jamie Shanks

BDWS is owned and run by me, Jamie Shanks. I’ve been a professional dog walker since 2010. When I’m not walking dogs, I’m usually at home (like everyone else) entertaining my two dogs and attending to six hens.

1,033 Comments

  1. Hi Jamie

    I just wanted to know how you worked out the area that you cover? I have recently had 2 customers contact me, both are 5 miles from me but in completely opposite directions so not sure that I can offer services to both. Did you work out a radius from your home or did you decide to cover an area where you have the most customers? Don’t want to waste all my time driving rather than walking dogs!

    Thanks

    Reply
  2. Hi Jamie

    Thank you so much for the info..my business is growing very well and i have a number of dogs i walk while their owners are at work. I am planning a week holiday in a few months (rare thing for me as I am not keen on travelling) and realised I dont know whether I have to find cover or my customers do? Some of them might not have family/friends to look after the doggies but how can I trust another person to do it for me? I love these dogs and I cant trust anyone to look after them like me! What do you do?

    Reply
    • Is your holiday booked? If so let clients know now and let them either make their own arrangements or take a week off work themselves. A good time is first week of school holidays.

    • Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate it. Its not booked yet..is the first week of school holiday the first week in June? ( I havent got kids as you can tell) I do have a very trusted friend that could do my rounds (she has a dog and walks one) but she is not in my insurance or insured herself. Would it be risky offering my customers for her to do it?

    • I think it would be worth phoning your insurance company and asking how much it would be to put her on your insurance for that week if not the year, it wont be expensive and if that’s the road you want to go down, your clients are happy and your friend has walked with you and knows the dogs and they know her before she starts, then that’s a good solution.

    • Thank you very much for your reply i really cant thank you enough…i wish continued success!

  3. Hi Jamie,

    Firstly, thanks so much for the information on this page, it has really helped me out. After about 6 months of thinking a lot about it I have decided to cut my hours to part time and start up my own dog walking business, with the intention of doing this full time eventually. This may be a stupid question, but someone mentioned to me I would need to inform the ‘authorities’ and set up a business bank account etc. They said if I have a website (which I will) then I can’t hide it as a business and take cash in hand. I’m a bit confused about this. Who do I need to inform?

    Thanks x

    Reply
    • Can anyone help me with this? There’s lots of advice out there about starting up (advertising, website, insurance etc) but nothing about actually starting your own business officially. I’ve never been self employed before so I don’t know how to do this legally and who should be informed. Most people in my area just take cash in hand and don’t declare anything. Not sure how this should work? Help please! Thanks

    • A general enquiry phone call to your local tax office should prove helpful. Tell them it’s something you want to explore further without committing yourself at this point. They’ll send you a pack of leaflets and information on being self-employed, whether on a part-time or full-time basis.

      Don’t worry too much about your cash-in-hand “competitors”, they’re the ones frightened of being found out (by the benefits or tax authorities). Consequently, they’ll be keeping a low-profile, offering a basic service and only doing a few hours here and there.

      In any line of business, you can only succeed if you start out as you mean to go on. So read the leaflets and set yourself up properly, offer a superior service at a reasonable price, get the word out, deliver above what your clients expect and you’ll be on the right path.

      Good Luck!

  4. Hi Jamie,
    I hope you are doing well 🙂
    OK my business is growing now (I still need it to grow more but I am trying a couple of things) I have more 1-1 dogs or people who want their dogs walked with only others from the same household. This is OK at the moment as no one seems to be clashing and I work out it probably saves me in fuel, a lot of my work is just pet visiting (I am going to raise my price for this service).
    However a lot of dogs seem to display challenging behavior on some level, some worse than others, some towards me and their owners. Of course in extreme cases I have recommended a behaviorist, but I have found people have either gone to them and had no success or very reluctant to do so I think due to finances and possible denial in the dogs behavior and their contribution. It helps me to try a few different things although obviously I am not a behaviorist as it retains the customer and helps me have a more successful walk. I seem to be managing and working through things with my customers, however I was wondering if there were any particular websites you would recommend as a go to place with behavior issues. Current problem a male dog who challenges a male owner.
    Many thanks for your time

    Reply
    • I know an excellent behaviourist and she has written for this site, fustratingly with problems at home she not available at mo. I’d go on Facebook and join a dog behaviourist group – should get some help there. But just know, anyone can be a dog behaviourist.

  5. hi jamie
    i ve read r article about dog walking with great interest and admiration. first and formost, ia am devoted lover of all animals, but as a career, i wd like to persue dog walking, but i m clueless where to begin. so jamie, if u can enlighten me and give me some important advice, i wd be so gratefu. i think its important i do a job i luv and still earn money. animals are my passion. i cant be happy doing anything else.jamie,, i wd be so grateful for r advice. thank you.

    Reply
  6. I have just read your advice it was very helpful.I am 17 and I go to college studying animal care, I would love to start dog walking but don’t know how to start as I am a young person.It is so I have some money in pocket for when I need it.

    Olivia

    Reply
    • Hi Olivia!

      Get a disclosure certificate
      Get dog walking insurance
      Start promoting biz online and offline
      Get a driving license
      Get a van
      Be patient.

  7. Hi, I am thinking of starting up my own dog walking business and I have no idea where to start. Could you give me some advice?

    Reply
    • Have you read the article above?

  8. Hi, thank you for a very informitive site 🙂
    I have a chance of an early severance from my work so thinking of trying to get my hobby jewellery making business off to a proper start and to do dog walking full time…or as full time as I can
    I have 3 dogs at the moment and my late hubby was as dog trainer so I have a little grounding….we also did work for RGT (retired greyhound trust) and others when needed

    I am thinking of doing the course that compass training has on dogwalking, where it gives dog first aid , dog law ( which may or may not help since im in Scotland too lol) and some behaviour and other things…I feel if I have this I think this will help when it comes to my competition 🙂
    I have had disclosures done as my parents fosterd kids for years but I thought I would be better getting this updated too 🙂

    Im 44 and been 23 yrs in a crap job and have the chance of changing to doing something better …oh yeah, im sure there will be days I want back into a warm jobcentre advising customers how to look for work but im sure those will be few and far between 😛

    thank you for your site and help for us wanna be’s
    Shirl

    Reply
    • Hi Shirl,

      It’s a small world, I too am a JCP adviser. I can’t get severance but the job is so stressful now I’m just leaving and starting up my own dog walking business. I hope yours is thriving. How did you cope with the transition?

      Julie

  9. Hi there,

    I contacted you just over a week ago regarding making a link to your site to
    Pet Cover Direct’s Site.

    Please let me know your thoughts on this and if it is something that you would be interested in.

    Thanks

    Catherine Mellor

    Reply
    • I don’t do link exchanges honey!

    • OK! Thankyou for the response to my comment anyway – much appreciated!

      Catherine 🙂

  10. Hi Jamie I’m thinking of leaving my job to become a dog walker my question to you is do you make a good living doing your job and can you give me any tips to get started

    Reply
  11. Hi there,

    I am currently doing some work on behalf of Pet Cover Direct and after finding a really interesting post on your site (https://www.bdws.co.uk/2011/06/01/how-to-become-a-dog-walker/) I think it would be a great opportunity for both your site and ours to link to a phrase that is used in this blog post.

    I would really like to know your thoughts on this so please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.

    Thanks

    Catherine Mellor

    Number 1

    Reply
    • Still awaiting your thoughts on this idea.

      🙂

      Thanks

      Catherine Mellor

    • Sorry just seen your later response!

      Ignore this comment!

  12. Hi Jamie

    After a recent split with my boyfriend I am looking to relocate and start up my business in a new area. Do you know a good way to research areas and find out if there is the need for a dog walker?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Google maps is best place to find about dog walkers in area. If there are plenty then there is plenty of demand.

  13. Just saying a big thank you for some very useful information,im currently in a job where im just not happy and have always wanted to work with animals,so to be able to get a income and do something I love is a bonus.
    So thank you for all your help here and hopefully will have my own business up and running and post my own progress soon. Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Hi Annemarie

      Not long home after a very long day but a good day. If you hate your job and want to do this go for it – it’s great but very hard work and there is always stress, just part of the job.

      Jamie

    • Hi James,
      Did you do the transition from full time employment to dog walking?
      I’m at that stage now where I’m ready to take the plunge but I’m in full time employment and have a house to support.
      I really interested of people’s transition from full time employement to self-employed.
      Thanks
      Leanne

    • No, I just jumped in and it took a couple of years to earn a living. Check out the comments for others asking similar questions and if you comment on them they should be notified and you can ask how they got on.

      Jamie

  14. Hi Jamie
    Thank you for sharing your knowledge, please could you give me some advise on walking dogs in season and how you would deal with a dog fight.

    Reply
    • Hi Natalie

      I’ve walked a few dogs in season. Usually it is their first season and I just see how it goes. I know if there will be problems if certain males were to attend so if I know they mostly girls in walk then that’s ok else they would have to get walked on their own. But understand that girlies in season can be very flirty but I haven’t really found that with ones going through their first season so I’ll let them attend a walk and see how it goes but always keeping an eye on them and certain males.

      My own dog isn’t dressed but she wont let any big dogs near here but I know she will flirt with the smaller ones, the first week is just flirting but her second week she stays at home. It helps knowing all my dogs very well though. So I say unless you do, play it safe.

      Regarding dog fights, like the above you have to take every incident independently and knowing the dogs you walk. Is it a fight between dogs in pack? Other dogs and your dogs? I never really worry about fighting, I know dogs in my pack who may charge others, males who may get in the face of other complete males and I have a little dog who likes to charge strange dogs taking other dogs with her. But cause I know them all I can easily distract them if I see other dogs approaching and all is fine. Again knowing your dogs is the most important thing and then you can anticipate problems and deal with them with distraction before they happen. I wouldn’t walk dogs that showed more aggression than that in a pack or off the lead.

      Hope this helps.

  15. Hi Jamie,

    I found this website/blog nearly exactly a year ago,I set myself up from scratch and after a lot off hardwork and through dry times I can happily say I have a decent income coming in from the dogs,It was really hard at times at the start but does get easier,As Jamie said advertise is the key and recommendations,Im really proud off myself that I kept plugging away,Youve always got to keep trying and think there is something round the corner,There’s always good weeks and not so good,But it’s great to know even in the not so good weeks you can still survive and once established still have enough,Jamies advice has really helped me along the way,Even just little things can make a huge difference,If you want it bad enough you’ll keep going,Ive got to know another local dog walker and we regulary go out on group walks together,He passes dogs onto me and I do the same to him,We try to help each other,Also handy for holidays etc,I don’t feel threatened as he charges more than me ;)Thanks Jamie for all advice and tips.

    Reply
    • Hi Lee! Glad it’s going well. Your website is looking good.

    • this is an invaluable site…..i am just about to get going with my business….can anyone advise how i get the police check done please. I see NARPS do it though there company but I cant afford to join them as yet…any help really appreciated. many thanks

    • fabulous….thank you so much. Not sure how I missed it on my searches! Found it after persevering.

    • Brill for you Lee, so glad to hear that you are doing well and got a business and job you love 🙂 ….I hope I can do that in a year and a half time 😀 ….. I should finish my job in June so im going for it then 🙂

  16. Hi Jamie

    I’m struggling to get my web site up on searches. Do you have any tips? If you’ve got time to have a look at my site, I’d love some feedback too.

    Thanks very much,

    Chrissie

    Reply
    • Ok. Have you added your business to Google and Google Maps? I don’t see it there and you wont rank well in local Google results with out them.

      Regarding website it’s all “My name is..”, “I live in..”, “I am very..”, “As a child, I grew up..”. It’s all Me, Me, Me. I’m not interested in you, I need a dog walker, I need my needs met and need to know what you can do for me, how much it costs, how it works etc. I dont read websites I scan and need everything laid out for me. I’m just like every other internet user, I dont like to think. You want people to contact you so why dont you have a contact form on every page? You need a call to action on every page too, “If you’d like to book a service call…”. If you are using wordpress you can use a free plugin called “Quick Contact Form” and add that to your sidebar under you Recent posts widget.

      Also a testimonial on the homepage is good to, just remember people will make up their mind to choose you or hit the back button within the first couple of seconds.

      That’ll do for now.

      Jamie

    • Thanks for the feedback Jamie. I’ll do a rewrite and sort out the contact info.

      Yes in theory I am on Google and have signed up to Google maps but I don’t show yet. Supposedly I’m being sent a verification code. I will ask someone who’s already on there as it seems strange to wait to be verified.

      Yes – my site was done for me as a favour and the Blog and Gallery were pulled over from somewhere else and have lost text and pictures.

      As soon as I get log-in details, I can start to make changes. Can’t get hold of web person at the moment which is very frustrating.

      Thanks for taking the time to have a look.

      Chrissie

    • Gallery page and blog are rubbish. The gallery pics are fine but the page makes it look like their is just one pic on it. Blogs are for writing.

    • I see website done by bristol graphics. You didnt pay for it right? It’s a friend doing you a favour yea? They rubbish. sorry.

    • Try using google add words express I have just started this and got a deal if I spend £25 then I get £75 free spend. I will warn you though some times of year are just slow and its hard to get anything but on some things I come out on the top of a search now.

  17. Thank you for your blog. I am finding it very interesting. I am looking into this work as a wanted to work with animals when I was young but got drawn into the rat race and a job that I no longer enjoy so wish to try and change and do something I do.

    Reply
    • HI Julie! That’s cool. If you need to ask anything that hasn’t already been answered then just ask.

      Jamie

  18. Hi Jamie!
    Thank you so much for this blog. I’m from Greece, and I’m moving to Renfrew in 2 months. It is my dream to work with animals, and I think I’m going to at least TRY it. I have a tone of questions but most of them, you have already answered. But what about the IRS? Do you pay anything to IRS as a self employed? Or is just the insurance that you pay?
    Sorry for my poor english, I hope it would get better day by day..

    Reply
  19. Hi Jamie

    I set up my business around 3 months ago and it’s going from strength to strength. I am already keeping lots of records of everything I purchase for the business but wonder if you could answer a quick question as you’ve obviously had to deal with HMRC in your business. Should I be keeping receipts for the treats & poo bags I buy? I get through a lot of these so it would add up to a lot of receipts!

    Any help much appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Yeah, keep ALL receipts

  20. Can anyone advise who they’ve got their standard house contents insurance with if they’re home boarding. My current provider (Co-op) has asked me to cancel the policy due to home boarding. Like Jamie, I’ll only be boarding one at a time (or possibly 2 from the same household) and they will be dogs already known to me, some having stayed over already. My business insurance is with Cliverton but their home insurance is expensive. Thanks – Chrissie.

    Reply
    • I managed to find insurance through a broker. It was reasonably-priced, although they only managed to find one company who had dealt with home-boarding already and were happy insuring for contents.

  21. Hi Jamie

    Thanks for making such a helpful blog! I too am in the middle of setting up a dog walking business. I’m at the stage of finding cages for my van but all companies are very expensive. Cheapest I have found is a local blacksmith £900 for 4 cages with doors and shelf on top, which is ideal but expensive! I wondered if this is necessary and if other dog walkers spend this on cages when starting up? Getting a divider for the van is cheaper but I’m worried the dogs may not get on when travelling. I plan to walk 4 dogs in total at one time.

    Reply
    • Custom cages are the best but until the cash starts rolling in you’ll do perfectly fine buying cheap dog cages from gumtree and securing them in the van.

  22. I just want to say that I think this is the most generous, and beautifully written website I’ve ever seen. I wish you all the very best with your business.

    Reply
  23. Hi Jamie. Thanks for your great post and tips. I too am also interested in your views to the question posed by Steph Reynolds..

    How did you cope collecting up to 4 dogs on foot? ie. What did you do with the dogs already collected when going into a house? Also, drop-off, especially when there is a need to dry wet and dirty dogs?

    Reply
  24. Hi jamie im thinking of starting my own dog walking buissenes. I work full time at the moment doing 4 days on 4 days of do you think i will be able to do it to see if it is right for me befor i leave my full time job as im relunctant to leave my job if it does not work out. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Glenn

      To be off any use to clients you need to be available mon-fri if you cant do that then you can be much use. Tbh, its not that easy getting work and if clients know you are still holding down a job and not always available then they have no reason to choose you.

      Dog walking can take a few years to earn a living and tbh, anyone who has a decent job shouldn’t be looking into it unless the job is killing them.

      Whether you like it or not depends a lot on the dogs, you could get a few and love it, then some go, some join and you have dogs that make you want to stay in bed everyday.

      Also holidays are hard, my last was xmas and my next is xmas.

      Tbh, unless you have a real good reason to start then stick with what you got, imo

  25. How did you cope collecting up to 4 dogs on foot? ie. What did you do with the dogs already collected when going into a house? Also, drop-off, especially when there is a need to dry wet and dirty dogs?

    Reply
  26. Hi Jamie- just wanted to say thank you for your insightful information, and thank you for all the people that you are continuing to answer questions for. It’s good to read an honest account on dog walking, and reading your thoughts makes me even more inspired to try one day! Kind regards ellie

    Reply
    • Hi Ellie!

      Thanks. When I started I had no idea what I was doing and there was no one there to help so once I got started I began writing that post and I try to update it now and again when I learn new things. Good luck if you decide to go for it.

  27. Hi Jamie – I just wanted to say thank you for giving such insightful information, and also to say thank you for all the people you are continuing to answer all their individual questions for. It’s good to hear you are still enjoying it. I hope to join the dog walking community soon. Ellie

    Reply
  28. Hi Jamie, I’m just at the beginning stages of setting up doggy walking and pet sitting business, all comments very informative, thank you.

    Reply
  29. Hi Jamie,
    Thanks so much for such an informative blog!! I too, am looking to leave my job and take the plunge and dog walk full time! I just want to know what kind of time structure you work with, how many walks a day can you do and how many dogs at at time you take? Obviously I know at first its going to be few and far between and alot will be down to client location ect. I was thinking that 10am,12pm & 2pm would be the obvious times. So would you then build the rest of you time up with feeding/pet visits? Just want a rough idea of how busy I could potenitally be!

    Many thanks Olivia!

    Reply
    • Hi Olivia!

      The three walks a day you mentioned seems enough for one day, it does get tiring and yeah cat visits before and after. So if first walk starts at 10 then then you will prob leave the house just after nine, unless you have cats to feed first, and then home for 3pm unless you have cats to feed after. Try to keep area of work small if you want to get those three walks in or else you’ll only have time for 2 walks.

      Jamie

    • Hi Jamie

      I’m going through a quiet period – a number of my clients moved out of the area and I’ve struggled finding replacements. I advertise on googleadwords, gumtree and dogwalking now …. but not having much luck – hardly any enquries …. Any tips on other ways of advertising?

      Thanks

      ff

    • Hi Rav

      Try advertising on local Facebook groups like this one: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271505639609320/?ref=br_rs

      Also people when they visit your site will make their mind up in just a moment so you need to tell them everything they want to know there and then and what area(s) you work in. Also, like I keep telling people, contact forms and contact details on every page as you want them to be able to contact you regardless of what page they are on. Some testimonials would help. Is your biz on FB? Get it on if not and get friends to like it. Show potential clients that you already walk dogs, that other people trust you, again this is why testimonials are good.

      Jamie

  30. Thank you very well laid out and sound easy to read advice just at those think stage myself .

    Reply
    • Thanks Bill!

  31. Hi Jamie, may I say thanks for all the info you share on here. I have just set up a dog walking business, and though I cannot offer boarding just yet due to property I am in, I do hope to offer this next year. Can you advise what is involved/ what happens when applying for a license to board? Does my garden need to be a certain size and grassed, do i need a separate area for dogs etc? Many thanks.

    Reply
    • HI Jo! Different councils have different rules so check out your local council website for more info. My local council offers a license but it’s not mandatory and it only limits to one dogs per household so boarders here don’t bother with it.

  32. Hi Jamie, would like your help
    I have recently relocated to a new area and I have decided that I want to start my own pet services-dog walking business, I have been advertising the last few weeks, I have a website up and running which is appearing on first page in google I am pleased about that. So far I have taken on two clients one holiday cover for another dog walker and a part time client. I live in a little town called evesham and there is so great places to walk dogs which is where I have been advertising, and people are taking home my flyers but I’m not getting calls I’d hoped for. I’m reasonably priced. I believe my website is doing ok I’m getting the hits but it’s not pulling in the customers any chance you could have a look and see if you could give me some feedback on it.
    Many thanks
    Hayley

    Reply
  33. Hi Jamie,

    Thank you so much for all the brilliant practical advice on your website and blog – really helpful as I plan a new dog-walking venture.

    Just one question: how do you organise payment from your customers? Cash? Bank transfer? Paypal? Do you specify payment type and regularity on your contract? Am probably answering my own question here but any advice appreciated! (Also, do you include VAT in the price if this is applicable? Guess I need to read about tax returns!)

    Many thanks for any advice,

    Anthony

    Reply
    • Hi Anthony. I doubt you will ever need to be VAT registered so don’t worry about that. Cash or bank transfer is best, just ask client what they prefer. I ask to get paid on last day of the week but I have some clients who arent so good at paying so its easier for them just to pay monthly. Occasionally clients forget, and usually its the same clients that forget more than others, but it’s usually all honest and you will learn what each client is like.

  34. Thanks Jamie – lots of combinations of day and night to think about. I need to almost design a matrix for different eventualities! On the early drop-off, pick-up late the next day (say 07:00-18:00)I think I would just charge for 2 full days IE £30, as my borders will be regular customers. Does that kind of arrangement sound OK? I want to be fair to customers but I also want to be fair to myself. My group hourly walk is £10 per dog, so they would be in effect getting a sleepover and a walk free, as I will walk the boarder at least twice a day. Just with your experience in the business, does that sound like a reasonable arrangement? Thanks – Chrissie

    Reply
  35. Hi, thanks so much for writing your blog, it’s really handy to see that someone else has been through the same thing as I am going through and can hopefully talk to.
    I’ve been set up for 6 months, doing very well and just starting to think about employing help. Have you been through this? Would you mind if I called you or emailed you direct to talk to you about this?

    Many thanks

    Julie

    Reply
  36. Hi Jamie, wonder if you can help me was thinking about doing something like this. Would I have to be registered to do the dog walking and if so what for and who with? Also I presume that I would need insurance could you please advise what type and where I should get this with. I would really appreciate any information or advice you could give me. Kind Regard. Colleen.

    Reply
    • Hi!

      No, you don’t have to be registered. Yeah, you need insurance. I have listed insurers in the post but Google for ‘Cliverton’ and ‘Pet business insurance’ as two that offer pet business insurance.

      Best advice I can give is to read the blog post I wrote about starting a dog walking biz then read all the comments at the bottom as they are hundreds and will give you more than all the info you need to give you educated start to dog walking.

  37. Me again – sorry! I’ve got all my rates sorted except day rate and am really struggling with this. I’ve researched my area and only one local dog walker lists a day rate to compare to. Does the price of 2 walks (which they would get) less 25% sound fair? This will be slightly cheaper than my overnight rate. Thanks – Chrissie

    Reply
    • Hi Chrissie

      Day rate for what? Daycare? I’m not sure what you mean.

    • Hi Jamie

      Maybe it’s called something else in the trade. A couple of people have mentioned that they might leave their dog all day with me occasionally – drop it in on the way to work and pick up at the end of the day. I’m not sure what sort of rate to charge for a full day. Cheers – Chrissie

    • Ok, I know that as ‘doggy daycare’. You’d be looking to charge around £15. I’d also sort times out eg. 7am – 7pm then add additional fees if owner collects dog after – this happens a lot. Also plan how you deal with clients who want to drop dog off say 7am and collect next morning. Will you charge just an overnight stay or daycare overnight? If you charge just an over night then you will get clients who will ask you to collect first thing in morning so you can walk the dog then last thing at night next day so you have to give all the walks.

  38. Hi Jamie
    I am thinking shortly of starting up a dog walking/dog boarding business however i have a few worries as regards the boarding as i have three smallish dogs of my own plus a cat of 10 years although all very friendly i am concerned about how to introduce any new boarder into the home.
    Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    Regards
    Ian

    Reply
    • Hi Ian!

      The cat will have to be kept away from boarders for duration they are there. When boarding I will always collect dog then take their dog and my dog for a long walk before then taking them home. Its easier to board a dog in the morning as that gives the day to explore their new home and settle at night is easier.

  39. Hi Chrissie!

    Well, when I started I had a bike and really because I had just started it was one dog walked, taken home then another dog walked. As things got busier I bought a cheap estate.

    I have walked a few dogs while I never had a car but they lived close and knew each other so it was quite simple just to collect them. If you have a couple of dogs then really what you want to do is open door and let dog come out, it on lead and then lock up. But a car does make things a lot easier.

    Collecting, walking and taking home 4 dogs on foot is going to take a long time and make it hard to earn money.

    Reply
    • Thanks Jamie. I can see how a car can make things easier but I can’t afford to get one yet. My catchment is going to be very small and luckily it centres on a wood/stream/playing field combination which is a dog haven. Most of my enquiries so far from people who have heard what I’m setting up have been for boarding, but I won’t be able to board more than 3 at a time and there will be conditions attached to that number.

  40. A logistics question. I don’t have a vehicle at the mo’, so plan to collect dogs on foot from a small catchment. How did you cope collecting up to 4 dogs on foot? IE What did you do with the dogs already collected when going into a house? Also, drop-off, especially when there is a need to dry wet hounds…? Thanks – Chrissie.

    Reply

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