How to Start a Dog Walking Business

Business Overview:

If you’d like to get paid lots of money to walk your favorite animals, then learning how to start a dog walking business is the business idea for you! As a dog walking business owner, your clients will pay you in return for taking their dog out for daily walks. So if you love dogs, this is one of those business ideas that truly offers you the opportunity to generate great profits doing what you love. What is so fantastic about starting a dog walking business is that that you can do it at virtually no cost. No special training is required; you just need to be able to maintain good general control over your dogs (you can easily take a dog obedience course at a relatively low cost if you think this might be a concern for you). The only major start up investment you will make will be on advertizing in order to build up a solid and consistent client base. Dog walkers typically charge $20 to $25 per dog walk, and you can take dogs out in groups—you’re not limited to walking only one at a time. Therefore once you’ve built up an established client based you can quite realistically expect to make $360 to $450 a day or more depending on how much walking you choose to do. You could also hire dog walkers to do the work for you. Once you have a team of reliable, responsible dog walkers the only thing you’ll need to attend to is the scheduling of your clients. Alternatively you could start a dog walking business and work it part time as a means of generating an additional source of revenue—it’s a business that offers you great flexibility. You can also choose to specialize in specific breeds or types of dogs, and you can take them wherever you want to go depending on what you feel like doing each day. Added to this, you’ll be your own boss and you won’t be chained down to a specific location all day. Instead you’ll be free to be outside doing what you love, keeping fit and generating a great income helping others take care of the wellbeing of their much loved canine pets.

A Day in the Life of a Dog Walking Business Owner:

As a dog walking business owner, you’ll have the freedom and flexibility to set your own hours and choose when and where you want to go out on your walks. On a typical day you’ll pick up a client’s dog (or multiple dogs), most likely at an agreed upon time. If you’ve hired dog walkers, you’ll need to get them set up with their schedule for the day. You’ll then set out on your walk either to a local park (for example), or by driving out to somewhere more remote—the choice will be yours. You’ll then bring the dog(s) home well exercised after an hour or so of walking. Depending on how many clients you choose to take on, you may repeat this several times a day, going out on 3 to 4 walks to various locations of your choosing.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be dog lovers. Most likely they will be hardworking people who struggle to find the time to walk their pet, and therefore come to you to help them look after their dog’s health and wellbeing by giving them the daily exercise they need to keep their dogs fit, healthy and happy.

What You Need to Start:

• A love of dogs—and the ability to control them well
• Advertising—flyers, magazine, newspaper, online
• A business license
• Business insurance
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• The start up costs for this business are very low.
• The potential for profits is very high.
• No special education or experience is necessary.
• This business is flexible—you can work full or part time.
• This business will keep you fit and healthy.
• You’ll have the freedom of being your own boss.

The Bad:

• It may take some time to build up your client base.
• You will likely have some dogs and clients that are difficult to work with.

Resources:

• Professional Dog Walkers Association International
• American Kennel Club
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article on Dog Walking
• Wikipedia on Dog Walking

About The Author

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