You are a dog lover and thinking about starting your own dog walking business or dog walking (Not to be confused with a pet sitting business). The idea of spending your days with furry friends and getting paid to do it sounds like a dream come true. Additionally, with 89.7 million dogs nationwide, there is great potential for clients who need your dog walking services.
So,how you can start a successful dog walking business? We’ll delve into all the details, steps, and details you need to know to start a new dog walking business. ¡Let us begin!
1. Do Your Research Before Starting a Dog Walking Business
Being a professional dog walker is like any small business. Therefore, before starting your dog walking business, it is essential to research the pet industry. You want to research the target market to see if there is enough demand and how much competition there is in your area. For example, starting a dog walking business may not be the best option if there is not enough demand or too much competition.
To start researching the demand for your new dog walking business, you can do the following:
Access these useful guides on other types of businesses you can start.
- First, do an Internet search for dog walking companies in your area.
- Then use Rover to get an idea of how many people need dog walking services. Find out the number of dog owners in your area.
- Third, reach out to local dog rescue groups and visit a dog park to see the number of dogs brought in by pet owners.
- Finally, talk to your local pet stores and pet sitting services.
To get an idea of the competition, you can check Rover.com and online classifieds sites like Craigslist to see how many pet sitters in your area offer dog walking services.
Once you understand your market and target audience and know that there is enough demand to support your dog walking business, you can begin to determine the logistics.
Read our guide to Rover
2. Discover the logistics
There are some logistical considerations you need to consider when starting your own business. Keep reading for more details!
Training
Before starting your dog walking business, it is a good idea to obtain formal training to help prepare you for interacting with multiple dogs. You can also volunteer at a local dog shelter or pet store if you don’t want to pay for formal training.
You should also attend a pet first aid class and learn the types of collars, harnesses, and leashes available. Knowing this will help you recommend the right one for the owner’s dog. It will also help you walk your dog more safely and efficiently at dog parks.
Make sure the owner approves of the collar you plan to use and that you are using it correctly. Part of dog training is knowing what dog treats different dogs love, understanding dog behavior, etc. Finally, as a dog walking business owner, educating and training will help you walk dogs with more confidence as you begin this career path and give your business more credibility.
Business name and structure
Once you’re ready to get started, you need to choose a business name and decide what type of business structure you want to configure. If you decide to run your business entity under a name other than your legal name, you will need to register that name with your state and appropriate local government agency.
Like several small businesses, the structure of your dog walking business can be a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). You may consider establishing an LLC if you want to separate your personal and business assets and have more flexibility with certain tax benefits that small business owners enjoy. However, it would be best if you still spoke to a certified tax accountant or legal professional to help you make the best decision.
Prices and services
Now that you have researched your competition, you will know how much other business entities charge for their services and what they offer. Determine what you want to charge for your services based on the competition and decide what services you want to provide.
Consider whether you will offer service packages, dog walking, and other related services, such as obedience training and pet sitting. Also, decide how long you would like to offer your services. For example, dog walkers typically provide their services in blocks of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and one hour.
Create a website
Having a website creates greater legitimacy for your business. You can create a business website yourself using sites like WordPress or Wix or ask someone to design one for you.
You can find freelance website designers at upwork if you don’t know anyone who can do it or you can’t find anyone on Google that you like. Make sure the website contains all the services you provide.
An excellent software created for dog walking companies is It’s time to caress. The app allows you to keep track of your schedule and your clients’ data, automatically generates invoices and sends them to your clients!
Keep records
Although keeping records may not seem that important at first, it will become more important as you grow your business. Therefore, it is best to start with the right platform from the beginning. Plus, it will save you time when transferring information in the future.
It costs $35 a month for solo dog walkers, but if you talk to a tax accountant, you’ll probably be able to write this off as a business expense on your taxes. If you don’t want to use an app like this, you should still have a spreadsheet that tracks the following customer information:
- ADDRESS
- Phone number
- Emergency contact number
- Dog breed, color, date of birth, medical history, name of veterinarian (and contact information).
Sure
Significantly expensive liability insurance claims come from dog bites, specifically dog bites that occur when a dog walker allows a third party to get too close to one of the dogs. As a dog walker, you are responsible for the dogs and any damage caused to any of them during the walk.
To protect yourself, you should seriously consider purchasing business insurance. There are general liability insurance policies designed explicitly to cover dog walkers. Research which policy best suits your needs.
Pet Care Insurance and Pet Sitters Associates LLC are two popular companies in the United States that offer liability protection coverage for dog walking. For a more detailed guide to help you decide on dog walking insurance, Click here.
3. Find out the legal aspects of your dog walking business
Now that you’ve figured out the logistics, you should also consider the legal aspects of running a dog walking business.
Know the law
You should be aware of local laws that affect you or your business. Regulations you should be aware of include health standards (i.e., do you need to clean up after dogs?) and leash laws.
Check with local authorities for information about other laws that could affect your business. Many dog walkers tell their clients that they will not walk dogs off leash. However, if you want to accommodate customer requests, you can ask them to sign a liability waiver.
License
You should ensure that there are no local licensing requirements related to dog walking. You should also check the general licensing requirements for business owners in your city/county/state. You may need a general business license, so research the specific requirements for your location.
Contracts
When working with clients, you want to have a dog walking contract that sets out the terms and policies of your business. You need an agreement to protect yourself and the client and ensure everything is clear from the beginning.
What you should consider including in your contract includes the following:
- Work hours
- Dog walking schedule
- Service areas
- ¿How will you manage client keys?? (create a key management form)
- Cancellation policy
- Inclement Weather Policy
- Policy on dog behavior problems
- Whether the dog will be walked alone or in a group.
- Services provided
- Payment methods
- Protocol for health emergency situations
You should also consider including a veterinarian authorization form. This way, you can seek veterinary help in an emergency if the owner does not respond when you try to contact him. The authorization should also clarify that the dog’s owner will pay any veterinary bills.
Talk to a lawyer about setting up your contract.
4. Promote your dog walking business to get clients
Now that you have all the logistics and legal aspects, you can work on getting clients. Getting customers comes from having a solid marketing strategy, but a lot of it will also come from word of mouth marketing and having a customer referral program.
Below are some ways you can advertise your dog walking business:
- Post flyers or business cards at veterinary clinics, pet groomers, pet stores, church bulletin boards, local libraries, and coffee shops.
- Advertise on Craigslist and in local newspapers announcing the opening of your business.
- Place a magnetic car sign that has your company name and logo on the back of your car.
- Use social media to attract customers. A great way to do this is to post photos on Instagram of your client’s dogs on a walk.
You can find a step-by-step guide on social media marketing. here.
5. Start dog walking and make money
¡You finally have clients and you are ready to start walking and receiving payments! When it comes to receiving payments, remember to invoice your clients. Some dog walkers choose to request payment up front. The best way to accept payments is with cash, PayPal, or Venmo.
You must also set up a business bank account. That way, you can separate your business finances from your personal assets, making it easier to file taxes when the time comes. Plus, money for business expenses won’t have to come from your personal account.
Now you know what it means to start a dog walking business. It may be a little difficult to get the first clients, but don’t be discouraged. If you are consistent and try hard, you can achieve it and be your own boss.
Once you have a few clients, it will be easier to get more because they will spread the word for you. ¡Now all you have to do is start walking!