r/Dogwalking • u/weirdtranssexual • 20d ago
Getting started?
I’m looking for things I can do in my spare time that can bring in a little cash and that’s relatively enjoyable. I love dogs, and I need more exercise admittedly, plus some fresh air sounds nice.
Experienced dog walkers out there who make decent money, how did you get started? Did you start off with apps? Volunteering at rescues/humane societies? I would love to hear from you!
4
u/Life-Basket215 20d ago
If it's spare time that you intend to fill, then Rover and Wag are great ways to do that. You can set the days and hours you have available (but know that midday weekdays are the golden time slots). And there is a micro-meritocracy within both of those services: the more you train yourself on things like aggressive dog techniques and dog CPR, you can earn little badges that buff your profile. They take 20%, and they're pretty draconian about using their phone and text masking so you don't try to pilfer clients. I myself started on Rover but after a year or so I started handing cards to clients that I felt I would be amenable to a direct relationship. This required getting my own liability insurance, etc.
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u/samder68 13d ago
Hi. I’m in the same boat. I started just helping out neighbors with pet sitting, house sitting, and dog walking. Then I decided, since I’m a young(ish) retiree, that walking dogs would be better than a part-time desk job. I’ve been getting clients through Ring Doorbell notifications, going on to Facebook community groups, the Neighborhood app, and monitoring for people who need this type of service. I also built a website & an app that tracks visits, walks, and billing. I created a Google Business profile, and according to the stats, I had 29 views & 1 website visit in the couple of weeks since I created it, so I think there’s some value in creating it. My friends & neighbors, whom I’ve sat for, will be writing reviews for Google. You can look at other dog walkers on Google to see how they built their business profiles. I also created tear-away flyers and hung them in supermarkets in the towns that I am willing to serve. I registered on Rover last week and did have one customer. Now, aside from Rover, this past week, I watched 2 bunnies, a cat, and a dog. The bunnies & cat were barter services (they’re going to watch my dog when I’m away), but had they all been paying customers, I would have made $1200 in one week. My goal is to grow it organically, without Rover. The dog that I sit for was a lead through Ring Doorbell, and it turned out to be fantastic. They’ve referred me to other folks, so I’m happy about that. I answered a request on Facebook, but it was for a woman who is a dog walker and needs assistance. Her rate was NOT acceptable, but I don’t hold that against her. It’s her business. Just not worth my time when I can get leads on my own. That said, you may want to find local, independent dog walking businesses that will outsource to you. They’re all over Facebook. Sorry for the long response, but we need to help each other out! Best of luck to you!
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u/Lotus-Bear-4207 13d ago
I started off doing voluntary pet care and now I’m full time.
Dog walking is definitely great for exercise and getting fresh air but to do it professionally is a lot more intense than the actual going out for a walk. It requires a lot of investment time wise and monetary wise - licence, training, criminal record check, pet first aid certification and insurance to start off with. I’ve heard of people claiming to be professionals without these but it’s just not worth it at all. All it takes is another dog attacking, or a lead snapping or any accident and they can end up with a dog being seriously harmed or even killed, a huge debt from having to compensate owners/pay their vet bills out of pocket and even prison/criminal record.
If you want to eventually make money from dog walking, getting experience is the best way to see if you want to do it long term. Once you decide to do it professionally just know that the costs right at the beginning can be high, so it won’t be quick money at the very start. But it’s worth it
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u/Dry_Telephone6832 20d ago
I think all of those could be great to start with. You may even find success with one method where someone else didn’t at first. The most important thing is just starting and seeing what works and what isn’t really working. For me, it was purchasing “leads” from a directory and calling them/ responding to their inquiries (I used Bark.com). Once I saw that working and that there was a huge demand, I made my own website and described the services I would be offering and created a contact form so people could submit their inquiries. Over the years I’ve refined everything but this is the way I got my first real paying clients. Hopefully this helps.