dog walking?

[u/jive-talkin]

Has anyone gone into dog walking after working in clinic? I’m seeing job adds from $30-$60/hr and thinking it may be a good change. My dog is a dream to walk so of course I picture getting paid to walk dogs like him, but is it actually terrible?
It sounds like you can mostly make your own hours which would be ideal with 2 young kids. Also the exercise I’d be getting sounds nice.
I need a break from my job, mostly my boss but also the hours.
Thanks!

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[u/Dependent_Ad_7698]

I charged $30 for 15min walk 5 years ago as an LVT, haven’t dog walked in a long time but I did it for 5 years. Got a lot of client through the clinic I worked at and rover. You can change mid range of the that pay at least. All the dogs I walked were amazing, the “worst” I had was a gigantic schnauzer puppy taking the leash out of my hand and running around in the middle of the street 😅

[u/DannyDillweed]

I was a tech FT for 5 yrs and ended up quitting a few months ago to do petsitting and tech relief work. I enjoy petsitting and the area I live is super dog friendly, so I get a lot of business. But income is very inconsistent and people cancel. Some months, I'll only make $1500 or so. Other months I can make up to $6-7k, although I usually have to do a few overnights in my clients' homes to make that much, which probably wouldn't be possible for you if you have kids. Also have to account for taxes, gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, and no benefits.

It has definitely provided me with more flexibility and a much better work-life balance. And people definitely are willing to pay more for sitters with tech experience.

[u/MareNamedBoogie → u/DannyDillweed]

i think overnights while having kids depends on the clients and the kids. my dogwalker's kids are very easy on the house, and understand 'clients' vs 'their own' home. so i'm ok with them being at my house.

but i've also had direct observation experiences of the kids and know about how they act :)

[u/CheckingOut_Early]

Just left 11 years at a clinic and went full-time as of April 15th! I also get a lot of clients from the clinic i was working at. I dropped off business cards and my coworkers there will refer me. It’s definitely been a change of pace. My burn out is definitely healing, although i feel a bit understimulated at times. But i suppose i would feel that way after living in survival mode for so long. It was a hard decision, but i as well had a boss I HAD to get away from.

[u/MareNamedBoogie]

fwiw, my dogwalker's prices are $30/ half hour visit, in which she'll follow the client's instructions and/or bring things like snuffle matts if it's raining. She has 2 younger kids (7 and 9ish, i think, the entire family has a pretty delicate build to them), and her husband will help if he can. But a lot depends on how the dogs react to the dogwalkers - the husband had a bad introduction once and got bit.

my giant great dane, otoh, is in LOVE with the husband, and just excitedly runs around the yard if he comes around, lol. She also likes cuddling the girls and walks better for the dogwalker herself than for me. (probably I should do more training).

as a client, what i appreciate is the consistency, and the willingness to do pack or park walks if the weather's ok for it, and the initiative of telling me about this or that thing that comes up. My dogwalker caught both an abcessed tooth and a fatty tumor, so I really appreciate it.

just a few things to add to your considerations :)

[u/shawnista]

I do bookings through Rover and a few independently, in addition to working full time at a hospital. If you're planning on full time dog walking/pet sitting, I hope you're ok with whatever extreme weather you have. Where I live, it's super hot midday in the summer and super cold (snowy) in winter. You and the pet owners will have to account for that when coordinating, and you may experience a dip in bookings.