- When people first owned dogs, the dogs lived outdoors, often guarding herds and the home. There was no need to walk the dogs, because they roamed freely. Over time, dogs have come to be seen more and more as beloved companions. Today, with the world developed and dogs living indoors, it has become necessary to walk dogs so they can "do their business" outdoors. For those who live in cities, this means a walk in the park with doggie doo doo bag in hand. For those who live rurally or in suburbs, this often means a walk around the yard or the neighborhood.
- City dwellers looking to start a dog walking service often find that their best income opportunity comes from setting up clients in the same apartment building or general area. Several dogs can be walked at once and special leashes can be purchased for this specific purpose. Dog walking services in the city rely on repeat business. Clients will often hire services for the same time every day of the week. Typically, the dog walker is placed on a monthly retainer. The quickest way to grow this type of business is via word of mouth. Ask your clients to refer you to others in their apartment building. The closer you can keep your list of clients to visit throughout the day, the more walks you can fit in and the more income you'll make.
- Those who live in the suburbs or more rural and want to start a dog walking service often rely on a different client base. Instead of daily walks, rurally located dog walkers often offer care when owners go on vacation. It simply isn't practical to drive from location to location, and not many walks could be fit in this way. However, caring for pets while the owner is on vacation can be lucrative and fairly simple. Many owners simply want someone to walk their dog several times a day and to have the peace of mind of knowing that if the pet grows ill, he will be taken to a vet within hours. House sitting services can be combined, if you'd like to charge a higher fee.
- Consider opening a doggy daycare if you feel that caring for pets while owners are away is your calling. Many dogs have separation anxiety and will destroy the home or have fits in a crate while the owners are away. Some owners simply don't want to leave their pets alone because they are working overtime, work schedules have changed or they feel guilty leaving Fido alone all day. Doggy daycare can be a viable option for these owners. Consider combining longer term, vacation care and even having a groomer on the premises. Since you will have some overhead with a doggie day care set up, as opposed to dog walking services where you go to someone' s home, you'll need to be creative and utilize add-on sales to make a profit. Add some cute doggie outfits, dog treats and colognes and sprays for a wider lineup of products and services.
- Consider adding on services to your dog walking business, such as running the pet to the vet for well pet care visits, watering plants while owners are away or shopping for gourmet doggie treats. In service industries, the only way to increase your income is through working more hours or working smarter. If you can water plants at a house where you are already caring for the dogs, then it takes much less time than driving or walking to a new location to care for a separate household. You may even want to offer cat sitting and fish feeding services for households that have multiple pets. Think about what packages and services you can offer that will make your clients' lives simpler and help care for their pets.
- Work for yourself and experience one of the biggest benefits of dog walking. While you do have to set your schedule according to when the owners will be away, you can work as many or as few hours as you'd like. Simply take on the number of jobs to match the income you'd like to bring in. You will be working with dogs, which is a benefit in itself, and won't have to answer to a direct boss, since you'll be working for yourself.
