What to Charge for Dog Sitting
Dog sitting can be the perfect choice if you love animals and want to start your own business, or even if you just want to make some extra money in your spare time. The obvious question for most people starting out as pet sitters is how much to charge. You don't want to charge too much for fear of losing clients, but you don't want to charge too little either. There are several factors to take into consideration in order to charge a price that is fair to both you and the client.
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Services
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Determine what services you will be offering. Dog sitting entails much more than just sitting with the dog. Will you just be walking and feeding the dog, or will you be performing other functions such as giving medication or grooming? Take all of these things into consideration when trying to determine a fair price.
Flat Fee
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Most dog sitters consider a price of $15 to $25 per day to be fair. Those who choose to make periodic visits throughout the day may charge an average of $15 per visit for 30 to 45 minutes, which includes walking, feeding and playing with the dog. They may also water the plants and bring in the newspaper and mail.
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Additional Pets
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Once you have decided on the duties you will perform and your fees, you must determine whether you will charge extra for additional pets. Dog sitters may charge anywhere from $1 to $5 extra per pet.
Weekends
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If you will be dog sitting for someone who is going away for the weekend, you can base your fee on your average daily cost or per-visit fee by calculating what your normal charge would be. For example, an average fee may be $50 to $100 per weekend. If you would make three trips daily at $15 each, which would equal $90 for two days, you may offer a lower price of $75 since you can reduce travel costs.
Additional Costs
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Dog sitters working out of their own home may charge extra due to a concern for any accidental damage such as chewing or bathroom accidents, behaviors that are common when a dog is subjected to a new environment.
Research
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If you're still uncertain about what you should charge, check with some professional pet sitters. Call around and inquire about fees and the services they include. Doing some research can help provide you with insight to set your fees accordingly (see Resources).
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Resources
- Photo Credit 123rf.com
