Dog walking is a great way to make money on the side. In cities, particularly, there is a lot of call for dog walking services, and it’s well-paid. Some people even have given up their day job to set up a full time dog walking business. Here’s how you can make easy money as a dog walker.

• Dog walking – what’s involved
• Getting work as a dog walker
• What will a dog walking business cost me?
• Offer an unbeatable deal
• Important: laws that will affect you

Dog walking is becoming a very popular way to make money on the side in the UK and it’s not surprising.

• You make really good money (£10-15 per dog per hour or part of the hour)
• It’s fantastic exercise
• It’s pretty flexible
• and (I’m told) a great way to meet a new partner. Imagine – you make money and you meet the love of your life while getting fit!

In London and the South particularly people are willing to pay £10-15 per dog, per hour or part of an hour. So if you walk four at a time you could make £60 an hour! Of course, there are other aspects to this work, so you need to know what the potential costs and downsides are before you dive in.

Dog walking – What’s involved?

Being a dog walker is as simple as it sounds. You arrange to pick up the animals, take them for a walk and then return them home. You might need to do it twice a day for each dog and a good walk means a minimum of half an hour – ideally an hour.

Dog walkers charge per dog, per hour. Rates range from about £10-15 per dog, per hour (or half hour in some cases). If you’re able to take several dogs at once that means you can earn significant amounts per day.

However, to start off with you need to be careful not to take on too many dogs for one walking slot. If you have not done this type of work before it might be best to start off with just one dog but you should be able to cope with about three or four dogs depending on their size, speed and levels of obedience early on. Then, as you get to know their characters, you can organise them into groups that will get on well together.

There are no current legal limits on how many dogs you can take out at once but local councils say the worst problems they have are with dog walkers who take out more animals than they can cope with at any one time.

The main problems are:

• Dogs running away and not coming back – dangerous and bad for business!
• Not being able to clean up after them all – illegal and a health hazard.

National guidelines suggest that six is the maximum number of dogs that walkers should be able to cope with at one time. However, some local councils have introduced their own rules and in North Lincolnshire, for example, the maximum is four dogs at once. Make sure you are aware of, and abide by, the rules in your area or you could face a fine.  Your local council can answer any queries you may have so give them a call before you get started.

Getting work as a dog walker

Firstly, you will have to decide whether you want to work for an agency or go at it alone. Both methods have their advantages.

You’re more likely to get initial work if you’re registered with an agency but they may charge for taking you on their books and take a cut of your earnings. Try typing ‘dog walking’ and the name of your local area (say, ‘dog walking London’) into a search engine to see what is on offer or you could register with the national agency Animal Aunts.

A good reputation is often key to getting work so if you want to be professionally vetted then sign up with the National Association of Registered Petsitters. Be warned, however, that membership doesn’t come cheap so if you’re just looking for the odd job, I wouldn’t recommend it.

If you choose to be self-employed, you’ll need to think about how you can promote your business. Putting an advert in a pet shop, vet surgery or on Gumtree.com is a great first step, or why not do some trial dog-walking sessions for friends and ask them to spread the word.

If you’re feeling confident, speak to people walking their dogs in the park. Again, if you walk your own dog already they will trust you more. Another good starting point is to get business cards printed, be sure to log on to Vistaprint where they offer a set of 250 for free!

Having a good reputation is key for this type of job. You could consider registering with a national association or organisation for dog walkers. For example, NarpsUK offers members a profile on their website, discounted pet insurance and clients can write reviews and give feedback about  your work. Membership, however, is £149.99 for the first year and £49.99 thereafter so this may be best for those wanting to set up a full-time business.

What will the dog walking business cost me?

Running this sort of business shouldn’t involve much in the way of set-up or running costs.

• It helps to have a car to reach people, so petrol could be a factor.
• Also, you should have a ready supply of pooper-scoopers and poops bags and perhaps extra collars or leashes in case the originals fray ( you could ask the owner whether they have a spare set before purchasing your own).
• You might also like to get gloves and/or antibacterial gel for keeping your hands hygienic.
• Apart from the that, the biggest expense will probably be insurance. You should speak first to the dog owner to find out what insurance they already have.

Consider Pet Business Insurance as they offer a total package; public liability – if the dog runs out into the road and causes a pile up, or bites someone.  Care, custody and control cover – looks after the pet itself, if it gets injured while under your care and Key replacement cover – if you lose your employers keys they’ll pay to change the locks. All three together will cost around £128.40 for one person starting out in their first year or £109.50 if you have been operating for over a year.

Offer an unbeatable deal

In tough economic times like these, you might have to sweeten the deal for clients to fight off the competition. Offering both dog walking and pet minding services together will make you very useful, increasing your level of custom. It’s also a good way of making extra money on top of your dog walking activities.

Additional services you might offer are pet feeding, washing pet clothes and bedding, and watering indoor and garden plants if your clients are away for a long weekend in the summer.

Equally, vets are happy to see a patient who arrives with their pet sitter as long as payment is pre arranged with the owner.  Routine vet visits for annual vaccinations, flea and worming treatments means a pet can be seen by a vet during the week, which tend to be less busy and therefore less stressful for the pet concerned.

You could also offer a pet B&B to take a dog or small pet, such as a hamster, home with you for a few days, offering full-time company to a pining pooch, or moving in for short periods of time, especially with cats.  Best only to do this if you’re experienced at full time pet care.

See how to set up a pet sitting operation in our article here.

Important: Laws that will affect you

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 if you lose control of a dog in your care it is your legal responsibility, not the responsibility of the owner.

Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 or the Animals Act 1971 a dog mustn’t worry livestock on agricultural land. The person in charge of the dog at the time will be charged with the offence, not the owner. So be aware when walking on downs or farmland, especially in Spring around lambing time.

If a dog fouls you have to clean it up by law and dispose of it properly. Your local council may well give biodegradable poop bags away free, ask for the environmental health department.

Check the rules of your local park, these are usually posted at the entrance.

It is also useful to have the details of your nearest Dog Warden – contact your local council for details.

You may also want the vet details for each of your charges in case of illness or accidents. You don’t need any training for this work but you could consider a canine first-aid course. Look up local ones in the search engine.

FindExtraWork recommends signing an agreement with any new customers in order to protect yourself from liabilities. The best idea is a dog walking consent form in which you can include clauses such as who is responsible for the cost of emergency treatment when the dog is in your care, and also an agreement by the owner that the dog will have an annual vaccination and regular worming in to stop the possible spread of disease to other dogs in your care.  You should speak to a solicitor for advice about drawing up a consent form and the conditions you should include.

Useful contacts

• Animal Aunts
• Association of Registered Petsitters
• NarpsUK
• Pet Business Insurance