3 Essentials for Starting a Profitable Dog Walking Business
#1 Education
If you want a career in dog walking, you need to know your stuff so you and your canine charges have safe and fun walks. You also need to attract clients who value you and your service— and they will be looking for a walker who is knowledgable. Those types of clients will treat you right and be happy to pay premium prices because of the education and skill you have.
To do that, you need to be familiar with:
- How dogs learn so you know how to manage the dogs in your care safely and humanely with positive reinforcement.
- How to read dog body language.
- How to recognize and respond to emergencies.
- Types of equipment to make walks easier, when and how to use them. (harnesses, gentle leaders, etc.)
If you’re not confident in all these areas, it’s never too late to learn! Some great ways:
- Volunteer at a reputable humane society or shelter that provides training for volunteers. Not only will you learn, you’ll do a lot of good too.
- Take positive reinforcement based training classes with your own dog.
- Read books, watch videos and listen to podcasts.
- Get a job in the pet industry. Dog Daycare is a great place to observe group play and canine social cues.
- Take a pet first aid & CPR course.
#2 Get Legit
Before you take on your first client, you need to get your business in order. Now, this may not seem like much fun, but I promise it’s actually very simple.
Liability Insurance
Don’t do business without it! Working with dogs is a risk, even the most responsible of walkers can have an accident.
Business License
Most cities will require you to get a business license, but you may not need one based on where you live, or you might need a county business license in addition to or instead of a city license.
Fictitious Business Name Statement aka. Doing Business As
If you are using a name other than your own, you’ll want to file for a Fictitious Business Name (FBN). So if you are "Jane Smith Dog walking" you are good to go, but if you are Paws and Pups you need to file.
Business Bank account/credit and/or debit card
Accounting is much easier when your business income and expenses are separate from your personal finances. It will save time for accounting purposes, plus clients will be able to make checks out to your business name instead of to you.
Permits if needed
You’ll need to research if there are any permits required to walk dogs legally in your area, most times for on leash walks on city streets your business license has you covered. But if you are using other public land such as open space or recreation areas, there may be a requirement for professional dog walkers to have a commercial use permit.
#3 Service Contract
A service contract not only shows clients that you are a professional and protects your business, it also lets clients know what they can expect from you and vice versa.
