How to start a canine walking company [2021]
I really want to help you learn how to start a canine walking company and come up with a canine walking company plan this month!
I quit my job at a newspaper in 2008 to start a canine walking business, and I haven’t looked back.
This short article applies to anybody interested in starting a canine walking company or pet sitting business. It’s LONG, so feel totally free to click on any topics below to jump ahead:
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How to start a canine walking company – 15 tips:
1. identify your canine walking rates.
What to charge for canine walking – 3 elements to consider
Is this a one-time thing or are you a professional canine walker?
What are other canine walkers in your area charging?
2. Don’t go without canine walking insurance.
Reasons you need insurance if you are a canine walker:
What’s covered by canine walking insurance
What is not covered by canine walking insurance
3. purchase my canine walking ebook.
4. Do I need to advertise my canine walking business?
Reach out to existing canine walkers.
How do I get much more canine walking clients?
Post fliers, cards or brochures at every vet’s office in town.
Attend local canine events as a vendor.
Post about your company on Craigslist
Word of mouth
Show up in online searches
5. invest in your canine walking website.
6. new client questionnaire for your canine walking business.
7. Liability forms for your canine walking business.
8. Do I need a license to start a canine walking business?
9. Taxes for your canine walking business.
10. start walking shelter dogs.
11. company cards and logo for your canine walking business.
12. apps to help you run your new canine walking and Pet sitting Business
13. get Google reviews for your canine walking or Pet sitting Business.
14. offer numerous services, and be creative. This is your canine walking business.
15. consider providing a canine running service.
Three benefit canine walking company tips!
Can a 10 year old start a canine walking business?
How numerous dogs can you legally walk?
What are some risks of a canine walking business?
How much ought to I charge to feed a dog?
How to start a canine walking company – 15 tips:
1. identify your canine walking rates.
Is a canine walking company profitable? Yes! There are numerous elements to consider such as whether you’re walking the dog as a favor for a pal or if you’re interested in canine walking as a full-time business.
You ought to charge at least $20 for a half-hour dog walk. That’s my short answer.
What to charge for canine walking – 3 elements to consider
Is this a one-time thing or are you a professional?
What are other canine walkers in your area charging?
What kind of services do you offer?
Otis, Dre, Eddie and me!
Is this a one-time thing or are you a professional canine walker?
If you’re just walking the canine for a friend, then maybe you don’t mind doing so for totally free here and there or for a case of beer or whatever it might be.
If you are wishing to become a professional canine walker, then charge accordingly and charge at least $20 for a half-hour walk.
How much ought to you charge for a canine walking business?
Consider these factors:
The time it takes to drive to and from your home to the dog’s home. A “half-hour walk” could really take an hour when you element in driving time.
You get what you pay for, and you’re providing a premium service. anybody who wants to pay $5 can hire the neighbor kid.
You carry insurance.
What are other canine walkers in your area charging?
Search for other canine walkers in your area and charge something similar to their average prices. I would not charge less just to get the extra company or because you are “inexperienced.” I would charge something similar.
What ought to I charge for a 60-minute canine walk?
To give you an idea, when I was a canine walker north of San Diego, I charged:
$25 for a half-hour walk
$33 for an hour walk
Dupont and Chevy
My rates were pretty average or slightly above average for my area, and I provided a dog running service where I ran with dogs for the same price, which few others offered.
Dog walkers in other cities are able to charge as much as $50 for a 60-minute walk. On the other hand, there are students all over charging just $10 per walk.
Other elements to consider
Will you be walking multiple dogs at once from different families? (I don’t)
How about multiple dogs from the same family? You could charge a little extra for each additional dog.
Will you be providing pet sitting check outs where you stop by multiple times per day or even stay overnight with the pets?
People don’t choose canine walkers based on rates
Trust me, many people don’t choose a canine walker based on rates. If the price is a concern, they hire a neighbor kid or ask a pal to walk the dog.
Those who look for a professional canine walker choose the canine walker based off:
Recommendations from friends
Online reviews on Google and Facebook
Whoever has the nicest looking web site and shows up first in Google searches.
People don’t hire the canine walker with the most affordable rates. They’re prepared to pay much more to get the better service because they’re giving you a essential to their home and trusting you with their animals and more.
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2. Don’t go without canine walking insurance.
Dog walkers and pet sitters need insurance.
Reasons you need insurance if you are a canine walker:
Protect yourself financially
Accidents happen. mistakes happen. typically these accidents are no big deal, but you want to be covered in case something much more major occurs. Dogs are dogs. They bite. and break shit. and get hurt.
Dog walking company insurance is affordable
Worth the price for peace of mind if nothing else. Pet sitting is stressful enough as it is! You can’t control everything, but at least if you carry insurance you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to do IF something bad happens.
All companies need insurance
A professional company owner carries liability insurance. Not only is this for your own protection, but it gives your customers some peace of mind too. Plus, it sets you ahead of the pet sitters who risk it and go without insurance (yikes!).
What’s covered by canine walking insurance
Obviously you would want to check with your particular policy but here are a few examples of when you might choose to file an insurance claim:
(These first two are real examples that happened to me!)
The canine you’re walking gets a foxtail (barbed grass) stuck up his nose somehow and needs to be sedated to have it removed.
The canine you’re walking gets his leash caught around the client’s solar lights and breaks the lights. Sigh …
Remy and me!
Other potential scenarios:
You lose a client’s essential and because of this she needs to replace all her locks for safety.
A puppy you’re walking slips out of his poorly fit collar and gets hit by a car.
A canine you’re walking bites another leashed dog.
One of the dogs you’re walking nips a child who comes running around a blind corner.
A puppy in your care swallows a toothpick (or a rock/toy/bone) and has to have it surgically removed.
What is not covered by canine walking insurance
No matter which company you choose to go with, make sure you understand what is and isn’t covered.
Typically, injuries to YOU (the pet sitter) would not be covered. The same goes for injuries to YOUR own pets. Anything that happens under the responsibility of your employees/contractors would also not be covered unless you specifically add them to your policy.
3. purchase my canine walking ebook.
ORDER NOW
My ebook on how to start a canine walking company is the best resource available on starting your own business.
The ebook is available for $17 and includes comprehensive information about how to successfully acquire clients fast, market your company and get everything squared away.
I also offer packages that include my canine walking company forms here. No matter what your vision is, I’d love to help you be successful with your company and come up with a canine walking company plan.
4. Do I need to advertise my canine walking business?
Yes, but it might not be the conventional advertising you’re thinking of. here are some ideas:
Reach out to existing canine walkers.
When I lived in North Dakota, I was the recognized pet sitter in my town, and all the newbies reached out to me for advice. I didn’t mind this at all. I had all the company I wanted, so it was good to have other reputable canine walkers I could recommend.
Later, after moving to San Diego, I was the new pet sitter and canine walker in town. It’s not easy to reach out to your “competition” and ask for help, but it’s well worth it.
I sent an email to one of the local pet sitters, introduced myself and invited her out for coffee. This was the best thing I could’ve done for my new business!
This pet sitter was pleased to help me out, and she and I maintain a terrific relationship, always checking in and referring clients back and forth.
Don’t be scared to reach out. If another pet sitter or canine walker is “threatened” by you, then it’s probably because he or she is not a very good canine walker.
When you get together, you’ll probably learn that the other canine walker doesn’t want much more clients in a certain area or maybe she is booked solid on Wednesdays or maybe she doesn’t want to walk extra strong leash-pullers or whatever it might be.
These clients might be ideal for you! In many cases, there’s probably a way you can work together as far as recommending certain types of clients to each other. and if not, that’s OK. At least you have a new contact for the future.
There are plenty of clients for everyone!
How do I get much more canine walking clients?
Post fliers, cards or brochures at every vet’s office in town.
Just walk in, introduce yourself and ask if you can drop off company cards, brochures or leave a flier. I recommend you check out every vet office within 10 miles or so.
I’ve gotten lots much more company through veterinarians than I have groomers, trainers, pet-supplies stores, etc. but you can try any sort of pet-related company or service, including shelters. I hung fliers at the canine park and at a few companies like our canine training club.
Attend local canine events as a vendor.
When I first started my canine walking business, I didn’t put myself out there enough. Well, if you want to grow your company quickly, you just need to get out there and get involved in the community.
One way to do that is to attend a couple of local canine events. It’s worth it to attend a few of these as a vendor, and set up a table or “booth” where people can stop by and get information about your services.
Sure, these events are a lot of work and not very fun if you’re an introvert like me. But, if you attend a few the first year, you’ll never have to do so again (unless you want to!).
I recommend printing out a premium sign with your logo and web site and handing out something totally free to people like treat bags, bandannas, stickers, etc. and of course, company cards.
Post about your company on Craigslist
Don’t overthink this, but it’s worth spending a few minutes to post about your company once or twice on Craigslist. try the animals section and the community section.
My Craigslist messages were very easy and redirected people to my web site. I had a lot of success through Craigslist without spending any money.
Word of mouth
In a customized company like canine walking, word of mouth is the most important marketing technique.
I’m talking about true face-to-face conversations where one of your customers recommends your company to one of her friends, neighbors or co-workers. If this person really needs a canine walker, she is practically guaranteed to hire you over someone else based on her friend’s recommendation.
Of course, for word of mouth to work you need to really be awesome. Don’t track mud through the client’s home, for example. Instead, take your shoes off at the door when appropriate. Leave personal notes and cards. Leave treats. stay in touch with your clients without being too annoying.
If one person thinks you’re the greatest, she will tell others. This will give you confidence, and at least you will be getting paid for something you love. starting out small will give you a sense of whether or not this is something you really want to do.
I found a couple people in my house complex who were in need of a canine walker. These neighbors of mine worked 12-hour shifts and were leaving their dogs home without a restroom break. When they saw my fliers, they were thrilled I could walk their dogs for them. I didn’t even have to quit my job. in some cases I walked these dogs on my days off. in some cases it was before work, and in some cases it was on my break.
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