What do you think a person earns if they do home dog boarding?

[Dogs223]

Interested to know what people think. I got made redundant and started to do this. What do you think I earn in a month?

A dog sitter was recommended to me a couple of years ago. She didn’t know how much to charge and I stupidly overpaid her a couple of times.
When I asked her for her rate for a longer stay she told me it was forty pounds a day. I quickly walked away and never returned as I thought four hundred pounds for ten nights was incredibly greedy and downright ludicrous.

Another minder had a similar rate and sold her business as a luxury stay and had a long list of rules including the dogs mustn’t have dirty feet? I assume she expected people to carry their dogs so their feet wouldn’t get wet.

At the end of the day, owners are aware that they are ‘only’ minding dogs not children and I think there is definitely a limit as to how much you can charge before people vote with their feet. Once people feel they are being taken advantage of, they search elsewhere.

For me the preferred minder is someone who takes a dog or two occasionally and treats my dog like their own, their rate is nearer twenty five pounds a night but because they are not running it as a regular source of income, they aren’t always available when you need them. I tend to enquire about their availability first.

@fieldsofbutterflies Most DIY around here is about £150 per month without hay etc.

Hay averages about £20 per month per horse assuming they are out 24/7 in summer. Feed obviously depends on the horse but mine just have cheap pony nuts in the winter at £9 a bag. My dog eats much more expensive food!

No rugs, unshod and my vets fees for worming, dental etc are £240 a year on a plan - similar to the dog costs. I really don't think there is much in it if you have an easy keeper like a traditional cob. Obviously there are those that spend a fortune on posh horses but most of my friends have solid native types.

@Throughthebluebells around here, DIY livery is £250 a month minimum - £140 seems incredibly cheap to me.

My dog costs just under £30 a month to feed, so similar to what you're saying it would cost for a horse. I also don't pay for any kind of livery (at over £1500 a year at a minimum), nor is he wormed etc. regularly as I don't believe is necessary. His only other cost is insurance.

Lots of horses do need shoes and rugs as well, though I appreciate many don't.

The £40 a night sitter – are you talking about a dog sitter or a dog boarding service?

The £40 a night sitter – are you talking about a dog sitter or a dog boarding service?

£40 x 24 hours.
£400 for ten nights stay.

Woah – I had no idea kennels were so hands off. Just left alone overnight 😳😕

Yeah question was were they a sitter in your home or was it a boarding service elsewhere?

My dog in their home.

My dog is a small breed that likes to sleep A LOT so no long walks involved either. A couple of thirty minutes walks a day (she will
poop on these walks) some company during the day while she snoozes, give her the food I provide and top
up her water bowl twice a day. She will
run to the garden to pee a couple of times a day.

Pretty similar to most small breed family pets.

My dog boarder charges £25 per night. She's worth her weight in gold

I’m not really sure I understand your point here? I charge £30 for 24 hours. It’s my only source of income , meaning that I’m available for my regular customers all of the time. Why would you want someone who was rarely available?

Yep. It’s quite shocking actually. But there’s no one pulling an all nighter for these dogs. If a dog here cries in the night I’m on it. But tbh that’s incredibly rare these days.

I’m not really sure I understand your point here? I charge £30 for 24 hours. It’s my only source of income , meaning that I’m available for my regular customers all of the time. Why would you want someone who was rarely available?

My point is there is a limit as to how much people will pay before they walk. While £30
is not cheap, the two minders I previously used were £40 but people stayed only until they found somewhere less expensive ie they vote with their feet.

That is exactly why I won’t use kennels. My poor dog came back traumatised from one.

I saw a post on Instagram about a lady who had started cat sitting on the side and then left full time employment to do it full time. She said earned more than her previous salary, so it seems pretty lucrative to me.

I dog-sit in people's homes and charge a minimum of £50 a night - I wouldn't do it for less because of how disruptive it is. I never sleep as well, and it disrupts my routine with my own animals as well as with DH and his work.

I don't think £40 a night for almost 24-7 care is remotely extortionate! In fact, I think it's a bloody bargain.

I don't think £40 a night for almost 24-7 care is remotely extortionate! In fact, I think it's a bloody bargain.

Of course you do 🤣

I thought their license required 24h presence? Perhaps it varies between councils. I know I looked in to buying a cattery near me and the 24h requirement was a major consideration. Though even that is a long way from being in a home.

Interesting thread, OP. I used to use a dog walker and I happily paid her a lot of money - yes I did the maths once and she must have been earning nicely!

Now, which of these nice, niche, good earning businesses should I start… 😁

It's less than £2 an hour. Would you work for that amount of money, bearing in mind that this is my only source of income?

The thing is, you can earn great money doing doggy daycare or dog walking, but I think it's important to remember that it's not all sunshine and roses.

The winter months especially can be absolutely horrendous and I personally found this winter one of the hardest since I set up. The relentless wind, hail, rain and mud was absolutely soul-destroying!

I think it's great you earn that much, I love seeing people run their own small businesses, be their own boss and able to make this much money! You are providing a valuable service that is in demand, nothing to feel guilty about

Ps I work with small businesses and I would say all of them have been patronised by people asking how their "little business" is... As if you're doing a paper round. Some of them make £100k a year! we seem to have this perception that jobs that are not office-based, cannot possibly earn high wages. Weird.

Nah. I wouldn’t pay it. No way.

Oh well, I'm not short of clients and have a massive waiting list, so must be doing something right.

It is really patronising!

I remember once going to collect a dog and the husband was home - the puppy was mouthing my car keys so I jokingly said "don't eat those, I won't be able to work!" and the DH said "Oh, what work do you do?"

Errr...

Same. I have turned away well over a hundred people in the last year alone. It’s incredibly sought after.