To want to change career to start dog walking businesses

[startingtolooklikemother]

Hi all, for some time now my job has slightly bored me and I have always had the feeling that I want to do something completely different. Maybe it's a mid life crisis!!! I have no qualifications and have managed to work my way up in a company and now earn a good salary at around £50k. My husbands money pays the mortgage and all of our bills and my salary is for holidays day to day living etc
Recently I have been looking at getting out little dogs into home boarding for when we next go away and have been surprised at the cost (usually my mum has them)
Has anyone changed careers and has started a dog walking business with Home boarding I know I wouldn't earn anywhere close to what I'm earning now but I would love to hear about the pros and cons and how much you charge for dog walking and if you can actually make a living from it? I'm sure it's one of these things it has lots of downsides like any job

I set up a dog walking business last year, I'll tell you, if you are any good, you could be rushed off your feet quite quickly. Within two months I amassed six regular walks, 2 who had behavioural issues who I'd only walked once, and was booked up for until the Christmas holidays (was in June I'd set up- July I couldn't take on any new walks or boarders!)

It can be great, really great. So much fun and most of the dogs are brilliant.

I would advise screening them VERY carefully for behaviour issues. Boys often get carried away and the y to hump you. My very first dog walk, an old English bull dog humped and bumped my leg. I kept stopping him, but he kept biting his lead, and when I would get it out of his mouth he would grab hold of my leg and try to hump me! I ended up on the floor and he ripped my jeans from "hanging on"

You will meet doggy parents who expect you to see them for a meet and greet, then to join them on a walk, and then another meet before they come to you for one weekends stay (chargeable at £60) but the meets were worth not far off that. So I would recommend having a strict plan of what the client gets free before you charge. IE, if the client requires a walk to ensure that their dog is ok with you, it costs them the same as a walk or whatever you are comfortable with.

You can earn well, as I have (I don't now!) but I set myself a goal of earning £30 a day. Very quickly I was earning £100+ a day, but that was me all day, every day I was working, that's still a hefty drop from £50k a year!

I'm self employed (albeit not a dogwalker) and my dream job is to do whatever it is the OP does that nets her £50k pa.

I think you're in for a shock going from that salary to self employed doggy walker.

Dog walking/boarding seems to be the latest trendy new business round my way, they're ten a penny now and charging silly money to try and compete with each other.

Personally, having seen a few of them at the local park, I wouldn't go near anyone that was "walking" more than 2-3 dogs at a time and certainly not those that take 5. it's not a walk, it's 30 minutes of the poor dog sitting in a van during collection and drop offs, and 30 minutes (if they're lucky) of two very slow laps of the park getting tangled up with all the others.

mugatea
mugatea
It does depend on the area and individual circumstances, which you could take into account before criticising someone doing their best. Not everyone has your circumstances and resources. Those earnings are not realistic for everyone although I did already say I'm working on increasing my income. I can't afford a van at the moment which does make things more difficult but I need to earn more money to afford one in the first place. I only shared my personal experience to help the OP not to get into some kind of competition. I'm not saying I'm reflective of everyone, I'm just saying it's not easy and would be a massive drop in income for the OP, even if she did earn £500 a week that's about £2000 less than she is now! And of course it would take time to build up to that level. And she'd have less job security, I'm just being realistic, even insurance to protect her in the event of an accident would not give her the standard of living she may be used to at the moment. I just think she should carefully consider whether she can afford to lose approximately £2000 per month, even looking at the more optimistic figures for her earning potential, as well as job security and whether she has the savings to fall back on while building up the business it certainly wouldn't be £500 per week over night!

Also I don't lose money through Tailster I increase the charges to cover their fees and have found many more clients with them than the other advertising methods you recommended but each to their own.

Hungryhippo are you still doing it? I have been a sahm for 8 years and finding it really difficult to get back in to work. I walk my own dog every dog in all weathers twice a day for at least 2 hrs. Dh really thinks I should do dog walking but I worry starting up.

Can'tbeat- yes! Albeit on different terms now!
Let me inbox you!

I find it rather odd that the article suggests you can take up dog walking without any training. I wouldn't employ a dog walker who didn't know the basics of canine behavior and training even for on lead walks. But then again I would not accept group walks between unknown dogs either, so perhaps I am fussy.

That would be great hungryhippo if you get chance. Thanks.

I started dog walking while on maternity leave. Back to work now but I still do dog walking 3 days a week and earn about £75 a week. I also do cat and small animal visits which boosts my income sporadically.

I love it - I love all the dogs I walk - but sometimes it does seem to be a lot of effort for not much gain. Pick ups and drop offs take longer than the walk most times!

If you're happy to take the hit in finances/job security then go for it! Even on the days when it's freezing cold and raining and I can't feel my toes it's still better than being in the office.

Does your husband refer to your income as being there for day to day living and holidays in the way that you do? I.e. That it delivers funding for discretionary spending? I'm not having a go at either of you but my husband would have a hissy fit if I suggested that since he could cover the basics I could change careers to something that amounts to a lifestyle choice because I was bored at work?

I send my dog to daycare once a week, it costs £22.50 and includes an hour walk and a bath. However the lady who does it usually has 5 dogs most days (so that's £112 per day) but she also grooms too, so if she does 2-3 grooms that's another £120 per day ish. She also picks and chooses her dogs. She does now pay another dog walker to walk the dogs, who is fantastic. So she's not exactly hardup as she's permanently booked solid! She only does daycare during school termtime, the rest of the time she takes dogs in for overnight boarding.
I think the key for her has been a) the grooming and b) her location, as her garden is enormous

Unless you are going to employ staff, you will not be able to make anything near £50k.

Ime, dog boarding in your own home, is what there is most demand for. If you do this, you can't really offer walking as well, because who would look after the dogs you have at home?

You will need a Dog Boarding licence from the council (£96 per annum) and pet sitting insurance. Cliverton is the best, and costs £110 per annum.

The council will decide how many dogs you can board. Most people have a licence for 2, I have a licence for 4. I charge £20 a night for boarding. On a good day, I will be full and have a couple of daycare in as well, in which case I would earn £100 + a day. However, there will be days where you earn nothing or a small amount. It can be seasonal, so earning more in summer, for eg.

I would highly recommend screening the dogs - have them stay for 1 night before you let them stay for 2 weeks! Some dogs are absolute horrors. I have had dogs :

• chew furniture
• eat my shoes/slippers
• eat money
• crap and pee inside (cream carpet!)
• Howl from 3am onwards (meaning you have to get up for the day)
• attack me (thankfully only one dog)
• eat all my plants in the garden
• dig up all the grass
• slip collars and run away (found)
• jump on to my desk and knock everything flying
• smash ornaments
• scoop everything out of the bin and eat the contents

I could go on....

You have to weed these dogs out. I use post-it notes to mark their records, after their stay, to say whether to take again.

Some owners can be frustrating as well. For eg. saying they will drop their dog off at 9.30am, and then appear on your doorstep at 7.30am, before you're even dressed! Or say they will collect their dog at 4pm, and by 7pm, still haven't shown up and not answering their phone. Meanwhile, your dinner is burning....

I'm now 4 years in. The first 3 years were REALLY hard work. I have now weeded out all of the difficult dogs, and can honestly say that my life is wonderful. The dogs that I take, display none of the above bad behaviours. I take them out around 10.30am, get back at Noon, have some lunch, and then the afternoon is really relaxing, as they sleep and I can watch a bit of TV, do some admin (bookings etc), put a wash on, tidy up, read a paper, go on MN etc. They wake again about 4pm and at 5pm it's time for their dinner and another walk.

Great to have no boss, no targets etc. Decide your own holidays (as many as you want a year).

Hope this helps!

I was a College Lecturer and gave up 3 years ago to start my own dog walking and pet sitting business. I would never go back to a 'normal job', its a great career to have and be your own boss, even though it can be physically demanding. The money is about the same as I was earning as a lecturer, but I do supplement it by teaching a course on 'How to Start your own Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business' at a local University College which is cheating a bit!

There has been some great advice on here already - get insured, DBS/PNC checked, get up to date on legislation and be aware of any bye-laws in your local area about dogs and do a canine first aid course. I also made the mistake of offering discounts to attract clients and now have a waiting list of clients that would pay the full price, so set your prices and stick to them, it does make a difference.

Just re homeboarding - I don't offer that but make sure you contact your local dog warden about a licence and ensure the whole family is on-board as it effects everyone!

Hope that helps.

Op did you follow up on this?

Someone I know has just left a city job to work as a dog walker in someone else's business. I don't know her quite well enough to ask how that works out financially

Just wondered if op made it work, I wouldn’t mind doing a couple of dogs twice a day wouldn’t want to do loads like some I’ve seen.

Has someone simply walks someone else's dog, while walking their own? Not big business, just for bit of cash? How does it work? I undrestand still would had have insurance, but other then that?