Any dog walkers on here???!

[Frazzledchildminder]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if there are any dog walkers on here who'd be happy for me to pick their brains....
I'm currently childminding but losing the will to live and my child hates the kids in her home. So I'm considering a career change to dog walking - BUT reluctant just to go ahead without talking to anyone first. I did used to pet sit so I have had some experience but not to this level....
Are there any dog walkers on here who'd be happy to chat and answer my questions????
Thank you!!
Ps sorry to do aibu but hoping for traffic.

Not me, but my mum had a fairly successful dog walking business for a couple of years to top up her pension until she could officially retire.

She started it in about 2017/2018 and there were a few others at the time, but recently in my area it seems to have absolutely exploded and loads of people are doing it, including teenagers offering walks for £5 per half hour, going for the market of those who don’t mind having their dog walked by someone most likely inexperienced and definitely uninsured, so my concern is that you could be entering a very crowded market.

I am a dog walker, I’ve been going 15 years now, happy to answer any questions

Thank you guys! Really appreciate the response.
@Eggsandavocado thank you so much! My main worry is building up a client base, as @sunflower85 said is it an oversaturated market?
Also, I worry re things like heatwaves - do you have to cancel? And if you don't mind me asking, do you have kids? I'm wondering how I figure the holidays out?
Also, do you enjoy it? I love dogs, am a proper dog person but still worried about making the leap. Thanks so much for replying!

Me 🙋🏼‍♀️ almost 2 years in now and fully booked. Id say it took me 6 months before i really made enough money to survive, but i only work 3 days.

Thanks @Itsaboutbeingawkward appreciate your response. What hours do you work in those three days? And do you enjoy it?

I'm not a dog walker but I can help with the heatwave question - my walker sets her alarm for 4am and does all of her walks before 8am, and then those dogs that don't have anyone working from home get a visit and a fuss in the day. So in short she doesn't cancel but she works very long days when it's hot

I start puckups at 9 and am home for 2. I walk between 10 and 14 dogs on 2 walks. I love it lots but the winter is very hard and soul destroying 😂 things change often when people move or dogs die which is very hard also x

Thanks guys, appreciate the info!

@Itsaboutbeingawkward how is walking that many dogs a walk? Is it stressful?

The place where there might be a niche is being a very competent walker of big dogs. My area is poodle cross central and my lovely walker is confident with instead walking big dogs (which makes both the big dog and the poodle cross owners happy)

Thank you @Setyoufree

I am! I’ve been going for almost six years now - I specialise in paired walks and use a car as I’ve found a lot of owners don’t want their dogs going out in massive groups or in crated vans.

My walker either does walks before 10 or offers a home visit on hot days or free cancellation (we still pay though) She doesn’t charge for her holidays /illness but we pay for ours.
Shes £15 for one hour. Fully insured and has a van with crates in for collecting dogs. She usually does solo or a couple of dogs together. She will come anytime between 10 and 2 but my last dog walker booked a set time slot.
You need to bear in mind some dogs can’t be walked in a group.

Do you have much experience with dogs? Are you afraid of big unruly dogs ? Are you confident you could walk a German shepherd/ Rottweiler/ Doberman. ?
You would need to be very careful of group walks, making sure you know the dogs are not reactive and are manageable/obedient.

It took me a good while before I felt confident to walk more than 2 dogs. Introducing new dogs is something where you really need to understand the dogs you currently walk and the new dogs to ensure they will work well together. In the beginning my husband would come on the walks where Inwas introducing someone new and if it didn’t go well he could walk them separately. Soemtimes you think it will work and it doesnt. Sometimes it works and then one week it changes and so you need to have a good understanding of dog behaviour to know when dogs need separated and have a plan for if that does happen. But once you have good groups, walking that many is easy. All mine are off lead every day and go home shattered x

My big question would be what is your experience with animals in general and specifically dogs.
Are you experience in training? First Aid?

PS: my local pet sitting & dog walking guy has his own field and a big van with cages (up to 5 dogs) ... he's obviously insured and his wife is a qualified dog trainer and runs dog training classes. Obviously they have taken this to an different level. But they still only charge local going rate for an hours walk.

Thanks all. I am pretty experienced with dogs, having been a dog owner all my life and having grown up around a variety of different sized dogs. I wouldn't be confident with rotties but then wouldn't take them on. Before childminding I was pet sitting and did a range of animals plus some dogs, it just wasn't the most lucrative once cost of living kicked in so no one was going on holiday, which is why the move to childminding. But I'd like to make dog walking work.
That's good to know re introducing new dogs - I've done the same with my own so yes, makes sense. I have experience walking two and three dogs so that I'm comfortable with although always a bit nervous off lead with dogs I don't know.
Id definitely have insurance i know it's important.
Thank you @butterycroissants that's good to know re a niche approach - if you don't mind me asking does that make it harder to make a good income?
Do you guys enjoy it? I just would like to not dread each day!

Tbh where I live it's all poodle crosses and pans anyway 🤣

*labs not pans

No experience of being a dog walker but I use one...
Have you considered training to be a groomer? I've often considered this. My dog groomer works from home in a room she's set up, works completely around the kids and holidays, gets £50ish per groom (depending on dog size) and gets to be in the warmth of her home all day!
I'm sure it's not as cushy as I've made it sound as some dogs would be a nightmare to groom, but thought I'd just throw it out there.
Groomers always seem to be in high demand too

Thanks @Melsy88 , I'll have a look!

The other thing I'm trying to figure is the holidays with kids - do any of you have kids, how do you find it? I decided to childmind to be there for my kids (previously a teacher) but find they often go off to their rooms as they don't like the constant kids. And then I'm shared from 8 till 5 so they don't get as much of me as I'd like but I am there. How do your days work when they on holiday - one of my biggest problems is that my youngest is so unhappy with my job so I want to make sure I make things better not worse, also considering a return to teaching although it's not the most family friendly but at least I'd have holidays!

I really do appreciate everyone who is taking the time to help. Thank you.

My dog walker really rarely seems to take holidays! How old are your kids? Could you do really early walks in the May/summer hols before partner goes to work? Dog walking tends to be clustered in the middle of the day, so you easily put them in the standard 9-3 holiday clubs. They could come with you on some walks. Like all working parents it will just need a lot of juggling!

And taking sick days would have to be an absolute no-no except in dire circumstances. Generally by the time you call in sick, people will already have left for work thinking you’re coming in to the dog. Do you kids have much time off school sick?

My dog walker does a variety of walks but one thing she does is hire a field with another dog walker and take the dogs there and just let them off. It’s good for heatwaves, they set up paddling pools and gazebos for the dogs. She also does 2 walks a day and in between feeds cats/checks on budgies etc. She’s 55 and looks 35, incredibly fit!!!

Can't be harder than walking six kids home from school 😉

I don't use a dog walker, just a holiday sitter. For heatwaves, she walks them late at night or just goes and plays with them at home.

I do think the market is saturated though. However, when I needed a walker for odd Saturdays and Sundays so I could attend events, I couldn't find anyone willing - this could be a possibility to be more niche?

Thanks @MaudlinGazebo , I'm rarely sick - as a childminder I have similar issues so don't take time off and my husband works from home. My kids don't catch too much - my job has built up their immune systems 🤣 but my husband is home.
Yes, I guess whatever job I chose it'll be a juggle, parent life huh?!
Thank you

Not a dog Walker (and it isn’t easy to find one in my area) but I do have a self employed business and it’s hard. I have loyal clients but finding new ones and getting people to use my product every time is hard work. It’s stressful when costs rise. As a dog Walker you might be insulated from that a bit and if you can choose your clients you may find it easier.

When my dog was a puppy I took her to a home which was a dog sitter, whenever I was at work. There‘d be about 6 dogs there each day and she used to LOVE going. Maybe that could be an additional or alternative option? Like childminding but dogs! It would solve the heatwave issue and be easier to manage illness. She did have almost a field as her garden, it was massive, and all tiles through the downstairs, but it really worked for my dog.