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Original poster

Dog walking- Is £10 for an hour too much?

38 replies

mumbomama · 04/01/2008 16:14

I am starting a dog walking service, taking up to 3 dogs together (although more likely just 2.)

I was thinking of £8 for an hour walk but when talking to the vet receptionist she thought that was low.

Any opinions much appreciated.

Thanks

OP posts:
LadyMuck · 04/01/2008 16:21

I guess it depends on the area and what the market will suport. £10 an hour would strike me as expensive for that service as I'd assume that I could get a teenager to do it for a £5. But you might be able to differentiate your service somehow?

Maidamess · 04/01/2008 16:24

Right, I'm handing in my notice as a Teaching Assistant (£6.50 an hour) to become a dog walker.

nailpolish · 04/01/2008 16:25

christ thats more than some jobs you need a degree for pay

like nursing

Onlyaphase · 04/01/2008 17:03

I used to pay £5 an hour per dog, pretty standard where I lived then (rural Essex). HTH

hellobellosback · 05/01/2008 10:54

£10/hour sounds pretty normal to me. Would that include a pick-up service too? If so, how would the dogs travel?

You may need some insurance and you will probably have to be able to answer questions like what happens if a dog gets involved in a scrap? Do you expect dogs to be trained at all?

Are you planning to make it a business, or do you want to do this as a part-time thing?

I use a dog-walker very occassionally. It's like handing over your baby, and it's quite a personal thing! I hope it goes well. How much would you charge for 2 dogs?

justjules · 05/01/2008 11:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dooley1 · 05/01/2008 11:17

my mate is consdiering jacking in nannying and becoming a dog walker because people pay more £££££££ for her to look after their daogs than people do for kids

hellobellosback · 05/01/2008 11:42

Where did your dogs go for walks justjules? We used to go on Hackney Marshes quite a lot. I shudder to think what the Olympic committee are doing to the area.

justjules · 05/01/2008 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LadyMuck · 05/01/2008 21:49

[wonders whether it is actually necessary to like dogs in order to go for this....]

Sidge · 05/01/2008 22:09

Blimey I'm in the wrong job!

I'm a nursing sister and don't earn much more per hour than that.

Right, how does one get started as a dog walker??

BroccoliSpears · 05/01/2008 22:21

I wouldn't pay any amount per hour as an hour is not enough time to give my dog (a lab) a decent amount of exercise when you factor in picking up the other dogs, getting to the park, getting home again etc.

For what it's worth, I pay £7.00 per walk for my dog. She is picked up from home, taken to the park (or wherever), walked for a GOOD hour that is almost always more (sometimes half the day!), brought home, towled dry if she's been swimming. Also, my dog walker is careful to take her with dogs who she will have a good run with, ie she will take her elderly charges for a gentle potter around the park together, then will take the rowdy, lively dogs together for a frenetic race about.

My walker never has more than 5 dogs on a walk (more usually 4) and my dog is off-lead for the whole walk.

pud1 · 07/01/2008 13:35

i pay £5 per half hour in lancashire so you price seems fair.
have just got rid of walker though as she never dried my dog when she got back dispite me leaving a towel and asking her to.
i laso think that changing drinking water and putting food out if owner wants you to is a good idea too. ony takes seconds and does make you think that the walker cares about the dog,

rislip · 07/01/2008 13:41

I pay £10 per walk - whether it be 1 hour or 6. Sometimes he is out so long I think he's been dog napped. He loves it, gets so excited when the van arrives to collect him.

My dog walker has maximum 6 dogs in the group, usually all very well behaved together and walks them in the woods in esher or oxshott (surrey) so they all run off lead and have a hoot.

Original poster
mumbomama · 08/01/2008 16:54

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I will stick with £8 for the hour (that is excluding collecting and returning.)

I guess I can always put up my prices later if there is alot of demand.

OP posts:
MummyPenguin · 09/01/2008 09:46

Does anyone know of a good dog walker in the Bournemouth area? I've been thinking of using one. I walk my two in the morning, but by the time they'd be due another walk the DC are home and they never want to go out.

moondog · 09/01/2008 09:48

rofl at 'doggy days out'

Whyhave a dog if yuo can't be arsed to walk it yerself?

Chequers · 17/01/2008 12:06

Message withdrawn

Bucky2008 · 02/02/2008 16:57

Hi,

I pay £8 for half an hour, £11 for 45mins and £14 for an hour (herts).

I would say £8 is really low! Your welcome to walk my dog! ...just kidding, but good luck!!!

fordfiesta · 02/02/2008 17:00

£10 would be to much in this area (south wales) dont think you could charge more than about £7 max here.

Vacua · 05/02/2008 19:38

I do this in Suffolk, we charge anything between £10 and £15 per hour per dog - £10 is basic rate but then petrol added for some customers. It was very part time to begin with but now incredibly busy and business has expanded from 2 to 5 employees. People are willing to pay as we are fully insured, qualified in various related areas, CRB checked and totally dog mad. I think only one or two people over past 2 years have quibbled at the prices.

We do a very thorough assessment of each potential new client and get as complete a life history of the dog(s) as possible, make lists of commands used by owners and for what purpose, find out about diet and so on. Other services we offer include daycare, home boarding and house sitting (if they have horses and wireless internet )

Cliverton good for insurance, this is worth having - works out at about £100 per dog walker per year.

Crystaltipsandalaistar · 05/02/2008 19:50

I still can't get over the fact that owners don't walk them yourselves.. If you have to be in to hand over the dog, why not take them yourself? Or am i missing the point? By the way - I get £12 hour for gardening......

BroccoliSpears · 05/02/2008 19:57

Crystal - I don't have to be in, my dog walker has a house key.

I get her to walk my dog for me when I'm very pregnant (I have SPD in pregnancy), when I have a new baby, when it's winter and too cold for my toddler to be in the park long enough for the dog to get a decent run, when I have other more exciting plans than walking the dog and when I'm just feeling a bit too lazy to do it .

It's really a luxury for me rather than a necessity, but the dog adores it and for £7.00 it means she has a fab day out with her doggy buddies and I can meet friends in town and stay out for lunch without having to race home to take her out. Win win.

beautifuldays · 05/02/2008 19:58

my sister pays £13 an hour to her dog walker in northamptonshire.

BettySpaghetti · 05/02/2008 19:59

Wow I had no idea dog walking was so lucrative!

I only clicked on this thread as by coincidence I've walked my neighbour's dog twice today (neighbour unwell so unable to do it herself) and really enjoyed it. Last time I walked a dog was about 25 yrs ago.

Maybe I should pop a bill through her letterbox tomorrow

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