If you use a dog walker can I pick your brains please?

[BadDucks]

Am in the process of putting together a small dog walking/pet care service but am looking to build an service to the typical day time dog walker services available in my area. Am toying with with a more "out of hours" service for those who don't work the typical 9 to 5 mon-fri hours. So after 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays (day and evening). Would include dog walking and at home sitting service. Also offering more adhoc/last minute cover rather than filling my books with only regular customers.

I've spent a lot of time researching what's available in my area and it seems there is a huge amount of daytime dog walkers who only work until 6pm and only offer weekends to regular customers or doggy day care providers. Am hoping I might appeal to those who want less typical hours and for those who's dogs can't cope with daycare.

I use doggy daycare myself when needed as dog walkers just didn't work out for us. Owning a "sensitive" dog it's been a real trial to find the perfect fit and just hoping some thoughts from other experienced dog owners. I'm still very much in the research and planning stages so feel free to grill me and point out the pitfalls as it might raise a question I haven't considered.

I'd also be really interested to know what people would pay for "out of hours" I have looked closely at local prices for typical day time walks so curious as to whether owners would expect to pay more for evenings and weekends?

Points that might be relevant to save people asking. I am an experienced dog owner (currently a rescue dog with a few issues that make walks "interesting" so I'm not expecting to make easy money just walking civilised and biddable hounds around the local park). I have an enhanced DBS, am aware of need for insurance and have got quotes, have considered a "Covid Safe" policy, am doing an animal first aid course online. Also I don't need this to generate a full time salary at this point.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

My post was not meant to be critical just suggesting ideas If you did want to do the courses. Sorry if it came across as that.

@ViperBugloss thank you for clarifying, and sorry if I took your post the wrong way.

The amount of criticism that the industry gets can be quite wearing when you're committed to doing a great job.

I agree with @vanillandhoney that there is a lot of misunderstanding. I know a great deal more than the average owner, and have taken courses in body language and training but to be clear I am not a trainer or a behaviouralist, nor do I claim to be these things. I know my limits and stick to them.

I could make a fortune walking dogs whose owners don't want to walk them due to complex behavioural issues but that's not what I do- these issues have to be fixed by consistent effective strategies and this can only come from the home, not from an occasional walker. These people need a trainer or behaviouralist and sometimes they look for a walker because they can't pay for what they really need, or hope that someone else can take the job of walking from them.

I could also make much more money by walking larger groups of dogs, accepting numerous young dogs and puppies into groups, walking reactive dogs in a group- the list is endless. But I'm professional, I don't do this and it's frustrating to be tarred with the same brush as those who do.

I always back up an owners training strategy, and add in elements for my purposes such as a polite wait before exiting the van, a prolonged sit until a release cue is given for safety reasons, and focus games and strategies to keep things under control.

It's nice to speak to another walker @Chaotic45 - and I agree with pretty much all of your posts.

People have unrealistic expectations of dog walkers. While some of us may be trained in first aid, canine behaviour, animal care and all sorts - at the end of the day, we are not trainers, which is why we're only paid £10 per dog an hour and not £70!

I will work with the dogs I walk and I do train recall and loose-lead walking but ultimately it's down to the owners to train those things. I walk a collie for example who has a habit of biting the lead. He stopped doing it with me after about three days because I just ignore it but he'll do with other people.

It's not my job to train other people's dogs. It's my job to walk them, keep them safe and return them happy and well-exercised. I limit my dogs to 4 per walk for safety - if I was in it for the money I'd do what I've seen many others do, which is take 10 dogs out at once and just let them run riot.

Today for example I'm walking a very nervous rescue sprocker. I walk her "siblings" already but she's new to me. I take her out with dogs from her household only, keep her on lead and am working very hard to get to her to trust me. I could just let her off and take her out in a big group but that would be irresponsible and unfair.

I love my walking dogs like they're my own and if the owner says they're unwell I worry about them too! It's a big job with lots of commitment needed and people who think it's just a hobby for dog-lovers could not be more wrong.

@vanillandhoney likewise it's lovely to hear from another walker on the same wavelength as me .

I feel the same when I see other walkers with huge packs, making something like £100 from each walk, when I'm with 3 or 4 dogs. Often though, they are emptied working for a franchise or similar and they have had no say over how they operate.

I've accepted I'm never going to make huge sums of money and I'm ok with that. The pay off is a job I adore, with fabulous dogs.

Hope you get on well with the collie today.

OP I'm sorry that I've hijacked your thread a bit, but hopefully you've learned something of use!

OP as you are probably not going to be in competition with other dog walkers/sitters if you are targeting different hours and dogs it might be worth having a chat with them.

This might initially give you an idea of how many people ask them for evenings, weekends or 'challenging' dogs that they can't walk in a group or have turned away. Then if you do start your business up they can pass your details onto suitable clients. I have found my primary and backup daycare from other walkers recommending them who were full and couldn't take my dog on at the time.

I use a dog walking/daycare service. It’s brilliant. My dogs love it and I’m hugely grateful as it means I can work and not feel guilty that I’m neglecting my boys.
They are picked up from my home at 8.30am, taken on a long walk then taken back to the centre. Training and play until they are returned to me at either 1.30 or 4.00pm depending on my schedule.
Regular FB updates and photos which I love.
I’m very rural which obviously reflects the price which works out around £4 an hour per dog.
I’m very fortunate.