How Much Can You Make as a Dog Walker and Dog Sitter? ? - Merry for Money (2024)

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How Much Can You Make as a Dog Walker and Dog Sitter? ? - Merry for Money (1)

Do you want a job that is high in demand? Has a lower entry barrier? One that can make money and get you paid right away? How about a bonus of prolonging your fitness health?

Not bad and there’s three more words: make dogs happy.

Pet sitting and dog walking on Rover.comis the perfect kind of self-start-up business for a lot of people.

It can be done mid-day for extra cash when thekids are in school. It is perfect for senior citizens who need social company, exercise, and supplemental income.

Dog walking and dog boarding services are extremely popular in big cities. Busy career professionals own and love dogs but do not have free time throughout the day to tend to them.

Currently about 65% of U.S. households own a household pet so the odds are better than a simple coin flip that someone you know may have a pet at home and could use the service.

It’s a very necessary service. Pet sitters providedogs exerciseand the value of theircompany. They provide dog owners with a peace of mind. In return, you can break through minimum wage rates while maintaining fitness.

How Much Can You Make as a Dog Walker and Dog Sitter? ? - Merry for Money (2)

Pricing Rates of Services

These are rough general ranges since location and experience vary.

  • Dog Walking Prices: $8 to $20 per dog for a 30 minute walk session.
  • Dog In-Home Checking: This is when a trusted sitters come during the day to let your dog out and exercise them. Similar to dog walking rates except with more responsibility and trust.
  • Dog Daycare Prices:$25 to $60 per dog for a regular work day. Sometimes holiday rates can go up to double between $55 to $120.
  • Dog Overnight Prices: $30 to $75 per dog per night; similar to a range of daycare prices but higher. It’s normal to add on a partial cost for overnights.

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What Impacts Prices

Everyone thinks pet sitting is straightforward but there are aspects that will impact earnings. These are listed and discussed below.

Location

Dog walking and dog boarding command prices depending on location. Since this is something that can be done on a small scale (apartment, condo, house) or in a more commercial setting with a number of other sitters.

Pet sitting in giant urban cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, even Seattle are high in demand. Finding constant and stable clientele is easier.

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Demand

“Are people really paying you to walk with their dog?”
Before 1983, pet sitting was not a common “career” choice. If you wanted someone to come to your house, take your dog out, etc. people would think that’s odd.

That is not the case today.For example, a couple on the Rover platform living half a milesouth of us brings in an estimated$100,000 a year as full-time professional dog sitters.

They charge $50 dollars per dog boarding and can take up to 6 dogs for their sized yard and home. They are almost always booked year around, especially during holidays where their prices go up to $75 for boarding.

Season

As mentioned above, you also have to consider climateand holidays. Walking a dog in winter amidst snow is much harder than walking on ADA sidewalks. All prices should reflect that along with how it impacts demand.

During holiday seasons, it’s not uncommon for rates to double for Christmas.

Services

How much you make depends on the range of services. Are you able to perform dog CPR or administer injections?

Do you do house drop-ins? People only hire the most professional and trusted sitters. That means treating everything with the utmost respect as common courtesy.

For dog walkers, are you healthy enough to walk and run with dogs? Are they quick under emergency response if a dog is harmed or lost?

Do you have experience with large sized dogs?

Years of Experience

There are two main ways to get started and that totally depends on the goals you have in mind.

If the goal is to make extra money then join an already established agency like Rover. Rover has their own customers base and has their own ecosystem. It’s like the “Uber” of the dog world.

This ecosystem includes payment processing, Rover customers, search visibility, Rover reputation, Rover call support and they have a hotline for emergencies. It’s a good springboard for career sitters to start their journey.

The second option is to train under someone who already has set up a business that’s professional leased, licensed, and bonded for example.

The last door is to start your own pet sitting company. You are responsible for everything from insurance to taxes to branding but establishing one means your income potential is higher, no “boss” to deal with, you can hire help and do everything on a larger scale.

Marketing

Low cost, high impact marketing is what you should focus on. Good marketing means better rates because dog walking and dog sitting are so relevant to people with pets.

Business cards, car signs, car stickers, flyers, lapel badges, bulletin boards, Craiglist, friends, and word of mouth. Harvesting trust and experience is a really big thing too. People think of their pets as a member of their family.

Building rapport and establishing clientele takes longer but the payout is amazing. This buisness is a lot of reputation and word of mouth.

Client List

In order to build a good reputation, sitters and walkers need to be responsible, trusted, honest people who enjoy being with animals and have common sense with experience under pressure.You have to follow our heart first, before you follow the money, for a longterm career.

Rover makes it easier to dip your toe in and try it out for extra cash at first. It doesn’t mean you have to jump full time into a career of it. Experience with pets should usually start out as a way to make extra money and then realizing how much you enjoy it.

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Certification

In the United States, there is no certification needed for dog walking or dog boarding on Rover.

But it doesn’t mean they don’t exist and having certifications do help get client trust faster. The testing becomes a quality assurance to make sure a minimum level of standard is set. Check out PetSit.com for their certification standards.

It helps dog owners feel better about hiring a dog walker to walk theirdogs,care for their dogs and homes long-term.

Having certifications when you own a business help lower your insurance rates.

Your rates as a sitter will be impacted by several factors but rough price ranges are typically between $10 to $30 for dog walking and $25 and up for dog boarding and care.

Get $20 and sign up to become a pet sitter or dog walker on Rover.

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How Much Can You Make as a Dog Walker and Dog Sitter? ? - Merry for Money (2024)

FAQs

How Much Can You Make as a Dog Walker and Dog Sitter? ? - Merry for Money? ›

For example, self-employed dog walkers can earn $17.00 per hour (about 12.5% more than those who work for other businesses). The top 25% of self-employed dog walkers earn $24.00 per hour, translating to $49,920 per year.

How profitable is pet sitting? ›

Pet sitters make between $16 and $24 a visit, which means a national average of $20 a visit. Most visits take under half an hour, so that means you have a chance of making over $30 an hour. That sounds good! Best of all, pet sitting is a growing field.

How much should I get paid to walk a dog? ›

See how Time To Pet can help your business!

Dog walkers typically charge between $20 and $30 for a 30-minute dog walking service. The average cost across the US for a 30-minute dog walking service is $24.84 in 2022. Want to see other service durations?

Is being a dog walker a good side hustle? ›

You can make really excellent money as a dog walker. I know dog walkers who walk six, eight dogs a day at $25 - $30 for a half an hour walk, with options for a longer walk at a higher cost. But, those are dog walkers in business for themselves, not working as subcontractors for entities like Wag.

How much money can you make owning a dog walking business? ›

To give you a general idea of a dog walker's earnings, HomeGuide reports the following national average rates for low, medium, and high-end dog walkers: Low-end dog walking services: $10 per 30-minute walk. Mid-range dog walking services: $20 per 30-minute walk.

Is pet sitting a good business to start? ›

Low start-up costs: Becoming a pet sitter doesn't cost as much money as some other businesses. Also, as soon as you get your first client, you'll start making money. A lot of your new business will probably come from word of mouth, which is great because it keeps your advertising costs low.

Which 29 year old paralegal makes $3750 per month from her dog sitting side hustle? ›

29-year-old paralegal makes $3,750 per month from her dog-sitting side hustle: It's 'like a second salary' In 2021, Alison Chan was looking for a flexible side hustle while studying for the bar. Now, she earns $3,750 per month dog-sitting.

How much should I charge for an hour walk with a dog? ›

$10 – $35 Per Walk

Dog walkers charge an average of $20 per 30-minute walk, with prices ranging between $10 and $35. Hourly rates typically cost $30 to $60 depending on your location, but overall you'll pay $0.50 to $1 per minute to have your dog(s) walked, no matter how long the walk is.

Is dog walking a good business to start? ›

Starting a dog walking business can be a fairly straightforward process, as well as a great low-cost way to enter the general animal industry. But just like any type of new business endeavor, there will be a difficult process of gaining clientele as well as making your business profitable during the first few months.

How to start a dog walking business as a kid? ›

Help the child distribute his dog-walking advertisem*nts to potential customers in your neighborhood. You can go door to door, post flyers on community bulletin boards, and visit dog parks to find clients. Limit your distribution to trusted community members and screen each potential customer.

Are dog walkers in demand? ›

Not only is dog walking in high demand, but the business also has a relatively low barrier to entry and is highly profitable, although it does come with its own risks. If you are searching for a profitable recession-proof venture going into 2023 and beyond, give dog walking some serious consideration.

How do dog walkers make money? ›

Additionally, some dog walkers will set a weekly or monthly rate with their clients, rather than billing for individual walks. While the rate per walk may be lower, dog walkers are able to have more consistency with their pay this way, which is key for anyone who has regular bills to pay.

How to make more money dog walking? ›

3 Ways to Increase Your Dog Walking Profit (without new clients or rate increases)
  1. #1 Change Your Cancellation Policy. Losing income to cancellations can add up, especially if you consider how many cancellations you have each year. ...
  2. #2 Add a New Service. ...
  3. #3 Cut Costs. ...
  4. Bonus: It Takes Money to Make Money.

What are the disadvantages of dog walking business? ›

However, there are some important negative aspects of owning a dog walking business that you should be aware of:
  • Dealing with clients directly can be difficult. ...
  • Making your business succeed can be difficult. ...
  • You have to clean up after the dogs. ...
  • You may lose business if you take time off. ...
  • High liability. ...
  • Physically demanding.

What equipment do you need to start a dog walking business? ›

There is a good chance that there will be quite a lot of this during your average day! Important items to obtain when you start your dog walking business are good quality dog walking waterproofs, a pair of dog walking good boots, a high quality dog drying bag to clean the muddy mutts and a positive mental attitude!

How to grow your pet sitting business? ›

  1. 30 Ways to Get More Pet Sitting Business. ...
  2. You need to build a client-attractive website. ...
  3. On that website, you need to add a lead magnet. ...
  4. Create a sales funnel with a time-sensitive offer to create urgency. ...
  5. Join a networking group. ...
  6. Actively participate in local Facebook groups. ...
  7. You want to blog and guest blog.

Is the pet sitting industry growing? ›

The global pet sitting market was valued at USD 2.48 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 10.63% from 2023 to 2032. The market is expected to reach USD 6.81 billion by 2032.

Can you make decent money working for Rover? ›

As with any type of side hustle, though, your earnings depend on what types of services you offer and how often you provide them. The more work you're able to book, the more money you can make. In fact, it's potentially possible to make more than $1,000 per month on Rover if you have a good system and regular clients.

Can you earn a living cat sitting? ›

The pros of a pet sitting side hustle

You can work on your own terms, and generally complete the visit when it suits your schedule. I work full time 8.30-5, so I go before and after work. As long as you're upfront with the owners about that, they're usually fine. Generally it's pretty easy work.

How much profit do pets at home make? ›

Profit Before Tax (PBT) accounted for £122.5 million ($155.5M/€‎141.1M) in FY 2023. This was down 17.7% but reflected the sale of its specialist practices and the costs of a new distribution center.

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