Days spent outside, perhaps even at the beach, socializing with other dogs sound wonderful, don’t they? It’s fun to work as a dog walker. Let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages first, though, before you dive right in.
Even the most rewarding occupations have disadvantages, after all. Therefore, if you’re thinking of pursuing a job as a professional dog walker, do your research beforehand. Spend some time learning about the position and carefully weighing its benefits and drawbacks.
Firstly, what is a Dog Walking?
Your major goal with this, as the service’s name suggests, is to provide dogs with exercise through a walk and/or a run.
In contrast to a fast “bathroom break” visit, where you may be in and out in 10 to 15 minutes, most dog walking and jogging trips call for a longer stay because your human client likely wants their dog to get some exercise.
Whether you bill by the hour or the service, you’ll generally need at least 20 minutes for a decent walk. We bill by the hour in our company, and among the time options of 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes, we discover that the 30-minute duration is the one that most of our customers choose.
It depends on your clientele and what they need/want as to how quickly and how far you go. A runner should typically be able to cover 1.4 to 2.1 miles in a half-hour visit. In the same 30-minute period, a walker will probably cover 0.8 to 1.3 kilometers.
Keep in mind that the actual exercise will take between 24 and 26 minutes. The remaining four to six minutes will be used to prepare the dog for going outside, finish the visit by getting the dog relaxed back into the house, and write a daily report card if you are leaving one.
PROS of Being a Professional Dog Walker
Please understand that we do not wish to discourage you from pursuing your chosen profession, so let’s start with the advantages of being a dog walker.
Flexibility Okay, so a dog walker must keep to scheduled times, and you might be required to begin early in the morning. The position is less rigorous than a nine-to-five office job, though.
Additionally, if you want to grow your business and hire more dog walkers, you can create a dog walker flyer template online in just a few minutes or you can easily delegate the early starts to your staff.
No Office Politics or Drama Surely, office politics are unimportant to anyone? Doggy customers on four legs are considerably nicer and easier to handle than human customers.
Of course, eliminating ALL potential for drama is quite tough. The dog you’re walking, for instance, might start a dog fight with another dog. It could exhibit strange behavior or disengage from its lead and flee. Drama is generally limited for professional dog walkers, though. Phew!
Exercising with Fun Exercise every day is a requirement of the job for dog walkers, so forget about going to the gym at six in the evening when every man and his dog is there. Bonus!
The Furry Friends Being a professional dog walker allows you to interact frequently with canine friends. Additionally, in addition to your canine clients, you’ll get to meet other dogs while on your dog-walking route.
Independence Setting boundaries from the beginning will help your dog walking business run well. You have the freedom to decide your own pricing, availability (although it can be difficult to turn clients away on days you’re unavailable), and guidelines.
New Friends If you’re lucky, in addition to the wonderful furry companions you’ll make, you’ll also meet some wonderful people. Being a dog walker can be quite social and result in some great friendships, whether it is with other dog walkers, local residents, or pet owners.
Cons of Being a Professional Dog Walker
Although dog walking is all puppy kisses and wagging tails, it’s not all sunshine and puppies. Here are some of the less enjoyable aspects of working as a dog walker.
Getting Clients If you’re fortunate, word of mouth will bring in customers. However, a lot of dog walkers must regularly invest time and energy in finding new customers.
It’s crucial to have a plan in place from the outset when doing anything, whether it’s building a website, doing a mailbox drop, or placing an ad in the neighborhood paper. Fortunately, there are a number of free and inexpensive alternatives to market your company. Take a look at these advertising suggestions for dog walking companies and pet caregivers.
Earnings are Variable The pay for a dog walker can vary, just like it can for a freelancer. Yes, you might be able to develop a sizable clientele of repeat customers, but cancellations are always a possibility. Additionally, what transpires if your client takes a vacation? You can lose out on some money if you don’t additionally provide pet-sitting services.
What happens if you hurt yourself and can’t walk, furthermore? How will you replace that lost income? Who will look after your clients? Ensure that you research insurance options, such as personal accident and illness insurance, which can help to replace lost wages. In addition, remember to give your health and wellness the same priority that you give your pets’.
All-weather Walks If it’s raining cats and dogs instead of the sun, you can’t just cancel your appointments as a professional dog walker. Prepare your raincoats and gumboots now!
Dog Poo Pick-up You’ll pick up more dog poop as you walk more dogs. Similar to this, the larger dogs you walk mean bigger poop to scoop. Picking up excrement is undoubtedly not one of the most pleasant aspects of being a dog walker.
You May Have Some Difficult Clients You probably have favorite pet owners and least favorite pet owners. Clients that repeatedly cancel appointments, make late payments, and call you at all hours of the day or night can certainly try your patience.
With time, you might be able to get rid of the unfavorable clients and only keep the pleasant ones. But first, all you have to do is try really hard to be polite and hold your mouth!
