Dog-walking - What's involved?
Being a dog-walker is as simple as it sounds. You arrange to pick up the animals, take them for a walk and then return them home. You might need to do it twice a day for each dog and a good walk means a minimum of half an hour - ideally an hour.
Dog-walkers charge per dog, per hour. Rates range from about £10-15 per dog, per hour (or half hour in some cases). If you're able to take several dogs at once that means you can earn significant amounts per day.
However, to start off with you need to be careful not to take on too many dogs for one walking slot. You should be able to cope with about three or four dogs depending on their size, speed and levels of obedience early on. Then, as you get to know their characters, you can organise them into groups that will get on well together.
There are no current legal limits on how many dogs you can take out at once but local councils say the worst problems they have are with dog walkers who take out more animals than they can cope with at any one time
The main problems are:
•Dogs running away and not coming back – dangerous and bad for business!
•Not being able to clean up after them all – illegal and a health hazard.
Important: Laws that will affect you
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 if you lose control of a dog in your care it is your legal responsibility, not the responsibility of the owner.
Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 or the Animals Act 1971 a dog mustn't worry livestock on agricultural land. The person in charge of the dog at the time will be charged with the offence, not the owner. So be aware when walking on downs or farmland, especially in Spring around lambing time
If a dog fouls you have to clean it up by law and dispose of it properly. Your local council may well give biodegradable poop bags away free, ask for the environmental health department.
Check the rules of your local park, these are usually posted at the entrance.
It is also useful to have the details of your nearest Dog Warden - contact your local council for details.
You may also want the vet details for each of your charges in case of illness or accidents. You don't need any training for this work but you could consider a canine first-aid course. Look up local ones in the search engine.
Pet Minding
Pet-minding involves going to someone's house to feed a pet, clear litter trays and generally make sure the pet is happy and healthy in the owner's absence.
Some pet minders are also house-sitters (see our article on house-sitting here). Others just go in once or twice a day to feed and water the animals and sometimes take them for walks.
When looking after pets at your home, make sure the owner brings everything they need with them: food, bowls, any medicine, bedding, clothes and cages. Can you imagine a cageless hamster?
Getting work
Find your first customers just by asking around. After that, if you're good and reliable, you'll get publicity through word of mouth. Many dog-walkers get clients when they meet them in the park.
You can also join a local dog-walking agency. You will earn less per hour but the work would be more regular. Just put 'dog-walking' into your search engine with your local area and see what comes up. There are lots of little, local agencies all over the country
Get yourself some free business cards from Vista Print and hand them out to dog owners when you're on a walk. You can also put an ad up on the notice board in your local vet practice, pet shops and at rescue centres if they will let you
The national agency Animal Aunts looks for people who can look after pets in all areas. Contact them if you want to work through an agency.
What will it cost me?
Running this sort of business shouldn't involve much in the way of set-up or running costs. It helps to have a car to reach people, so petrol could be a factor. Also, you should have a ready supply of pooper-scoopers and poops bags. You might also like to get gloves and/or antibacterial gel for keeping your hands hygienic. Apart from the that, the biggest expense will probably be insurance.
Try Petbusinessinsurance.co.uk as they offer a total package; public liability – if the dog runs out into the road and causes a pile up, or bites someone. Care, custody and control cover – looks after the pet itself, if it gets injured while under your care and Key replacement cover - if you lose your employers keys they'll pay to change the locks. All three together will cost around £128.40 for one person starting out in their first year or 109.50 if you have been operating for over a year.