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To earn some extra cash, I'm thinking of offering my services as a dog walker, pet sitter, and the like. I would be willing to walk their dog any length of time they prefer, or just let it out to do its business if preferred. I'd also be willing to take their dog to the very nice dog park in our city. Other things I'd be willing to do: keep their dog in my home while they're out of town, check in on their cat or dog while they're gone, feed and water their cat or dog, and similar tasks.
I have a lot of experience with owning dogs and being around them all my life (I'm in my late 30s), but no professional experience. I have good dog sense and am good with them. I currently have a 3-year-old Border Collie and a 9-10 year old cat.
I live in a small city, so I'm not even sure if there's a market for this. But if so, what should I charge? I live in a LCOL area. Do you have any advice or insight about any aspect of this?
I am a professional dog walker. I have some questions for you.
1 Have you had a tetanus shot? If not, get one from your doctor.
2. Is there a market for this service in your neighborhood? Are people decrying the lack of dog walkers/pet sitters?
3.How far are you willing to drive? Time spent driving is time spent not walking dogs. Be aware of lost opportunity cost.
4. Does your city require to you be licensed in order to do boarding?
5. Have you thought about liability insurance? Buy some.
As you can see, if you want to start a business, you must think business. Your potential clients will take your more seriously if you are well prepared beforehand.
I see you're in your 30s. That's good. Adults have more credibility than some 15-year old who posts on Craigslist.
"I would be willing to walk their dog any length of time they prefer, or just let it out to do its business if preferred."
No. this opens the door to exploitation. Set a price for a certain length of time, and that's what you charge: no exceptions. Otherwise you get "the camel's nose in the tent." i.e.: "Well, you'll only have Fluffy out for five minutes, so how about I pay you a third of your usual fee." Nuh--uh! Don't let the client set your terms.
Your biggest task right now is to determine is there is a market for such a service in your area. If there truly is:
* register your doing-business-as name with the County.
* Buy liability insurance from one of the big three pet insurance clearinghouses. (I use Pet Sitters Associates, LLC.)
* Business cards, website presence, separate cell number for clients only.
* Value your time, and price it accordingly. Don't bend over backwards to appear cheaply-priced; your clients won't respect that or take you seriously as a legitimate business. Research your competitors!
I am not a pet sitter, but I have used one for the past 40 years so I know what I look for. You will need insurance, business cards, website, and references. You also should be able to use your veterinarian as a reference because that will help you get business. Make flyers and leave them in groceries and any place where people congregate. You will need to keep track of house keys (get bonded) and vaccination records for the pets that you care for. You will also need to have additional leashes, collars, water bowls, etc. in your car. Absolutely have a separate phone number for your business with a professional message and check your messages often.
Take a look at websites in your area and across the country to get an idea of what is involved. You should also check out the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
As far as pricing, I know that even 40 years ago, I was paying $10 for a mid-day walk. That also included bringing in the mail, cleaning the litter box, making sure the pets had food and fresh water, watering plants if I needed it, and really anything else that needed to be done in that 30 minute time. My current pet sitter charges about $13 a visit for the same things.
Make a list of all of the services that you will offer and the fees. The more that you can offer during the visit, the better.
Are you going to offer services such as taking pets to the vet or groomer? I would be careful about a dog park visit. Will you be able to make early morning and late night visits? What about bad weather? Emergency visits?
Think about a special rate for those who use your services every day and maybe a discount for referrals.
These are just some of the things that I can think of right now. Again, good luck.
To earn some extra cash, I'm thinking of offering my services as a dog walker, pet sitter, and the like. I would be willing to walk their dog any length of time they prefer, or just let it out to do its business if preferred. I'd also be willing to take their dog to the very nice dog park in our city. Other things I'd be willing to do: keep their dog in my home while they're out of town, check in on their cat or dog while they're gone, feed and water their cat or dog, and similar tasks.
I have a lot of experience with owning dogs and being around them all my life (I'm in my late 30s), but no professional experience. I have good dog sense and am good with them. I currently have a 3-year-old Border Collie and a 9-10 year old cat.
I live in a small city, so I'm not even sure if there's a market for this. But if so, what should I charge? I live in a LCOL area. Do you have any advice or insight about any aspect of this?
I have several dogs (3), and kenneling costs are outrageous for multiple dogs, and Tuck freaks in a kennel environment.
Our solution has been to hire a house sitter when we travel. We generally pay about $300 a week to college kids from our church when we travel. Our requirement is they sleep at the house, eat our food (especially the perishables), and walk the dogs in the AM and PM. Other than that, I don't care what they do, so classes, or work during the day, or just hanging with friends is fine - just sleep there at night, and walk the dogs twice a day.
Not sure that is a business model of any sort, or if it would even work for you with your own dog situation, but you said you were looking for extra cash (that tells me part time and flexible, not job and steady income), so it might be an additional service to consider offering.
Thank you for the replies. Now I'm not sure about it. I'm really not looking to do this full-time or anything like that. I'd like maybe 3-5 regulars, depending on how often they need me. I was planning to just put a Craigslist ad up and see what I could get. Nothing too complicated. I hadn't considered things like insurance and the like. I'm going to have to think about this more.
Thank you for the replies. Now I'm not sure about it. I'm really not looking to do this full-time or anything like that. I'd like maybe 3-5 regulars, depending on how often they need me. I was planning to just put a Craigslist ad up and see what I could get. Nothing too complicated. I hadn't considered things like insurance and the like. I'm going to have to think about this more.
Walking a dog isn't as simple as just putting a leash on a dog and walking it around the block. Do you have any experience working with dogs? Do you know what to do if an unleashed dog runs toward you and the dog you are walking? Do you know how to consistently and gently administer medications? Do you know what to do if a dog slips its leash/harness? Do you know what to do if the dog you are sitting growls and raises its hackles when you walk in the door? Do you know how to work with a 30+ lb dog who pulls like a sled dog? How about a dog who reacts at everything by barking, lunging, and growling?Do you know how to de-escalate a potentially confrontational situation with another dog and the dog you are walking?
Until you know how to deal with these situations I would suggest you take some seminars with a reputable professional trainer, become a vet tech, volunteer at a rescue or shelter (ideally one that has a strong training program), do foster care, and get at least a couple of years of solid varied dog experience under your belt.
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