Dog walking is the job that demands you to provide service to busy pet owners. On many occasions, owners of dogs have to travel or make plans for the weekends and it puts them in a place where couldn’t afford to leave their dogs alone. That is exactly when dog walkers come into the picture. Many have dog walkers in their neighborhood, that work as freelancers or as part-timers that are preferred usually. But some businesses offer professional dog sitting services that meet the clients’ criteria. Many people opt for the online businesses that provide dog sitters and since these are professional, owners can book dog sitters for their desired amount of time and the companies send suitable sitters.
Different ways of pursuing a career in Dog Walking
Part-Time Dog Walking: If you love pets and enjoy taking care of them every once in a while, this is the best way you can earn money. You can pop by in every house in the neighborhood with pet owners and inform them that you dog-sit once in a while and you are willing to take care of their pets when they need them. You can also pet the dogs in front of the owners to gain their trust.
Freelance Dog Walkers: If you are looking to pursue a career as a freelancer, then you have a certain groundwork to do. You can take up a course in animal care, pet-sitting while you are in high school or get certifications done in animal health care, a professional dog sitting course that will last up to 12weeks both online and offline, and get a driver’s license if you must transport the dogs via a vehicle. You can network with many pet-owners using social media handles, letting your friends know about the services you independently provide to get a healthy amount of clientele.
Dog Walking Business: If you are looking to set up a business of your own, you must get enough certifications like the freelancers or more, get a business license and learn about everything regarding animal care regulations depending on the city as the rules vary. You must ensure that though you hire part-time experienced or any professional dog-sitters, they should receive an on-job training that will allow fewer complaints if the clients face any trouble. Having a business website, a mobile application will improve your chances to get more clients.
Dog Walker Responsibilities
Apart from petting the dogs, you must be feeding, cleaning up after them, ensure they have collars with the dogs’ names on them, giving non-verbal directions for them to follow the commands, making sure the dogs have no conflicts while sitting a bunch of dogs at a time. In addition to that, they need to fill the paperwork that contains information about any special requirements for the dogs, instructions, vaccinations, and insurance purposes. This criterion helps to get the clients’ trust in you.
Conclusion
In the end, dog walking as a profession is rewarding and relaxing at the same time. The delivery of the job with all things considered comes with practice, but it is worth it.