Advice on starting a dog walking service

heartofwhite

Hey guys,

I became recently unemployed and now that I have time on my hands I was thinking of starting a dog walking service. I am just looking for any advice on how to go about advertising and importantly, what rates to charge if I do receive any interest. I assume it would be an hour per dog? Any help appreciated!

doctor evil

Insurance and plenty of biodegradable poop bags.

Paul91

Wet gear, strong waterproof boots, waterproof gloves.

The only time i really don't like walking my dogs is when it's really raining hard. They get soaked, i get soaked the kitchen floor gets soaked - not fun.

Chiaki

planned routes, people like to know where there dog is going. insurance or get them to sign waivers. i think 10e an hour is reasonable, maybe discount if they take the full week? if you get multiple dogs that get on you can take them on walks together!
ask owners for info like neutered/spayed (last thing you want is the blame for getting their dog pregnant), aggressive with kids or other dogs (again last thing you want is a fight breaking out), any thing else you should know (maybe the dog is petrified of traffic so a park would be better for him) etc.

Sigma Force

Insurance wise what companies insure dog walkers btw? Roughly how much would insurance be per year?

Crafty-Chel

hi dont know much about this but vista print (on the internet) do really cheap cards and leaflets ect... cheapest iv ever seen, as for ads, your local paper and radio is a gud place to start, also vets, grooming parlors and tescos do free ads.:D