How Much Do You Really Earn Walking Dogs?
As far as part- time jobs go, dog walking sounds like a sweet deal: spend some time with cute puppies, make moves, and get paid. But like most aspects of the gig economy, how much money you actually make depends on a lot of factors. The way you advertise your services and your business flexibility will greatly affect how much money you take home, and that’s after dog walking apps take some of your income. Here’s what you need to know about how much you can really make walking your dogs these days.
Find out your dog’s walking speed
HomeGuide reports the following average dog walking rates, depending on the additional pet care provided and the type of clientele you serve:
- Inexpensive dog walking service: $10 for a 30 minute walk.
- Intermediate dog walking service: $20 for a 30 minute walk.
- Upscale dog walking service: $35 or more for a 30 minute walk.
How many walks you are likely to get depends on how many dogs need to be walked in your area. If you can move between multiple areas and expand your radius, you can increase your chances of picking up more pets to walk around with.
While the rates you set are important in finding new business, when it comes to dog walking, loyal customers are your best bet for building a solid income stream. Think of it this way: if you only get along with one pet owner in your area at $20 for a 30 minute walk, and that dog needs to be walked three times a day, five days a week, then you could bring in an extra $300. dollars every week.
Rover, Wag and other apps will take a percentage
Popular dog walking apps Rover and Wag follow similar gig-based models like Uber or DoorDash. And in true gig-based startup style, these apps take a fair share of the service fees. For example, Rover charges a 20% service fee on every booking. Wag, on the other hand, charges twice as much with a 40% service fee. So while dog owners feel they are paying a pretty high price for every walk, you won’t see such high rates in your payouts.
Most apps allow you to set your own rate, so in theory you could raise the price to cover 20-40% of the app’s maintenance fee. However, this obviously means that you will need to find customers who are willing to pay at your competitive rates, and you will likely get more business with more moderate prices. Also worth mentioning: Wag has a non-refundable $30 registration fee that you pay before you even get approved as a dog walker.
bottom line
When it comes to dog walking, you want to find repeat clients that you get along with. To find trusted customers in your area, I would suggest creating an account with Rover (Wag’s app and service fees make it a plan B). Once you have a routine in place, offer to start your business with them outside of the app. Make it clear it’s a win-win: you can afford to lower your rates after the app’s maintenance fee is eliminated and you’ll make more money. Your ultimate goal is to find a regular flow of loyal customers without third party apps taking a cut of your payouts.