# A little help and advice please.



## eviner28 (Aug 1, 2012)

Hello everyone,

I have never posted on a forum before so all this is new to me. 

I am really considering setting up my own dog walking business but wanted some advice from other dog walkers beforehand.

I am trying to do everything right, I will be going for a walk with a dog walker I know this week and discussing all the pro's and con's with him. Then next week will be spending the day with a friend covering a dogwalkers rounds while he is on holiday.

I have been looking into Narps today and possibly taking their training course.

I live in London (Central) so I think there is more of a demand as there are lots of people at work who need their dogs exercised while they are out. 

I see quite a few dog walkers in the park I go to on a daily basis so it seems that there is a requirement.

The hesitation I have is that whenever I mention it to anyone they say... oh, that will be boring, you wont make enough money etc. 
I was wondering if any of you could give me a frank and honest opinion on the pros and cons? Worst things that have happened, best bits about it??

Thank you in advance.


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## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

*pro's *

get to spend every day with your best friends

stay very fit and helthy

sleep very well and feel really content when you get home

get paid for something you love

get to work on your own terms

meet some lovely customers

make loads and loads of new human and doggy friends who you meet out

If you have a dog of your own get to spend more time with that, and then the evenings are yours

*cons *

income can be varriable

run out of waterproofs on very bad days no matter how many you have

Go through tons of clothes and boots

dogs can run off

dogs can be challenging

customers can be demanding lol

I got bitten by someone elses dog when they couldnt hold it away from mine

difficult with some dogs in icy conditions

van breaks

your ill

or like me you come of a horse and tear a ligament and cartilege not fun

so you have to find cover, not earn anything, miss the dogs

not finding time to eat enough nutritious stuff, as your main earning time is lunch time

saying all the cons sounds awful haha, but I love my job, been out on my crutches today with a couple of people and a few of the dogs, was lovely to catch up with some of them, cant wait to get back too it!


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## totallypets (Dec 30, 2011)

emmaluvsmango said:


> *pro's *
> 
> get to spend every day with your best friends
> 
> ...


I love my job,and my pros are almost as above except that I don't sleep well that often - just me not the dogs or business - so can find I'm shattered by the time I finish!

*income can be variable* - My income is fairly stable, but I do boarding during the school holidays when a lot of my regular dogs don't need their normal walks and we do have another income coming in so mine just supplements our family income.

*run out of waterproofs on very bad days no matter how many you have 
Go through tons of clothes and boots* - I have finally found the right clothes for the job this last winter so no longer get cold or wet which makes a huge difference!!

*dogs can run off* - I lost one today for an hour and a half - the 3rd time I've 'lost' one in 8 years.

*dogs can be challenging* - I am pretty lucky and only have 2 difficult ones, not challenging, just anxious and therefore I have to be more aware if I'm walking them.

*customers can be demanding lol * - true, generally though they become friends

*I got bitten by someone elses dog when they couldnt hold it away from mine* - I got bitten whilst out walking by a random dog who just walked up to me and bit my hand for no reason!

*difficult with some dogs in icy conditions* - icy is horrible for walking dogs who pull and for driving to do pick ups.

*van breaks * - my car broke down a couple of weeks ago, fortunately most of my dogs are within a 2 mile radius of where I live so managed to walk most of them. I walked a lot of extra miles for the 2 days that it took to get it fixed, didn't have time for lunch and I still didn't sleep well!

*your ill* - not really, being active keeps you healthy, I haven't missed a day in 8 years through illness (1 morning through a v bad hangover so doesn't count and just walked later when I felt slightly human!)

*or like me you come of a horse and tear a ligament and cartilege not fun

so you have to find cover, not earn anything, miss the dogs* - fortunately I don't ride!

*not finding time to eat enough nutritious stuff, as your main earning time is lunch time* - my slots are 9am - 11am and 1pm - 3pm so I leave do get time for lunch although if I have to do a lunchtime walk or things go wrong I don't get time for lunch.

Being a dog walker is in my opinion the best job in the world. The biggest problem I have is having days off, I work a 7 day week - This year I will have a maximum of 10 days off ( 3 so far, 5 in August - booked in at Christmas - and maybe a weekend before the end of the year), last year I only had 2 days off.


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## eviner28 (Aug 1, 2012)

Thanks so much for these responses, they are great to build up a picture. 

Seems like it is pretty full on then, which isnt a bad thing, I guess when you are committed and busy then life seems fulfilling. I was thinking of asking my work to go part time to begin with and either work mornings or afternoons, try and build up a client base before I throw myself in the deep end. Do you think that would work??

Do you take on so many clients because you have to (to bring enough money in) or because you just dont like to say no?

Can I just ask, are most of your clients once a week, once a day or does it completely vary??

Im so glad I posted on here, thank you to you lovely people for giving me your feedback. Erica x x


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## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

I'd love to know what clothes you have found, I have a pair of mendel boots which are just starting to split, and I do look after them properly, had them for around a year. I have 4 waterproofs, the most expensive is my northface one, had about a year and half and that lost its waterproofness about 6 months ago, regardless of reproofing. Also went through 2 pairs of wellys in winter. 

My income needs to cover the bills etc, so I need to work 8-4 without a break. If you don't need to earn a good wage though i imagine it would be easier. I have been asked to add an extra dog onto the end of my day but this is my limit, Id be pretty exhusted if I took on any more, im happy with the level I have now, and so have a waiting list now for when people ring. 

Ive found many of my customers prefere lunch time walks ask thats the middle of the time they are out of the house. 

My comments on being ill or injuered, where more of a question, as to what you would do if you were ill or injuered. Obviously I don't expect everyone is going to fall off a horse lol. 

Ive had 2 dogs 'run off' in 3-4 years , one completly disapeared and was found and taken to the vets luckily had microchip, and another just ran off for 30 mins and i found him being fed biscuits by an elderly gentleman!

I have 1 client whos once a week and 1 client whos 7 days a week, the rest lie inbetween and vary greatly, I also have customers who need different days every week, on the condition that thier dogs are social and can be walked with another of my dogs. 

I do 30 min/45 min/1 hour and 1 and half hour walks.

My groups usually consisit of 3 or my mum works with me part time and sometimes we get all the single dogs done in the morning, then we can pick up 4-5 of the group dogs between us and take them somewhere different for the whole afternoon  

If you do have someone who can help you get get them insured under your insurance, this means they can cover the odd weekend or week for you, so I find having time off isnt too difficult. Just finding cover though the week at short noctice isnt too easy. 

hope it all goes well


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## totallypets (Dec 30, 2011)

I got this coat but last years model Women's Down Commuter Long Coat when there was a special offer on so paid about £120 inc postage - that's a lot of money, but it has been completely worth it. I wear it just with a vest top underneath most of the time but can put a long sleeved top for really cold days. It washes well on an ordinary wash with normal washing powder, not like the previous jackets that I bought and it goes down to your knees so I only get wet for about 3" of leg unlike before where most of my thighs were soaked. I also have spent out on a great pair of wellies. They are insulated so I don't get cold feet. They have good grips and are very comfy Aigle Parcours ISO Wellington Boots - Unisex - Bronze (Dark Green) | Uttings.co.uk

This might all be too much for you to spend now whilst starting your business, but I ended up buying loads of different jackets and shoes/wellies/boots over the years that ended up not being up to the job. I have put them down as a business expense although the tax man doesn't see them as allowable unless they are marked with your business logo as you could wear them when not working - as if I'm ever not! I'm looking into how I can do it without compromising the waterproofedness (if that's a word).

Most of my week day morning walks are for people who work in schools - they don't have time to walk the dog before going as well as getting kids ready etc. I pick the dogs up somewhere between 9 and 10 depending on how quickly I get myself up and out. The dogs get a 1 hour walk and are dropped back between 11 and 12. I walk up to 6 at a time, but when I was less experienced I walked them alone and then in 2s before walking in larger groups. I know all my dogs extremely well and they get on nearly all the time - just 2 with the occasional moments with each other.

Most of my clients are week day term time for my morning walks and afternoon walks are less busy with most doing 2 or 3 days a week.

It took a long time to build my business but I am now turning people away most weeks - frustrating but I don't want to (need to) work any longer and I want to enjoy what I do. The only thing is that I can't see me doing it in 20 years time when I'm nearly 60!


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

The biggest problem is it takes time to build up a dog walking round - it took around 18 months/2 years before I felt I was 'full'. 

Most everything else you will learn as you go. Have two pairs of footwear and alternate them. A £100 pair of boots will last 2 years, a £50 pair might last 6-8 months, so it works out cheaper to go more expensive - but buy in the sales! And to start with you won't have the money to do that.

Working 7 days a week has been fine for me, I've always taken 4 weeks off a year, although every single day 'off' has been spent on somethiing dog or business related. It's amazing how you still get refreshed though! After 4 years I have a proper 4 day break coming up in September (my 4th anniversary!) where I'll be right away from work - I've never lost a client because I've had time off work because they all understand, but I have a team working for me now, so nobody notices I'm not there anyway.

I boarded dogs solidly June 11 to Jan 12 and it nearly killed me, so watch out for burn out.


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## eviner28 (Aug 1, 2012)

Thank you soooooooooooo much for all your feedback. I went on my walk with my dog walker friend yesterday and we had a good chat and he gave me some great tips too.

Im feeling very enthusiastic about everything, I guess the next step is just getting some advertising and making a start. 

My only problem now is that I want to get some experience without leaving work.... the advice I have been given is just to advertise, when people call inform them that for now I am booked up and only have weekend and evening slots available, but I will put them on a waiting list.

Hopefully that way I can pick up some evening and weekend slots, get some experience and some contacts, im hoping that work will then let me work part time in the mornings and I can then pick up the late lunch slots and early afternoons, and then once that is up and running, leave work for good and start doing all day.

Sorry to keep asking you more and more advice but do you think this would work? Obviously as you say it took you two years to build up enough of a client base to keep you busy all day, I have to still pay all my bills so need some other source of income while I am starting up.

If you take the time to answer this post I promise I wont ask anymore questions for now!!!! I really really appreciate the time you have taken to answer and you dont know how happy it has made me to get great feedback so thank you.

Just proves dog people are lovely!!


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