Dog walking was once considered a relatively low-pay, entry level type odd job. Today, it’s turned into a lucrative way to earn extra money or scale a business. Although starting your own company is one way to earn big paydays, there are plenty of ways to make more from a weekend side hustle. Here are some ideas to get started.
Offer Emergency Dog Walking Services
People who rely on independent dog walkers often find themselves in a jam when they call in sick or realize they’re a no show. Flyer your neighborhood and community center with information about your emergency dog walking service for last minute walks at a premium. The upside is you’re not on a set schedule and can pick and choose your walks according to your schedule. You can also contact local dog walking services and ask to be their go-to in an emergency. When you sign-up with a dozen companies, you may have enough work to turn this dog walking side hustle into your primary source of income.
Work as a Virtual Assistant to a Vet or Dog Trainer
Not every dog walking side hustle needs to focus on being out with the pups. Work as a virtual assistant without leaving your homes for a veterinarian, dog trainer, or pet product e-commerce store. Virtual assistants don’t need experience to get started, just an ability to learn and repurpose the skills you already have. The best part is you get to focus on your favorite tasks like blogging for a company, setting appointments, graphic design, social media management, and other tasks. If you’re not sure how to turn your current knowledge base into a virtual assistant career focused around your dog walking side hustle, check out:
Become a Pet Foster Parent
Although pet foster parents often volunteer services for free to shelters, you can still earn a premium on the side. People moving overseas temporarily, engaging in long-term travel, or who just need a reprieve while expanding their family or moving all need long-term dog sitters or pet foster parents. Look for clients through your personal network, by contacting your local vet and dog walking services for referrals. Learn more about this unique side hustle and other ideas here: Struggling to Find Side Hustle Ideas that Pay the Bills and Offer More Freedom?
Walk Dogs in a Pack
Did you know it’s actually possible to scale a dog walking side hustle into a six-figure business? Walking a dog in packs is a skill that can help dogs find a balance as one of its members. You’ll need to scale up slowly and gain experience as a pack dog walker to refine this valuable skill and grow your business. Curious how this dog side hustle could work for you? Learn how Rochelle Migliore walks dogs in packs and even opened up a second location to expand her business.
Run Dogs Like a Pro
When I lived in New York City, dog owners were concerned about their pups being cooped up in small apartments all day. Hiring dog runners was a popular choice for those with enough disposable income. Large breed dogs, and small ones too, need to run more. If you love to jog, you can turn this dog side hustle into a viable business with just a few dogs a day. Take your dog running business to the next level by running two dogs at once.
Go Hiking with Dogs
If you love hiking, you can get paid to do it with dogs in tow. Pick-up a handful of dogs, take them hiking, and clean up their paws and give them a good brushing when you’er done. You’ll likely need an SUV or van with a safe way to transport dogs to nearby trails and pet-friendly parks. Partner with area dog walking services or pet supply companies to spread the word about your dog hiking services.
Take Dogs to the Vet
Busy pet owners have a difficult time scheduling vet visits for their pups. Offer to drive and chaperone dogs at the vet and fill any prescription or supply requests. Writing up a full report of the visit and sending pics of the dogs at the vet will brighten an owner’s day and help build trust. Expand on this idea and offer to do dog related errands on the way to your client’s home like pet food or toy pick-up.
Board Dogs
Dog sitters are in high demand, especially for busy pet owners who travel for work. Offer to board dogs, take them on long walks, and treat them as members of the family for a premium price. Get started boarding dogs and dog sitting with sits like Rover or through word-of-mouth referrals.
Offer Pooper Scooping Lawn Service
No one enjoys tiding up their lawn and getting rid of the dreaded dog poop. You can turn this service into a monthly retainer business by coming once a week to fully scoop and clean a lawn. Charge a premium for a first time scoop. To get started, partner with lawn services who don’t want to deal with poop-filled lawns when trying to landscape. Learn how to start a pet waste removal business from scratch and scale into a $50 an hour part-time side hustle.
Hire Some Help
Once you choose your favorite dog walking side hustle, it can be difficult to figure out how to scale and grow bigger. Hiring your own help just a few hours a week can help grow your business. Add more team members to your services as you grow to earn more. Keep your dog walking side hustle lean and small until you have more business than you can fulfill yourself. Then hire slowly and give each team member small tasks to scale up to permanent employees.
Whatever dog walking side hustle you choose, make sure you look into business insurance to protect yourself from liability. Working through an app like Rover will likely cover you, but other businesses may need an affordable insurance policy to help get your services up and running.