Has anyone had or use a dog walking/feeding business?

Question

How much is the typical rate? Is it profitable? How did you set it up or if you used their service, how did find the dog walker? What are some pitfalls of the business? Any advice is appreciated.

Answer 1

I saw a book about this at PetSmart. I forget what it was called, but it was in their little book section. It tells you all about the business and getting it started up etc. You might want to look into it.

Answer 2

YES, I OWN A PET SITTING SERVICE, AND I ALSO PROVIDE EXTRA SERVICES WITHIN MY PET SITTING. DEPENDING UPON WHERE YOU LIVE HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE RATES. I ALSO HAVE DOGS THAT I WALK DAILY, AND I CHARGE A FLAT RATE FOR THAT, NO MATTER THE SIZE. THE SAME WITH TRANSPORTS, (GROOMER, OR VETS,) I HAVE A FLAT FEE. I STARTED MY BUSINESS BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE A JOB WORKING IN A HOSPITAL, I BECAME A CAREGIVER FOR MY MOM WHO HAS ALZHEIMER'S. I ALSO HAVE A DEGREE IN BUSINESS, SO I KINDA KNEW WHAT TO DO. BUT I STILL DID A LOT OF RESEARCH, AND GOT MANY, MANY, OPINIONS AND GREAT ADVICE. MY START UP COST WAS MINIMAL, EXCEPT FOR MY INSURANCE AND BUSINESS LICENSE. I REALLY DON'T ADVERTISE THAT MUCH, JUST A 3 LINE AD IN THE LOCAL PAPER. MY BUSINESS USUALLY COMES FROM REFERRALS BY THE VETS, OR GROOMERS, AND OF COURSE WORD OF MOUTH. THE ONE PITFALL, WELL IT MAYBE TO YOU, IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I AM OUT WORKING UNTIL 9:00pm OR 10:00pm, USUALLY IN THE SUMMER, AND VACATION TIME. ALSO, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE MANY DAYS OFF, UNLESS YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES. I PREFER TO WORK ON MY OWN, THIS WAY I BUILD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OWNERS, AND THE PET. IT IS PROFITABLE, BUT BELIEVE ME IT TOOK ME ABOUT 3-5 YEARS TO START TO REALIZE A PROFIT. I AM 55 YEARS OLD, MY OWN BOSS, I HAVE FLEX TIME, AND I WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR ME TO RETIRE, MAYBE NOT EVEN THEN. IF YOU LOVE ANIMALS NONE OF THE WORK IS HARD, AND I ALWAYS FIND THAT NO MATTER WHAT SORT OF MOOD I MAY BE IN, MY 4 LEGGED CLIENTS ALWAYS CHEER ME UP. GO ONLINE, DO THE RESEARCH, READ BOOKS, AND IF YOU FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING FOR YOU, GO FOR IT! THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF TIME INVOLVED, AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET THE HOLIDAYS OFF. SO, AGAIN DO THE RESEARCH, AND BE SURE THIS IS SOMETHING FOR YOU. ONE MORE THING TO REMEBER, PET SITTING INVOLVES MORE THEN FEEDING, WALKING, ETC. YOU ALSO MAY HAVE TO ADMINISTER MEDS OR SHOTS, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ALL DIFFERENT BREEDS OF DOGS, AS WELL AS CATS. YOU MAY FIND THIS IS JUST RIGHT FOR YOU, I DID!
DEBI

Answer 3

Yes I run one.

My rates vary on each client and I also train and rehabilatae dogs