dog walking??

Question

Im starting a dog walking buisness and i am willing to do it for 6$ for a big dog and 4$ for a small dog for an hour. I am 10 years old and i have been with dogs for many years. Is that too big of a price or too low? And i want to be able to take their dogs to the park, how much more money should i pay for the park?
Please help me out,
and thank you!!!

Answer 1

The price range is perfect. =]
I would actually charge a bit higher; maybe $5 for small dogs, and around $7-$10 for a larger dog. Or you may even want to charge depending on weight.

Walking a Great Dane is much different than walking a Husky, and they're both big dogs.

Also; an hour is a very long time. Some dogs cannot make it an hour, being that they are old... sickly... or a small breed. Walking them an hour is too much on their bodies. What I would do is charge $5-$10 not per hour, but for each walk. You may even impress potential clients by saying each dog needs different lenghts of exercise time, and that a specific time for one dog might not be the same for the next.

Charge on a nice, good, healthy walk.

I'm not sure on where you live and what parks you have, but if the dog park requires you to pay to enter, let them know about this. Also... if there is a free, community park nearby ask them if they would like their dogs to associate there. Do not charge to take them to a free park; only one that requires money.

If you were going to spend money out of your pocket to go to a park, its not a good idea. It could loose you a lot of money. Ask the owners if they would like their dogs to enjoy the park for some fetch, relaxation, or one of their favorite games. If they wish not, don't go against their wishes. If they say yes tell them how much the park is, and ask if they have any of the dog's favorite toys. If they have no toys; use a tennis ball or a cheap Frisbee. You shouldn't need to spend a lot of money on toys. If they do have toys; be sure to use only the toys they provide. There could be a reason behind it.

To prepare for your dog walking business, I suggest you have the following:

-Extra collars, leashes, harnesses and walking supplies. Borrow some from friends or family, because purchasing them may be expensive. A lot of dogs actually don't wear collars and some owners may not have leashes. Ask ahead of time. Dogs may also have breathing problems or may not be leash trained, where using a collar can choke them (my dog is like this.) In this case, use a harness.
-A water dish. Bring a rubber dish, or one made out of soft material that can be folded and stored in a bag. If you cannot do this, simply use one of your mom's tupperware containers. They work just as well. Every 15 minutes or so(depending on the dog), stop and give the dog a break with a bit of water. If he drinks, give him more. If he doesn't, dump it out and continue walking. Have a small towel handy to dry the bowl and put away.

Before you walk each dog, ask the client the following questions:

-How many dogs there are
-Size/breed of dogs
-If they have their own harness/leash/collar
-Best time to walk
-How many times a week to walk
-Address
-Phone number
-Cell phone/work number incase of emergency
-Any problems the dog has that could interfere with walking
-If they would like you to take them to a local dog park/regular park (remind them that this is an extra expense IF the park requires admission)
-Ask if there are any toys they would like you to bring for the dog park
-Ask about the behavior of the dog (very important)

The more info you get, the better time you and the dogs will have!
Make sure you advertise a LOT. Do not give up if a week or two has gone by and nobody has called. It can take months for you to get a good amount of clients, so never get discouraged.

Before you head out on each walk, be sure to have the following:

-A bag/large purse to keep everything in
-A cell phone or extra money to use a pay phone in case of emergency
-All the owner's numbers, labeled (ex. Home Phone, Cell Phone, Work Phone...)
-Extra leash and collar, JUST in case
-Harness if the dog gets out of hand or is harming himself
-A water dish
-A small hand towel
-Toys (optional)
-Treats (optional; but use if you want to start leash training untrained pooches, or teaching them to heel. Clients will be VERY impressed)
-Bottles of water for you and the dog. Its always good to bring an extra few, just in case water fountains taste bad, aren't working, or aren't cold enough

Good luck with your dog walking business! I did it 2 years ago when I was 12, and it was loads of fun.

Answer 2

Be sure any dogs you walk are current on all of their shots first so that you are ot bringing them around other dogs that may not have had theirs and they get something from one of them. Next as far as prices go that would depend on the going rate for where you live. Different areas range higher than others for many things. And on the park subject does the park you want to take them to charge for dogs? I ask because where I live we have a dog park and tey do charge so if your park does charge then you need to find out their rates and charge acordingly. Also since you are only 10 I would avoid very large breed dogs ad dogs that are not very well trained that may tend to chase things like other animals so you dont end up losing the dog or having the dog pull you across town instead. Good luck to you and as I said check the going rates one where you live but I would go a little higher if I were you, but still try to stay a little lower than the going rate. Hope it works out for you. I can tell you that I would not let my 12 year old son walk my boxer as even though she is a good and gentle dog she also likes other dogs and when she sees another dog or an animal for that matter she tends to pull a bit so I am the only one I trust to walk her. My chihuahuas though I do et my kids walk but only with me right there with them so done be surprised if you do not get alot of takers.

Answer 3

It's great that you are finding a useful way to earn some money. I think those prices are fine. As for taking dogs to the park though, I wouldn't recommend it at your age. If it's a dog park, there is a lot of responsibility and a high risk of injury to the dog. Though pet owners in the most part are responsible about it, once in a while someone brings a bad dog to a dog park, and the risk of injury to you or someones dog is too much for a child your age.

Answer 4

I don't think it's too much, I don't know that I would charge more to take them to the park because at the park you aren't actually walking them, you're letting them exercise themselves. However, I have big dogs and I don't know that I would trust a 10 year old to take them to a park, or to walk them. What are you going to do to prove you can handle big dogs? Mine aren't as big as some, the smallest is the female husky at 42 lbs, the largest being a male shepherd at 117 lbs. Right now I have 10 shepherds though (7 puppies).

Answer 5

Before you start this buisiness you should seriously think about it. First of all some big dogs can be very powerful and if you lost one you could get in big trouble. Also you probably shouldn't charge for an hour, maybe for a half hour. You and the dogs would probably get really tired if you took them for an hour. It is a really big responsibility and you should probably think really hard about it. Well good luck!

Answer 6

I would start out a little lower. maybe $3 for big and $1 for small. It doesn't sound like much but it will add up. Once you show you are a good and responsible dog walker maybe you can up the rates a little. The reason I am saying lower the rates is because it is your first time and many children hardly get paid $5 an hour for babysitting.

Answer 7

There are a bunch of things you should know about dog training but we are going to discuss what I feel are some the most important. Keep in mind that these are only some of the things you should know. Go here http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?WvF4

1. Repetition is the number 1 principle of dog training. Dogs just like humans learn by doing things over and over in order to get better.

2. Dog Training can and should be fun for both you and your new pet.

3. Training sessions should always be short but sweet. I never work a dog more than 15 minutes in a session to keep from losing the dog's attention. You should train you dog at least once a day but never more than three formal sessions a day.

4. Your goal should be that each training session is just a little bit better than the last one. You need to always strive to make the training better, slowly. I mention this because quite often I see people who do daily training sessions but the dog never gets better and it is not the dogs fault.

5. Having patients is very important in dog training. Losing your temper does not work with a canine it simply makes things worse.

6. Exercise is very important in the training process to get rid of all the dogs nervous energy.

7. Taking your pet for walks is very important because it develops serotonin which gives your dog a feeling of well being.

8. Always be sure to give your dog a bunch of praise in your training. It is your dog's paycheck for doing a great job.

9. Never hit your dog. I have heard people say I never hit my dog instead I roll up a magazine and swat it. It's the same thing... hitting is hitting.

10. After each training session be sure to do something that your dog will enjoy. Take it for a walk, throw the ball or maybe even rub its belly. Just do something that makes the dog look forward to the next training session.

These are things that I teach my dog training students as well as my dog training clients. I hope these things will give you something to think about when training your dog. Spend some time training your dog daily and you will both reap the benefits.

Answer 8

i did the same thing, except i made them pay me weekly, because if they wanted their dog walked, i would come by every other day at a certain time, and then have them pay me and the end of the week. take them on nice long walks too, not short sucky ones. hope it helps.

Answer 9

a lot! i think you are too young for such a big responsibility,don't mean to be rude but i would not trust a ten year old with one of my cocker spaniel,talk to your mom about it ,have you thought what are you going to do if you encounter a stray dog such as a pitbull?think about it,it's hard for an adult like me to control 2 dogs,and much more for a child like you ,good luck and think of what i told you.

Answer 10

For a 10 year old I think your prices are fair.