What Your Dog Walker Really Does For You
My "Other" Job.
I have been walking dogs since I was 12. At 26, I become a professional dog walker…. meaning I got licensed, insured, bonded, had my back ground check completed and got on the right side of the IRS. I’ve been walking dogs for over 30 years!
You may know me as a professional dog photographer, but I’ve been walking dogs too. I can’t give it up. I love being your dog’s best friend and having adventures with them. I spend my days walking dogs, talking to dogs and generally doing what I love. (Honestly, I don’t think I could survive a “regular” job, indoors.)
Dog photography is a small, intense niche of photography and, because I work mostly with working dogs, my niche is even smaller. I work with many non-profit organizations and I generally do not charge for my work. So, photography, while a huge passion, does not pay the bills, nor would I want it to. It would lose it’s magic.
Do you have a dog walker? If so, do you think they charge too much? So many people think dog walking is easy and should be cheap, but I beg to differ and I’m going to tell you why.
An honest to goodness professional dog walker has insurance and is licensed. I, myself, am bonded and have had my back ground check performed. Insurance is about $300/year for basic coverage IF the dog walker has not had an incident. The price increases per incident. Want me to break it down further? Insurance costs approximately $1/day.
A professional dog walker should also be up to date on pet first aid. Do you know how much a pet first aid class costs? In Seattle, where I live, Seattle Humane offers classes for $65. Metro Dog (a dog day care and boarding facility) begins registration fees at $159. Ok, while pet first aid is not mandatory (because the dog walking industry has NO regulations) I would not be working without this training. It’s invaluable. So, at the very least, pet first aid training costs about five cents a day.
Let’s talk about shoes. Yep, shoes. I walk approximately 400+ miles a year, and there are dog walkers out there that walk even further! We need good shoes. If our feet hurt, our knees, hips and backs hurt and then working is painful. My shoe of choice is Saucony Peregrines. They are super comfy and very cute. I have to buy new shoes approximately every 3 months, equaling 4 pairs of shoes per year. At $140 per pair, I spend $560 on shoes per year. That works out to about $1.50/day.
Since we are discussing shoes, let’s talk about outdoor gear. A dog walker needs to stay comfortable to be able to walk all day. In the summer, we need to be cool and hydrated (this is SO important!) and in the fall/winter we need to be warm and dry (and hydrated). Gear can include up to 2 Gore Tex jackets, that are impervious to the weather. These jackets are my favorites jackets and cost about $400 each. I have 3 because it does get cold here in Seattle from time to time. I can get about 2 years of wear out of each jacket, so I spend about $1200 every 2 years for jackets. To break that down, that’s about $1.60/day. Now, keep in mind, this doesn’t include wool socks, thermal underwear or my pants and sweaters. I don’t count those, really, because I wear them every day anyway. Also, my water bottle. I don’t count that either because I carry it around like a security blanket.
Your dog walker has to get to your house. They either drive their own car or take public transportation. If they are lucky enough to live close to you, they can walk. I’m not that lucky. I have to drive. I have a 2021 Chevy Trailblazer that gets really good gas mileage as opposed to the Ford Escape I drove when I live in Michigan. I spend approximately $30/week in fuel. Some weeks I spend more, some weeks I spend less, but it generally breaks down to about $6/day.
Now we have to account for tires, oil changes, car maintenance, etc. A dog walker lives in their car, so it has to be well maintained. I’d go into the details, but it’s so boring, let’s just say that car maintenance is about $3/day. (trust me, it works out.)
Next, let’s talk about supplies. I supply my own biodegradable dog poop bags (and, no, I do not throw dog poop into your neighbors trash can) which I have to order every 2 months. I also supply my own freeze dried salmon treats (because most dogs LOVE them and are not allergic) which I have to order every 2 weeks because I’m generous with the treats. (I’ve also been known to bribe the crows along some of my routes with these treats.) The treats are $24/bag and the poop bags are $14/box. That’s $624 for treats per year and $84 for poop bags per year. Let’s combine them and say I spend $2/day on treats and poop bags
I am very good to my clients because they trust me with their dogs. I love to celebrate birthdays, walk-iversaries, holidays, special occasions, etc. I leave little things behind all of the time! If a pet passes, then I send flowers. These are important touches and I wouldn’t run my business without them. A round number would be about $1.50 per day for these necessities.
Administrative costs are high for me because I have an accountant. I do not enjoy paperwork and have had the same accountant for 20 years. She’s in Michigan, and I kept her on when I moved to Seattle. I spend approximately $1000/year for her services and she is worth every penny! Her services cost about $2.70/day. (Again I say WORTH IT!)
Ok, that’s the basic expenditures for me, as a professional dog walker. These numbers will vary among other dog walkers. If a dog walker is on an app, it costs the dog walker money. If the dog walker is part of a professional organization, it costs the dog walker money, etc.
Being a professional dog walker costs me approximately $16/day. Let’s say I charge $23 for a 60 minute walk…. I will make $6, (before taxes, mind you) if that’s the only walk I have that day. $6. I can go buy a coffee, but I can’t buy groceries. I have to have at least 3 - 60 minute walks booked per day in order to make this work. It doesn’t always happen. But, money comes and money goes and I’ve always felt that money is just a tool and not the most important thing in life.
Sure, I walk your dog, but what do I do for you? I grab your packages off of your front porch and bring them in the house, I turn your lights on and off (or the heat, or the AC), I let you know if there is a problem in your home (yes, this has happened), and I generally take care of things with enough integrity that you aren’t worried about me being in your home while you’re not there. I always give your dog fresh water and sometimes, I feed them (but only if you’ve asked me to.) I’ve even started crock pots so that your dinner is ready when you walk in the door.
Here’s what I get! Time with your dog(s). Dogs are my best friends and without them I’m not sure if I would have survived life this far. (Serious statement.) I love being greeted by your dog with their favorite toy in their mouth (or your slipper). I love how happy they are to see me and how excited they are when I grab the leash. I love the conversations we have when we are out walking. I love watching your dog explore her world. If she stops to sniff, I stop to let her. It’s HER walk, not mine. As long as she’s not eating something she’s not supposed to, she takes the lead. Mostly, I love the peace your dog grants me.
I’ve walked through snow storms, Superstorm Sandy, rain, floods, wind, blistering sun and heat, lovely spring and autumn days and everything in between. I’ve walked with a cast on my leg (twice!), I’ve walked with poison ivy covering my legs (more times than I can count), I’ve walked while suffering heat stroke (more than once), I’ve walked with migraines and allergies…. all because your dog has to go potty and I’m not going to let her down!
So, now you are informed. Dog walking is an amazing career and, despite some people saying it’s a job for a 13-year-old girl, I’ve made it work for me. So have a lot of other people.
Is your dog walker charging you too much? I doubt it. They are probably struggling to make ends meet.
Do you want to know the best way to appreciate your dog walker? Tip them! Leave some cash on the counter. Put a bit extra when you pay your invoice. If they are on an app, give them a bigger tip because the app costs them money. No matter how hard a dog walker works, there are always bills for them to pay and things they need to buy. But, you know why we do it? Because we LOVE your dogs.
Thank you, dear reader, for reading this article. It’s important to me that you know how much I love your dogs, even if I haven’t met them yet. I will continue to work with dogs until my body says I can’t do it any more. Photography, dog walking, creating books… whatever it takes. Dogs are my life and I will never become rich or famous because I’ve chosen to follow my passion. That’s ok. I have dogs.
