How to Start a Dog Walking Business – Turning Your Love for Pets Into a Career 

How to start a dog walking business begins with choosing your services, setting rates that cover your costs, registering the business, and learning the rules in your city. You also need the right insurance. The person holding the leash can be held responsible when a dog bites someone, pulls free, or gets hurt on the walk. 

If you love being around dogs, paid dog walking can give you flexible hours, your own schedule, and work you look forward to. It is also a real business. You manage a route, read dog behavior, and set client expectations. You also answer for what happens while a client’s dog is in your hands. 

The field is large and still growing. The U.S. Census Bureau counted 25,551 pet care businesses with paid employees in 2023 under the industry code that covers walking, sitting, grooming, boarding, and training¹. Census counts solo operators separately, and that is where most dog walkers begin, with no payroll and no staff. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in animal care and service work to grow 11 percent from 2025 to 2035. That is much faster than the average for all occupations². 

At Gild Insurance, we help dog walkers understand the risk they are carrying and find coverage that fits the way they actually work. 

Here is a step-by-step look at how to start a dog walking business and build it to last. 

What You Need to Start a Dog Walking Business 

Three things come before your first paying client: a clear list of services, rates that cover your real costs, and a written plan for how the money works. 

Step 1: Define Your Services and Target Market 

Decide what you want to offer and who you want to serve. Some walkers stick to solo walks. Others run small group outings or add other pet care. 

Common services include: 

• Individual dog walks for one dog at a time 

• Group walks for dogs that get along 

• Puppy visits and midday bathroom breaks 

• Senior dog walks at a slower pace 

• Pet sitting and drop-in visits 

Look closely at your own area. Count the walkers already working, ask what they charge, and find out what owners wish they could get. Neighborhoods with long commutes, apartment buildings, and older pet owners tend to need steady midday walks. 

Step 2: Set Your Rates and Create a Business Plan 

Add up what the work costs you before you price it. Travel time, fuel, gear, insurance, phone, marketing, and the hours you spend on scheduling and invoices all come out of each walk. 

You can charge by the length of the walk, sell weekly packages, or hold standing slots for regular clients. Standing slots are easier to plan around and easier to budget. 

For a reference point on pay, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage for animal care and service workers. It was $35,530 a year as of May 2025. That figure counts people on a payroll and leaves out the self-employed. Read it as context, not as a forecast of what your own business will bring in. 

Your plan should name your services, your prices, your service area, the clients you want, and what you need to earn. Start with a number of clients you can serve well, then add more as your route fills in. 

Step 3: Know What It Costs to Get Started 

Dog walking is one of the lower-cost businesses to open, but the costs are real. The Small Business Administration recommends listing one-time costs and ongoing monthly costs separately before you launch³. That split shows what you need up front and what you need every month. 

For a dog walking business, that usually means: 

• One-time costs: business registration, leashes and harnesses, first aid supplies, a website, logo and signage 

• Ongoing costs: insurance, phone and data, scheduling software, mileage and vehicle upkeep, waste bags and replacement gear 

Price the ongoing column first. It is the one that decides whether your rates work. 

Permits, Certifications, and Legal Considerations 

Most dog walking businesses do not need a special license to walk dogs. They do need the ordinary business registrations, and they need written agreements with every client. 

Step 4: Register Your Business and Check Local Requirements 

What you file depends on where you work and how you set the business up. You may need to register a business name, or get a local business license or tax receipt. If your route crosses city lines, you may need to file in more than one place. 

The Small Business Administration advises checking license and permit requirements against your specific activities and location, because they differ by state, county, and city⁴. 

Work through this list: 

• Pick a structure, such as a sole proprietorship or an LLC, and understand what each one does to your personal liability 

• Get an Employer Identification Number if you need one. The IRS issues it at no charge, and applying through any paid service is unnecessary⁵ 

• Open a separate business bank account so your money and the business money stay apart 

• Read your local leash and animal control rules, including any limit on how many dogs one person may walk at once 

• Write your service agreements and your cancellation policy before you take the first client 

Step 5: Build Your Skills and Put Client Agreements in Writing 

Most places do not require a dog walking certification. Training still makes you safer and easier to hire. Learn canine body language, leash handling, pet first aid, and what to do in an emergency. 

Before you accept a dog, get the terms in writing. A good agreement covers the walk schedule, the fee, emergency contacts, and permission to seek veterinary care. It should list any behavior or health issue you need to know about. It should also say what happens if the dog is injured and who pays the bill. 

These agreements do two jobs. They set expectations, and they give you something to point to when an owner remembers the arrangement differently. 

What Are You Responsible For When You Are Holding the Leash? 

The dog’s owner is not the only person who can be held responsible when something goes wrong. In several states the law reaches further. 

A number of states extend dog bite liability past the owner to the dog’s keeper. A keeper can mean the person who has the dog in their possession at the time. 

Connecticut is a clear example. State law there makes the owner, the keeper, or both liable for damage a dog does to a person or to property. It defines a keeper as any person other than the owner who is harboring or has possession of the dog⁶. 

Courts in other states reach a similar place through common law⁷. They ask who actually had care and control of the animal when the harm happened. 

That principle lands on your working day. The moment the leash is in your hand, you may be the keeper. If the dog bites a jogger, slips its collar, or knocks over a passerby, the claim can follow you and not only your client. That is the strongest reason to settle your coverage before the first paid walk. 

Essential Gear and Safety Practices 

Dependable equipment and a consistent routine protect the dogs in your care, and they also keep claims from happening in the first place. 

Step 6: Invest in Reliable Dog Walking Equipment 

You do not need expensive gear to start, but you do need gear that holds. 

Essential items include: 

• Strong leashes and properly fitted harnesses for each dog you walk 

• Waste bags and cleaning supplies 

• A portable bowl and fresh water 

• Pet first aid supplies 

• Weather gear and reflective clothing for early and late walks 

• A charged phone for updates and emergencies 

Check every leash, collar, and harness before you clip in. Worn hardware is a common way dogs get loose, and a loose dog can turn into a liability claim. 

Step 7: Create a Dog Walking Safety Plan 

Every dog is different in what it can handle and how it reacts. Before the first walk, ask the owner about leash reactivity, health conditions, triggers, and how the dog behaves around other animals and children. 

Heat deserves its own attention. The American Veterinary Medical Association advises against walking a dog during the hottest part of the day. It also warns that surfaces like asphalt can burn paws⁸. It also lists the signs of heat stress that owners and handlers should know. 

Use these practices to lower your risk: 

• Shorten or move walks when the weather turns, in either direction 

• Stay off hot pavement and check it with your hand before you start 

• Follow local leash rules on every street and in every park on your route 

• Introduce group walks slowly and only with dogs that are a good match 

• Carry emergency contacts for the owner and the dog’s veterinarian 

• Decide in advance what you will do if a dog is injured, gets loose, or will not continue 

A steady routine builds client confidence, and it cuts down on the preventable accidents that turn into claims. 

How to Find Clients and Build Trust 

This business runs on referrals. Your first clients come from your own neighborhood, and the clients after them come from those first few. 

Step 8: Market Your Dog Walking Services 

Start with a simple online presence that states your services, your rates, and your availability. Owners want to know those three things before they call. 

You can promote your business through: 

• A Google Business Profile so local searches find you 

• Neighborhood groups and community platforms where owners already talk 

• Social media showing the work, with permission from owners 

• Referral partners like groomers, pet stores, and veterinary offices 

• Referral credits for clients who send you someone 

Ask satisfied clients for a review soon after a good walk. Reviews carry real weight with owners who are choosing between local walkers. 

Step 9: Build Long-Term Client Relationships 

Trust carries this business. Owners are handing you a key to their home and responsibility for a member of their family. 

Show up on time, send updates, and say something early when a schedule has to change. A short note after each walk covering bathroom breaks, behavior, and a photo takes a minute and keeps clients for years. 

As the route grows, scheduling software can hold your appointments, invoices, and client records in one place so nothing depends on memory. 

What Does “Bonded and Insured” Mean to a Client? 

Clients ask for this phrase often, and the two halves mean different things. 

A surety bond is not insurance for you. It is a promise backed by a third party. If you or someone who works for you steals from a client, the bond can pay that client. The bond company can then look to you to pay it back. Liability insurance is the other half. It is what responds when someone is hurt or property is damaged. 

An owner who asks whether you are bonded and insured is usually asking about both. Being able to explain the difference on a call tells that owner you understand your own business. 

How Gild Insurance Helps Dog Walkers Protect Their Business 

Even careful dog walkers run into situations they did not cause. A dog can slip a harness, damage a neighbor’s property, or get hurt on a walk that was going fine. 

Business insurance is how you keep one incident from ending the business. At Gild Insurance, we work for you. We are an independent agency, and we help dog walkers find coverage that fits the work of handling other people’s animals. 

Step 10: Look at Coverage Before Your First Paid Walk 

Coverage a dog walking business commonly looks at: 

• Dog Walking Insurance: Depending on the policy, this may address risks tied to walking, handling, and caring for clients’ dogs, including certain animal-related incidents 

• General Liability Insurance: May help cover eligible third-party bodily injury and property damage claims, such as a pedestrian who trips over a leash 

• Professional Liability Insurance: May help with eligible claims that you made a mistake, were negligent, or did not perform a service you agreed to 

One gap is worth knowing before you look at any policy. General liability and professional liability policies do not automatically cover injury to, or loss of, an animal in your care. 

The reason is the exclusion for property in your care, custody, or control. Standard liability forms generally leave that property out, and the policy treats a client’s dog as property. The coverage that can respond to a hurt or missing dog is usually added separately. It is often called animal bailee, or care, custody, and control coverage. Ask about it by name. 

For a full breakdown of what each coverage does and what it costs, see our Dog Walking Insurance page. 

Protect Your Growing Business with Gild Insurance 

Learning how to start a dog walking business means preparing for the ordinary days and for the one that goes wrong. 

Gild Insurance makes it easier to see your real options. We look at how you work, how many dogs you handle, and whether you have help, then find coverage that matches. 

Get a quote online or schedule a call with a Gild agent to explore coverage options for your dog walking business. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a Dog Walking Business 

Do you need a license to start a dog walking business? 

Most states do not license dog walkers specifically, but you may still need a general business license or a local tax receipt where you operate. Some cities also cap how many dogs one person can walk at once. Check your city and county rules before you take paying clients. 

How much does it cost to start a dog walking business? 

Startup costs depend on gear, registration fees, insurance, marketing, and how far you drive. Dog walking is cheaper to launch than most businesses because there is no storefront. List your one-time costs and your monthly costs separately so you know what your rates have to cover. 

How much do dog walkers make? 

Earnings depend on your rates, how many walks you fit in a day, and how tight your route is. Federal wage data covers animal care workers on a payroll and leaves out self-employed walkers, so it is only a reference point. Packages and standing weekly slots make income far more predictable. 

Do dog walkers need business insurance? 

Dog walkers should consider business insurance, because the person holding the leash can be held responsible for bites, escapes, and property damage. In some states, liability reaches whoever has care and control of the dog, not only its owner. Coverage for the animal itself usually requires a separate addition to the policy. 

What does it mean to be bonded and insured as a dog walker? 

A bond pays a client if you or an employee steals from them, and the bond company can seek repayment from you. Insurance responds when someone is injured or property is damaged. Clients who ask for both are asking about theft and about accidents, which are handled by different products. 

Can you start a dog walking business from home? 

Yes. Most independent dog walkers run the business from home and travel to each client. Local zoning rules and registration requirements still apply. They can be stricter if you plan to keep dogs at your own address rather than only walking them. 

Sources 

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services, NAICS 812910, County Business Patterns https://data.census.gov/profile?n=812910  ↩︎
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Animal Care and Service Workers https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/animal-care-and-service-workers.htm  ↩︎
3. U.S. Small Business Administration, Calculate Your Startup Costs https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/calculate-your-startup-costs  ↩︎
4. U.S. Small Business Administration, Apply for Licenses and Permits https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/apply-licenses-permits  ↩︎
5. Internal Revenue Service, Get an Employer Identification Number https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/get-an-employer-identification-number  ↩︎
6. Michigan State University College of Law, Animal Legal and Historical Center, Connecticut Consolidated Dog Laws (Conn. Gen. Stat. 22-357 and 22-327) https://www.animallaw.info/statute/ct-dog-consolidated-dog-laws  ↩︎
7. Michigan State University College of Law, Animal Legal and Historical Center, Detailed Discussion of Dog Bite Laws https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-dog-bite-laws  ↩︎
8. American Veterinary Medical Association, Warm Weather Pet Safety https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/warm-weather-pet-safety  ↩︎