A dog walking business can be an extremely rewarding and lucrative business to get into, especially if you love dogs. Pet sitting is a business that goes hand-in-hand with dog walking, and many dog walkers also offer pet sitting services. The dog walking industry is still a fairly new profession. According to some industry experts, only about 3 percent of all households nationally pay a dog walker to walk their dogs, but this number is steadily growing.
A dog walking business is very simple to operate. The main idea is that you get hired by dog owners to walk their dogs for them because they either don't have the time or they aren't physically able. It sounds easy, but there are a few main qualifications you should have before you start your own business.
One of the first things you need to start a dog walking business is a decent amount of experience with dogs. If you aren't comfortable interacting with dogs, then you need to get some experience before you start walking dogs for a living.
Another basic qualification is that you need to be in good enough shape to walk several miles per day. That might sound pretty easy too, but walking while controlling one or even several dogs is very different than just walking by yourself. But, you get used to it very quickly, as it's not extremely physically demanding.
The other qualification that is probably most important, is that you are a people person and that you are trustworthy. You could be the dog whisperer himself, but if you can't relate with people and communicate effectively, no one is going to hire you. The trust your clients have in you is by far your biggest business asset. If they don't completely trust you, they will quit calling you and find someone else.
It's important to realize that many dog owners think of their dog as a member of the family, and sometimes even as their own child. Whether you think that's weird or not, it doesn't matter. If you don't treat their dog with respect and great care, then you won't be their dog walker for very long. Clients want to see that you take as good of care of their dog as you would your own, or even better. They need to completely trust you when you take their dog on a walk.
There are other formalities that come with starting any business, but the main thing to keep in mind when starting a dog walking business is that you need to be good with dogs, good with people, and you need to be completely trustworthy. If your clients don't like you and completely trust you, than you won't be in business very long.
A dog walking business is very simple to operate. The main idea is that you get hired by dog owners to walk their dogs for them because they either don't have the time or they aren't physically able. It sounds easy, but there are a few main qualifications you should have before you start your own business.
One of the first things you need to start a dog walking business is a decent amount of experience with dogs. If you aren't comfortable interacting with dogs, then you need to get some experience before you start walking dogs for a living.
Another basic qualification is that you need to be in good enough shape to walk several miles per day. That might sound pretty easy too, but walking while controlling one or even several dogs is very different than just walking by yourself. But, you get used to it very quickly, as it's not extremely physically demanding.
The other qualification that is probably most important, is that you are a people person and that you are trustworthy. You could be the dog whisperer himself, but if you can't relate with people and communicate effectively, no one is going to hire you. The trust your clients have in you is by far your biggest business asset. If they don't completely trust you, they will quit calling you and find someone else.
It's important to realize that many dog owners think of their dog as a member of the family, and sometimes even as their own child. Whether you think that's weird or not, it doesn't matter. If you don't treat their dog with respect and great care, then you won't be their dog walker for very long. Clients want to see that you take as good of care of their dog as you would your own, or even better. They need to completely trust you when you take their dog on a walk.
There are other formalities that come with starting any business, but the main thing to keep in mind when starting a dog walking business is that you need to be good with dogs, good with people, and you need to be completely trustworthy. If your clients don't like you and completely trust you, than you won't be in business very long.
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Learn more about how to start a dog walking business. Stop by Kolby Shepherd's site where you can find out all about starting a dog walking business and what it can do for you.
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