So you have decided to become a professional dog walker! That is amazing! 

I myself made the decision to become a full-time dog walker at the end of 2021 when I was trying to figure out what to do with my life.

Truly, the one thing that I love to do every day is walking my dog. I love getting out in the forest and hiking with my dog, Ollie. 

It is the activity that I look forward to most every day (and I have kids and a husband!). Sounds kinda bad, but there is nothing like getting outside by myself and just walking and thinking. Gotta love it!

Deciding to become a dog walker just felt right. I can be my own boss and stay active every day while getting paid. Not to mention all the dogs! Heavenly! 

However, deciding to become a dog walker is the easy part. Getting hired as a dog walker, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast.

For clarity, this article is for dog walkers who have made the decision to start a dog walking business and need to drum up some clients. It is not how to start a dog walking business, that will be a topic for a future article!

You have already decided on a name, checked into getting insurance, and basically have all your preliminary tasks completed.

Right now, you need clients.

In this article, I will outline what you need to do to get high-quality clients and what has worked for me so far.

How do I get a job as a dog walker?

Wouldn’t it be easy if you could just put up a website and have clients instantly message you, wanting you to walk their pooch?

Well, it’s not quite that simple.

Some work has to be done on your part to get the client’s attention so they know you exist. 

Marketing is Key

Plain and simple, you need to advertise your business.

You want to become a professional dog walker, right? This isn’t some hobby that you do in your spare time. You want a full-time profession.

That means your going to have to put in full-time work to attract the right clients.

Website

You need a website. Plain and simple.

In my honest opinion, every single business (even brick and mortar) needs a website.

It is a way for potential clients to find you, connect with you, and just generally show off your qualifications and convince them you are the right person for the job.

All that before they actually meet you!

Think about it, how many people google “dog walker near me”? Answer: a lot!

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you were the first one to pop up on the google search page?

Trust me, it would.

Now, this article is not about how to set up a website, it’s just to tell you that you need one.

I will write an article on how to properly start a website in the near future and link to it here.

Google My Business

Claim your business on Google. This will help you show up on the search results when potential clients google “dog walkers near me”. 

It’s a pretty easy process to set up that google walks you through. 

It’s important to do this as soon as you know you are going to start your dog walking business because the verification process takes a few weeks.

Google actually snail mails you the verification code to make sure you are an actual business. You then need to finish up the verification process in Google My Business online.

You can also claim your business with Bing and Yahoo. I suggest you do this as well because the more search engines that know about you the better.  

Business Cards

Business cards are a great way to hand out your vital information to potential clients. 

You can check in with vet offices, pet stores, and community centers to see if they would mind passing out your card to anyone who asks about dog walking services. 

Now, business cards don’t have to be fancy. In fact, I made mine for free using Canva, and I suggest you do the same.

I am by no means a graphic design whiz or artsy in any way, and I think they turned out pretty darn good. What do you think?

*Sorry the images are small, the large ones would not work for some reason. The top image is front, bottom is back. 

A good idea that I got from a dog walking Facebook group was to attach a business card to a magnet and leave them at dog parks (poop bag dispensers) and parks (poles, etc), and pretty much anywhere people are with their dogs.

This is why I designed my business cards with my logo and information all on the back. I can stick the magnet to the front of the card and all of my info is still visible.

Apparently, the person using this marketing method has drummed up some pretty good business doing this.

Thinking outside the box is key when it comes to marketing.

Also, dog walking Facebook groups have great advice for beginner and experienced dog walkers alike.

Flyers

Flyers are an awesome way to get your name out into the community. There are many free templates you can use. Again, Canva is a good resource. 

Post your flyers on community boards at your local library, grocery store, community centre, and wherever else you’re allowed.

Tearaway paper at the bottom with your name and number is important so potential clients can have a physical copy of your details. 

However, a lot of people these days (including myself) just take a pic of the flyer to refer to later. 

It’s up to you how you want to present your flyer, just keep your potential client in mind and make it easy for them to contact you.

Advertise Online

Free advertising with Kijiji, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace will help get your name out to potential clients living in your neighbourhood. 

I live in Canada, and Kijiji is what we use the most for free advertising.

This is actually how I got my first dog walking client.

I was checking my listing to see how it was ranking on Kijiji, and I came across another listing that was looking for a dog walker for their labradoodle.

I contacted them via Kijiji, sent them my own ad, and we scheduled a meet and greet.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

The best part, they live just 5 minutes away!

As well, my Kijiji ad helped secure another client who contacted me needing a dog walker while they are on vacation.

This isn’t a long-term gig, but they may hire me in the future and/or pass my name along to someone else looking for a dog walker.

I should mention, that I put this ad up BEFORE I had a website, or business cards, or a flyer.

I was pretty much testing the waters to see if there was a market for another dog walker in my area.

The couple of nibbles that I got without really trying that hard told me that there was absolutely room for me in the dog-walking community.

Social Media

Love it or hate it, it’s a necessary evil.

For instance, I have very stale personal Instagram and Facebook accounts. Truth be told, I don’t care for social media. I find it puts me in a bad mood more than anything else.

However, I have very active business Insta and FB accounts. 

Why? You ask.

Well, because social media is yet another means to meet future clients, as well as others in the same industry that may pass your info along to someone who needs your services.

Very early on when I started The Local Barker Insta account, I had someone refer me to their friend who did not have Instagram.

We connected via texts, nothing came from it, but it’s just an example of how to get your name out there and build some authority with potential clients.

Let’s Talk About You, Baby…

Tell everyone you know that you are starting a dog walking business.

Family, friends, strangers on the street. 

The more people that know about you the better. 

If you have business cards, hand them out.

Even if someone doesn’t need a dog walker, they may know someone who does.

Referral from an actual person is the best. Your credibility is already established, and you’re more trustworthy than some random Joe off the street.

Never underestimate the power of a real-life referral!

Now, you are not going to get a full-time roster of clients instantly. This is going to take time, effort, and a relentless push. 

If you’re not comfortable talking about yourself (like me!), do it more. You only get better at something by doing it. 

By putting these strategies in place, and staying active by handing out business cards, putting up flyers, social media blitzing, you will get clients. It will happen. Just be patient.

I myself do not have a full-time roster yet, but am I giving up? Hell no!

I am getting my name out there any way I can, even with dreaded social media!

If I can do it, you can do it. 

Do not give up!

What’s the most successful method you have used to get hired as a dog walker?