How to start a pet sitting and dog walking business

At a glance

Startup cost

$100–$500

Time to launch

1–2 weeks

Typical earnings

Often $15–$30 per walk; $40–$80+ per overnight stay

Where you work

In your neighborhood

Skills you need

Animal handling, reliability, clear communication

Best for

Animal lovers with flexible daytime hours

Services you can offer

Dog walking is usually the daily backbone: 30- or 60-minute walks on weekdays for owners at work. Drop-in visits cover feeding, litter boxes and medication for cats and other pets. House sitting and overnight stays are booked around holidays and travel, and pay more per day.

Some sitters add trips to the vet or groomer, basic training reinforcement or care for small animals and birds. Start with the services you’re confident in and add others as you gain experience.

• Daily or weekly dog walks
• Drop-in visits for feeding and care
• Overnight pet and house sitting
• Puppy visits and potty breaks
• Pet transport to vets and groomers

What it takes

You’ll need solid animal-handling skills — reading body language, managing leash pulling and keeping pets safe around traffic and other dogs. Reliability is non-negotiable: a missed visit can mean an accident in a client’s home or a pet without food.

Expect to be out in all weather, and plan around peak demand: weekday middays for walks and holidays for overnight stays. Pet first-aid training is a valuable extra that reassures clients.

What it costs to start

Pet care is inexpensive to start. Your main costs are insurance, a background check if clients expect one and a few supplies.

Typical ranges in US dollars. Some booking apps include insurance for bookings made through them — check exactly what’s covered before relying on it.

How to start, step by step

1. 1 Choose your services and area Decide which services you’ll offer and draw a service area you can cover quickly on foot, by bike or by car. A tight area means more visits per day.
2. 2 Get insured and organized Buy pet care liability insurance, then prepare a client intake form (vet details, feeding, behavior, emergency contacts) and a simple service agreement.
3. 3 Set prices and policies Publish rates for walks, drop-ins and overnights, plus policies for cancellations, holidays, key handling and extra pets.
4. 4 Get your first clients Tell friends and neighbors, post in local community groups and leave flyers at vets, pet stores and groomers. Pet sitting apps can help you build early reviews.
5. 5 Do a meet-and-greet Meet each new pet with its owner before the first booking, confirm routines and test keys or door codes.
6. 6 Send updates and build loyalty Send a short message and a photo after every visit. Owners love it, and it builds the trust that leads to referrals.

Your first 90 days

A realistic timeline from idea to paying customers, assuming part-time hours. Stretch or compress it to fit the time you have.

1. Weeks 1–2 Prepare and insure Buy insurance, create your intake form and service agreement, set your prices and write a short, friendly bio with photos of you with animals.
2. Weeks 3–6 Earn early reviews Offer meet-and-greets to neighbors and friends, create a profile on a pet sitting app and visit local vets and pet stores to leave flyers and introduce yourself.
3. Weeks 7–12 Lock in regulars Turn one-off walks into weekly schedules, ask for a review after every booking and open your holiday calendar to regular clients first.

Pricing and earning potential

Rates vary by city and service. In many US markets, a 30-minute dog walk often costs about $15 to $30, drop-in visits are similar and overnight stays commonly run $40 to $80 or more per night. Prices are lower in many other countries, so check what established local sitters charge.

Your income depends on how many visits you can fit into a day. Walking two compatible dogs from the same household, or scheduling walks in the same neighborhood, raises your hourly earnings without lowering your quality.

Finding and keeping clients

Most pet care clients come from local recommendations. Vets, groomers, pet stores and neighborhood groups are your best channels, along with reviews on local search and pet sitting apps.

Keeping clients comes down to consistency. Use the same walk times, follow each pet’s routine exactly and communicate early about any change. Holiday dates fill up fast, so let regular clients book them first.

• Neighborhood social media groups
• Flyers at vets, groomers and pet stores
• Pet sitting apps for early reviews
• Referral discounts for existing clients
• Apartment buildings with lots of dogs

Insurance, safety and rules

Liability insurance protects you if a pet is injured or damages property while in your care. Some sitters also get bonded, which covers theft claims and reassures clients. Check local rules on business registration, leash laws and how many dogs you may walk at once in public spaces.

Always keep emergency contacts and vet details on hand, carry a basic pet first-aid kit and never walk dogs together that don’t get along. Store keys and door codes securely, labeled without home addresses.

Growing the business

Once your weekday schedule is full, add premium services such as puppy training walks, overnight packages or longer adventure hikes. Raising rates for new clients is often easier than finding more hours in the day.

To grow further, hire or contract additional walkers and give each one a set area. You’ll need clear standards, insurance that covers staff and a booking system clients can use on their own.

What the first months could look like

Imagine a part-time student who loves dogs and lives in a busy apartment area. They start with two neighbors’ dogs on weekday walks at $20 each, then gain five more regulars through a pet sitting app and a building notice board.

By month four they walk seven dogs every weekday — some together, when the dogs get along — and book a few holiday overnights. That’s roughly $2,800 a month from walks plus $500 to $800 from overnights, before insurance, app fees and taxes.

An illustration, not a forecast — results depend on your market, prices, hours and costs.

Pros and cons

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping insurance to save money
• Taking on unfamiliar or aggressive pets without a meet-and-greet
• Walking too many dogs at once
• Spreading clients across too wide an area
• Not having a written cancellation and holiday policy

The bottom line

Pet sitting and dog walking let you turn a love of animals into a flexible local business for very little money. Insure yourself, keep a tight service area, communicate after every visit and the referrals will follow.

Frequently asked questions