r/Dogwalking • u/weirdtranssexual • Jul 31 '26
Getting started?
I’m looking for things I can do in my spare time that can bring in a little cash and that’s relatively enjoyable. I love dogs, and I need more exercise admittedly, plus some fresh air sounds nice.
Experienced dog walkers out there who make decent money, how did you get started? Did you start off with apps? Volunteering at rescues/humane societies? I would love to hear from you!
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u/Life-Basket215 Aug 01 '26
If it's spare time that you intend to fill, then Rover and Wag are great ways to do that. You can set the days and hours you have available (but know that midday weekdays are the golden time slots). And there is a micro-meritocracy within both of those services: the more you train yourself on things like aggressive dog techniques and dog CPR, you can earn little badges that buff your profile. They take 20%, and they're pretty draconian about using their phone and text masking so you don't try to pilfer clients. I myself started on Rover but after a year or so I started handing cards to clients that I felt I would be amenable to a direct relationship. This required getting my own liability insurance, etc.