It’s More Than Just Walking Dogs
Updated: 5 days ago
“You’re so lucky. You get paid to walk dogs all day.”
I’ve heard variations of this many times.
And yes, I absolutely love working with dogs. I feel very lucky to have built a career around something I genuinely care about.
But professional dog walking is about rather more than putting a lead on a dog and going for a nice walk.
For me, becoming a dog walker wasn’t simply a case of deciding that I liked dogs and thought it would be a nice job.
My working life took an unexpected turn after I had a stroke. It made me rethink what I wanted from work and, importantly, what I was physically and mentally able to do going forward.
Dogs had always been a huge part of my life, and I already had experience working with them. I had volunteered at Jerry Green Dog Rescue and had experience working in a doggy day-care environment.
Over time, I continued developing my knowledge and understanding of canine behaviour.
Eventually, dog walking became something I could build into a genuine business.
And that’s an important distinction.
Loving dogs is only the beginning
You don’t need to be a dog behaviour professional to be a good dog walker, but you do need to understand the responsibility that comes with looking after somebody else’s dog.
Dogs aren’t all the same.
Some love meeting every dog they see. Others don’t.
Some thrive in a group. Others are much happier having one-to-one attention.
Some are confident and outgoing, while others may be nervous, easily overwhelmed or simply prefer a quieter walk.
Understanding those differences matters.
A dog walker needs to be able to recognise body language, notice changes in behaviour and make sensible decisions when something unexpected happens.
And when you are responsible for somebody else’s dog, you don’t get to switch off.
Solo and group walks both have their place
I don’t believe there is one type of dog walking that is automatically right for every dog.
Solo walks can be ideal for dogs who prefer individual attention, dogs who are nervous, older dogs, dogs who become overwhelmed around other dogs, or simply dogs whose owners want them to have some one-to-one time.
A solo walk also means the walker can concentrate completely on that individual dog.
On the other hand, well-managed group walks can be fantastic for dogs who genuinely enjoy appropriate canine company.
But group walking isn’t just about putting several dogs together and heading off.
The dogs need to be suitable for one another. Their personalities, energy levels, communication styles and behaviour all need to be considered.
A good group isn’t necessarily the biggest group.
It’s the group where the individual dogs are comfortable and everyone can enjoy their walk safely.
So whether a dog needs a solo walk or thrives in a group isn’t about which service is “better”.
It’s about what is right for that particular dog.
There is a lot happening that clients don’t see
When you see a dog walker out walking, you see the walk.
You don’t necessarily see everything else.
There is arranging bookings, answering messages, planning routes, checking equipment, maintaining vehicles, cleaning equipment, dealing with weather, keeping records, insurance, accounting, tax, training and continuing professional development.
Then there is the responsibility of actually having the dogs in your care.
You are watching the road.
You are watching the dogs.
You’re aware of other dogs, people, livestock, wildlife and potential hazards.
You’re thinking ahead.
You’re making decisions.
And you’re responsible for getting those dogs home safely.
It might look like a lovely walk.
And quite often it is.
But it is still work.
It is a business — not a hobby
This is something I think is important to say, particularly because dog walking can sometimes be viewed as a bit of a casual job.
It isn’t.
I may absolutely adore the dogs I walk.
I may chat to them, laugh at their antics and genuinely enjoy spending time with them.
But I am still running a business.
There are costs involved in doing that.
Insurance.
Fuel.
Vehicle costs.
Equipment.
Training.
Administration.
Tax.
And, perhaps most importantly, time.
When I reserve a regular slot for a dog, that time belongs to that booking.
That is why cancellations, particularly late cancellations, can have a much bigger impact than people sometimes realise.
The hidden impact of a late cancellation
Imagine someone contacts me looking for a dog walker for a particular week.
I can’t accommodate them because my diary is full.
Then one of my regular clients tells me, at very short notice, that they no longer need their walks that week because they’re going away.
That space may now be impossible to fill.
The person who originally enquired may already have found somebody else.
So it isn’t simply:
“The dog isn’t coming, so you haven’t had to do the work.”
The time was reserved.
The opportunity to book somebody else may have been lost.
Of course, things happen. Emergencies happen. Life happens.
This isn’t about making people feel guilty for cancelling.
It’s simply about understanding the impact that repeated or very late cancellations can have on a small service-based business.
Holiday notice can make a difference too
The same applies to holidays.
If you know you’re going away, giving your dog walker as much notice as possible is incredibly helpful.
It allows them to manage their diary properly and potentially offer that space to somebody else.
A small business doesn’t have an endless supply of customers waiting to fill every cancelled appointment.
Sometimes a potential client has already gone elsewhere because the diary appeared full.
Once that space suddenly becomes available, it may be too late.
That’s one of the less visible parts of running a small dog-walking business.
I don’t just walk dogs
My aim has never been to simply take a dog from A to B.
I want to understand the dogs I work with.
I want to know their personalities.
What they enjoy.
What makes them uncomfortable.
How they communicate.
What motivates them.
What they are like around other dogs.
And when something changes.
That knowledge comes from experience, observation and continuing to learn.
It’s also why I don’t believe that owning a dog automatically makes someone a dog professional.
Just as having a dog doesn’t make someone a dog walker, loving dogs doesn’t automatically mean you understand canine behaviour.
There is always more to learn.
Turning experience into something useful for dog owners
My interest in dogs doesn’t stop when I finish my walks.
Over the years, I’ve collected a huge amount of practical knowledge from working with dogs, studying behaviour and, of course, living with them myself.
That is one of the reasons I started creating digital guides and planners for dog owners.
They’re designed to be practical resources that owners can actually use — whether they’re bringing home a puppy, trying to understand canine body language, navigating adolescence or simply wanting a bit more structure and guidance.
They’re based on the things I believe are genuinely useful to know, rather than trying to overwhelm owners with complicated information.
You can find my digital downloads, including The Puppy Survival Guide, planners and other practical dog-owner resources, on my website at Maria Canine Care.
And yes, I really do love my job
Despite everything I’ve said, I don’t want this to sound as though dog walking is some terrible hardship!
I genuinely love what I do.
I love seeing dogs enjoying themselves.
I love watching their confidence grow.
I love getting to know their individual personalities.
And there is something very special about being trusted with a person’s much-loved dog.
After everything that happened in my working life, I don’t take that for granted.
But I also think it’s important that the public understands what sits behind the words professional dog walker.
It’s not just a person who loves dogs.
It’s someone who has chosen to build a business around caring for them.
Someone who takes responsibility for their safety.
Someone who continues learning.
Someone who turns up in the rain, the cold and the mud!
And someone whose time and livelihood depend on those bookings.
And just like any small business, being paid on time matters — dog walking is a livelihood, not a hobby, and regular payments help keep the business running smoothly.
So yes…
I am lucky to work with dogs.
But I’m also a professional.
And there’s a lot more to being a dog walker than simply loving dogs.
About the author
I’m Maria, founder of Maria Canine Care and a qualified canine behaviour practitioner (Level 6), with years of hands-on experience working with dogs.
I write these blogs to share practical, evidence-informed advice, helping owners better understand their dogs and make informed decisions about their care and training.
Find out more about Maria Canine Care on my About page.
Comments