Thinking of Starting a Dog Walking Business? Here's What I'd Tell Myself

I get asked about this more than you'd think. Someone finds out what I do for a living, usually when I mention I'm heading out at 8am with a van full of dogs, and the conversation always goes the same way. That sounds amazing. How do you actually do that?

So here's an honest answer based on six years of actually doing it.

It's a proper business, not a hobby with a lead

The biggest misconception people have is that dog walking is something you fall into casually. You take a few dogs out, people pay you, job done. The reality is there's insurance to sort, client contracts to think about, key holding policies, emergency procedures, first aid qualifications, how you handle pickups and drop offs, what happens if a dog gets injured, how you price your services and about fifty other things that nobody thinks about until they need to.

None of it is impossible. It's just not as simple as buying a lead and posting on Facebook.

The early admin is the bit people underestimate

Before I walked a single paying client I had to get my insurance in place, sort my vehicle, think about how I was actually going to operate day to day and set up some basic processes for onboarding new clients. Looking back I did a lot of it by instinct and figured things out as I went along, which worked but wasn't exactly efficient.

If I was starting again I'd want everything documented and ready before I took on my first dog. Client forms, terms and conditions, what my meet and greet process looks like, how I communicate with clients day to day. Having that foundation in place from the start makes everything easier.

The demand is real but so is the competition

When I started Indiana Bones in 2020 the market in East Renfrewshire had gaps in it. Good, professional dog walkers who were properly insured and ran things seriously were not exactly everywhere. That's still broadly true in a lot of areas but the market has got busier.

The dog walkers who do well are the ones who run things professionally from day one. Insurance, proper client agreements, clear communication and a genuine focus on the dogs rather than just the income. People can tell the difference and word of mouth in this industry is everything.

What I'd do differently

I've spent time over the years putting together the kind of resources I'd have wanted when I was starting out. Guides, admin templates, the practical stuff that takes forever to figure out on your own. If you're seriously thinking about starting a dog walking or pet care business in the UK, I've put together a free 53 step checklist covering everything you need to get started — you can grab that at start.dogbusinesshub.co.uk — and if you want to go deeper the full guides and admin bundles are over at dogbusinesshub.co.uk.

The honest bit

Six years in, full book, dogs I've been walking since they were puppies who are now ancient and still dragging me across a field. It's genuinely a brilliant thing to do for a living. Just go in with your eyes open and set it up properly and you'll be absolutely fine.