Pro's & Con's to becoming a Dog Walker...

Hey guys.. 

I know this was suppose to be an updated van blog but.. we are not complete yet.

So the reason for this blog is because I have been speaking to a few new dog walkers lately, some of which like me has gone from a career to this and that never feels ok until it just does.. most people you tell won't understand why you are doing it or how far you can take a small dog walking business. Which can deflate you before you have even started and maybe even discourage you from taking the leap .. all I can say to that is DO IT! you won't regret it. Anyway, while talking to these people, I started telling them the things I did, why I did it, things I wish I knew back then etc and it really got me thinking that there is nothing that tells you the pro's and the con's of the Dog walking business or why it is sooo worth it. 

I decided I will be the person to do a pro and con list for you with some findings I have gathered along this short journey that will either make you say yes lets do it or noooo way I am not ready for that, hopefully it will have a positive impact on those not sure if to or not.. 

I am going to start off with the cons because I like ending on positives. I cant say that any of this will be 100% relevant to every dog walker but I think it will relate to most. Here goes.. 

• No 1 con  - would be finding all the information you need to is soooo time consuming and doesn't always make sense, there isn't a bullet point list of what you need or how to do it etc, if you have never worked for yourself before it is a mind field of how to do it. My advice for this one would be get someone who is self employed to help you, get an accountant or ring the people directly rather than searching the web for all the answers because you will think you have the answer then something else will throw you off and you can just go round in circles, repeatedly.

• No 2 con - you think you are going to a meet and greet, you expect it to go well and they become a client of yours - brilliant! Well let me tell you, clients will lie to you. They will say the dog has excellent recall, listens to all commands, doesn't pull - "he is the most perfect dog, you wont even notice he is with you" *insert eye roll emojii* I mean by now, I know to take everything a owner says with a pinch of salt, this is why I have a mandatory 1 hour get to know me walk after a meet and greet - usually  different date and time to be able to assess the dog myself before agreeing to take them on because I have to feel comfortable with the dog to ensure their safety also and I am now not afraid to refuse a client if needed. 

This leads me on to my next con quiet nicely....

• No 3 con - Meet and greets are all well and good when they become a permanent client but you may find that you are traveling miles out for free for them not to become a client - this happens and is part of the business or you may even refuse them/their dog. Consider doing free meet and greets but adding petrol charges to anything over say 3 miles or further out if needed, petrol costs money and things aren't going to come down in price any time soon. Otherwise you will loose money, this usually happens when your new because you have no reviews, no recommendations yet etc - it will pick up. Word of mouth is the best advertising possible. So do not be disheartened.

• No 4 con - No dog is the same as another - the same breed can be completely different which I am sure everyone knows but when accepting dogs and planning group walks, do not just throw 3 or 4 dogs (of any breed) all into one walk, some dogs will not get on for no reason that you know.. adjust your timings to put different dogs together but in a time frame that wont affect any walks.. you will pick up as you go the different personalities and be able to 90% of the time predict who will get on with who and be able to add them in to a lovely walk nicely butttttt this does take time before you can confidently put 3/4 dogs together without any issues. Ensure you start with one then add one more a few times, do not take one good walk as a permanent pair, this may change the following time, you need at least 3 or even 4 walks as a pair before determining if it is good but this also needs to happen with another dog you want to add to that pair. It is time consuming but it would be worth it in the end. Obviously if your pair don't get on the first time, they probably wont the next time so avoid putting them back together - it is not worth the stress. 

• No 5 con - YOU SPEND ALL DAY AND NIGHT ON YOUR PHONE - my god, I did not realise how much you will be on your phone especially starting out. I found that every message I got, I HAD to reply to them within minutes because I thought they could find someone else so easily and I would have lost a potential client. I was constantly on my social media pages uploading pictures, stories, anything I could to be more present and hoping to attract more clients - this does help so it is a bit like going in circles here BUT I put daily time slots in my diary for socials, replying and tips etc. I also dedicate myself 2 hours a week if not a little more now i am busier to do admin and to keep on top of everything. This is the definition of work life balance (I think...) I also added an instant reply to my messages with timings that I would reply too.. It says anything after 6:30pm will be replied to the next working day so I was allowing myself the weekends to also not reply if I was busy or away etc. 

• No 6 con - It can be a very lonely job to do.. I never even put this into one of my doubts, I love dogs, I never feel alone when I am with one but when I started Ruby & Co it really did hit me how lonely it is, as much as dogs understand us and we have a certain way of communicating with the dogs and the ones we see regular but it is not the same as having a conversation with a human, having someone to help you if you ever needed too.. it is a completely different lifestyle. I found I was ringing my partner more than I ever had done before - he runs his own business so really did not have time to listen to me telling him about the walk I am on or the dog I am with haha! You do get used to it and my go to now is listening to podcasts or asking a friend to come on a walk with you and the dogs - I will say though, if your friend or family member does come, them dogs are still solely your responsibility.. if I have anyone with me they do not hold the lead on walks, they do not feed them or do anything that could put them at risk of letting the dog run off, causing an aggression response (even the cutest, sweetest wouldn't hurt a fly dog) If my partner finishes work and comes on a walk with me - he holds our dog and our dog only. Which is very funny when I am walking 2 XL bullies and this 6ft 2 guy is holding our tiny cockapoo haha but it is for the safety of MY business - if i happen to let them go or fall over or anything at all, it is my responsibility I can not blame anyone other than myself - imagine someone holding onto a clients dog and them getting a text, not thinking lets go of the lead and it runs into the road.. how do you explain that one to the dogs owners? Honestly for me, it is not worth it. My dogs have my full attention even with a podcast on, the volume is down low so I can still hear my surroundings and I wont be to distracted to not keep an eye out for other dogs etc. I know this sounds extreme but it makes me comfortable that if anything happened I can hand on heart say I was prepared but I failed. Not that I failed to prepare.

Now that is enough of the cons.. I'm sure they're much much more that other dog walkers will think relevant, by all means leave a comment below if you feel I have missed something but for now lets get on to the pro's.. 

No 1 pro - The absolute best thing about being a self employed dog walker for sure is of course, spending every single day with doggo's, I mean I have always been dog obsessed but to be able to spend every single day with different breeds is amazing. I love it. I mean I train dogs as well as another pro I want to add here is to be  able to train reactive dogs, who are so so loved but the families are really struggling but do not want to give up on them is wonderful, I love going into someone's house and seeing how they behave to then set up a training plan and be able to change their whole life and the families feel like they have a whole new dog and such a happier life, its beyond anything I have ever felt. 

No 2 pro - Being able to have full control of my schedule, working hours and who I take on as a client is crazy to me. I ensure I am always respectful of someone's lifestyle, someone who has never owned a dog before and the choices they have made and I try to take on everyone I can if it is responsible to do so. I have had clients where I have told them they will need 1-1 training before I take them on a walk on my own as they need to learn the basics, I have clients where I have said I will do training with them during our time together to ensure better and more responsive recall/leash walks etc and I have had people I have said no too due to the safety of myself, the dog and any other dogs I may have with me on the day and time they want. I never allow just any dog to join a group walk, this is worked out by many single walks, adding in Ruby then taking Ruby away then adding another dog in, multiple times then adding Ruby with the other dogs, if one dog does not get on with another even once they wont be added to a group walk with the one they dont get on with at any point. 

No 3 pro - The charges you charge, represent you and your business, I did lots of research to around my area and started off with basically being the cheapest around but then once I had proven my worth, word of mouth recommendations etc I was then able to put my prices up with no problems from any of my regulars because they know their dogs are well looked after, they have pupdate's after every walk which include photos, they know they get watered while out and never left without fresh water being left with them. They know their dog are as safe as they can be with basically a stranger, because you have to realise you only really see the owners on the meet and greet, after that they are trusting you with a key, their house, their dogs to be safe and protected by you where possible. 

No 4 pro - Your most expensive cost is petrol.. now this is a pro but could also be looked at as a con too with the prices of petrol going up but if you have a diary that is well though out and the dogs addresses are close together on that day or around each other for a group walk wherever possible it helps keep this down and your overall cost be cheap. So obviously this only works where it can do with days and times people want, but I also try my hardest to , have meets and greets close to my last client of the day, group walks from the same area, ensure that people who don't mind a time of day goes close to another dog in their area, if I am taking the dogs in the van I ensure the walk is close to the dogs.. so yes it is short mini drives but I am not wasting the dogs time in the back of the van or keeping them in their longer than they need to be. With group walks I always allow 1 hour walking no matter how long they've been with me since pick up. If it is a single walk they have a whole hour from pick up to drop off walking as I usually walk them from their house and back. 

No 5 pro - You can put as much or as little work into your business venture as you want too. I work Monday-Friday but i usually start about 9 am and finish about 4/4:30, I make enough to cover house bills, car tax, insurance, phone bills, petrol money, everything I need and to also ensure I am making enough to live comfortably for the month, I spend most evenings doing some sort of admin, research, college work, catch up on messages for about 2 hours each night if needed to keep on top of everything to ensure I am never late on replying to messages, keeping people waiting for anything they have asked for. Sometimes I do a pup date soon as I come out of their house then send photos later on when I am able to. I really try to allow myself to have a structured diary to be able to ensure my weekends do not get taken over by catch up days. 

No 6 pro - You are outside all day everyday - before I started this business the thought of being outside all the time made me feel abit funny but once I did it, my god it changed my whole life, my mental health was better, I am fitter and I enjoy all weathers, rain only upsets me when the dogs won't walk in it because they don't enjoy it or before I had my van having to put soggy dogs in my nice polo was not good at all haha BUT now, I love seeing all my water babies splashing in puddles getting dirty and rolling around in the wet grass, honestly it warms my heart!! I'm not 100% sure the owners love it as much as I do but I always have a million towels, blue roll for muddy paws and they tend to not leave any muddy paws about in the house but they probably smell a little when their pawrents get home.. ooops! 

No 7 pro - MY FAVOURITE PRO!!! I get to spend time with my very own baby all day everyday, Ruby has learnt sooo much confidence since I started this venture, she listens to recall and she very much helps me train other dogs by showing them what I am asking for them to do. She gets walked so much but each walk is very different and she loves playing with all the Ruby & Co gang.. I like to say when we are walking with clients dogs shes at work and when she gets home she can switch off and enjoy playing with her toys or chilling out asif she is a working dog - of course she is not but it is asif she knows when she needs to be at her best.. she usually rebels when we walk her without any other dog now haha! 

I am going to leave it at that for now.. I am sure as we go I will do something else I have found but for now that is enough.. 

If you feel like leaving a comment as another dog walker and want to put your pro's and con's please do, if you are thinking of starting out and want to leave a question please do.

Lots of love, Sophie & Ruby x