Dog walking - prices!?

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rolsterlady

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www.kindphotography.co.uk
Does anybody know an average price for dog walking? I'm in Cornwall if that helps, I know people pay more for it in places like London :)

I'm currently advertising to do dog walking/pet sitting but not sure what i should charge if i do get an interest? I don't have any previous experience, except for with my own animals!
 
Are you insured etc?

I would phone local ones in your area and ask them..... as in "I have a dog Fido that i need walking, how much do you charge"
 
We are in the cambs/northants border, the lady we use (fully insured) charges £8 per half hour and £10 an hour. She also does dog visits for our puppy, feed/play/let out for £5. Hope this helps.
 
If no previous experience, could you help an existing walker for free to gain experience of different breeds and scenarios? Obs don't let on you might be nicking their customers anytime soon! :D

And definately have good insurance cover in place first.

Going rate around here is £10 per hour per dog - £6 for 2 dogs.
 
We charge £6 for half an hour, £10 for an hour, plus 50% for 2nd dog.
so £9 for 2 dogs half hour. £15 for two dogs an hour.

You definitely need insurance.

And if you dont have much experience of other dogs, I wouldnt just go straight into it. Its not as easy as you'd expect. Ive had some very disobedient young dogs over the last few years to walk.
 
Reading the above its prob the same ish everywhere, OH charges £9 per hour for dogs a little further out, over 10 min drive and £8 per hour for dogs on door step, and he charges half for a second dog. so the 2 sets of 2 her walks, 2 weimeraners and 2 akitas pay £13.50 a day )is that right):o:D
Sometimes its best to charge according to the amount of days walked, so when u get someone that wants 2 days a weeks they pay a little bit of a premium as u could fit another full timer in this slot, and u are only insured to walk so many at a time (make sense) I recommend cliverton insurance.
 
Ok Cayla- so I'm over 10 mins drive away but willing to pay your £9 per hour! Ask Oh if every week day suits!!!! :) :) :)
 
Do you dog walking people have a contract that you get your clients to sign in order to walk a dog off the lead?

I'm interested in this line of work, but not so keen on the prospect of badly behaved dogs disappearing into the woods or over the horizon never to be seen again because their owners want them walked off the lead.

What about breeds that have a reputation for turning on other dogs or children? Would you accept an owner's assurance that Gnasher wouldn't hurt a fly, or would you insist on a muzzle?

In an ideal world, my clients would all have ploddy, docile, impeccably behaved doggies that would be glued to my heels, but I know it wouldn't be like that. So what are your ground rules?
 
BM- personally if a dog walker insisted on a muzzle because of breed prejudice I would be finding another dog walker......
 
Ditto Lexie

I dont think we have a contract as such but they have to fill in and sign a few forms (one of which asks if the dog can go offlead, so I think thats the same.
We take the dogs on, and dont let them offlead until the dog knows us well enough and we have a good recall (we do some basic training like you would a new pet) so we are confident we will get them back. (Although last week, for the first time ever I did lose a dog for a good 15 minutes, I was seriously panicking!!! but he'd gone back to the car)

I would never Insist a dog wore a muzzle if it wasnt needed. I walk staffies/boxers/rhodesian ridgebacks/GSD's. Not one of them wears a muzzle. And I wont put one on unless it is deemed necessary
 
We pay £9 for a half hour walk for just the pup! she won't even take both out! If we want an hour its £12. Not many walkers near me (worcestershire)
 
I'm in Devon and we pay £15 for an hours lunchtime walk for two dogs, think they charge £12 for one dog an hour. They put their prices up recently because of rising fuel costs etc. There are probably cheaper ones around but i have got to know the dog walkers (more often than not it is the same lady) and they are very good and trustworthy. They also don't mind me texting on a sunday night to let them know which days in the week i will need them as often don't know much in advance, so flexibility is a bonus. We don't have a contract but have filled out forms with all the dogs details, any problems that need dealing with in a specific way and we had to sign to say that they could seek veterinary treatment in an emergency and that we would pay it. Good luck if you go for it, I wish I could be a full time dog walker!!
 
The local dog walker here takes lots (5-7..... financially quite a haul! I wonder if their owners know?) out at a time and jogs round the local woods with some loose and some on leads........ landowners and farmers are getting pi**ed off and are fit to padlock the routes due to irresponsible access use.
 
brightmount said:
Do you dog walking people have a contract that you get your clients to sign in order to walk a dog off the lead?

I'm interested in this line of work, but not so keen on the prospect of badly behaved dogs disappearing into the woods or over the horizon never to be seen again because their owners want them walked off the lead.

What about breeds that have a reputation for turning on other dogs or children? Would you accept an owner's assurance that Gnasher wouldn't hurt a fly, or would you insist on a muzzle?

In an ideal world, my clients would all have ploddy, docile, impeccably behaved doggies that would be glued to my heels, but I know it wouldn't be like that. So what are your ground rules?
Click to expand...


Yes, I have a written form/contract, Insurance insists on this. The majority of OH's round are ever on a lead, infact im going to upload some walk piccies in a min.
No muzzles, dogs have to behave, they have no choice lol:D
 
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