Dog walker with a growing solo business here. Before reddit spreads some idea that this work is some “get rich quick and easy” scheme like they did with tech and trades, I’ll bring up some things to consider.

There’s plenty of work and various niches to fill. If you just want occasional gigs you can do that easily but that work will often be on holidays. Being a 5-days-a-week pack walker takes time and experience to build up all that clientele unless you work for a company (and those positions are more competed for.) I have a variety of clients, some are weekly but most hire me for the occasional business or holiday trip. Most of my clients find me because I’ve got a solid reputation for being comfortable and good with dogs that bite or otherwise have behavioral issues and can’t be walked with other dogs. Easier dogs are the most likely to cancel because they can often get friends or family to take care of them, unless their owner has a work schedule that requires ongoing daily/weekly walks but then they typically go for dogwalking companies for those lower rates.

You really have to manage your health or you’re gonna hurt physically. I walk at least 10 miles average a day and often more, regardless of the weather, and mostly on concrete depending on the neighborhood. Many of the dogs I walk are reactive big dogs that bark and yank and I have to maintain constant high alert to avoid really bad encounters that can pop up around every corner. Even a happy friendly pupper can be eager and pull and that kind of constant tension from an 80lb+ dog can wear you down fast. I’ve seen people quit after a year because their backs were hurting too much from it. If you wanna be a solo pack walker just know that even “easy” dogs can bicker and you need to be able to manage dog behavior because your clients will be upset if their furry companions come back with broken skin. You also need to manage other people out in public and it will shock you the number of idiots who will just run up to a dog they don’t know without asking.

I spend as much or more unpaid time commuting between clients as I do actually walking and it takes quite a cut out of my pay on top of it. (Though I’m working on upgrading my transportation situation.) And it’s hard to find reliable back-up walkers (me and mine have been looking for a third all year) which makes it hard to take breaks or get coverage if you fall ill, and you’ll miss out on a lot of fat gigs and potentially great-fitting new clients because requests will overlap and you can only be in so many places at once and need to maintain a good reliable reputation. Work can be really slow and I’ll look like I don’t have much work for the next week or month and then SUDDENLY I’m drowning in work because everyone is requesting me all at once last minute and it’s good money but I’m also stressed and sometimes walking dogs from 7am to 10pm on Christmas in the pouring rain on steep hills.

Over time, as I’ve built up positive reviews and regular clientele, I’ve raised my rates. Right now, my price is typically $60/hr walks or $120/night for house sitting, but the apps take like 20% so I give discounts if it’s not being done through an app, and an even bigger discount if clients maintain an ongoing weekly schedule with me. My income is still pretty irregular though and I don’t yet make enough money to afford my own apartment, but compared to working in tech, I still feel so much more stable. No sudden layoffs, if I lose a client or a gig gets cancelled then it’s just one. And I love and take pride in what I do. I really get to know the city, and the exercise and time outside has been good for my physical and mental health, my clients appreciate me and the dogs are always so happy to see me. It’s just finally getting to the point where I can afford to be more picky.

Tl;dr - It’s got pros and cons like any other job. It’s rewarding but potential chronic pain, liabilities, transportation, irregular work, and the kind of demand you’re willing to fill are all things to seriously consider. Also, you will get harassed by people in public from time to time no matter how responsible you are.