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Running your own dog walking business will allow you to work with dogs on a daily basis while providing an essential service for countless owners. Owners can’t watch their dogs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many owners have jobs that require them to leave their homes for eight or more hours a day, whereas other owners travel for vacation. As a professional dog walker, you’ll help these owners by walking and checking up on their pooches.

#1) Introduce Yourself Before Walking

Before walking a client’s dog for the first time, you should introduce yourself. Dogs often have a standoffish disposition towards strangers. They may not necessarily bite or exhibit other signs of aggression, but dogs may be reluctant to follow your commands if they are unfamiliar with you. Therefore, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself to a client’s dog before walking them for the first time. You can schedule a meeting at the client’s home, thereby providing a safe environment in which to introduce yourself. After the client’s dog has seen you, they should be more comfortable when you walk them.

#2) Offer Referral Rewards

An easy way to attract new clients to your dog walking business is to offer referral rewards. This involves providing an incentive to clients who recommend your dog walking business to their friends, family, coworkers or other individuals. If a new client says he or she was referred to you by John Doe — one of your existing clients — you should reward John Doe with an incentive such as a discount on his next service or free dog-related products. With referral rewards, clients will spread the word about your dog walking business.

#3) Encourage Reviews

Another tip to attract new clients is to encourage reviews. Not surprisingly, many owners are highly selective when choosing dog walking businesses and similar service providers. They want to ensure their dogs are in the best possible hands. As a result, they search for reviews when choosing a dog walking business. If your business has many positive reviews from past clients, you’ll inevitably have an easier time securing new clients. With few or no positive reviews, on the other hand, you’ll struggle to secure new clients.

Here are some best practices for cultivating more reviews:

• Create a Google My Business listing for your dog walking business.
• Add information about your dog walking business to the listing.
• After completing a client’s requested dog walking service, send him an email. In this email, ask the client to leave a review on your listing.
• Since it’s against Google’s terms of service, don’t incentivize or reward clients for leaving reviews.

#4) Send Photos to Clients

Take a few photos of yourself walking a client’s dog so that you can send it to the client. As previously mentioned, clients want to know that their dogs are in good hands. Since you’ll probably be walking clients’ dogs while they away, they really won’t know what’s going on during the service. You can show them, however, by sending clients a few photos. You don’t have to use a fancy camera. You can use your smartphone’s camera. Just take a couple of photos of yourself walking the client’s dog and send it to the client. Although it’s a small gesture, the client will appreciate seeing his or her dog being safely walked.

#5) Keep Dogs Leashed

The golden rule of dog walking is to keep clients’ dogs leashed at all times. Allowing a client’s dog to roam around unleashed is never a good idea. The client’s dog may run away, and since they probably aren’t too familiar with you, they may not come back. Prior to placing a client’s dog on a leash, ensure that their collar isn’t loose. You can then attach the leash to begin walking the client’s dog. Whether you’re planning on walking a client’s dog around their house or at a nearby park, keep them attached to a leash at all times.

#6) Bring Treats

Treats are an invaluable tool when running a dog walking business. There’s nothing more satisfying to a dog than a tasty treat. If you’re struggling to convince a client’s dog to walk with you, you can give them a treat. With that said, some clients prefer specific types of treats for their dogs. Therefore, you should ask clients ahead of time if they prefer a specific type of treat.

#7) Offer Alternative Services

Even if dog walking is your business’s specialty, you should consider offering other services. You can offer a “sitting” service, for instance, that involves staying at the client’s house for a short period to keep their dog company. Alternatively, you can offer grooming services, such as brushing and bathing, to supplement your dog walking services. With additional services such as these, you’ll generate more revenue while laying the foundation for a successful business in the process.