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Dog walking and pet sitting
Dog walking and pet sitting can be started locally with modest equipment and a way for owners to find and contact you. Build trust through clear communication, careful meet-and-greets and reliable care; demand and rates vary by area.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- You walk dogs or care for pets for their owners.
- Ask about the pet, its routine, and its needs.
- Agree the work, times, price, and home access in writing.
- Start with pets and tasks you can manage safely.
- Keep simple records of bookings, payments, and costs.
Who it suits
Suits someone who enjoys animals, is dependable, communicates well and can manage dogs safely in different situations. This module uses the 16–17-with-parental-knowledge category; check the rules that apply where you live before taking work.
Owners may need help when they are busy, away, or unable to provide all their pet’s care. Clear updates, dependable arrangements, and careful attention to each pet can help build trust and repeat bookings.
Step by step
- Choose the pet-care services you can safely offer. Decide whether you will offer walks, visits to the owner’s home, or pet sitting there. Start with animals, sizes, behaviours, and care tasks you already feel able to manage. Be clear about what you will not take on. About 30–60 minutes.
- Ask local owners what help they need. Talk to a few pet owners or local groups and ask what days, times, and types of care they need. Look at nearby services so you can understand what is already available. Keep notes on common questions rather than trying to remember everything. About 1–2 days.
- Plan your area, travel, and available times. Choose a small area you can reach reliably and decide how you will travel. Check routes and leave enough time between bookings for travel and unexpected delays. Offer only times you can reasonably keep. About 30–60 minutes.
- Make a simple way for clients to contact you. Create a short profile or message that says what care you offer, where you work, and how people can enquire. You can use written messages instead of phone calls if that suits you. Keep personal information about clients and their homes secure. About 1–2 hours.
- Meet the owner and pet before accepting work. Ask about the pet’s routine, behaviour, health needs, and anything that may affect safe care. Get emergency contacts and clear home-access instructions. If you are unsure you can manage the animal or task safely, do not accept it. About 30–60 minutes per meet-and-greet.
- Write down the booking agreement. Confirm the task, date and time, price, cancellation arrangements, and how keys or home access will work. Ask the owner to confirm important care instructions in writing. Keep the agreement somewhere you can find it easily. About 15–30 minutes per client.
- Check insurance for the work you plan to do. Consider public liability insurance and ask the provider what activities and animals the policy covers. One UK guide lists annual cover at £54–£150, but check current quotes and policy terms Startup Costs. Check whether cover changes if a client books you directly rather than through a platform AVVALE. About 1–2 hours.
- Prepare suitable equipment for each booking. Consider suitable leads, waste bags, treats, and a pet first-aid kit. Check that equipment fits the dog and the task. Ask the owner before giving food or treats, and follow their instructions. About 1–2 hours.
- Track bookings, payments, and business costs. Keep a simple record of each booking, what you were paid, and costs such as travel or supplies. Review which services and times work well for you. Ask satisfied clients whether they would be comfortable recommending you. About 10–15 minutes after each booking.
Your first 15 minutes
Speak to a few local pet owners, find out what care they need, and use what you learn to draft a clear description of your services.
The money
Ask local owners what services they need and compare services available nearby, then set a price that reflects the task, time, travel, and costs. If you use a booking platform, check its commission and processing charges before deciding what to charge; the amount you keep may be lower than the listed price.
Example only: suppose you charge £15 for each of 3 walks in one week: £45 income minus £9 for travel and supplies = £36 before tax. In a separate euro illustration, suppose you charge €15 for each of 3 visits: €45 income minus €9 for travel and supplies = €36 before tax. These are made-up examples, not typical rates; platform charges, if any, would reduce what you keep.
The rules
You can offer dog walking and pet sitting. Tax, age and animal-boarding rules depend on where you live and what care you provide. Check the rules before taking bookings, especially if you plan to board animals in your own home.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Tax and Self Assessment. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. This is £1,000 of gross income before expenses. If you earn more than this, tell HMRC. If you need to register for Self Assessment, do so by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started needing to file GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK.
- Young workers in Northern Ireland. If you’re aged 16–17 and work in Northern Ireland, the usual limits are 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. You must not work between 10pm and 6am. Check how the rules apply to you nidirect. If you’re under 18, involve a parent or guardian. Check the rules where you live before accepting work.
- Boarding animals in Northern Ireland. DAERA licenses boarding kennels, but its guidance doesn’t say whether every dog home-boarding arrangement needs a licence. Check with DAERA before boarding a dog in your home. If DAERA confirms you need a licence, the application form says you and anyone with direct control or management must confirm you’re over 18. It also asks about relevant qualifications or animal-management experience. The form states an annual £25 non-refundable fee. New premises must be inspected. You must identify all parts of the premises used for boarding to the inspecting veterinary officer. Return completed applications to your local DAERA Direct Office. Contact DAERA licensing enquiries on 0300 200 7840 DAERA DAERA application form.
- Insurance. Check that your insurance covers the animals, activities and booking arrangements you plan to use. Platform cover may not continue for direct bookings, so check the terms AVVALE.
- Client information and advertising. Use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether you need to pay a data-protection fee. The ICO says you’re likely to be exempt if you hold customer details only for your own accounts and transaction records, but there are exceptions ICO. Clearly label advertising or affiliate posts, for example, “Ad” ASA.
- Consumer terms. Write down the service, price, cancellation arrangements and access plan. This helps you and your client know what you agreed. The consumer-law requirements for this service aren’t set out here, so check with Trading Standards or a local business adviser.
Ireland
- Tax and Revenue. If you’re a PAYE worker, register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those limits, declare it on Form 12 through myAccount Revenue. If you’re self-employed, you pay income tax, PRSI (Class S) and USC under self-assessment. Preliminary tax is due by 31 October Citizens Information.
- Age and work. If you’re 14 or 15, you’re restricted to light work during school holidays, with limits. If you’re 15, you may also work up to 8 hours a week during term. If you’re under 18, check the rules for your age and work with a parent or guardian before accepting bookings Citizens Information.
- Licences and boarding. There’s no stated Republic of Ireland licence rule for dog walking or pet sitting. Before boarding animals in your home, check with your local authority about any licence or registration that may apply.
- Insurance. No Ireland-specific insurance requirement is stated here. Check directly with an insurer that your policy covers the services, animals and booking arrangements you plan to use.
- Client information and advertising. Keep client details and home-access information secure. It’s not clear whether a data-protection fee applies to this service, so check with the Data Protection Commission. Where relevant, label commercial content, including influencer advertising, with “#Ad” CCPC.
- Consumer terms. Write down the service, price, cancellation arrangements and access plan before you start. The consumer-law requirements for this service aren’t set out here, so check with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission or a local business adviser.
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Accepting an animal or task you cannot safely manage.
- Rushing between bookings without allowing time for travel.
- Not getting routines, emergency contacts, and access instructions in writing.
- Assuming platform fees or insurance cover apply to every booking type.
- Forgetting to record payments and business costs.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.