An honest UK guide

How to start a dog walking business

What you actually need, what it costs, the parts most guides skip, and how going it alone compares with running your own franchise.

Bryan, owner of We Love Pets Livingston, out with a dog

The short answer

Starting a dog walking business in the UK is genuinely accessible. You don't need a national licence or a formal qualification to walk dogs, and the basic set-up costs are low.

What you do need is the right insurance, the trust of local dog owners, a clear understanding of your local council and park rules, and a plan for finding clients. That last one is where most new dog walkers find the going hardest.

This guide covers all of it honestly: the practical steps, the things that catch people out, and how starting on your own compares with running your own branch of an established brand.

Step 1

Register your business

Register with HMRC as a sole trader, or set up a limited company. Choose a name, open a business bank account and keep records from day one.

Step 2

Get the right insurance

You'll want specialist pet business cover, typically public liability plus care, custody and control, and key cover if you hold clients' keys. Owners will ask to see it.

Step 3

Build trust: checks and training

A DBS check and pet first aid training aren't legal requirements for walking dogs, but owners handing you their keys and their dog will expect both.

Step 4

Check your local rules

There's no national dog walking licence, but some councils and parks limit how many dogs one person can walk, or require professional walkers to hold a permit. Check yours before you start.

Step 5

Set your services and prices

Decide between group or solo walks, how long each walk lasts, and what else you'll offer. Research local rates so you're competitive without undervaluing your time.

Step 6

Find your first clients

Website, Google Business Profile, social media, local vets and pet shops, word of mouth. This is the step that takes the longest, and where most new walkers struggle.

What most guides don't tell you

The set-up is the easy bit. Plenty of people get their insurance sorted and their leads bought in a week. What decides whether a dog walking business works is everything that comes after.

Finding clients takes longer than you think

Owners are trusting you with their dog and their house keys, so they're cautious about someone new. Building a full diary through leaflets, social media and word of mouth can take many months, and you're paying your bills in the meantime.

There's only one of you

If you're ill, on holiday or your car breaks down, who walks the dogs? Without cover, you either let clients down or never take a day off. And there are only so many walks one person can fit into a day, which puts a ceiling on what you can earn.

You're the whole business

Pricing, booking, invoicing, chasing payments, marketing, insurance renewals, keeping up with local rules: all of it lands on you, usually in the evenings after a full day of walking.

Trust is everything

A brand-new name has to earn every client from scratch. Owners often feel more comfortable with a business that has clear standards, proper checks and a reputation behind it.

None of that means going solo can't work. Lots of people do it well. But it's worth knowing what you're taking on, and that there's another route.

Going solo or running a franchise: an honest comparison

Both routes can work. They suit different people, and the independent route genuinely wins on two things: it's cheaper to start, and every decision is yours.

	Starting on your own	Running a We Love Pets franchise
Upfront cost	Low: insurance, equipment, website and marketing	£12,995 + VAT franchise fee, with funding available through a government-backed Start Up Loan
Ongoing costs	Your own running costs	Running costs plus a 10% management fee on turnover
Freedom	Total	High, within a proven framework and brand standards
Brand and trust	Built from zero	The UK's largest full-service pet care franchise brand
Finding clients	All down to you	Launch marketing, national lead generation and an exclusive territory
Training	Trial and error	Full business and pet care training, plus free, unlimited online courses with our sister company Animal Ed
Services	Usually walking only, to start with	Ten services, from walking and puppy care to home boarding and pet taxi
Growing beyond yourself	Possible, but you work out recruitment and systems alone	Built to scale, with systems for building a team
Support when it's hard	You're on your own	Head office, a 24/7 vet advice line and a community of 115 franchisees

Going solo may suit you if you want total control, have some business experience already, and are happy to build every part yourself.

A franchise may suit you if you'd rather run your own business with a proven model, start with a trusted name, and never feel like you're facing it alone.

For a deeper look, read our honest comparison of franchising versus starting your own pet business.

Bryan

Researched setting up his own dog walking business, found We Love Pets, and turned a two-year plan into a two-month one.

Read Bryan's story →

Kathryn

Considered going solo, but chose a franchise so she wouldn't hit the ceiling of a one-woman band.

Read Kathryn's story →

Caroline

Dreamed of her own dog walking business for years, then chose the franchise route after 23 years as a civil servant.

Read Caroline's story →

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to start a dog walking business?

There's no national licence for dog walking in the UK. However, some councils and parks set their own rules, such as a limit on how many dogs one person can walk at once, or a permit for professional walkers. Always check with your local council and the parks you plan to use. If you also want to offer home boarding, that does need a licence from your council.

Do I need qualifications to be a dog walker?

No formal qualification is required. That said, pet first aid training and a good understanding of dog behaviour make you safer and more trustworthy, and owners increasingly look for them. We Love Pets franchisees complete full training, including the Level 2 Canine Care Award and pet first aid.

What insurance does a dog walking business need?

Most dog walkers take out specialist pet business insurance covering public liability and care, custody and control of the animals in their care. If you hold clients' keys, key cover is worth having too. Compare specialist providers and check exactly what's included.

How many dogs can I walk at once?

It depends on local rules, the dogs and your experience. Some areas cap the number of dogs per walker. At We Love Pets, our No Pack Walking Policy means dogs are walked in small numbers, so every dog gets proper attention.

How much can a dog walking business make?

It varies a lot with your area, your hours and the services you offer. One person walking alone is limited by the hours in the day, so businesses that grow usually add more services and a team. Across the We Love Pets network, average monthly turnover is around £6,500, and our highest-performing franchisees turn over more than £21,500 a month. Turnover is business revenue, not salary or profit, and individual results vary.

Do I need experience with dogs to start?

To go it alone, solid experience helps a great deal, because you'll be learning everything at once. With a We Love Pets franchise, you don't need previous pet care experience: our training takes you from wherever you are to properly qualified.

Should I start on my own or join a franchise?

If you want total control and are comfortable building everything yourself, going solo can work well. If you'd rather start with a trusted brand, a proven model, training and a support network, a franchise removes many of the hardest parts. Our free Info Pack sets out exactly what's involved, so you can compare properly.