Imagine yourself as a Dogwalker

Do you love dogs, being out in nature and working in your local community? If so, then a career as a dog walker could be for you.

For some people, a typical 9-5 is not for them, and instead, an outdoor role with flexibility works much better. We spoke to Paul Hickey, a dog walker who owns his own business, Walks with Paul, to learn more about what a day in the life looks like for him, and what advice he’d give someone looking to work as a dog walker.

What does an average day look like for you?

An average day for me starts around 8am with checking my messages, in case any of my customers have contacted me with additional walks or to request a change for their walk on that day. If necessary, I will make adjustments to the schedule.

There are three walks: morning, lunch and afternoon. I need to plan the routes for picking up and dropping off the dogs for each walk, taking into account traffic, road works etc, as well as planning the most efficient route to keep travel time to a minimum.

Walks take place in country parks and green spaces, where the dogs enjoy time on and off lead, with lots of social interaction and exercise.

Once all the dogs have been dropped off, I can finish my day back at home around 4:30pm by sending photos from the day’s walks to the customers.

What advice would you give to someone that wanted to work as a dog walker?

I don’t know if you can say being a dog walker is a profession, but you can certainly go about it in a professional manner. The responsibility of care for the dogs of course, anticipating and avoiding potential problems during walks, time management skills, interpersonal skills, managing the accounts, vehicle and equipment maintenance and promotion of the business are all skills you will need  to develop a successful walking business.

Be aware that many Councils in Greater Manchester have imposed Public Spaces Protection Orders limiting the number of dogs that can be walked on Council land to 4.

How does dog walking compare to jobs you've had previously? Have you always worked with animals?

I have always worked for myself but my previous career as a sound engineer which involved long hours, often working away from home, in high stress environments.

As a walker I work close to home, I enjoy the time spent in nature (especially in the summer), I work much more reasonable hours, and my customers are all lovely people to deal with.

What do you love about your job?

I really enjoy working in, and for, my local community. I enjoy interacting with my customers and the people I meet during my walks. I love all the different dogs which I have gotten to know so well, some from being puppies. Although sometimes stressful, I enjoy the challenges that can present themselves; and solving the problems which I sometimes encounter.

Thanks for talking to us, Paul!

To learn more about Paul and the work he does, you can visit his website here.

If you’re looking to find work in Greater Manchester, our job searcher can find you something local- click here.