--- title: "How to get dog walking clients: the first ten, then the next twenty" description: "Where new dog walking clients actually come from: your street, vets and groomers, Google, Nextdoor, marketplaces like Rover, and referrals — plus how to turn an enquiry into a regular weekday walk." canonical_url: "https://woodle-app.com/guides/how-to-get-dog-walking-clients" last_updated: "2026-10-21T13:35:57.131Z" --- Most dog walking businesses are built on a surprisingly small area. A full week for one walker is often fifteen to twenty-five regular dogs, and the best of them live within a few minutes of each other. That changes how you look for clients: you are not trying to be found by a whole city, you are trying to be known on a handful of streets. This guide goes through the channels that work for independent walkers, roughly in the order they pay off, and then the part most guides skip — turning an enquiry into a walk that happens every Tuesday and Thursday. ## First, decide where you want to work Before any flyer or listing, draw your area. A useful rule: a client is worth taking if you can fit their walk between two others without adding more than ten minutes of driving or walking. Write down: - **Your core area** — the neighborhoods you want to fill first. - **Your edge** — places you would serve for a regular weekday client, but not for a one-off. - **Your times** — midday weekday walks are the core of most businesses. Early mornings, evenings and weekends are where you can charge more or say no. Every channel below works better when you can say "I walk dogs in Riverside and Oak Park, weekdays 11–3" instead of "dog walker, anywhere". ## 1. Your own street and building The cheapest clients are the ones who already see you. If you walk your own dog, or already walk one client's dog, you pass the same owners every day. - **Talk to people at the dog park and on your regular route.** Not a pitch — just "I walk dogs around here during the day, if you ever need someone." - **Carry cards.** A simple card with your name, your area and a phone number or link. People rarely need you the day they meet you; they need you three weeks later when their schedule changes. - **Apartment buildings.** Many buildings have a notice board or a residents' group. A dog-friendly building with a dozen dogs and owners who commute can become half your day. - **Flyers** still work in suburbs with lots of houses, especially at pet stores, coffee shops and community boards. Ask first. ## 2. Vets, groomers, trainers and pet stores These businesses get asked "do you know a good dog walker?" every week. They will recommend someone they trust — and they will only trust someone they have met. Introduce yourself in person, leave cards, and be specific about what you do and where. If you also handle puppy visits or dogs recovering from surgery, say so: vets get asked about exactly those. Recommendations work both ways. If you send clients to a groomer or a trainer you rate, they remember. ## 3. A Google Business Profile When someone searches "dog walker near me", the map results come first. A **Google Business Profile** is free and is what puts you there. You do not need a shop. Set it up as a **service-area business**, hide your home address, and list the neighborhoods you cover. Then: - Add real photos — you with dogs (with the owners' permission), not stock pictures. - Write a short description that says what you do and where. - **Ask every happy client for a review.** Reviews are the single biggest thing you control in local search, and most clients will leave one if you send them the link and ask. A simple one-page website helps too, even if almost nobody finds you through it directly: it is where people from every other channel go to check you are real. ## 4. Nextdoor and local Facebook groups Neighborhood platforms are where people ask for recommendations by name. Nextdoor lets you create a free business page, and neighbors can recommend you on it. The trick is not to post ads. Be useful: answer questions about dog-friendly parks, lost dogs, a good vet. When someone asks for a walker, a happy client tagging you is worth more than any post you write yourself. ## 5. Marketplaces like Rover and Wag Marketplaces can fill an empty calendar quickly when you are starting out. The trade-off is real, though: - **Commission.** Rover takes a service fee from every booking — around 20% in most states, more in some cases such as California — and owners pay a booking fee on top. Check the current rates before you set your prices. - **The client relationship belongs to the platform.** Their terms restrict moving clients off-platform, and reviews stay there. - **You compete on price** with everyone else in the same search results. A reasonable approach many independent walkers take: use a marketplace to get your first reviews and regulars, while building your own channels (Google profile, referrals, local partners) so new clients increasingly come directly to you. ## 6. Referrals from the clients you already have Once you have five or six regular clients, referrals usually become the biggest source of new ones. Dog owners know other dog owners. You can help it along: - **Ask.** "If you know anyone nearby who needs a walker, I have room on Mondays and Wednesdays" is enough. - **Offer a thank-you.** A free walk for the client who referred someone who books regularly is common and costs you little. - **Be the walker people talk about.** A short message and photo after each walk is what clients forward to their friends. ## Turning an enquiry into a regular walk Getting the message is half of it. Plenty of enquiries never become clients because the reply came a day late or the next step was unclear. **Reply fast.** Owners often message two or three walkers. The first one with a clear answer usually gets the meet-and-greet. **Ask the right questions up front.** Dog's name, breed and age, which days and times, the address, how the dog behaves with other dogs, and anything medical. That tells you in one message whether the dog fits your schedule and your group walks. **Do a meet-and-greet.** Meet the dog at home, see how the keys and door work, and talk through your prices, cancellation policy and what happens if something goes wrong. Put it in writing — our [dog walking contract guide](/guides/dog-walking-contract-template) has the clauses worth including. **Start with a trial week**, then agree the regular days. A client with fixed weekday walks is worth far more than one who books when they remember. **Make it easy to keep going.** Clear invoices on a fixed day, a reminder before holidays, and a simple way to ask for an extra walk. Clients rarely leave a walker who is reliable and easy to deal with. ## Mistakes that cost walkers clients - **Taking every dog, everywhere.** A client across town at 9 a.m. can block two closer clients. Grow inside your area first. - **Competing only on price.** The cheapest walker in a marketplace search attracts the clients most likely to leave for someone cheaper. Reliability, updates and availability are what keep clients. - **No written agreement.** Unclear cancellation rules are the most common source of awkward conversations later. - **Not asking for reviews and referrals.** Happy clients rarely think to do it on their own. ## The short version Pick a small area and fill it. Talk to owners on your route, introduce yourself to local vets and groomers, set up a free Google Business Profile and ask every client for a review. Use marketplaces if you need a fast start, but build the channels where clients come to you directly. Then answer quickly, do a proper meet-and-greet, and agree fixed weekly days. If you are just setting up, our guides on [business licenses in the US](/guides/dog-walking-business-license-us) and [invoicing](/guides/dog-walking-invoice-template) cover the paperwork side. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.