Photo Challenge — The Dog Walker

Fandango

I was new to the area and didn’t know a soul. I didn’t have a job and needed to generate some income when I heard that dog walkers could get up to $30 per dog for 30 minute walks. I did the math and figured that if I could walk four dogs each time and do that four times a day, I could rake in close to 500 bucks a day for only a few hours of actual work. And who doesn’t love dogs, right?

But I hadn’t factored into my calculations that I had to pay for a permit to be a licensed dog walker. I also had to buy dog walker insurance in case one of the dogs I was walking bit or injured anyone or got hurt while in my care.

I had to buy a bigger car, an SUV, in order fit in the dogs I picked up from my clients’ homes and transported to and from the parks where I walked them. I also had to spend a lot of money on gas, as that SUV was a bit of a guzzler and I was driving all over the city.

I didn’t realize that I’d have to supply my own dog treats and poop bags. Dog treats aren’t cheap and dogs love their treats. And boy oh boy, dogs sure poop a lot. Having to pick up that shit and dispose of it properly was a real pain. I also had to buy special leashes to accommodate multiple dogs.

Bottom line, it cost a lot more money than I had expected to be a dog walker. I gave it a go for a few months, but as much as I love dogs, being responsible for walking other people’s dogs is a lot harder than I thought it would be. And a lot less profitable than I hoped it would be.

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge. And just so you know, this post is pure fiction. The only dogs I ever walked were my own dogs.

14 thoughts on “Photo Challenge — The Dog Walker”

  1. donmatthewspoetry February 10, 2022 / 4:59 am

    Walker’s got them well-trained Fan. Pooping on ground is banned. Look how excited (straining on the lead) they are……woof woof

    Liked by 1 person

  2. parikhit February 10, 2022 / 5:05 am

    Now I definitely don’t want to walk dogs! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

  3. newepicauthor February 10, 2022 / 6:06 am

    The whole point of walking dogs is to make sure that they go poop.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Stine Writing February 10, 2022 / 8:41 am

    I’ve actually thought about it too but the thing that always deterred me was thinking about a day I didn’t feel like going. You don’t get that option. Just like when I was younger and wanted to open a daycare.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Stine Writing February 10, 2022 / 8:53 am

    Just thought I would mention to put your link on Mr. Linky on MLMM.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Marleen February 10, 2022 / 9:17 am

    I hadn’t heard about the insurance (specific to being a dog walker), before. Makes sense.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. rugby843 February 10, 2022 / 11:16 am

    I had a home and pet care business for a while. My rates were too cheap and I was always busy. I only walked and played with one set of dogs at a time, never transported in my car. But it was fun and the pets were always happy to see me.

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 1 person

  11. leigha66 February 20, 2022 / 5:52 pm

    Sounds a lot more involved than I thought dog walking was. Good story!

    Liked by 1 person

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