Are you looking to make a little extra money while also spending time with some adorable pups? Look no further than Wag!, the dog walking app that’s basically Uber for dogs. Walking with Wag! Gives you the flexibility to set your own hours based on what your schedule looks like and essentially be your own boss. You can choose to walk as often as you like and the more you walk the more you can earn.Dog walking is a fantastic way to get outside and meet some furry friends but is definitely not a full time income. Even so, one thing that is great about the app is that they donate some of the money from walks to feed shelter dogs!
Wag! offers walks, dog sitting, or boarding and as a walker you can decide which services you would prefer to offer. Walks can range anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes and can be easily booked through the app. On the other hand, dog sitting and boarding are much more of a time commitment and can take place over multiple days.
Getting paid to walk dogs can be a dream come true but don’t forget that taking care of someone’s pet is a huge responsibility. They encourage you to apply if you are also a pet owner, are responsible, trustworthy or just love dogs! You do have to be over 18 to apply and they do a pretty thorough vetting process to make sure each walker is a good fit for the Wag! community.
Image Courtesy of Kickin’ it with Kenz
To start they ask for where you are, how you heard about the app, your mode of transportation to walks and to tell them a little about why you would like to be a dog walker. Next, they will ask about any prior dog experience and there is a quiz all about dog care and safety. The third step is a collar and harness test to ensure walkers know all the possible collars for walks. You will also need to have at least five endorsements on hand to write down. After those steps a background check is required just to ensure walkers are thoroughly vetted.
Once you get through all of the boring paperwork you are on your way to walking the pups! The app can seem a little confusing and overwhelming at first, but no worries because you will get used to it. On the home page you will see all available walks based on your filters. I strongly suggest setting your filters to reasonable distances and times or else you will get annoying notifications early in the morning and late at night for walks 9 miles away. If you don’t have a car or don’t want to spend money on the train or Uber then this is a necessary step to take.
Image Courtesy of Dogs Walk Tom
All the pups available within your filters will appear with their name, a picture, (that usually cuts off half of their beautiful face), how much they will pay you, and their general location. If you see one you like (how could you not??) then you simply hit request and play the waiting game. You will only get a response if you get the walk, in which case you hit confirm and you are that much closer to puppy heaven!
Once you officially get the walk you will be sent (through the app) the doggy’s report card from previous walkers. This will hold all the information you need for your walk. It says the dog’s triggers (squirrels, other dogs, mailmen etc), allergies if any, and information on how to get into the house. Usually there is a lockbox that has the key to get into the house, so you will find the code to that here. Other times it will say that the owner was there to let you in, or there is another way to enter the residence. Most have cameras in their homes, so be super respectful to their house and pup!
Allow yourself enough time to get to the location depending on your mode of transportation. Having a car certainly makes things a lot easier but if you are in a city walking or biking are best! As mentioned before there will either be a key or the owner will let you in to meet the pup. If this is your first walk, it can be nerve wracking to meet the dog for the first time but my best piece of advice is to just take a deep breath and approach the pup calmly, they are always happy to greet you and excited for a walk. After attaching the preferred collar or harness its time to start the walk! On the app you can see how long the owner requested the walk to be and simply start a timer at the bottom of the app. The app will then begin to track where your walk takes you and how long it has been. Make sure to keep an eye on the time though it can be easy to forget the time having so much fun.
Following the walk you are encouraged to take a picture of the pup you walked and fill out a report card of the walk. You can enter information about whether or not the dog went to the bathroom and some potential triggers for a future walker. Just like that you completed a walk!
Image Courtesy of Dogster
From our times walking pups, here are a few of the Pros and Cons of the app and experience.
PROS
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FLEXIBLE
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This is an awesome way to make money if you have a really weird and open schedule at specific times. If you are a student, it is even better. You get to work on your own schedule whenever you want and can make a good amount of money.
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GETTING OUTSIDE
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Being able to take a break from your regular day to day schedule and spend some time outside is the ultimate way to treat yourself. Especially on a nice day!
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SOME EXTRA CASH
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It’s always nice to have some extra spending money and even better when you enjoy making it! Owners also often tip pretty well.
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PUPS
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Hanging out with dogs is probably the best kind of therapy there is. Dogs just understand your problems and make them better without even saying anything. The dogs I have walked have all been super sweet, and even if there is a bad one every once in a while the good ones make it worth it.
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CONS
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COMPETITIVE
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Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to get paid to hang out with dogs all day? Living in college town means that a lot of students are probably missing their puppies and will also be just as desperate for money, so walks can get competitive. The key is to make sure notifications and texts are on for your filters so you can request the walk as soon as it becomes available.
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Sometimes walks get overbooked accidentally, which can make for a pretty awkward situation!
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LOCATION
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Depending on how you plan on getting to your walks, sometimes it can not even be worth it. The travel time and sometimes cost can outweigh the amount of cash you might make walking. Walks are often far away, especially if you plan on walking or riding a bike.
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COMMISSION
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At the end of the day Wag! Is still offering a service to people and you are working based off their app. Because of this they take a 40% commission rate, which means your income will be lower.
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Because of all the reasons above and out personal experiences, we give this app 3.5 stars out of 5. Overall this app is totally worth it to play with dogs and make a little extra cash. It justifies going to get your nails done or getting a large coffee or just treating yourself in any other small way. That being said, the walks won’t just come easily to you. You have to pay attention to the app and want to walk dogs. But with a little hard work and determination you will be on your way to walking dogs in no time!