Can you be a dog walker without a vehicle?

Yes, you can be a full time professional dog walker without a car or van. In fact, if you market yourself the right way, you just might be more successful without one. But your location is a key factor.

Travel options

Your travel options are likely to be dependent on two factors.

1. Where you live
   The more urban your location the more frequent your public transport options are going to be. If you’re having to wait 30 minutes for the next bus to take you to your next walk then this will severely impact the number of walks you do and therefore your income.
   If this is the case you may want to look at either a bike or electric/assisted bike to get you around faster.
2. How far do you travel
   If you’re in a densely populated area then it may be completely feasible to simply walk between clients some, if not all, of the time.
   For trips a little further a bicycle might make life easier whether pedal powered or assisted/eBike.

The paradox is that the more densely populated your local area is, the better your public transport options will be BUT you’re more likely to have clients closer to each other so you won’t need it.
Once you have a regular route, don’t forget to look into weekly or monthly transport passes to reduce your outgoings.

No group walks?

The logistics of doing group walks are difficult without a vehicle. It’s possible to pair up dogs close to each other, and there’s a marketing opportunity there to ask current clients to recommend you to a neighbour for a walk together at a discounted rate for both of them.

But with more than two dogs and dogs who don’t know each other, it becomes a safety and security issue to do group walks.

What do you do with the first three dogs whilst collecting the fourth? Even if they’re all friends it’s really not wise to take three dogs into someone else’s house. And to leave them outside risks theft, even if you’re just popping in to get the dog. It’s never worth the risk.

Marketing

Make solo walks without a vehicle your USP (unique selling point).

1. It’s a greener, more sustainable way to run a business without a vehicle
2. It’s perfect for dogs who dislike cars or crates, aren’t used to vehicles, or get travel sick.
3. There’s zero risk of a client’s dog being stolen with a vehicle because they’ll be with you the entire time and not left whilst you collect or drop off other dogs.
4. It’s perfect for reactive dogs, elderly, puppies etc. who need solo walks, or less high-energy walks than a group would provide.
5. It doesn’t have to be a walk, it can be a pop in and play.
   

Highlighting the benefits of your own service attracts the perfect clients for you. Just remember to word it in a way that promotes your service without criticising someone else’s.
For example, you could say ‘My service is perfect for dogs who don’t like waiting in vans’ rather than ‘Some dog walkers leave dogs in vans for ages whilst they collect other dogs’.

Take the opportunity to leaflet the roads where your current clients live in order to gain more business where you already travel to. This will reduce your walking and cycling distances, or overheads if you’re paying for public transport. And keep an eye out for houses with ‘sold’ boards outside and pop a leaflet or business car through when you see people move in.

Finance

You may not earn as much as the group walkers but with a good pricing structure, you will still be able to make a full time living.

Offering pop in visits around the core lunchtime walking slots will fill your day and pricing these pop ins and walks at a higher rate than the group walkers will make up some of the income lost from not group walking, along with lower overheads because you’re not paying for fuel, tyres, insurance, road tax and vehicle repairs.

I would expect a 50% increase from group walk fees to a solo walk fee. So £12 an hour in an area where group walks are £8, £15 where they are £10. Do some research and price yourself well. It’s easier to discount if you pitch yourself too high than it is to increase your prices if you pitched yourself too low.

Emergencies

The main concern clients have when they hear that you don’t have a vehicle is what you’ll do if there’s an emergency.
Getting a dog to a vet if needed needs you to have a plan in place which doesn’t rely on public transport or taxis (Who are unlikely to pick you up with an injured or sick dog).

1. Know where the nearest vet is in your client’s area and save their number in your phone with the dog’s name. In an emergency, you can call that vet and tell them you’re on your way. Saving with the dog’s name (or client’s street name) means you’ll be calling the right vet.
2. Have a list of people you can call in an emergency who can drive to you and help. This could be friends or family, but also other dog walkers if you have a friendly network in place. Most of us know what it’s like to have a dog injured or lost, so are happy to help out.
3. Make sure your first aid skills are kept up to date and you carry a full first aid kit and know how to use it.

Conclusion

Can you be a dog walker without a vehicle? With a few adjustments to your marketing and daily routine, it’s perfectly possible to achieve a full time income if you’re based in an urban or semi-urban location. If you’re more rural then reliance on bus timetables to cover the bigger distances required are going to cause issues and reduce how many walks and visits you can feasibly fit into a working day. Hopefully, as the UK’s infrastructure improves, being able to work whilst relying on public transport might become an option in the future.

Click to read our full guide on How to Start a Successful Dog Walking Business in 2022