How to Get More Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Customers
If you're wondering how to get more dog walking customers, how to find more pet sitting work, or why other pet care businesses in your area seem to be getting the enquiries, you're not alone.
The pet care industry can be competitive. In many areas, pet owners have several dog walkers and pet sitters to choose from. Simply being great with animals isn't always enough — potential customers need a reason to notice your business, trust you and choose you over the competition.
The good news is that getting more customers doesn't necessarily mean spending a fortune on advertising.
Often, the biggest difference comes from making your business look professional and trustworthy, getting yourself seen locally, building a good reputation and making it easy for pet owners to understand why they should choose you.
In this guide, we'll look at practical ways to get more dog walking and pet sitting customers and build a steady flow of enquiries.
Imagine a pet owner searches for a dog walker and finds several businesses covering their area.
They all love dogs.
They all offer dog walking.
Their prices may be fairly similar.
So why should the pet owner choose one rather than another?
This is where trust and professionalism can make a real difference.
Pet owners aren't simply buying a dog walk. They're trusting someone with a much-loved member of their family — and quite often with access to their home.
They may look for reassuring signs that they're dealing with a professional and responsible business.
These could include:
Professional membership or association credentials
Appropriate pet business insurance
Training and qualifications
A professional online business profile
Genuine customer reviews
Clear services and pricing
Professional forms and contracts
A Basic Disclosure where appropriate
Consistent branding
Good communication
Evidence that you take professional standards seriously
None of these things alone guarantees that somebody will choose you. But together they can give a potential customer far more reasons to feel confident about contacting your business.
This becomes particularly important if there are already lots of dog walkers in your area.
Rather than competing purely on price, concentrate on giving pet owners more reasons to trust you and choose you.
Before spending money on advertising, look at your business from the perspective of a potential customer.
If someone discovered your business today, would they immediately see evidence that you operate professionally?
Being a member of a recognised professional organisation such as NarpsUK can help establish credibility.
NarpsUK members can, depending on their membership level:
Display a NarpsUK Membership Certificate
Use NarpsUK logos and emblems on marketing materials
Show potential clients that they belong to the UK's largest pet sitting and dog walking association
Promote their insurance cover
Display qualifications and training certificates
Demonstrate their commitment to professional standards
These are all things that can help distinguish a professional pet care business from somebody who has simply decided to start offering dog walks locally.
Insurance isn't just something you need behind the scenes. It can also provide reassurance to potential customers.
Pet owners may feel more comfortable knowing that the person caring for their animal has appropriate specialist insurance.
NarpsUK members currently receive a 25% discount on Pet Business Insurance, and members can also use relevant NarpsUK emblems and credentials in their marketing.
Instead of simply saying:
"I'm a dog walker."
you can show potential customers evidence that you have invested in running your business professionally.
That distinction can become increasingly valuable when customers are comparing several local businesses.
A professional online presence gives potential customers somewhere to learn more about you before making contact.
Every NarpsUK member receives their own professional business profile.
Your profile can include information such as:
Services offered
Areas covered
Prices
Customer reviews
Photographs
Business information
Contact details
For somebody just starting a dog walking or pet sitting business, this can also provide an online presence without immediately having to build their own website.
Make your profile as complete as possible. A nearly empty profile is unlikely to inspire the same confidence as one containing useful information, photographs, services and reviews.
One of the biggest challenges for a new dog walking business is simply being found.
Think about what somebody is likely to search when they need help with their pet:
Dog walker near me
Dog walker in [your town]
Pet sitter near me
Pet sitter in [your town]
Puppy visits near me
Cat sitter near me
NarpsUK members can be included within the NarpsUK postcode search, helping pet owners looking for trusted pet sitters, dog walkers and home boarders in their area find local members.
Members also receive a free listing on the Find a Local Pet Sitter website, providing another opportunity to be discovered online.
A Google Business Profile can be extremely valuable for a local dog walking or pet sitting business.
It can help your business appear when people search Google or Google Maps for local pet care services.
Make sure your profile contains accurate information about your services, location or service area, opening hours and contact details.
Add good photographs and encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews.
Over time, this can help build a strong local presence.
Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms can help potential customers become familiar with your business before they ever contact you.
You don't need every post to be an advert.
Share content such as:
Photographs from dog walks
Pet sitting visits
Pet care tips
Customer testimonials
Behind-the-scenes content
Seasonal pet advice
Information about your services
Your qualifications and professional credentials
Availability updates
Potential customers may watch your page for weeks or even months before needing a dog walker.
Regular, useful content keeps your business visible so that when they do need help, your name is already familiar to them.
Professional branding can help your business stand out, particularly when potential customers are comparing several dog walkers or pet sitters.
NarpsUK members can display a range of professional logos and emblems, depending upon their membership and credentials.
These can include:
NarpsUK Membership Logo
Certified Business Emblem
Insurance Emblem
Criminal Record Check Emblem
Qualification Emblem
Pet First Aid Emblem
Licensed Home Boarding Emblem
These can be displayed on:
Websites
Social media pages
Flyers
Business cards
Vehicle graphics
Email signatures
Other marketing materials
The purpose isn't simply decoration.
They provide visible reassurance that you have taken steps to establish yourself as a professional pet care business.
Reviews are one of the strongest forms of reassurance you can give a potential new customer.
Think about your own behaviour when choosing a hotel, restaurant or tradesperson. Many of us look at reviews before making a decision.
Pet owners can do exactly the same when choosing somebody to care for their dog or enter their home.
After you've provided a service and know the customer is happy, ask whether they would mind leaving a review.
Reviews can be displayed on places such as:
Your NarpsUK profile
Google Business Profile
Facebook page
Your own website
Don't be afraid to ask. A happy customer may be perfectly willing to leave a review but simply won't think to do it unless prompted.
Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful marketing methods for pet care businesses.
A recommendation from another dog owner immediately carries a degree of trust.
You could encourage existing customers to recommend your business to friends, neighbours, colleagues and other local pet owners.
Some businesses also operate a simple referral scheme, perhaps offering an existing customer a small discount or free service when somebody they recommend becomes a new customer.
But even without an incentive, providing an excellent service can generate recommendations naturally.
Online marketing is important, but traditional local marketing can still work extremely well for dog walkers and pet sitters.
Consider distributing flyers or business cards, where permission is given, through:
Veterinary practices
Pet shops
Groomers
Training clubs
Community noticeboards
Local businesses
Your marketing materials should clearly explain what you offer and how to contact you.
They should also display relevant professional credentials such as membership, qualifications and insurance.
Don't overcrowd a flyer with information. Its main purpose is to make someone think:
"This looks like somebody I could trust with my dog."
Other pet professionals aren't necessarily competitors.
They can become an excellent source of referrals.
Build relationships with:
Dog groomers
Veterinary practices
Dog trainers
Pet shops
Behaviourists
Rescue centres
Other pet sitters and dog walkers
Pet businesses regularly receive enquiries for services they don't provide or work they can't accommodate.
Having trusted professionals they can recommend benefits everybody.
This is also one reason becoming part of a professional pet care community can be valuable.
When business is quiet, it's tempting to reduce prices.
But being the cheapest dog walker in the area isn't necessarily the best way to win good, long-term customers.
Pet owners who are choosing someone to care for their animal may value reliability, experience, professionalism and trust far more than saving a small amount of money.
Instead of asking:
"How can I charge less than the other dog walkers?"
ask:
"How can I give customers more reasons to choose me?"
A professional image, insurance, qualifications, reviews, clear contracts, good communication and reliable service can all add value.
It sounds obvious, but don't make potential customers hunt for your contact details.
Wherever somebody finds your business, make the next step clear.
Include appropriate contact information on your:
Social media pages
Business profile
Google Business Profile
Flyers
Website
Business cards
And when somebody does enquire, respond professionally and as promptly as you reasonably can.
A potential customer may have contacted several dog walkers at the same time. A helpful, professional response can make a strong first impression.
Marketing might bring someone to your business once.
Your service is what makes them stay.
Reliability is particularly important in pet care.
Customers need confidence that you will turn up when expected and look after their pet properly.
Clients who trust you are much more likely to:
Rebook regularly
Recommend you to friends and family
Leave positive reviews
Use additional services
Remain long-term customers
Some successful dog walking and pet sitting businesses eventually gain a large proportion of their new customers through recommendations.
That doesn't happen overnight. It is built by consistently providing a professional and dependable service.
This is a concern we increasingly hear from people starting or growing pet care businesses.
Seeing lots of dog walkers advertising locally can make it feel as though there's no room for another business.
But competition doesn't automatically mean there are no customers.
It means you need to give pet owners a clear reason to choose you.
Look at the businesses you're competing with.
Then ask yourself:
Do I look professional?
Can customers easily find information about me?
Do I display my insurance and credentials?
Do I have reviews?
Do I explain clearly what services I provide?
Do I have professional forms and contracts?
Do I respond professionally to enquiries?
Do I show customers why they can trust me?
Is my business visible online?
Am I regularly marketing myself?
You don't need to copy your competitors.
You need to make it easier for potential customers to see why your business is a good choice.
For more than 20 years, NarpsUK has supported people starting and growing professional pet sitting and dog walking businesses.
Rather than trying to build every aspect of your professional image from scratch, membership can provide many of the tools and credentials you need in one place.
Depending upon the membership package chosen, benefits can include:
Professional business profile
Inclusion in the NarpsUK postcode search
Free Find a Local Pet Sitter listing
Membership Certificate
NarpsUK logos and professional emblems
Professional forms and contracts
Pet business insurance discounts
Training discounts
Business resources
Members-only support community
Business software and mobile app
Ongoing support and advice
For somebody trying to get more dog walking or pet sitting work, these aren't simply membership extras.
They can become part of how you market your business.
Your membership, insurance, training, reviews, professional profile and credentials can all help demonstrate to potential customers that you take their pets — and your business — seriously.
If you're struggling to get dog walking customers, don't assume the answer is simply to spend more money on advertising.
Start by making sure you have the foundations in place.
Be visible. Be professional. Build trust. Collect reviews. Ask for recommendations. Market yourself consistently. And give pet owners clear reasons to choose your business.
You may already be an excellent dog walker.
The challenge is making sure potential customers can see that before they've even met you.
Whether you're just starting out or already running a pet sitting or dog walking business, NarpsUK can help you build a professional image, stand out from competitors and give potential customers more reasons to choose you.
Explore the NarpsUK membership options and see which package is right for your business.
Explore NarpsUK Membership Options
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