Hey, hey, I want to be a dog walker

For those who love dogs and are really tired after work to take care of them: have you ever heard about dog walking as a profession? Did you know that it's possible to make good money working out of it?

Well, you may be surprised to hear how much people in São Paulo, for example, are willing to pay someone to take their loved pets for a walk: about £200 a month. And it's common for a dog walker to have about 70 clients! Financially, it's not very different from working in a good office. But that's for sure an outdoor job that makes people happier.

Dog walkers exist for a long time, but earlier it was not a typical profession. Today, however, people study for walking dogs safely and the right way. You can find on the internet specialised sites to indicate these kinds of professionals. Some companies even offer the course for you to become a certified dog walker. It is important to know the right frequency of walking for each type and size of dogs. You need to know what to carry, where to walk, how to proceed if the dog starts running or barking at people (or other dogs) and, of course, what to do if anything bad occurs. You also need to know how to properly clean all the dirt the dog does! That is to say: how to handle it, where to put it and so on. And we cannot fail to mention: there are companies specialized in dog walker insurance. It is recommended to get one!

If a dog walker has about 70 clients, you may imagine they do not walk only one dog at a time, unless he is a beginner. Professionals walk with up to 5 or 6 dogs at the same time. Of course they may all be the similar in size, so every dog enjoys a proper walking. You do not walk a small and a big dog together. The small one won't be able to run as the big one, and the big one may get tired of walking at a slower pace. The professional needs to plan every walking in accordance with all the dogs' needs, and considering that, plan which dog will walk alongside of which. There is, again, the need of a course for doing this job.

If you want to become a professional dog walker, be sure to do the course, but don't worry: they're not too expensive (considering you only need to do it once and you can start the job immediately). It's even possible to do it online. A really complete course usually costs about £380, but it depends on the country. Once you have studied, you can start your own disclosure or join an agency. One tip: dog walkers linked to agencies usually have better reputation.