Could Dog Walking Be Your Next Side Gig?

• Dog walking

Photo by Julia Vivcharyk on Unsplash.

Last time, we talked about making dog walks better: let them sniff, give them time, bring the treats and maybe keep the phone in your pocket for once.

But what if you already enjoy the walk almost as much as they do?

Maybe your next side gig is already at the end of a lead.

Dog walking can be a flexible way to earn extra money without adding another shift indoors. You don’t need to be a professional dog trainer. You do need to genuinely like dogs, enjoy being outside and be someone an owner can trust to turn up when you say you will.

If that sounds like you, you may already have most of what you need.

First things first: you actually need to like dogs

This one feels obvious, but it matters.

Dog walking isn’t just getting from A to B while a dog happens to be attached to you. Some dogs want to stop at every hedge. Some are nervous around other dogs. Some move at approximately the speed of a small tractor.

Being patient, affectionate and comfortable around different dogs matters far more than trying to turn every walk into a military exercise.

If you enjoy spending time with dogs and understand that the walk is partly theirs too, you’re off to a good start.

And if you missed our last post, have a read of Who’s Walking Who? 5 Ways to Make Dog Walks Better.

You should probably enjoy walking too

There is, admittedly, quite a lot of walking involved.

You’ll be outside in sunshine, drizzle and that very specific British weather where it looks fine until you leave the house.

For a lot of people, that’s the appeal.

Instead of spending an hour scrolling, commuting or sitting indoors, you get fresh air, exercise and a dog for company. Not a bad way to earn a little extra money.

Flexible time helps

Dog walking can work well around the rest of your life.

You might have a free hour in the morning. A long lunch break. A couple of afternoons each week. Maybe you work shifts or from home and have pockets of time that don’t fit a traditional part-time job.

WalknStay is being built around independent local providers choosing when they’re available and setting their own rates.

Start small. Take on the walks that fit. Build from there.

No need to become the neighbourhood dog-walking empire by Tuesday.

What do you need to join WalknStay?

For WalknStay, providers need to be 18 or over.

We’ll also need some real-world details from you. That includes information such as your:

• legal name
• home address
• date of birth
• National Insurance number

Some of that is standard account information. Some of it is there because UK digital-platform rules require reporting platform operators to collect and check information about sellers who earn money through their platforms.

HMRC explains the rules in its guidance on selling goods or services on a digital platform.

It sounds more intimidating than it is.

The important bit is that a platform reporting information to HMRC does not automatically mean you owe tax.

HMRC specifically includes dog walking as an example of service income earned through online platforms. Its guidance says that if your total income from dog walking and other trading activities goes above the £1,000 trading allowance in a tax year, you may need to tell HMRC. You can check the current guidance on income from online platforms.

Your own tax position is still your responsibility, but we want the record-keeping part to be simple.

We’ll help you keep track of what you earn

Nobody starts dog walking because they’ve always dreamed of maintaining a spreadsheet.

WalknStay will give providers a simple way to see and download their earnings, fees and relevant tax information from the platform.

That gives you a clear record of what you earned through WalknStay and something useful to work from when keeping your own records or completing a tax return if you need to.

Less hunting through old bank transactions. More walking dogs.

Building trust matters

When someone hands you their dog, trust is a pretty big part of the deal.

We recommend getting a Basic DBS check. Your certificate stays with you: WalknStay doesn’t collect certificates or show DBS status on profiles. Owners may ask to see it, along with your insurance, when you meet.

A DBS check isn’t a substitute for reviews, reliability or actually being good with dogs, but it can give owners another useful piece of information when choosing who they feel comfortable booking.

Basic DBS checks are available without the role-specific eligibility rules that apply to Standard and Enhanced checks. You can read more in the official DBS guidance.

And then there’s getting paid

All provider payouts on WalknStay are managed through Stripe Connect.

Stripe handles much of the connected-account onboarding and identity verification needed for payments. Its verification requirements form part of the checks financial platforms use to reduce fraud and meet financial-services compliance requirements.

For you, the important bit is much simpler.

Once a booking has been completed and is eligible for payout, your earnings can be transferred securely through your connected Stripe account.

No chasing bank transfers. No awkward conversation about whether someone has cash. No envelope mysteriously appearing on the kitchen table.

Walk the dog. Complete the booking. Get paid through the platform.

Could this be your next side gig?

If you like dogs, enjoy being outside and have a few flexible hours in your week, dog walking might be a surprisingly good fit.

You get exercise. You meet dogs. You earn some extra money.

The dog gets a walk, which they will naturally consider the most important part of the arrangement.

We’re building WalknStay to make finding local dog-walking work simple, transparent and trusted for both sides.

Fancy giving it a go? Find out more and join the walker waitlist.

Your next walk could pay for the coffee on the way home.

The dog will still expect a treat.