When I speak with friends about their financial goals, many of them tell me that they would like to work less.  Some would like to retire early. I don’t hear about buying the big house or the fancy car as the main financial goal anymore.

Today, I am sharing the story of a friend who has decided not to work for more than 3 hours per day.

Benjamin, The Dog Walker

My friend Benjamin has a dog walking business. He lives in Le Plateau, the coolest neighborhood of Montreal, in a 3 1/2 apartment. His roommate, Maya, is a Great Dane. Benjamin’s average workday is 3 hours per day, 5 days a week. He takes three or four dogs in the neighborhood and walks with them in the park.

As you can imagine, this dog walking business is low stress, has flexible hours, very social, and pays well!

These are NOT Benjamin’s ambitions:

• Social status
• Latest designer clothes
• A big house
• A nice car (or any!)

The things that Benjamin wants to do

• Enjoy sunny days in the park
• Read books
• Chat with friends
• Have a beer
• Take naps in the middle of the day
• Wake up without an alarm clock

What Benjamin doesn’t want to do

• Wake up early
• Answer to a boss
• Sell 8 hours of his time 5 days a week

Benjamin is not the only dog walker in the neighborhood

My friend Claudia is also a dog walker. She walks dogs during the day and is a tarot card reader at night.

Our neighborhood is full of young professionals.  They need someone to take care of their dogs while they are out doing the 9-5 gig.

How much can you earn as a dog walker?

Most dog walkers charge per walk, not per day. However, in the case of Benjamin, he babysits the dogs during the day at his apartment. He charges for the walks AND the babysitting.

Most dog walkers walk the dogs between 30 minutes to one hour. The average price is about $20 for one hour. If the dog walker walks 5 dogs at the same time, that’s $100 in one hour.

If a person wants to make serious money, they will market themselves well and do three different rounds of 5 dogs. That would be $300 a day, easily. For five days a week, that $1,500 per week or $75,000 per year!!

Most dog owners walk their own dogs in the morning before they go to work and the dog walker takes over later on while the owner is at work. If an owner has more than one dog, there will be an extra charge of $5-$10 per dog.

A dog needs to be walked for their physical and mental stimulation. Without it, they may act destructively at home.

How to get clients as a dog walker?

Dog walking is a word of mouth business. In addition, it’s one of those jobs in which big players cannot optimize and take over the industry. If you are worried about Artificial Intelligence and the robots taking overall jobs, you can feel safe with your job as a dog walker.

The best way to make yourself known is through business cards and flyers. Distribute them at all the local supermarkets and laundromats. Go to the park on weekends and offer them to anyone walking a dog.

Think about it; if your living expenses are under $2,000/month, all you need is 5 clients at $20 each! Your goals can be achieved in less than 3 months. It sure sounds better and less expensive than 4 years at a university!

You can also approach other dog walkers. They may likely have reached capacity and would be happy to refer you to someone else. Also, they might subcontract you if they need to take a day off.

Challenges of dog walkers

• We are in Canada. The winters can get very, very cold.
• Make sure you walk friendly dogs. You don’t want to get involved in a dogfight.
• When you see another dog that might not look friendly, move to the other side of the street.

Conclusion

There are many side hustles available to all kinds of people. Dog walking is one of them. You don’t need a 4-year degree, you don’t need any investment. All you need is to be good with animals.

Maybe dog walking is not for you, but there are hundreds of other alternatives to working the 9 to 5 and other than accepting a minimum wage. Which one is yours?

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