The gig economy has made it easier than ever to make money doing what you love. Even if what you love is playing with adorable dogs! So, if you need a little extra cash and have a few spare hours to work, we’ve rounded up the four best side hustle opportunities for dog lovers. Read on to find out what sounds most fun to you and get started today!
If taking care of animals isn’t for you, make sure to check out all of the other ways you can make an extra income online!
How to Make Money Playing With Dogs
1. Rover – Create Your Own Pet Care Business!
Rover is one of the best services on the web to help dog lovers make money playing with their furry friends! It is a network of pet sitters and dog walkers, offering pet owners a one-stop-shop to book dog boarding, house sitting, doggy day care, or pet sitting.
By becoming a “sitter” with Rover, you can choose your hours, locations, rates, and services. Rover then offers insurance for the dogs in your care as well as secure payment processing in exchange for 20% of your fees. They even provide 24/7 assistance, including vet support in case a dog you are watching gets sick or injured.
The Rover app allows sitters to track the duration, distance, and location of their walks and add pictures so pet owners can quickly check-in on their pup! The high-quality nature of the app and interaction with owners makes it one of the most popular choices for dog owners. Making it easier for you to find clients!
Whether you want to offer pet sitting on your free weekends, walk dogs on your lunch break, or become a full-time pet sitter, Rover can help you get there!
Sign up as a pet sitter or dog walker with Rover today!
2. Wag! – Uber for Dog Walking
If you love the idea of Rover but aren’t sure you want to build a whole business and try to compete with others on rates, terms, and more, Wag! is the simple app you are looking for. Wag! has certified dog walkers that can be hired on a recurring basis or on-demand, just like Uber. You can turn your app on anytime to see owners looking for dog walkers in your area, then just click to take on the job! You can make up to $25 / hr walking dogs with Wag! before tips. They have recently added pet sitting as a service you can offer as well.
Signing up to be a dog walker with Wag! takes a little more work than Rover, as it certifies all dog walkers. You will need to secure a few referrals from friends, watch some training videos and pass a few quizzes (this should take less than half an hour and are mostly common sense questions), and then pay Wag! $25 so they can run a background check.
Paying to get signed up is somewhat rare in these gig-economy apps. But, as a dog owner myself, I am more likely to use Wag! than Rover because of this extra hurdle. I like knowing that the person I am allowing into my home, and who is taking my pet out and about, doesn’t have a criminal record.
Wag! is perfect for anyone who likes being outside, playing with dogs, and wants to make a little extra cash on the side. Once you’re set up, you only take jobs when you feel like working. An easy and profitable side hustle!
Sign up as a dog walker with Wag! here!
3. Become a Professional Pooper Scooper
If you’ve ever questioned the idea that you can make money doing anything, this side hustle may make you a believer. It turns out, not every dog owner has the desire, or the stomach, to pick up after their beloved pet. So, many people are willing to pay someone to clean up their yard, or even pick up their dog’s city sidewalk drops.
Franchises like Doody Calls have popped up around the country to help dog owners keep their yards poop free. While owning your own franchise can cost big bucks, you can start your own business with nothing but a scooping tool, trash bags, and a local Facebook page. Still, think it sounds ridiculous? Scoopers can make $45 an hour! (The average rate is $45 for a once weekly clean up.)
Do you live in a city and want to make money scooping without starting your own business? Check out the new app Pooper! Dog owners can request pickups in real-time, and you get paid per scoop. The company provides the bags; you can work your own hours and in a preferred radius. Keep your city cleaner while making some extra cash. It’s a win-win!
4. Sell Fun Dog Related Products
Not interested in getting up close and personal with stranger’s dogs? Do you have kids at home and can’t make daily dog walks work? Put on your creative hat and make products for our canine pals instead!
Etsy is full of shop owners selling custom dog collars, leashes, pet toys, dog bowls and more! Create a shop, Facebook page, or Instagram account to sell some great dog products. Pinterest has fantastic tutorials on how to make all sorts of fun items. Like this tutorial on sewing a dog bandana that slips over the dog’s collar! Just be sure to start slowly buying supplies for your new gig. It can take time to build momentum with a new handmade business.
Baking more your thing? Homemade, organic dog treats are all the rage! Whip up some tasty dog cookies, or learn how to make dog-friendly cakes for four-legged birthdays. You can likely find buyers by posting to your social media accounts or offering to sell at local farmers markets!
Start Making Money With Your Furry Friends Today!
I believe we should all chase side hustles we are passionate about. You are more likely to put in the hours if you have fun doing it! So, if you love animals, enjoy getting outside for a nice walk, and want to put a little extra cash in your pocket, choose one of the great side hustles above and get to work. (Wo)man’s best friend needs you!
Hopefully, you enjoyed these 4 ways to make money taking care of animals, but even though we all love dogs, it might not be for everyone.
Feel free to check out these helpful links for other ways to earn:
How I Make Over $13,000/Mo Blogging
Work From Home Jobs Hiring Now
Do you know of any other legitimate ways to make money playing with dogs? Let’s hear your experiences in the comments below!
Hello Brok, I just read your post on 4 Ways to Get Paid For Playing With Dogs. It was a very entertaining and informative read. I am always on the look out for different ways to generate income without the 8-5 grind. I am a passionate dog lover (in fact mine is staring at me right now as I write this). These ideas are great and if this affiliate marketing thing doesn’t work out I will look into one of your suggestions. Best to you.
Mike
Thanks for reading Mike!
A dog business might be a great way to supplement your affiliate income. You could easily dog sit and still work at home on your website.
Brok
This is pretty amazing of how you can make money from the dog business. I was so impressed many years ago with an article that I read in the Miami Herald that I save it. It was a dog poop business where this gentleman makes as he claims one million dollars a year now that is pretty amazing. The dog business is really big business.
Thanks for reading Norman! I don’t know about making a million dollars but you can 100% make a side income and even turn it into a full-time income if needed!
Again thanks for reading!
Brok