For self-employed dog walkers
Dog Walking
No general licence to walk dogs — but park and council rules vary. Get the local picture, price your walks and fill your round.
Built by someone who has done it
Built by Hugo Tupper, who grew his own local mobile business from nothing to six figures in one year.
It took hard work and long hours — but it is very doable. Everything he learned is in here, applied to dog walking.
Hugo’s own experience, not a promise of your results.
About starting a dog walking business
Dog walking has a low barrier to entry — there's no general licence to walk dogs for money — but the licensing picture is genuinely fragmented locally, and it's easy to confuse plain dog walking with the separately-licensed activities of dog day care and home boarding. This hub gives you the honest picture before you spend a penny, plus the full Launch Kit when you're ready to go.
This Kit covers dog walking only — collecting or meeting a client's dog and walking it, with no overnight stay and no day-long care beyond a walk. Dog day care and home boarding are separately licensable activities this Kit does not cover.
Free guides
Find the answer you need
How to Start a Dog Walking Business in the UK
A practical overview of what's involved in starting a UK dog walking business — scope, licensing basics, and what to sort out first.
Read guideDog Walking vs. Dog Day Care vs. Home Boarding — What's the Difference?
These three pet-care activities have very different UK licensing requirements. Here's the boundary that actually matters.
Read guideDo I Need a Licence to Walk Dogs for Money?
No national licence exists for dog walking — but local council and park licences genuinely vary. Here's the honest breakdown.
Read guideHow Many Dogs Can I Walk at Once?
There's no UK-wide number — dogs-per-walker limits are set locally. Here's what's actually been found, and why you shouldn't rely on one figure.
Read guidePublic Liability Insurance for Dog Walkers: Do You Need It?
Public liability insurance isn't a legal requirement for dog walkers — but it's often a condition of the licences that are.
Read guideDog Walking Business Startup Costs: What to Budget For
The real cost categories behind starting a dog walking business — not invented figures, but what actually drives your costs up or down.
Read guideCalculators
Work out your numbers
Free
Your starter Business Plan
The essentials to get your ideas down. Download your answers before leaving; the full Launch Kit adds a personalised, saved plan and competitor lookup.
Business name and the services you intend to offer.
Who you want to help, where you are based and the places you will cover.
Use the free calculators to estimate costs and profit. Check local competitors, then set your own prices.
Your website, Google profile, local directories, social media and referrals.
Your client, turnover and profit goals, and the first three actions you will take.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need a licence to walk dogs for money in the UK?
No single national licence exists. However, many councils and specific parks (for example Richmond, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Hampstead Heath) run their own professional dog-walking licence schemes for walking on their land. Check the specific council or park you intend to use, not just the general law — this genuinely varies by location.
How many dogs can I walk at once?
There's no UK-wide legal limit. Local councils set their own rules, usually via a Public Spaces Protection Order (commonly 4 for the general public, up to 6 for a licensed professional walker in some boroughs) — some councils have no limit at all. Check the specific area you walk in.
Is dog walking the same as dog day care or home boarding for licensing purposes?
No. Dog day care and home boarding are licensable activities under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Plain dog walking (no overnight stay, not day-long care) generally is not — this is the single most important distinction in this category.
Do I need insurance?
Public liability insurance is not a general legal requirement, but it's the core of almost every dog-walker insurance product, and many council or park licences require proof of it as a condition. Employers' liability insurance IS legally required the moment you employ anyone outside close family.
Do I need a DBS check?
Not as a blanket rule. It's a commercial trust-building choice, most relevant if you hold a client's house keys and enter their home.
Does the dog I'm walking need to wear a collar with an ID tag?
Yes — under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, a dog in a public place must wear a collar showing the owner's name and address. Confirm this is in place before every walk.
What's the legal position on dog poo?
It's an offence under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, now enforced via local Public Spaces Protection Orders. As the person in charge of the dog, you're responsible for clearing up after every dog in your care, every time.
Do I need to register as a waste carrier for the dog waste I collect?
This is a genuine open question — no source confirms or exempts a dog walker from Environment Agency waste-carrier registration for collecting and disposing of a client's dog's bagged waste during a paid walk. We're not going to tell you either way without a confirmed answer — if this matters to your business model, check directly with the Environment Agency.
Dog Walking Business Launch Kit
Ready for the full toolkit?
Your complete Launch Kit, for £31 one-time.
Well Hello
Want help getting found?
A word on Google and Meta ads
Much of the advice Google and Meta give you is built to raise your spend, not necessarily to bring you clients who book. You are billed per click even when the platform bids “for conversions”, and a small account spending a few pounds a day is not the client they are built to look after. If you know what to look out for — manual max CPC set deliberately low, tight intent-based search terms, a hard daily cap — by all means give it a try, and Google Search usually beats generic Meta display for a new local business. If not, put your money into your website, local listings and reviews first.
Home Help Hub
Meet clients who need you
Official sources
Official sources
Where our information comes from
Home Help Hub Business is not a government or regulatory body. Labels describe the type of source we used; always check the latest version on the source's own site.