5 Things to Do When You Haven't Gotten a First Walk Request

You are ready!

You’ve realized you love walking dogs and have decided to make some money while you are having fun with pawdorable pups. You’ve signed up on the Wag! platform as a Pet Caregiver, created your profile, and now… you wait. And wait. And wait…

Still waiting on that first walk request? It can be difficult to attract the attention of new dog walking clients without any reviews or experience on the platform. Luckily, there are steps you can take to increase your visibility and stand out from the crowd of other dog walkers in your area to secure that first walk, and more.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at 5 furbulous ways you can attract new clients while growing your dog walking business. So, get ready to hit the pavement!

Your profile on the Wag! app is where Pet Parents first get to know you. And without any reviews, it’s the only place where they can find out what kind of Pet Caregiver you are. You need to make that profile stand out and show your love, enthusiasm and dedication to dogs that will make a new client want to book you.

First, be sure you’ve included all your experience working with dogs. How long have you been walking dogs? Have you worked as a groomer, trainer, or at a dog daycare? Then, be sure to highlight your special skills. Are you particularly good at handling big dogs? Have you worked in veterinary care, and are adept at giving medications and injections? Even if you have just taken care of your own elderly pooch, you can use those accumulated skills to show your clients’ that their dogs are in good hands.

Finally, always be sure to include all the services you are offering to Pet Parents right there in your profile. Are you focused and dedicated to making each dog walk the best for each dog? Or do you also provide sitting or boarding services too to keep pets relaxed and entertained while their family is out of town? All these details paint a picture for a prospective new client of how much you care for the dogs you work with.

One of the best things about the Wag! platform is that it allows you to easily share your profile right in the dog walker app! Got a Facebook or Instagram page? Share your profile on these and your other social media sites to catch the eyes of thousands to millions of prospective new clients!

Be sure to give these links some extra pizzazz by featuring them alongside pictures of you and smiling, leashed dogs out on a walk. Don’t have any? Take your dog, or borrow a friend’s or neighbor’s pup for a stroll and grab some pics along the way!

And don’t furget about sites like Craigslist where your profile can be directly seen by people in your local area looking specifically for pet care services. Again, include some pictures, and a link to bring them directly to your jazzed up Wag! profile page!

That’s right, make it official that you are in the dog walking business and build a professional looking website to advertise your services! While the site doesn’t have to be super fancy, you will want to invest enough time to make sure it is very easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile platforms. Be sure to list the specific areas you are offering walks in, including the city and state, along with your rates and services offered. And don’t furget to provide an easy to see and use link to your Wag! profile page.

On your own site, you can feature lots of pictures, your own mini-articles about why you love dog walking, and even longer dedicated reviews from people you’ve walked for. If you don’t have any yet, offer some free dog walks to friends, neighbors and co-workers in exchange for a pawsitive review.

And best of all, you can share your Wag! profile with your website right in the dog walker app! This means that prospective Pet Parents on the Wag! platform can navigate to your website for even more info about you and read those reviews which may just lead to your first walk!

We are going old school on this one, but visibility is your best tool when advertising a new business. Got a community board in your neighborhood? Post a flyer offering local walks for their dogs! Does your local vet office, daycare or groomer have a bulletin board? Ask if you can post your flyer to attract the exact customers you are looking for.

Hand them out to your friends, neighbors, co-workers and various people and businesses in your area to grab their attention. When chatting up the other dog parents at the dog park, be sure to let them know about your business and have your flyers ready to go!

Right in the Wag! dog walking app, you’ll find ready to print flyers you can use to make this one incredibly simple. Be sure the flyer connects your potential new clients to your Wag! profile page or website to learn more about you and book a dog walk.

Does your local bar have a dog night? Or is your favorite dog park hosting a costume contest for the holiday? Perhaps your nearest animal shelter is having an adoption fundraiser, or there’s a dog show or agility contest being held nearby. Whatever the event, be there with your flyers in hand!

All these and other community dog-friendly events are pawtastic places to spread the word about your dog walking business. Being with friendly, like-minded animal lovers can make it easy to talk about your love of walking dogs, and just may be the thing to get your first walk booked.

Before you go to any event, just be sure to look at their guidelines for advertising. You may need to purchase a vendor booth for some events, so be ready with extra items, such as gift bags for doggies including treats, toys and other fun dog-safe things. 

Booking that first dog walk can be tough, but with these ideas, you are sure to attract the attention of many prospective Pet Parents in need of your services. With patience and persistence, you’ll be walking in no time!

For help navigating the dog walker experience on the Wag! platform, or for any other questions or concerns, visit our support page today.