Would you trade a nine-to-five job for walking dogs? Two years ago, Wag! walker Justin Cohen, pictured below, did just that — and hasn’t looked back.

“There were plenty of mornings in my previous, corporate gig where I’d wake up in the morning and ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” Justin said. “Now, I wake up and think about all the dogs I’m going to hang out with.

As independent contractors, Wag! walkers can set their own hours and days of the week. They use the Wag! Walker App to review requests from pet parents to determine which walks they want to accept. The requests can be for recurring walks — weekly or several days a week — or one-time only.

Justin’s walks usually start around 8 a.m. and can go as long as he wants. Sometimes he’s done late afternoon, and on other days he’ll keep walking till 9 or 10 p.m.

For Justin, the benefits are both physical and mental. First, there’s the exercise obtained from walking. Since he works full-time, he hits 20-to-25,000 steps and often walks up to 12 miles a day. “It’s the best exercise of my life,” he said.

As for the mental benefits, Justin said there’s not much stress — plus, as a dog lover — he thoroughly enjoys meeting and hanging out with dogs, as well as getting to see their various personalities.

In his two years as a Wag! walker, Justin has completed more than 2,200 dog walks, and he has a five-star rating from pet parents. He also said he makes more money now than he did in his previous job. “I’m happy I made the switch,” Justin said.

If you’re interested in becoming a Wag! walker, visit our walker application page. There, you can watch a video to learn more, learn the cities where we’re looking for walkers, and even begin the application process.

What would Justin tell others who are considering becoming a Wag! walker? “Just do it!” he said. “Whether you do it full time like me or as a side gig, you’ll probably be happier.”