Many people still view pet-related services as small-time jobs—something for teenagers looking for pocket money or a temporary gig before moving on to a ‘real’ career. Parents often push their children towards university degrees, believing that pet sitting, dog walking, or dog training aren’t viable career paths.
This is where the thinking needs to change. Pet care is more than just providing a service—it’s an industry with massive business potential.
Dog Walking: More Than Just R100 Per Dog
Take dog walking as an example. If you walk three dogs a day for five days a week at R100 per dog, that’s R1,500 per week—or R6,000 per month. And that’s only for a maximum of three hours per day. Most professional dog walkers have 7–9 hours available, meaning they could double or triple their earnings with structured bookings and additional clients.
Of course, midday heat can be a challenge, but that gap in the day presents an opportunity to manage the business side—advertising, handling bookings, client communication, and financial admin. With the right business strategy, dog walking isn’t just a service—it’s a structured, scalable career.
Pet Sitting: Not Just Pop-In Visits
Pet sitting is often underestimated—but it’s far more than just stopping by to feed a pet. A well-established pet sitter may visit multiple homes each afternoon, providing meals, medication, and enrichment for animals. Some clients even require overnight stays, which allow pet sitters to charge a premium—especially during peak holiday seasons when kennels are full and pet owners want personalised care.
Clients often cover meals for sitters staying over, reducing expenses while increasing earnings. And once you have a trusted client base, you can expand—hiring assistants to take on bookings under your brand, partnering with veterinarians for referrals, and creating long-term service contracts.
Dog Training: Where Passion Meets Profit
Dog training is another high-value service that has massive growth potential. Imagine running group classes with six dogs per session, each owner paying R100 per dog. That’s R600 per class. If you host a few classes over the weekend, your earnings quickly climb.
Then, add private training sessions during the week at R450 per lesson. With just a handful of private bookings each week, you’re generating a stable income while making a real difference in dogs’ lives.
The beauty of dog training is that it naturally leads to expansion—you can run puppy socialisation classes, advanced obedience, trick training, or even specialist behavioural consultations. The more you brand yourself as an expert, the more demand you create.
Education: The Key to Thinking Bigger
Education plays a key role in shifting mindsets from small thinking to strategic business management. At Pet Sense College, our Pet Care Entrepreneurship and Business Management Diploma teaches exactly that—how to move beyond just offering a service and build a thriving, scalable pet care business. Pet Care Business Management | Pet Sense College See course here.
The pet industry is not just a hobby or a gap-year job. It’s an untapped business opportunity—if only more people realised its full potential.
