The Dog Walker's Startup Guide: Create Your Own Lucrative Dog Walking Business in 12 Easy Steps [Paperback]

J D Antell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967688019 | ISBN-13: 978-0967688015 | Publication Date: January 1, 2009 | Edition: First

WARNING: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Known to cause side effects such as happiness and fulfillment

According to many experts, dog walking is currently the fastest growing area in the professional pet care industry and it shows no sign of slowing down. More American households have dogs than ever before! Whether you have been dreaming of escaping the 9-5 grind, or just love dogs and want to work with them, this book will help you take this growing industry by the leash and profit from it.

This easy to follow step-by-step guide to starting your own dog walking business teaches:

• How to assess the number of clients you ll need to meet your financial goals using case studies and formulas that work (page 12)
• What services will creatively sell your business and lead the competition (page 16)
• How to create a winning web presence that promotes customer confidence and sells your business 24 hours a day
• How to create a professional welcome packet step-by-step (page 31)
• How on-the-fly photo updates can enrich your service by promoting human interaction and involvement, leading to more referrals and additional income from advertising (page 124)
• Professional advertising strategies revealed in detail and highlighted with examples that will quickly turn your business idea into profit-making reality (page 53)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Written by a dog-walking pioneer, this book provides all the information anyone would need to start up his or her own dog walking business. Presented in twelve well-defined steps, the author s action model incorporates everything from business basics to the fundamentals of animal psychology. Supported by a strong website and ancillary materials including a training DVD, the book will appeal to those seeking financial freedom at the end of a leash. --Publisher

Combine business with pleasure-everything you need to know to replace your day job with one that's much more fun. --Bark Magazine

--The Bark Magazine

"As a seasoned dog walker, Antell has plenty of experience ... the book offers plenty of information about every facet of the job [from] creating a business plan, advertising and getting supplies to interviewing clients, creating a website and walking the dogs ... in a format that is easy to understand." --DogChannel.com

--DogChannel.com

From the Author

A dog walker's job, focus, and service is very different than a pet sitter's, and the hours are much more conducive to stay-at-home parents, students, and retired persons. The bulk of a dog walker's work happens between the hours of 10am and 3pm. However with puppy-care, and a 3x per day schedule, you'll be starting a bit earlier and finishing a bit later. Dog walking is also a great way to supplement a dog training business!

Dog walking is a Zen-like business model, provides a steady predictable income, and your customer base is much, much larger.

Dog walking is for the most part recession proof. American households with dogs have increased exponentially. According to the APPA pet-related spending in 2008 will likely exceed $10.5 billion. We aren't going to get rid of our pets, and we aren't going to stop working and commuting. Therefore dog walkers will still be needed, even in a down economy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Novus Markets, LLC; First edition (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967688019
• ISBN-13: 978-0967688015
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dog walking pioneer, J.D. Antell, owned and operated one of the north shore's most successful dog walking business for over seven years. He is the founder of DogZanny.com, a comprehensive online resource devoted to helping professional dog walkers and businesses owners get started and operate successfully. He is an honors graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS in Film & Television production. He spent his early career producing and directing award-winning national TV commercials, shows, and videos in the Denver area before returning to New England.

J.D. began his interest in canine life at a very early age, having had dogs since his arrival in this world. His interest later manifesting into creative pursuits along that theme with an independent short 16mm film about wolves entitled, A Silence in The Woods (1993). During the filming of that short, J.D. worked with a socialized wolf pack in upper-state New York. His experience working with wolves taught him an appreciation for the unequivocal, and in doing so, a keen insight into the modern dog through this introduction to its forefathers. J.D. said of his initial experience:

"Their communication is intense and constant, there is a lot going on, and you really need to stay focused and aware of the signals (the language). If you lose focus you can wind up making a mistake, and that mistake can be costly. I was "disciplined" by the alpha female and I still have a scar to remind me, but she warned me several times--I should have heeded the warning." --J.D. Antell

Eventually, after working in the film and TV industry for ten years, J.D. returned to his original calling and started a dog walking business on the north shore of Massachusetts. While a dog walker, he began to learn more about dog behavior and training techniques, both modern and traditional. Having had a great deal of experience working with hundreds of different breeds and personalities J.D. developed an ability to communicate, and better understand, the language of dogs.

During that time both he and his wife, Eileen, immersed themselves in the business, learning valuable lessons along the way. They eventually expanded to offer dog training services after years of working with dogs and training their own German Shepherds.

J.D. spends his spare time sailing, boating and volunteering with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Currently he is working on three new writing projects and consulting dog walking business owners nationwide. He has the good fortune to live by the sea in Maine.

To learn more visit http://www.dogzanny.com/ or email [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable self employment !!!!!!, February 26, 2009

By 

Karen Point "reader" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dog Walker's Startup Guide: Create Your Own Lucrative Dog Walking Business in 12 Easy Steps (Paperback)

After a brief introduction where the author talks about his life and what lead him to start a dog walking business I felt like I was reading a biography of my own life - particularly his discussion of himself as being in one of B.F. Skinner's experiments, and his feelings of "learned helplessness."

After that the book wastes no time getting into the meat of starting a dog walking business - chapter one lays the groundwork by encouraging a self-examination of one's personal finances and then quickly moves into planning a business that will meet those needs.

I will tell you if you are looking for a "small business nuts and bolts book" this isn't it - this book doesn't spend much time talking about the intricacies of running a small business and I was happy about that (see the small business for dummies series)- the author spends his time discussing the unique aspects of starting a dog walking business and where those issues bear relevance to a small business processes, he discusses them at length.


The chapters of this book proceed as "steps" and each builds on the next and at the end of the chapters is an action list which takes the recommendations from the chapter and basically creates an organized "to-do" list - I found the process to be rather fun. I found his chapter on advertising to be excellent and well informed - the author worked in the advertising world and seems to have a great handle on what works and how best to maximize a limited advertising budget - another favorite was the chapter on 'Earning Trust' which brought up many things I never would have thought of.


Later, the chapters begin to delve into the actual issues dog walkers face from difficult dogs, to difficult clients - he discusses dog aggression, behavior, and training and makes an excellent case for becoming more knowledgeable in each, both from a financial standpoint, and from a safety standpoint. I thought the book was extremely well written, clear, and humorous at times - the author, having been a professional dog walker and business owner speaks to you from a position of understanding and experience and I found that comforting and encouraging.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Inspirational Guide, May 20, 2009

By 

Matthew N. Mulchi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dog Walker's Startup Guide: Create Your Own Lucrative Dog Walking Business in 12 Easy Steps (Paperback)

This single book has lead me to create my own dog walking service. I couldn't ask for more in such an enjoyable and informative guide. I would recommend this book to anyone who is even slightly entertaining the idea of starting their own dog walking business!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and thorough, January 14, 2009

By 

Showbiggie "Showbiggie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dog Walker's Startup Guide: Create Your Own Lucrative Dog Walking Business in 12 Easy Steps (Paperback)

I finally had enough of my "career" and said the heck with it. I've always dreamed of working with dogs as a career but never could figure out how to make it work. I think I've finally found the answer.

I got this book a few weeks ago from the publisher (Amazon was out of stock) along with their DVD. I really wasn't sure what to expect but after finishing the book and watching the DVD I have to say the author did a great job and knows what he's talking about. He covered pretty much everything I need to get my business started.

It's a step-by-step guide so that's how I'm going to take it, one step at a time! At the end of every chapter there is basically a To-Do list which makes the process very easy. I'm looking forward to it. I hope to be able to hand in my resignation in the next six months. Yahoo!!