I’m still learning to let go of what others think.
What is our obsession with judging others, anyway? At 27, I am still figuring out what I want to do with my life. I imagine this will be something I never quite figure out, as my goals will always be changing. And that’s a good thing.
I run dogs, and I pet sit.
That seems to be the description for me these days. I’m not happy with that. These descriptions do little to define me.
I love spending time with animals. I love solitude. I love being out in the country. I love to write, take photos, create art.
Spending all day with dogs is a fantasy for many. I have what many people will never have.
I receive emails every week from strangers who congratulate me on doing something they would never have the balls to do – quit their “secure” jobs and (gasp) walk dogs.
Walking dogs is a fantasy job. I can’t believe how lucky I am.
I literally have my own fan club. I go to work and my “clients” are so happy to see me they cry. I have the freedom to run wherever I want to run. I take days off when I want days off. If I feel like writing for a few hours, I do. I get my doggy fix whenever I need it just be kneeling down and hugging one of my many, many best friends. I make a meaningful difference for rescue dogs, and I bring great comfort to the dog owners who worry about leaving their “kids” at a kennel.
If there’s a better job out there than mine, please share.
But let me tell you, walking dogs is not all fun and games, either. It’s not “a walk in the park” by any means.
Running (or walking) all day is not easy. There are days when I am exhausted. My feet hurt. My knees ache. There are days when the poop bags rip and I get shit on my mittens, no joke. There are dogs that jump all over me, and they are often muddy. There are dogs that freak out over something as ordinary as a piece of plastic blowing in the snow. There are days when I’m so bundled up that I’m literally sweating, even though it’s far, far below zero. Sometimes I feel like my face might freeze off, and sometimes I feel like it will burn off. It doesn’t matter. I am “out in it” no matter what.
I’m out there because I want to be.
In addition to the people who want to have my job, there are the people who seem to pity me because they refuse to believe someone can make a living through dog walking.
“Is that lucrative?” “Are you still walking dogs?” “Is that really the best idea right now?”
These are the kinds of questions I still receive from family members and “friends” even though I’ve had a successful dog running business for well over two years now. Really, if it wasn’t working out, I would’ve come up with a new plan by now. I’m an intelligent person.
From both sides of the spectrum – those who praise me and those who criticize – I see people who are very unhappy with their current lifestyles. They are working too hard at jobs they don’t care for in order to bring home what they believe is a secure, hard-earned paycheck.
I am so fortunate to know that I am on the right path. I am finding ways to do what I love, and it’s paying off for me and for others.
In his book “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working,” Tony Schwartz asks the question:
Is the life you’re leading worth the price you’re paying to live it?
Absolutely.
Recent Search Terms:
- http//www.thatmutt.com/2009/06/08/how-to-start-a-dog-walking-business/
- making a living walking dogs
- quit job to dog walk
- rescue dog occasionally freaks out
- dog walker what others think i do
- leave job to be dog wal
- dog scared of egg cartons
Well said, Lindsay. I admire you so much for following your passion!
Thanks, Christie!
It’s sometimes hard to take comments from people whose lives are locked into what other people think they should be doing.
Your life sounds great to me.
Thanks, Jan!
I think you best defined yourself here when you said…
“I love spending time with animals. I love solitude. I love being out in the country. I love to write, take photos, create art.”
You are a lucky girl.
Thanks!
Well-written! I think doing something you enjoy, and having your own time is much more important than working at a job you hate just for security/money. I used to work a corporate job and I was miserable because I really did feel like it was ‘stealing my soul’ and I wanted to become more involved with my community. Though I make less, I am much happier doing something I truly believe in and working with students in my community. Though I often do envy your job: thinking about getting a dog fix, not having anyone speak back to you, being outside…except in the winter.
I’m glad you’re doing something that you and joy and something that is meaningful.
My goal in life is to do what I want to do.
Even though I don’t know what that is yet…
Ha, yeah, that’s OK if you don’t know …
Love, love, love, LOVE the final picture!!!
And while slightly jealous, I’m very inspired and motivated by your story!!
I walk my 2 JRT, and have had the unlucky torn poop bag with poop on my hands. Poor dogs – it usually means we are headed home/back to the car!
Haha! It happens to all of us!
Dear Lindsay. You know what? It is your life!
Often people chase after what they understand as good careers and end up unhappy, lonely and burnt out.
You’re happy, it’s working for you, nothing else matters.
Very true!
I think it’s awesome you are doing something that you love and making it work for you! That’s what really should count. I don’t understand people’s incessant need to judge either. We get it a lot – as we made the decision to have my husband quit a lucrative job that was slowly killing him with stress – move to the Oregon coast on just my income. Was is a “smart” time to do it? Maybe not… but my husband is not stressed out, we have enough money, and we LOVE where we live. So we made the right decision in my book! And it sounds like you did too!
Wow, good for you guys! I’m glad you are happy. I would say you definitely made the right choice! I’m sure people really criticized your husband for not “supporting” his family. I’m glad he did what he knew was really best for you and himself. And your kitties!
Spending your days with dogs…priceless! The picture is gorgeous. The most difficult part of walking my dog is the loose dogs in our neighborhood. Some are aggressive. And my dog isn’t very friendly toward other dogs either. How do you deal with that?
Yes, that is difficult. I come across this quite often as well. What I do is make sure to control the dog I am walking. If I can keep that dog calm and at my side, usually it is less of an “event” if the other dog decides to come up to us. It really depends on the dog I’m walking. Sometimes I make my dog sit. Sometimes we turn and calmly walk in the other direction. If the other dog is friendly, sometimes it’s best to just let them calmly greet one another so we can move on.
If the dog I am walking is very excitable or aggressive and the other dog is still approaching us, I do my best to put my dog into a sit. Then I step forward towards the other dog and in a stern voice say “NO!” I stand up straight and confident, and I make eye contact and point right at the dog. This is usually enough to surprise him and cause him to either stop or turn around. At the very least, it gives me a second to regroup and keep my dog under control.
It’s also important to use the right training collars and to use them properly. If I see another dog approaching, the first thing I do is adjust my dog’s collar so it is up high on her neck, giving me the most control.
This reminds me of a quote by Oprah, “Figure out what you love in life and find a way to make money doing it.” I think it’s great that you can have a job you enjoy doing! I recently quit my nursing job at a facility that I hated working for and I dreaded every day I went to work. I am currently enjoying some much needed time off and searching for a better job. I’ve often wondered if I picked the wrong profession; but when I step back and think, overall I enjoy being an nurse and I’m good at it; I just need to find the area that suits me; but I have the rest of my life to do that! And, I can always get my doggie fix by walking rescue dogs, or my own dog!
Do you ever think about bringing dogs to visit the patients? That’s something I’ve always thought about doing. I think Ace would be a good dog for that, although he is not an actual certified therapy dog. Are nursing homes/hospitals strict about allowing dogs to come visit?
I know nursing homes aren’t strict about allowing dogs to visit. Many family members will being their dogs in to visit patients, and I’ve brought Eli in a few times. I think Ace would be very good at visiting patients! I’m not sure what the rules are at hospitals about allowing dogs since the patients there are more sick than at nursing homes.
I will have to take Ace to a nursing home and see how he does
Who gives a %*#$ what anyone else thinks – you rock! I think it’s awesome that you left the corporate stiff world and are doing what you are passionate about. I’m trying to figure out how to follow my passion myself.
Haha! Thanks!
I hear ya girl. I love my job, I work for 5 days and then I have 4 days off. I can take 5 days of vacation and end up with 13 days off. I think the smartest thing you are doing is trying to franchise your buisness. You’re doing well so ignore the ignorance and the comments from people who don’t have a clue. You make a HUGE difference to alot of people and pets. You’ve saved my butt more than once, even if I don’t need you very often know that you are my first choice. Keep it up, do what you love, A LOT of people depend on you. As far as that quote from Oprah posted above; the woman is worth BILLIONS, I’d say that’s good advice to live by.
You have a great schedule! Do you know how many people would love to have that flexibility? I hope you take advantage of it!
Great post Lindsay! I get questions like that all the time about training. While my business is still new, I’m able to work part time for “Corporate America”. People are always suggesting jobs that I don’t want. I also have an online store to sell dog products and people really look at me as if I’m lazy. Thanks for such an inspirational post. I agree with Steve above, you have defined yourself! You should be very proud of who you are and what you do.
Oh, gosh. I get that too. People suggest jobs for me. And certain friends definitely think I’m lazy for having my own schedule and “playing with dogs” all day. They also think I’m lazy for making money online through my blog. They even say things like, “Well, you don’t work, so why don’t you just meet me at this time.” Oh, boy …
What they don’t understand is this, even though you don’t go into an office everyday like they do, doesn’t mean you don’t work. You may not post every day but you more than likely do something with your busines, dog walking, website optimazation, research, etc, every day. You probably put in as many hours every day, if not more than a lot of people.
Yes. It’s hard for people to understand.
Lindsay, Great post here! I’m so happy you are doing what you want with your career. Quitting your former job and doing what makes you really happy took guts, determination and lots of hard work. Congratulations on making it work so well for you. (I’m still figuring out my life goals even now.) By the way, I always look forward to your pictures and this one did not disappoint! One more thing, you keep saying how people mention how lucky you are to be doing what you do. I say, those dogs are pretty darn lucky as well to have somebody who loves dogs so much “get them out of the house.”
Thanks! And glad you like the pictures!
I think a lot of us in the pet industry go through this with friends and family. Nice to see you’ve got a great perspective on it.
Yes, I’m sure you understand!
Wonderful comments on your profession of dog walking. Your passion for the dogs and the outdoors is evident. There are so many variables involved in dog walking, both for you and each dog, that it takes a dedicated professional to keep control and bring the dogs home safe! Thank you for what you do!
David Duane Wilson
AdoptShelterDogs
Thank you! Some can be quite challenging!
WoW! How great that you have been able to get a dog walking business going ! I love dogs and have often thought about doing it myself ! I know what you mean about dogs being scared of something as simple as a piece of plastic. I was at my parents in March and my dog was afraid of an egg carton sitting on a veeery low step stool. She refused to come into the kitchen. We removed or moved things trying to figure out what was freaking her out. She would whine and jump around wanting so bad to come into the kitchen. I picked up the egg carton to throw it away and she came bounding into the kitchen to be with us. I had no clue that was the problem, I was just disposing of it !
and add such a dimension to our lives !
She was a dog I had just rescued a few weeks before, but I guess all dogs freak out over stuff ! They are too funny
Yeah it’s really interesting what sets them off sometimes. Something as simple as a plastic bag blowing in the wind really catches their attention.
I laugh because I’ve never had anybody congratulate me for being a pet sitter! I did it full time for 6 months & then under the deres of my mom had to get a FT job for the health benefits & steady secure income. I run my PT pet sitting business as if it were a FT job. I did stop doing daily dog walking & just do pet sitting for vacations, trips & temporary pet care situations and I’m busy! I tell people I’m a pet sitter – not a dog walker. But because my schedule is so spuratic I have to keep the FT job. But in 2010 I doubled my annual pet sitting income due to marketing advertising & word of mouth!
I don’t do it only for the money. I do it because I love it! Its the most fulfilling job I have ever had! I took a month off when my niece was born to help my sister out. Well it turned out she didn’t need the help & I had nothing to do after I got out of my FT job! I went stir crazy!!! I didn’t know what to do! It was a unexpected wake up call of exactly what a big part in my life this business has become for me! I went back to work 2 weeks early! LOL Both me & my clients were much happier!
I guarantee you that if you put your mind to it and love what you are doing that you can do pet sitting as your full-time and only job.
I really appreciate your posts. My twin sister and I are seriously thinking about starting our own dog walking/services biz in Florida. We have been thinking about this for a long time and are eager to do this and researching things now. We LOVE dogs, have experience walking/sitting in the past, and are confident and hopeful that we can keep up with the pups athletically! Any other pointers you might suggest would be much appreciated. Thanks again for your posts!
Thanks for reading my post. Best of luck to you and your sister. If you want to do this work bad enough, it will work out for you. For more advice, check out my post on how to start a dog walking business. And check out my ebook if you want further information. I also offer consulting. If you have any specific questions, just let me know!
http://www.thatmutt.com/2009/06/08/how-to-start-a-dog-walking-business
http://www.thatmutt.com/ebooks/
I came across this blog by accident. I am also a dog walker and pet sitter. I decided to start my own business dog walking because I needed a job! Didn’t think it would be successful by any means. It has been the best decision I have ever made and have to say dog walking and pet sitting has saved me. I will continue to read your blog for your advise and tips!
Great! Glad to hear you have been successful! Thanks for reading!
Just stumbled across this, and I have a question for you. After working for a dog walking company for the past 2 years, I’m looking into starting up my own. My main question is – how can I take days off? I rarely get sick, so I’m not really worried about that. If I want to take a trip though, is that doable, provided I give my clients ample head notice? I don’t plan to have employees any time soon, so I wouldn’t be able to provide a substitute. How does that normally work for you?
Easy. I just give them at least two week’s notice and say I will be gone. Then they make other arrangements.