Competition

• One of the most important considerations in determining how much you should charge for walking dogs is the fees of your potential competition. If you are charging substantially more than competing dog walkers, people are not likely to seek your services. If you are charging substantially less than competing dog walkers, you are not likely to make enough money to cover costs and make a profit. You must research your competition by looking in phone books and online and posing as a customer to learn how much they are charging, then basing your prices on that information.
  
  

Initial Startup Costs

• Your initial startup costs are also a determining factor in your dog walking fees. You must think thoroughly about what you will need to start your business and how much you would need to make to cover those costs. Since your business is likely going to be a sole proprietorship (a business owned by one person), you may have to spend money to file the necessary business papers. You will also need certain items for the business, such as leashes, treats and dog waste cleanup bags. Advertising costs are also an important consideration.
  
  

Target Customer

• You must consider your customers when setting a fee for your services. If you are serving a community where the people have very high incomes, you would want to charge a higher fee so that your customer base will feel that your service is high-end and top quality. If you are serving a low-income community, you would want to charge a more modest fee so that your customers can afford your services.
  
  

Services Offered and Cost Structure

• You should consider what services you will offer as a part of your dog walking business. How many dogs per household will you walk? Do you provide leashes or should the customer provide leashes? How far do you walk dogs and where do you walk them? Will you provide dog treats or even dog training lessons? You must answer these questions and determine a cost structure. You could say that you will walk up to two dogs per household for $5 a dog for one hour of walking. You could also charge by the hour ($5 to $15 an hour depending on the customer).