HOW TO HIRE · PETS · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a dog walker in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A dog walking in Ireland costs €12–€30 per walk, typically around €20. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
TWO WAYS TO BUY THIS
Which do you need?
An individual, by the hour
You book a person for a set number of hours and they do what you ask. There is no scope and no quote: you are buying time. Best where the work is routine, you can say what you want done, and you would rather pay for two hours than for a job.
A company, for the job
You describe the job and they price it. There is a scope, a written quote, a team and somebody supervising it. Best where the work is one big push, where it needs equipment, or where you want one party answerable for the result.
What changes between them
The rate per hour against a price for the job; one person against a team; your own instructions against a written scope; and VAT, which an individual under the registration threshold does not charge at all.
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a dog walker in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers dog walker work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — additional Services — some dog walkers provide extra services such as feeding your dog, administering medication, or offering basic training during walks.
- How does duration of the walk change the price?Longer bookings let the provider finish without a second trip. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does number of dogs being walked change the price?A long list is cheaper per line than a short one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does experience level of the walker change the price?Specialists charge for knowing which shortcuts are safe. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Group Walks — many dog walkers offer group walks where multiple dogs are walked together — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a dog walker job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
By the hour
No register applies
NO LICENCE OR REGISTER APPLIES TO DOG WALKERS, PET SITTERS OR GROOMERS IN IRELAND. Anyone may trade as one. The protection is insurance and what is written down — and the insurance that matters is not the obvious one.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
CARE, CUSTODY AND CONTROL cover, not just public liability — public liability pays if your dog bites a stranger; care, custody and control is what pays if your dog is injured, lost or killed while in their charge, and plenty of walkers carry only the first; How many dogs are walked at once, and whether yours is walked with strangers' dogs; Whether they are insured to drive your dog in their vehicle, and how it is secured; What happens if your dog is hurt or runs — the plan, and which vet; Keys: who holds one, how it is returned, what happens if it is lost, in writing; Two references from current clients, called not read.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
Insurance
Expect care, custody and control cover as well as public liability. You are booking an individual for a set number of hours, so ask whether the ID has been checked and what the rating is from people who booked the same way — there is no company behind them to carry either.
A company
No register applies
NO LICENCE OR REGISTER APPLIES TO DOG WALKERS, PET SITTERS OR GROOMERS IN IRELAND. Anyone may trade as one. The protection is insurance and what is written down — and the insurance that matters is not the obvious one.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
CARE, CUSTODY AND CONTROL cover, not just public liability — public liability pays if your dog bites a stranger; care, custody and control is what pays if your dog is injured, lost or killed while in their charge, and plenty of walkers carry only the first; How many dogs are walked at once, and whether yours is walked with strangers' dogs; Whether they are insured to drive your dog in their vehicle, and how it is secured; What happens if your dog is hurt or runs — the plan, and which vet; Keys: who holds one, how it is returned, what happens if it is lost, in writing; Two references from current clients, called not read.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
Insurance
Expect care, custody and control cover as well as public liability. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
A good answer: No register covers dog walker work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — additional Services — some dog walkers provide extra services such as feeding your dog, administering medication, or offering basic training during walks.
A good answer: Longer bookings let the provider finish without a second trip. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: A long list is cheaper per line than a short one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Specialists charge for knowing which shortcuts are safe. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Group Walks — many dog walkers offer group walks where multiple dogs are walked together — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a dog walker job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect care, custody and control cover as well as public liability — adventure Walks — longer, more stimulating walks in parks or nature reserves.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the dog walker starts, and an itemised invoice after — senior Dog Walking — gentle walks for older dogs, focusing on comfort and mobility.
Getting the quote right, or booking by the hour
By the hour
- The rate per hour, and whether it changes in the evening or at a weekend
- The minimum booking, and what happens if the job finishes early
- What they bring and what you supply
- Whether the ID has been checked, and the rating from people who booked the same way
- Insurance, where the work can damage something or somebody
- The hours and the list of what is to be done, agreed before the first one
- Duration of the walk — longer bookings let the provider finish without a second trip.
- Number of dogs being walked — a long list is cheaper per line than a short one.
- Experience level of the walker — specialists charge for knowing which shortcuts are safe.
- Any special requirements — the more intricate the work, the slower it has to be done.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
A company
- Duration of the walk — longer bookings let the provider finish without a second trip.
- Number of dogs being walked — a long list is cheaper per line than a short one.
- Experience level of the walker — specialists charge for knowing which shortcuts are safe.
- Any special requirements — the more intricate the work, the slower it has to be done.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: duration of the walk — longer bookings let the provider finish without a second trip
- They will not talk about it: number of dogs being walked — a long list is cheaper per line than a short one
- They will not talk about it: experience level of the walker — specialists charge for knowing which shortcuts are safe
- A price for the dog walker before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the dog walker has begun
What a dog walker costs: €12–€30 per walk
The figures are for the job, per walk, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Group dog walking and Solo dog walking each carry their own band. Dog Walking price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Dog walkers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.
- Look firstDuration of the walk — longer bookings let the provider finish without a second trip — that is what the dog walker is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneNumber of dogs being walked — a long list is cheaper per line than a short one — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfExperience level of the walker — specialists charge for knowing which shortcuts are safe — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherAny special requirements — the more intricate the work, the slower it has to be done — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the dog walker is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, look for dog walkers with relevant experience and training in animal care.
- Group Walks
- Many dog walkers offer group walks where multiple dogs are walked together.
- Additional Services
- Some dog walkers provide extra services such as feeding your dog, administering medication, or offering basic training during walks.
- Group Dog Walking
- Walking multiple dogs together, promoting socialisation and exercise.
- Puppy Socialisation Walks
- Shorter, gentle walks designed to help puppies adapt to the outside world.
- Senior Dog Walking
- Gentle walks for older dogs, focusing on comfort and mobility.
- Adventure Walks
- Longer, more stimulating walks in parks or nature reserves.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a dog walker: questions people ask
The cost of dog walking can vary based on factors such as the duration of the walk, the number of dogs being walked, and the experience level of the walker. Additional services like feeding or training may also increase the price.
Dog walks usually last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your dog's energy levels and specific needs. Some walkers offer longer sessions for more active dogs.
Yes, many dog walkers offer packages that include multiple services such as walking and feeding. Booking several related jobs can often lead to discounts, so it's worth asking.
Services such as grooming, training, or overnight care are generally not included in standard dog walking packages. If you require these services, it's advisable to seek a specialist in those areas.
NO LICENCE OR REGISTER APPLIES TO DOG WALKERS, PET SITTERS OR GROOMERS IN IRELAND. Anyone may trade as one. The protection is insurance and what is written down — and the insurance that matters is not the obvious one.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES