HOW TO HIRE · PETS

How to hire a dog walker in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to dog walkers, but the law on control does. Here is what to check and ask.

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TWO WAYS TO BUY THIS

Which do you need?

An individual walker, by the hour

One person you meet, who walks your dog at the times you set, paid per walk or per hour. Right for a regular midday walk and a dog that does best with one familiar face.

A dog walking business, for the arrangement

A team with cover for holidays and sickness, insurance in the business name, and a written service agreement for set days. Right when you need walks five days a week without gaps.

What changes between them

A rate per walk from one person against a weekly price from a business; one walker against whoever is on the rota; your instructions against a written agreement; and VAT, which a registered business adds at 20% and an individual under £90,000 does not.

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a dog walker in five steps

  1. Meet the walker with your dogSee how they handle the lead and your dog's greeting.
  2. Agree solo or groupAnd how many dogs, at most, on a group walk.
  3. Say where and how longParks, fields, lead or off-lead, and the walk length counted from pickup.
  4. Share the risksReactivity, recall, health issues, your vet's details.
  5. Sort keys and updatesKeys tagged without your address; a photo or message after each walk.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Dog walking needs no licence anywhere in the UK: Defra's licensing guidance for England lists dog walkers among the businesses that do not need one, and none of the boarding schemes in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland covers walking. So the checks are insurance, how many dogs at once and the walker's plan for trouble.

Meet the dog walker and see them handle your dog before the first walk. gov.uk →

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

In England and Wales, section 3 makes the person in charge of a dog at the time — the walker as well as the owner — guilty of an offence if it is dangerously out of control, anywhere. A good walker knows each dog's triggers and keeps reactive dogs on a lead.

Tell the walker about any reactivity, and ask how they manage it. legislation.gov.uk →

Collar and tag (Control of Dogs Order 1992)

A dog in a public place must wear a collar with the owner's name and address on it or on a tag, with narrow exceptions such as working dogs. Microchipping does not replace it.

Check your dog's tag is current before handing over the lead. legislation.gov.uk →

Insurance

No law makes a dog walker carry insurance, but public liability and cover for animals in their care are normal for a business. Ask what the policy pays if your dog is hurt, falls ill or goes missing while with them.

Ask to see the current insurance certificate.

VAT

Dog walking is standard-rated at 20% when the walker or the business is VAT-registered. A walker on their own under the £90,000 registration threshold charges no VAT and has no VAT number to give; a dog walking business over it must charge VAT and show it separately.

Ask whether the walker is registered: if so, ask for the VAT number and for the 20% shown on its own line; an individual under £90,000 a year adds none. gov.uk →

“How many dogs does the dog walker take at once?”

A good answer: A small number they can control; Defra's home boarding guidance caps a walker at six, a useful benchmark.

“Is the walk time counted from pickup or from the park?”

A good answer: A clear answer, so a short walk is not sold as an hour.

“Will my dog go off the lead with the walker?”

A good answer: Only with your written OK and good recall.

“Are you insured as a dog walker, and for what?”

A good answer: Public liability and care of the dog, named insurer.

“What do you do if a dog is injured or lost?”

A good answer: Call you and the vet; a clear plan.

“How does the walker travel with dogs?”

A good answer: Secured in a crate or harness; never left in a hot vehicle.

“Who is the backup walker if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named backup, introduced first.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends each walk — the walker you met, or someone the business sends, employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number if the walker or business is registered, with VAT on the walks as a separate line
  • Price per walk, solo or group, and its length
  • Booked by the hour instead: the rate per walk or hour, the minimum booking, and what each side brings (lead, towel, treats)
  • Extra dogs, weekends and holidays, and pickup and drop-off
  • Cancellation terms, both ways

Walk away if

  • More dogs than one person can control
  • Off-lead without asking
  • No insurance
  • Dogs left in a parked van
  • Keys labelled with your address
LOW
£10
TYPICAL
£15
HIGH
£25

What a dog walker costs: £10–£25 per walk

Dog walking is priced per walk — solo or group, by length — with extra dogs, weekends and holidays sometimes charged on top. 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.

  1. PickupLead on indoors, door secured.
  2. TravelDog secured if driven to the walk.
  3. The walkAgreed route and time; lead rules kept.
  4. ReturnTowel down, water, door locked.
  5. UpdateA message or photo, with any notes.

Solo walk
Your dog walked alone.
Group walk
Several dogs walked together.
Recall
Coming back when called.
Reactive dog
A dog that reacts strongly to other dogs or people.
Public liability
Insurance for harm to other people or their property.
Collar tag
The owner's name and address a dog must wear in public.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check your dog after walksPaws, coat and energy; a limp or cut should be raised the same day.
Read the updatesTime out, where, anything that happened.
Review the arrangementAfter a few weeks, is your dog happy to see the walker?
Rate the bookingOnly customers who booked can rate on Locufy. Below four stars, the walker is asked to put things right before the rating shows.

STEP 1Tell the walker, in writingSay what happened on the walk and what you want — vet costs, a refund. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the walker to provide the service with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyScore the dog walker under four stars and you are asked whether the walker should see it first; we follow it through, then your review goes up.
STEP 3Escalate itWith no register for a dog walker, escalation runs through the consumer helplines, which can pass cases to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsWhere money is owed back for the dog walker, you can claim without a solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under Scotland's simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a dog walker: questions people ask

No. Dog walking is not licensed in any UK nation; Defra's guidance for England names dog walkers among the businesses that need no licence.

In England and Wales, under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the person in charge of the dog — the walker — as well as the owner. Welfare law also makes the walker responsible for the dog's needs while in charge.

Yes. The Control of Dogs Order 1992 requires a collar with the owner's name and address in a public place.

Most people pay between £10 and £25 per walk; £15 is the typical figure. The dog walking price guide shows what changes it, and a search above lists dog walkers nearby.

No law requires it, but a professional carries public liability and care of the dogs.

Tell the walker in writing. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill; ask for vet costs or a refund.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in pets

How to hire: Group Dog WalkingHow to hire: Doggy Day CareHow to hire: Pet SittingHow to hire: Puppy VisitsHow to hire: Dog TrainingHow to hire: Dog BoardingHow to hire: House Sitting with PetsHow to hire: Dog GroomingAll 701 hiring guides →

Dog walkers near you

Dog walkers in LondonDog walkers in ManchesterDog walkers in BirminghamDog walkers in GlasgowDog walkers in BelfastAll dog walkers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk (Defra) — dog day care licensing guidance
  2. gov.uk (Defra) — home boarding for dogs licensing guidance
  3. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, section 3
  4. Control of Dogs Order 1992, article 2
  5. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 3 — responsibility for animals
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  9. nidirect — small claims process
  10. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register