What Dog Walking Services Should You Choose In The US?

Whether your dog is an energetic puppy that needs a few miles of running each day or a couch potato, all dogs need exercise and mental stimulation.

But if you work long hours, have an unpredictable schedule, or are physically unable to take your dog for a walk for their daily exercise, You need to hire a dog walker!

To help make this process easy, our editors have independently researched and identified the top 5 dog walking services in the US. 

Note: DogExpress does not endorse the brands mentioned in this article. This is a research-based article, and there isn’t a ranking order. 

Top Dog Walking Services In The US

▌ Rover:

Rover was founded in 2011 during a startup hackathon by then-college junior Philip Kimmey as an “Airbnb for dogs.” The company started with an aim to pair dog parents with dog people, who would treat any dog as their own.

Rover offers boarding, house sitting, grooming, daycare, dog walking, and drop-in visits in 34,000 locations, making it the United States’ biggest network of dog walkers and caregivers.  

It is an easy-to-use online platform. All you have to do is provide your location, choose the service you want, and when you want them. You can choose single visit, recurrent daily, or weekly services based on your requirements.

You will get a list of possible dog walkers in your area—along with the beginning fee for their services. You have to answer a few questions about your dog like its weight and age to proceed.

A Single Stroll costs somewhere between $15 to $20. You can read reviews for each caregiver before making a decision. 

▌ Wag:

This brand started with some A-list celebrities endorsing them. Stars like Olivia Munn and Mariah Carey to name a few. It was launched in 2015 and doing great currently.

Wag! quickly got popular due to its speed of services provided. It allows dog owners to hire dog walkers in less than an hour. Usual walks cost around $20 and can be incremented hourly. Dog owners only pay $5 more per walk per dog for additional time.

Wag! boasts about all of their walkers being insured and their background verified. They help track your dog’s whereabouts in real-time, and you can also get their restroom updates, pictures, and a walk report at the end of the service. They also offer services like dog sitting, boarding, and more. 

▌ Barkly Pets:

Based in Washington, D.C., this local on-demand dog walking service has quickly become a national platform for dog walking services. Barkly Pets is now available in all 50 states and Guam. The charges are competitive ranging from $15 to $20 for a 30-minute walk. So, a 1-hour dog walk would cost around $30.  

They train each dog walker and certify them before listing their profiles online. Dog owners can go through the list of dog walker profiles and choose the right walker for their dog.

The hours of operation offered are between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The dog walkers are provided with a personalized checklist created by the owner, which could include the dog’s favorite toys, prescriptions, and special notes for the walks. 

▌ Fetch!:

Fetch is a pet care business that pairs dog owners with sitters from their network based on their particular requirements 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. They started in 2002 in Berkeley, California. Currently, they have offices set up and provide services in over 70 locations.

Single walks cost between $18 and $24, and they also provide dog sitting services. Each sitter or walker is background vetted and insured, and the firm assigns a “back-up” sitter to every reservation to ensure you have a sitter or walker on standby for any emergency.

 ▌ Pet Backer:

Petbacker, located in Singapore, serves the whole United States and is a global resource for dog lovers, with activities ranging from Italy to India and beyond.

The app’s straightforward navigation makes arranging a stroll easy for globetrotters who wish to have their dog with them. Each walker sets his or her fee, and consumers receive immediate access to five quotations from local walkers—picked by Petbacker or chosen by the user.

Before you book, you can see verified reviews for each possible walker, as well as “trust points” granted to the walker for each social media account they have linked to the app. 

Conclusion

Choosing the right dog walker is crucial. It is just like hiring a babysitter for your baby. The dog walker you hire will be responsible for your dog’s safety and well-being throughout the time they are on the walk.

They should develop the right bond. Trust and safety are the most vital factors you need to consider while hiring dog walking services.