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Start a dog walking business
Dog walking is one of the simpler trades to start legally in the UK. In most areas plain walking does not need a licence, so the real work is registering correctly, getting the right insurance, and being clear about where the licensing line sits.
The line that catches people out is day care and home boarding. The walking itself is unregulated nationally, but as soon as you keep dogs at a premises you need a council animal activities licence. Some councils and parks also now run their own dog walker permit schemes.
We set the whole thing up properly with you, so you are registered, insured and clear on the rules before you take on your first client.
What you need to start a dog walking business.
The steps, in the right order. We do every one of them with you.
- 01
Register as self-employed with HMRC
Tell HMRC you are trading as a sole trader so you can file a Self Assessment tax return. Do this by 5 October in your business's second tax year at the latest, and keep your start date noted.
- 02
Arrange dog walking insurance
Take out public liability cover with care, custody and control for the dogs, and add key cover if you hold clients' keys. Add employers' liability if you ever take on staff, as that cover is required by law.
- 03
Check licensing for what you actually do
Confirm you only need to walk, not board or run day care. If you add boarding or day care, apply to your council for an animal activities licence. Check borough and park permit rules wherever you plan to walk.
- 04
Set up bookkeeping and prepare for Making Tax Digital
Keep digital records of income and expenses from day one. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax begins phasing in from April 2026 for sole traders above the income threshold, so digital records now save work later.
- 05
Build a simple website and Google Business Profile
A clear website with your areas, services and prices, plus a free Google Business Profile, is how local clients find and trust you. Encourage early clients to leave reviews.
- 06
Set up bookings and a local number
Make it easy to book and pay, with an online form or booking page and a contact number. Confirm slots and your terms in writing so both sides are clear.
What you do and don't need a licence for.
- ✓
Licence to walk dogs (general position) · No, in most areas
Plain dog walking is not covered by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, so no national licence applies. You can usually start trading without one.
- !
Animal activities licence (day care or boarding) · Yes, if you add day care or home boarding
The moment you keep dogs in your own home or a premises for day care or overnight boarding, you cross into licensable activity and must apply to your local council. Simple walking and visiting dogs in the owner's home stay outside this. Keep walking and boarding clearly separate, or get the council licence.
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Council or park dog walking permit · Sometimes, depending on where you walk
Some London boroughs, for example Wandsworth and Tower Hamlets, now run professional dog walker permit schemes, often capping you at six dogs at once. The Royal Parks also require a paid commercial permit. Check the rules for every park and council area you intend to work in before you start.
- ✓
VAT registration · Only above the threshold
You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes the VAT registration threshold over any rolling 12 month period. Most new dog walkers are well below this, so it does not apply at the start.
Insurance. Public liability insurance is not required by law for a sole trader, but clients and many parks expect it, and it covers you if a dog you are walking injures someone or damages property. Look for a policy that also includes care, custody and control cover, which protects you if a dog is hurt, lost or falls ill while in your charge, plus key cover if you hold clients' house keys. If you take on staff, employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement.
Starting a dog walking business: FAQs.
Do I need a licence to walk dogs in the UK?
In most areas, no. Plain dog walking is not covered by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, so there is no national licence for it. The exceptions are local: some councils, mainly in London, and the Royal Parks now run professional dog walker permit schemes, so check the rules for every area and park you work in. You do need a council animal activities licence if you also offer day care or home boarding.
Do I need insurance to be a dog walker?
It is not a legal requirement for a sole trader, but it is strongly expected and many parks and clients will ask for it. Public liability covers injury or damage caused by a dog in your care, and care, custody and control cover protects you if a dog is hurt, lost or falls ill while with you. If you employ anyone, employers' liability insurance is required by law.
How much does it cost to start a dog walking business?
Usually a few hundred pounds, depending on your kit. The main costs are insurance, leads and harnesses, a pet first aid kit, and any van or car fit-out such as crates and guards. It is one of the lower cost trades to set up because you do not need premises to walk dogs.
How quickly can I start dog walking?
Quite quickly. Registering as self-employed with HMRC and arranging insurance can be done in a few days, and plain walking usually needs no licence. The main thing that slows people down is checking local park and borough permit rules, and arranging a council licence if they also want to board or run day care.
A small setup, then a companion for as long as you are trading.
You pay once to get the whole business set up properly. Then a simple monthly fee keeps your AI working alongside you for as long as you're trading.
We set the whole business up with you, properly, from day one. Registration, insurance, website, bookings, the lot.
- Registered and legally trading
- Insurance sorted for your trade
- A real website that ranks locally
- Google Business Profile, live on the map
- Online bookings and card payments
- A local phone number that rings your mobile
Stays with you for as long as you are trading. Logs your jobs, chases your money, reminds your customers, and tells you when to raise prices or hire.
Cancel any time. Your data is always yours to export.
Be among the first and keep founding-member pricing for as long as you stay subscribed.
Most services drop you the moment you're registered. Ours never does.
Your AI knows your business from its very first day, because it was there when you started it. It never asks you to explain yourself twice. As you grow, it's the one place you go: today's jobs, what's been paid, customer replies, your next move.
And it's yours. Everything we hold, you can see and export any time. We earn your stay by being useful, not by locking the door. For anything that needs a qualified accountant or adviser, we flag it and connect you to a trusted partner.