Signs You're Undercharging
Most dog walkers who are undercharging don't realize it — they just feel like the business isn't paying off the way it should. Some common signs:
- You're fully booked but not hitting your income target. A full schedule at the wrong rate is still the wrong rate.
- Clients never push back on price. If literally nobody has ever questioned your rate, it may be lower than what the market would actually bear.
- You haven't raised rates in over a year. Costs go up every year — insurance, gas, gear. If your rate hasn't moved, it's effectively decreased.
- You feel resentful on certain walks. Dread before a walk that has nothing to do with the dog is often a pricing problem in disguise.
- You set your rate based on Rover's suggested price. Platform suggested rates are built around the platform's fee structure, not your actual costs as an independent walker.
If two or more of these sound familiar, it's worth working through the exercise below — even if you ultimately decide to keep your current rate.
Start With Your Income Goal, Not the Market Rate
The most common mistake is starting with "what do other walkers charge?" That number tells you what's possible in your market, but it doesn't tell you what you need.
Instead, start here:
- Decide your target monthly income — what you actually want to take home
- Decide how many walks you can realistically do per week, accounting for travel time, breaks, and days off
- Divide target income by available walks to get your baseline rate
For example: if you want to net $3,000/month and can realistically do 25 walks/week (about 108/month), your baseline is $3,000 ÷ 108 ≈ $28 per walk — before costs.
Use the DogWalkr Rate Calculator to run this math with your own numbers — enter your target income and available walks, and it shows the rate you need to charge. Try the calculator →
Account for Your Real Costs
Your baseline rate from the step above doesn't yet account for what it costs to run the business. Add these in before calling it your final number:
| Cost | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Liability / pet care insurance | $25-$50/mo | Often overlooked but a real recurring cost |
| Gas / vehicle wear | Varies widely | Higher in spread-out service areas |
| Booking software / tools | Varies | See current DogWalkr pricing |
| Self-employment tax | ~15.3% of net profit | Often the single biggest "hidden" cost new walkers miss |
| Gear, bags, first aid supplies | $10-$30/mo | Ongoing replacement cost, not just a one-time purchase |
If your monthly costs come to $250 and you're doing 108 walks/month, that's about $2.30 per walk just to cover overhead — before tax. Add that to your baseline, then add a margin for self-employment tax, and your real minimum rate is often $5-$8 higher than the number you started with.
Check Your Number Against the Local Market
Once you have your real minimum rate, compare it to what your local market supports. This step isn't about lowering your number to match — it's about understanding where you stand.
- If your number is within the local range — you're in good shape. Set your rate at or slightly above your minimum.
- If your number is above the local range — that's useful information. You may need to adjust your walk volume, target a different client segment (specialty dogs, premium neighborhoods), or revisit your cost assumptions.
- If your number is well below the local range — you have room. Most walkers in this position are undercharging and can raise rates without losing significant business.
For local rate benchmarks by market type, see How Much Should Dog Walkers Charge?
Build Your Full Price List
A rate is one number. A price list is your full structure — and having one written down (even if only for yourself at first) makes pricing decisions consistent across every client.
A typical price list includes:
- 30-minute walk rate
- 60-minute walk rate (or your policy on offering it)
- Drop-in / potty break rate
- Additional dog fee (same household)
- Holiday / peak-day surcharge
- Any package or recurring-client discount (if you choose to offer one)
For a ready-to-use format, see Dog Walking Price List Template.
What to Do About Existing Underpriced Clients
If this exercise reveals that your current rate is below your real minimum, the fix isn't to drop existing clients — it's to raise rates with notice.
- Give 30 days notice for any rate change to existing clients
- Apply new rates to new clients immediately — there's no reason to onboard new clients at a rate you already know is too low
- Don't apologize excessively — a short, factual notice is enough
The longer you wait, the bigger the gap gets. A walker who delays a rate increase for two years isn't avoiding a hard conversation — they're making it harder, since the eventual increase has to be larger to catch up.
For scripts and a step-by-step approach, see How to Raise Your Dog Walking Rates Without Losing Clients.
How DogWalkr Keeps Your Rates Consistent
Once you've worked out your rates, the next challenge is making sure they're applied consistently — every client sees the same price list, every booking reflects the right rate, and nothing gets lost in a string of old text messages.
DogWalkr lets you set your rates once and shows them to clients as part of your booking flow, so there's no renegotiating from scratch every time someone new reaches out.
Ready to run bookings after your rate card is clear? Start your free 14-day trial.