The Dog House

This monthly system helps a UK pet care business stay organised, compliant, and running smoothly by breaking essential tasks into four simple focus areas completed across the month or in one admin day. It covers finance and tax (including recording income and expenses, keeping Making Tax Digital records up to date, checking VAT if applicable, and setting aside money for tax), admin and client management (invoicing, payments, contracts, bookings, and availability), operations

May can feel like the reward for surviving winter. The days are longer, the countryside looks glorious, and on the surface everything seems easier. But May has a habit of dressing up hazards in sunshine and birdsong. For professional dog walkers, this is a month where risks often become less obvious, not less serious. Rising temperatures, increasing public activity, dense spring growth, more insects, more wildlife, and more energetic dogs can all create problems if you are n

Back To The Dog House A Professional Dog Walker’s Guide to April (Sunshine, showers, and dogs that have officially decided spring is the best thing ever.) April in the UK is the true arrival of spring. The countryside begins to wake up, the days are noticeably longer, and the dogs you walk are suddenly operating at about 200% enthusiasm . For professional dog walkers, April brings new opportunities but also new challenges. Wildlife activity increases, parasites become more ac

Running a pet care business isn’t just about caring for animals — it also requires consistent admin, financial, legal, and client‑care tasks. This monthly checklist helps ensure nothing important slips through the cracks.

Many experienced dog walkers quietly undercharge not because they don’t know better, but because prices have “always been that way”. Over time, this leads to long hours, little flexibility, and a business that depends entirely on you never being ill, unavailable, or...

April can look lovely on the surface. Spring flowers are out, the days are brighter, and everyone feels a bit more cheerful after winter. However, for professional dog walkers, April brings a unique mix of environmental hazards, behavioural changes in dogs, and business-related challenges...

April in the UK is that magical time of year when you leave the house in sunglasses, waterproofs, a fleece, and mild emotional confusion. One minute it’s sunshine and birdsong, the next minute the sky opens like someone’s tipped a bucket over the park. The British weather in April isn’t so much a forecast as a personality trait...

A holiday placeholder policy explains what happens when a client goes away and how their dog’s place in your schedule is handled. It helps you to maintain a clients regular space, ensure all dogs receive suitable care, help plan your business and your income...

There comes a point in nearly every dog walker’s career when a very specific question appears — usually uninvited, usually carrying spreadsheets, and usually sounding suspiciously like an unpaid invoice with legs:Should I be doing group walks instead?...

Starting a dog walking business is about more than just a love of dogs—it’s about building a professional, safe, and reliable service for both dogs and their owners. Before taking on clients, it’s important to have the right foundations in place, including your business setup, insurance, pricing, and policies. Below you’ll find step-by-step guidance to help you get started, from understanding legal requirements and choosing the right insurance, to setting your prices and c

Automate Dog Walking Leads. What you should do and when to stay organised and professional using either Google or Microsoft...

Starting a pet care business can be an amazing way to earn money, build skills, and spend time with animals—but under 18s….

There is a moment in almost every dog walker’s career that feels like a rite of passage — and not the celebratory kind. It’s the moment you look at your prices and think:“Oh no. I’ve accidentally been running a charity.” Fuel creeps up. Insurance renews at a number that makes you sit down. Your van develops a noise that sounds like a warning. The cost of living does whatever it’s been doing...

If you are a sole trader in the UK, Making Tax Digital (MTD) is something you need to prepare for properly. There is a lot of noise online, but this guide focuses only on genuine, useful, and free resources, along with business bank accounts that actually make MTD easier. Here are a list of Free Resources to help...

If you run your dog business through a limited company, your responsibilities around tax and compliance are slightly different to sole traders. Making Tax Digital (MTD) is part of that shift, but it is important to understand what applies to you now, what is coming, and how to set yourself up properly using free tools where possible.

Running a dog walking business is often refreshingly straightforward. Dogs need walking, clients need help, and your day is spent outdoors doing something genuinely worthwhile.

Back To The Dog House Recall Problems Recall in a group! That’s a very real-world dog walker problem—group dynamics can completely override recall if the dog doesn’t see you as relevant yet. If a dog is ignoring you in a group, the issue usually isn’t “they don’t know recall”… it’s that you’re competing with everything else and losing. So the goal is to rebalance that equation. Here are practical, tomorrow-ready tips 👇 1. Stop “wasting” your recall cue If you’re calling and

If you paid The Dog Training College (DTC)/Innovaze Ltd by card or bank transfer, you have several routes to try to get your money back…

Raising prices is not just about money. It is about safety, continuity, and professionalism. How Established Businesses Increase Prices Without Undermining Authority or Stability…

Many former students of the Dog Training College are attempting to recover course fees after the organisation ceased operating and access to