Ryan Stewart started working as a dog walker 20 years ago as a way to make extra cash between acting gigs. Since then, however, the work became lucrative enough for Stewart to make the leap to walking pups full-time.
How successful can you be walking dogs for a living? Well, according to a video with CNBC Make It, Stewart is pulling in over $120,000 with his side hustle.
A Dog Walker in the Making
When Stewart moved to New York to pursue professional dancing, he says dog walking as a side hustle came naturally.
“I remember standing on the street handing out business cards,” he says, “I just started out with like one or two dogs [for] half a year, before that became three or four.” As his reputation grew, Stewart was able to raise his rates. These days, Ryan for Dogs charges $25 per dog on group walks.
Stewart says half his business comes through personal referrals. As for the other half, Stewart claims applications from his website have started to pile up. Thankfully, he’s able to be selective about the dogs he walks and only responds to about 10 percent of prospective dog parents.
An Honest Day’s Work
Five days a week, Stewart starts his day with 2-3 hours of walks in the morning. After that, a short break for water and a nap, and then another 2-3 hour walk. Generally, he only works 1-2 hours on Saturdays, and he makes it a rule to have Sundays off.
Stewart only uses his own equipment and walks all dogs as groups. Sometimes, he will even walk dogs off-leash. According to him, dog parents will express worry over his tactics, but Stewart says in 20 years he’s never had a dog get hit by a car.
“A good dog walker is focused and attentive, because you want to prevent your dog from getting hurt,” Stewart says. “You have to watch traffic. You have to watch the dogs [so they] don’t fight each other. It’s not one of those [jobs] that you can put on some AirPods and listen to music while you’re doing it.”
The Cons of the Job
The job isn’t without its drawbacks, however. Stewart says he has to pay for his own health care insurance, doesn’t get vacation time, and has to pick up lots of dog poop.
On top of that, Stewart says the pandemic has made dog parents more obsessive. He says the increased expectations are frustrating.
“Owners are increasingly more demanding and crazier,” he says, “There’s more cameras and there’s more dog trackers. That’s a challenge because you feel you have people looking over your shoulder all the time. It just makes it more stressful.”
Through it all, though, it doesn’t seem like Stewart would change his work for anything.
Overall, what does Stewart say is the best part of his job?
“Without a college degree, I’ve managed to make six figures a year … doing something I love.”
