There are loads of ways to save extra money for travel. From picking up a second shift to selling things online to freelance writing. But no side hustle is as fun as playing with dogs and getting paid for it! Make money dog sitting or dog walking with Rover!
I stumbled across Rover.com in 2016 while searching for a way to earn extra money for a trip. You can dog sit or dog walk, set your own rates and services, and create your own schedule.
Signing up was a no brainer! I’ve since made nearly $5,000.
About Rover
Rover is the nation’s largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers, and is found in both the US and Canada.
Services you can provide include dog boarding, doggy daycare, dog walking, drop-in visits, and housesitting. All sitters must pass a basic background check, which I’m sure is reassuring to owners who leave their dog in your care!
Setting Up Your Profile
Sign up here to start setting up your free profile! As a sitter, you can list your experience with pets and what your household is like. Choose your dog preferences (whether or not dogs are allowed on the couch, whether you can only take small dogs or all dogs, etc) and which services you’d like to provide. Search your city on the Rover website or app to find out what your area’s top sitters are charging. Set your prices a few dollars below theirs. You can increase it a bit later, once you’ve gained more experience and gotten a few good verified reviews.
Protection
Rover is very supportive of both their sitters and dog owners. The company backs its services with the Rover Guarantee, a 24/7 help hotline, and reservation protection. You’re encouraged to take photos of the dogs to send to the owners and give updates on how their pup is doing. Before you even accept a booking, you can set up a “meet-and-greet” to meet the owner and their dog! This helps the owner feel more comfortable — and you’ll know right away whether they’re crazy or not if the dog will be a handful or totally fine.
Everything is securely booked and paid for, easily through the site or app, and you’ll get paid 2 days after the service is over. For example, if I host a dog overnight, I’ll see my payment in Rover 2 days after the dog’s been picked up. I’ll then “withdraw” the payment to PayPal, and transfer the money from PayPal to my bank account. It might sound complicated, but it only takes a few seconds! You also have the option of payment via check.
Quick Sitter Tips
On top of asking happy owners to leave you reviews, make sure your calendar is always up-to-date and that you’re responding to requests quickly. Make yourself stand out in order to get more bookings! I’ve made it even more enticing to book with me by photographing people’s dogs in front of murals. Other sitters I know will build a good repertoire with their clients by mailing the dogs Christmas cards or sending them home with a dog bakery treat. Find a nice little touch like this that will make owners want to book with you again in the future!
How Much I Make
I’ll start by saying that how much you make depends entirely on you, since you can set your own rates. However, your prices should be largely based around the average rates of other top sitters in your area. For example, the average top sitter in Sacramento may charge $35 for dog boarding, but the average might be $45 in San Francisco. Also fairly factor in your level of experience handling different dog breeds and personalities.
I’ll also start by saying that Rover takes 20%. This is for all the promotion they do of your profile to potential clients, and for things like providing you with the Rover Guarantee and support with the help line. You could try to make money dog sitting by starting your own service. BUT, you’d waste so much time printing and posting flyers and ads and proving your trustworthiness. Plus I guarantee you’d prefer the safety net of having someone to call and help you if a dog escaped or got really sick!
In total since I started, I’ve made nearly $5,000! $1,674 of which was made just in the last 5 ½ months. And that’s been with a busy schedule of other jobs, meetings, and plans. I could’ve made even more if my calendar had been more open! But to make money dog sitting has been one of the best methods of funding my travels.
On the lower right of the screenshot below, you’ll see how much I’ve earned by the year, with some of my recent payment history on the left. The upper right would show if you have a pending payment or money to withdraw. I was dog sitting when I took this screenshot, so that’s what the pending $48 is from. That $48 will show up in the Redeemable section two days after the dog’s picked up.
Keep in mind that, especially in 2016 and 2017, I’ve been working seasonally onboard cruise ships. I only spent a total of a few months time at home, in all of 2017 — and still made $1,500! Some of my earnings goes toward bills and groceries when I’m home, but the majority was spent on travel!
Here’s what I was able to do on my 2017 travels with my Rover money :
● Megabus and Amtrak tickets from Boston to Maine to Philadelphia to see friends
● Romantic dinner out with my boyfriend while visiting him in Baltimore
● A day trip to SF : Museum of Ice Cream and Color Factory tickets, food, BART transports, and Megabus home
● A $50 crab feast after hiking the Ice Caves in Juneau, Alaska (also the taxi to/from the trail)
● Loads of other great food and coffee while working Alaska cruise contracts
Hmm…I see a trend. Clearly food is my top priority when I take a trip!
Here’s what YOU could do with an extra $1,500 from Rover :
● Cruise to the Caribbean
● Fly roundtrip to Mexico, stay in mid-range lodging, tour a cenote, and eat all the tacos
● Roadtrip across the country, sightseeing some parks and staying in cute Airbnbs
Dog sitting or dog walking through Rover.com is perfect for anyone looking to earn extra travel money between trips, or for anyone who’s often home with a flexible schedule. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments about Rover and my experiences using them!
Sign up here to make money dog sitting or dog walking with Rover, and start funding your travels!
What would you spend your Rover money on?
Tell me in the comments!
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