Dogs Pay Half Her Rent

My friend makes $1000 to $2000 a month dog-sitting. Can you believe it?

I thought I would share this story, partly because we’re thinking of trying what she is doing, but mostly because it is so illustrative of the fact that there are infinite ways to bring in money.

It isn’t really the cash that motivates my friend. It’s the dogs.

Say there is someone who absolutely adores dogs. Loves dog energy. Thinks that dogs are the best creatures on Earth. Is a total “animal person.”

Now, imagine that same person loves to travel, both for business and for pleasure. Is not in a position to own a pet. Does not have immediate plans to settle down.

What would be a way for this dog-loving person to have a dog around as often as possible, while not abdicating on a commitment?

This is where the dog-sitting idea came in. Why not be surrounded by dogs on demand, and also get paid for it??

It’s now easy to sign up with one of several pet-sitting apps. It doesn’t take long in a reputation-based business like that for individuals to stand out one way or the other.

My friend is a business professional with an immaculate home. She lives alone, doesn’t smoke, and has no other pets. Those qualities are true of some people and not of others.

I know from experience the way my friend spoils dogs. Our own dog used to try to jump in her car window whenever he saw her. We came home from a week overseas, and he didn’t even meet us at the door. He just popped his head up and stayed in her lap.

Oh, I see how it is!

Who is the real winner of this arrangement?

The spoiled dog? The dog-loving lady who isn’t ready to commit? Or the traveling couple who worry so much when they are out of town?

Answer: Everyone

Everyone is the winner in this scenario.

We’ve been thinking of ways to expand the services she offers, without of course going to great lengths of effort or expense.

Dropping dogs off at the groomer’s before the owner comes home?

Taking dogs to their vet appointments?

Anyone who travels a lot for work would probably be thrilled to be able to hire this out. Find out the going rate, shrug, and pay it.

Personally I think ‘dog massage’ would be another winner. For someone who is willing to give a dog massage, and for the right breed, that seems like it could be a natural fit. I used to live next door to a huge elderly Newfie who probably would have loved it.

Another way my friend could make more money with her current dog hustle would be to set out on her own and book her own clients. She wouldn’t have to pay a cut to the app any more.

Another thing she could do would be to reach out to local dog walkers, veterinarians, or groomers and offer her card. Not everyone is willing to host dogs overnight; not everyone lives in a place that would accommodate it.

We in our fifth floor apartment would not be able to do this sort of business right now, especially since we work office jobs at home. Barking would not be a value-add for our video meetings.

There are probably a lot of people who live in an ordinary suburban house who also enjoy having dogs around. Just as there are probably a lot of people who have the space to rent out a room on AirBnB if they cleaned up and got rid of a few truckloads of clutter.

The bar to entry for certain side hustles is lower than it’s ever been.

A lot of people are overlooking an asset in their life, either because they have always taken it for granted or because it has never occurred to them that it’s an asset. Others are in a beaten-down and depressive state, convinced that they are no good to anybody, when the very next day they could quite easily be making someone’s life easier or better.

What are your assets?

A garage - even if it’s currently packed wall to ceiling

A yard - even if it’s overgrown and full of junk

More than one bedroom - even if the house is hoarded hip deep

Talent with animals

Decent internet connectivity, which not all neighborhoods have

A smartphone

A working computer of whatever age

Literacy

Ability to pass a background check

Ability to pass a drug screen

A high school diploma - or not - plenty of people have a GED

I hadn’t had a day job in over ten years when I applied for my current position. I said as much in my phone screen. They still made me an offer. It is right and good for the employer to decide which candidates they want, and far be it from me to talk them out of it.

Could my friend be doing something else with her time to make an average of a thousand dollars a month? Or more? Probably. Do her clients care? Probably not. The dogs certainly don’t.

Wherever we live next, when the pandemic is over, we might very well sign up as dog-sitters. For the money? No, not really, although it’s fair to charge when we might have reason to replace our sofa. We would do it because it’s nice to have a dog around, and also it’s challenging to be a pet owner with a busy travel schedule.

How about you? Would you consider something like dog-sitting to make some extra money?

Do you have a favorite thing that could potentially be a source of income as well?