What does a dog walker do?

Dog walkers care for animals by taking them on scheduled walks, ensuring they get exercise, attention, feeding, and outdoor time—often offering additional services like pet sitting or basic care updates.

What will I learn in the Dog Walker Certificate Course?

You’ll learn safe animal handling, pet care protocols, client communication, scheduling, rate setting, business operations, and how to package pet care services professionally.

How long does the Dog Walker Certificate Course take to complete?

The Dog Walker Certificate Course is designed to be self‑paced, with a recommended completion time of 6 weeks. However, you have the flexibility to complete it in as little as 2 weeks or extend it up to 12 weeks, depending on your schedule. Need more time? No problem. All of IAP’s Courses include lifetime access.

How much can I earn as a dog walker?

Most dog walkers charge different rates for private and group walks, with the former being more expensive. A group walk fee in the U.S. and Canada falls in at about $20-$30, while a private walk can be anywhere from $30 to $50 an hour or more.

Can I start a dog walking business after completing this course?

Yes. The course teaches both pet care essentials and operational tools for building independent or small-scale dog walking businesses—including client booking, scheduling, and pricing structures.

Do I need prior pet care experience?

No. The curriculum is beginner-friendly and includes practical instructions for caring for animals safely and professionally.

Can I take the Dog Walker Certificate Course from outside of North America?

Yes. It’s entirely online and self‑paced—accessible globally with materials available 24/7.

Will I receive a certificate when I finish the course?

Yes! You’ll receive a Dog Walker Certificate from IAP Career College—demonstrating your training in pet care protocols and service-based pet business operations.

What is IAP Career College?

The International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College) is a leading online career college offering online certificate courses and professional certifications for non‑traditional and “dream” careers. Since 1999, we’ve helped over 500,000 students across six continents get started in dream careers—from life coaching to event planning to end‑of‑life care. Our courses are

Be a Dog Walker

In this part-time online Dog Walker Certificate Course you will learn how to become a dog walker, including important principles and practical step-by-step techniques for walking dogs and getting started in a career as a professional dog walker.

What Happens in the Dog Walker Certificate Course

The Dog Walker Certificate Course is an online learning program with suggested readings from the textbook (IAP Career College Guide to Become a Dog Walker). This course is self directed, which means you may study and complete assignments at times that are most convenient for you from the comfort of your own home.

This part-time online Dog Walker Certificate Course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks from the start of the program, however, you may choose to complete the course in as little as 2 weeks or as long as 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.

The Dog Walker Certificate Course has been created to allow you to complete it without any teaching assistance. However, if you have questions or need assistance, you can receive help from a Faculty Member throughout the 6 weeks of the course. Your Faculty Member is a valuable resource person who can provide you with personal teaching assistance to help you succeed in the course and advice to help you succeed in the career.

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Course Topics

The online Dog Walker Certificate Course has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the Dog Walker Certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College.

How to Become a Dog Walker

Through this online dog walking training, you will learn how to become a dog walker. Topics covered in the Dog Walker Certificate Course include the following:

Providing Dog Walking Services

Planning Routes and Schedules
Handling, Transporting, and Supervising Dogs at Play
Assessing Dogs and Their Owners
Health, Safety, and Security

Starting a Dog Walking Business

Starting Out on a Budget
Licensing, Insurance, and Permits
Setting Your Prices and Accepting Payment

Managing Your Dog Walking Business

Attracting Customers and Getting Referrals
Marketing Tools
Handling Problem Clients
Offering Additional Services/li>
Hiring Great Employees

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What Is Included in the Dog Walker Certificate Course

Through this online dog walking training, you will learn everything you need to know about how to become a dog walker. This all-inclusive Dog Walker Certificate Course package includes:

Registration for the Dog Walker Certificate Course Online (dog walking training)
Lifetime access to course materials
Access to a Faculty Member to provide you with personal teaching assistance and career advice
(Optional) 2026 membership in the IAPO International Association of Professional Dog Walkers for only US$ 2.99 per month
Downloadable Dog Walker Certificate personalized with your name and the seal of the International Association of Professions Career College
(Optional) Opportunity to order official certificates printed on fine linen paper and embossed with the gold seal of the college
Textbook: IAP Career College Guide to Become a Dog Walker (e-book edition)

Register for the Dog Walker Certificate Course

FALL SPECIAL

Easy changes and cancellations
It’s easy to change or cancel your course registration. See our FAQ page for details.

You can have all this for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other programs. (We found courses based on old editions of our guides with registration fees of up to $999 and more.) We are able to offer you online courses at a significantly lower cost to you because of our expertise from over 20 years of producing the leading online guides for non-traditional careers.

Our online certificate courses have previously been offered for a registration fee of $297 U.S. and include a textbook and professional membership – a total value of almost $377.

FALL SPECIAL: This all-inclusive registration package for the Dog Walker Certificate Course is priced as only US$ 149.00 for the October 12, 2026 course.

Associated Courses

Register today for the Dog Walker Certificate Course. Enrollment is limited and registration is on a first come first served basis, so we recommend that you register early for the Dog Walker Certificate Course online to avoid disappointment.

If the course is full, please email support@iapcollege.com to be notified when a new course date is scheduled.

About a Career as a Dog Walker

Imagine having a fun and profitable business that lets you spend time outdoors, playing with and walking dogs. You can when you start your own dog walking business.

Professional dog walkers take clients’ dogs out for a daily walk, either one dog at a time or a few dogs together. You can walk dogs on your favorite scenic excursion or take dogs to an off-leash area for some playtime before bringing them home, tired and happy.

There are few careers that offer so many benefits. When you start a dog walking business, you will have a job that is fun, interesting, and financially rewarding. You will get to be outside every day, enjoying the companionship of your favorite animals.

In addition to the rewards of working with wonderful, lovable dogs every day, starting a dog walking business has very low start-up costs.

You can start your dog walking business part-time or full-time and walk dogs yourself, or you might decide to manage a staff of dog walkers so you can earn more money through your dog walking business.

As the owner of a dog walking business you will enjoy the freedom of being your own boss. You can start your business from home, scheduling work around your family life or other commitments.

Your own dog walking business can be anything you want it to be. For example, you can choose to walk all types of dogs, or you can specialize in particular dog breeds, sizes, or energy levels.

You can also choose what types of dog walking services to offer, such as private (solo) walks, group dog walks, and walks to or through a favorite destination. You might also decide to offer other services such as dog massage or dog obedience training to increase your income.

This is a fantastic industry to work in. Two days are never the same, and you have the freedom to set your own schedule, be your own boss, and be playing with pets. What could be more fun?

Paul Mann, Founder, Fetch! Pet Care (Paul is one of the dog walking business experts who give advice in this guide)

How can you benefit with a certificate from the International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College)?

A certificate from the International Association of Professions Career College may give you:

Respect as a professional
A competitive advantage when marketing your services
A sense of achievement and confidence
A credential for your resume when applying for jobs
Assurance to clients of your professionalism
Evidence of your expertise
Higher earnings (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Certificates: A fast track to careers)

With the International Association of Professions Career College, you can earn a certificate online more quickly and affordably than many other educational options.

Student Spotlight: A Graduate's Success Story

Janice Strachan

“I found it very useful for starting up my own business.”

After completing the Dog Walker Certificate Course, Janice was well prepared to start her own dog walking business. The lessons were practical, with strong safety tips and helpful downloadable forms that made her business look professional.

The course gave her the knowledge and confidence to feel she had covered everything needed for success.

“I’m just about to launch my own dog walking service and I feel it gave me a good grounding to feel confident that I’ve considered all I should have to make the business a success and enjoy all the dogs!”

The International Association of Professions Career College (also known as IAP Career College) aims to offer the finest in affordable online certificate programs for dream careers.

The textbooks for most of our courses were developed by our parent company, the leading online publisher of career guide books on how to get started in a dream career, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Our guides have been used as textbooks for more than a decade, and you can find them in the career centers and library collections of many famed colleges and universities – from the University of Texas to the Fashion Institute of Technology – as well as in numerous public libraries in cities from Vancouver to New York.

It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other certificate programs. When we discovered online courses based on old editions of our career guides costing over US$ 1,000.00, we knew it was time to offer our own online certificate programs.

Now, the leader in online career guides for dream careers, along with a team of respected academics, have created online certificate programs through IAP Career College, allowing you to study and earn a certificate from the comfort of your own home.

Established online in 1999, the parent company of IAP Career College (known as FabJob) is an award-winning organization named “the #1 place to get published online” by Writer’s Digest. Our company and career guides have been featured in media ranging from ABC to Oprah’s newsletter and respected news sites ranging from CNN to the Wall Street Journal online.

We continue this tradition of excellence in online career education with the International Association of Professions Career College. Each of our career certificate programs has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College.

We invite you to learn more about the online certificate courses we offer you by visiting our Certificate Courses page. We are also happy to answer any of your questions to help you decide whether an online certificate course from the International Association of Professions Career College is right for you.

What does a dog walker do?
Dog walkers care for animals by taking them on scheduled walks, ensuring they get exercise, attention, feeding, and outdoor time—often offering additional services like pet sitting or basic care updates.
What will I learn in the Dog Walker Certificate Course?
You’ll learn safe animal handling, pet care protocols, client communication, scheduling, rate setting, business operations, and how to package pet care services professionally.
How long does the Dog Walker Certificate Course take to complete?
The Dog Walker Certificate Course is designed to be self‑paced, with a recommended completion time of 6 weeks. However, you have the flexibility to complete it in as little as 2 weeks or extend it up to 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.

Need more time? No problem. All of IAP’s Courses include lifetime access.
How much can I earn as a dog walker?
Most dog walkers charge different rates for private and group walks, with the former being more expensive. A group walk fee in the U.S. and Canada falls in at about $20-$30, while a private walk can be anywhere from $30 to $50 an hour or more.
Can I start a dog walking business after completing this course?
Yes. The course teaches both pet care essentials and operational tools for building independent or small-scale dog walking businesses—including client booking, scheduling, and pricing structures.
Do I need prior pet care experience?
No. The curriculum is beginner-friendly and includes practical instructions for caring for animals safely and professionally.
Can I take the Dog Walker Certificate Course from outside of North America?
Yes. It’s entirely online and self‑paced—accessible globally with materials available 24/7.
Will I receive a certificate when I finish the course?
Yes! You’ll receive a Dog Walker Certificate from IAP Career College—demonstrating your training in pet care protocols and service-based pet business operations.
What is IAP Career College?
The International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College) is a leading online career college offering online certificate courses and professional certifications for non‑traditional and “dream” careers.

Since 1999, we’ve helped over 500,000 students across six continents get started in dream careers—from life coaching to event planning to end‑of‑life care. Our courses are

Dog Walker Certificate Course Online

Starting October 12, 2026

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Associated Courses

Dog Walker Certificate Course Online

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Be a Dog Walker