How to start a pet sitting business from home

# How to start a pet sitting business from home

Starting a pet sitting business from home means caring for other people's pets, often dogs, either at your place (boarding) or theirs (drop-in visits and walks). You can begin with the pets you already know, almost no upfront cost, and a simple website that lets people book you. Most people who do it well earn a modest, uneven range that is best treated as an estimate, not a promise.

## Who it fits

This one suits animal lovers who have a bit of time and a calm home. Retirees, people working from home, and anyone whose own dog would enjoy company tend to do well. You do not need to be techy and you do not need a big house. You need to be reliable, kind to animals, and good at sending a quick photo update to a worried owner.

## What you can realistically earn

Be careful with any single number you see online. Earnings depend on where you live, how often you take bookings, and what you offer.

As a rough estimate, on platforms like Rover and Wag, overnight boarding commonly lists somewhere around $25 to $50 a night, and drop-in visits or walks often sit around $15 to $30 each (Rover's own rate guidance puts many sitters in that area). Whether that turns into real income depends on how many bookings you take, so treat it as a wide range, not a fixed paycheck. Some weeks are busy, some are quiet.

## Your first three steps

1. **Decide what you'll offer.** Boarding at your home, drop-in visits, dog walking, or a mix. Start with one or two so you don't overwhelm yourself. 2. **Set a fair, simple price.** Look at what local sitters charge and land in a sensible range. Keep it easy to understand. 3. **Make it easy to book you.** This is where most people stall. You need a small website with your photos, your services, and a way for people to pick a date and pay. Word of mouth gets you the first few; a real booking page gets you the rest.

## How Totally builds it for you

The pets are the part you already love. The website, the booking page, the photos, and the listing words are the parts that stop people. With Totally, you describe the idea in plain language and a small team builds the website and the booking for you, then reports back each week with what came in, always as a labelled range, never an overpromise. You stay in charge: anything that matters, like setting your price, you approve before it happens.

You can build and preview the whole thing free, then decide if you want to run it for real.

[Build your pet sitting site free on Totally](https://totallyco.com/start)