Navigating the Best Dog Walking Apps of 2024

Dogs are beloved members of any household and their owners treasure each one as an irreplaceable member of the family. People of all kinds love dogs — their owners included! People adore playing with and loving these furry companions. Perhaps that explains the recent surge in pet ownership and dog walking app platforms. 

Today’s landscape is evolving as several new names emerge to compete against traditional dog walking services. You might find many technologically advanced trending apps for dog walking services to homes. Some major players in this sector include establishments that specialize in providing residential dog walking.

Dog walking mobile application development consulting services industry was worth $1.1 billion in 2021. It was up 1.2% year over year now. Pet owners collectively spend over $60 billion each year on goods and services related to their four-legged companions as they treat them like members of their own families.

Studies reveal that demand for dog walkers will likely grow through 2023 due to anticipated stability surrounding the primary labour market, coupled with an expected rise in working hours. 

On-Demand Dog Walker App: A Brief Overview

Dog walking apps provide convenient solutions for busy dog owners struggling to find time for regular walks of their dogs. Such apps make professional dog walkers easily available when needed in your local area and vice versa.

Dog owners can use this app to browse profiles of local dog walkers. They read reviews and ratings and select one they feel most at ease with. Professional dog walkers may use on-demand dog walking apps to find work. They can set their schedule and get paid to do what they love. It allows them to schedule walks for their clients with GPS tracking capabilities and regular updates. Dog owners also get regular updates including GPS tracking. It helps them with pictures showing where their furry pal is currently situated.

Due to busy lifestyles and increased pressure from society on people to take better care of their pets. Pet management apps have gained in popularity in recent years and offer reliable service for furry companions. From an American Pet Products Association survey, it can be discovered that 63.4 million households in America own dogs. With 40% of employees contributing more than 40 hours each week in service hours for these furry creatures.

Now when we combine these statistics together, it becomes evident that these dog owners work over 8 hours daily. All this in addition to managing social and household responsibilities. It leaves little time left over to spend time with their adorable canines!

Grand View Research’s market research report estimates the global pet care market at USD 232.5 billion for 2020 and projects an impressive compound annual compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% between 2021-2028. Furthermore, dog walking app markets are among the fastest-growing within this industry sector.

Unfortunately, specific statistics regarding the dog walker app market are scarcely available. Some of the more well-known apps such as Rover, Wag, and Pet Backer boast millions of users across several countries and regions.

Statista conducted a 2020 survey that discovered 39% of dog owners in the U.S. utilized dog walking services at least weekly. Unfortunately, however, no specific details regarding which apps or services were being employed were disclosed in their results.

Noteworthy is how COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on pet care industries and dog walking app markets alike, particularly dog walking app markets. More people working from home and spending more time with their animals could reduce demand for dog-walking services. As world conditions normalise themselves however, demand may resume and increase again for dog walking apps.

The American Pet Product Association reports in another survey that Americans spent $23.4 billion annually feeding their dog food. Over $15.73 billion on veterinarian care services was spent and $14.39 billion for supplies and OTC medication as well. $5.24 billion was spent on grooming/boarding services combined and 2.19 billion on purchasing pets, specifically dogs as household companions. Total spending totaling $57.39 billion! These staggering amounts show just how devoted U.S. households are towards pets, especially canines!  

As per iOS app development companies, blogs dedicated to dogs and cats have rapidly increased in popularity over time. Unfortunately, however, working hours and other obligations often stand between pet parents and their beloved creatures.

On-demand dog walking app platforms have come at the perfect moment and people have taken notice. People love these apps for many reasons. This includes saving both time and effort. It helps grow business for dog sitters/daycares quickly. It is an easy, cost-efficient means of earning. 

On-Demand Dog-Walking App: Why Do We Need

Yes, puppies can be adorable companions. No doubt about it, but owning one means additional responsibilities on your shoulders.

Due to your commitment in taking good care in feeding them and encouraging exercise for a daily regimen. Furthermore, taking them to the vet regularly, playing with them regularly, taking them on short outings as needed and rejuvenating them daily at home are all responsibilities you are expected to fulfil for their wellness.

Furthermore, take them on regular walks. This will keep them active and stimulate them!

Although it’s impossible to outsource every task for your pet’s care, one essential task can be outsourced: walking them. As per android application development company, there are now on-demand dog walking services which take exceptional care when taking dogs for walks. People today can put their beloved canines into expertly caring hands of these on-demand service attendants that treat your furry family like their own!

Dog walk app services can be invaluable tools if you have tight work or parenting obligations and must keep an eye on their new arrival(s). People with dogs who find it challenging to find time for themselves should look into dog walking apps as an answer to finding companionship for their pup.

On-Demand Dog Walker App: How Does It Work?

The best dog walking app follows a relatively straightforward process to achieve its aim of offering pet walk services on demand. First, an owner registers themselves and their dog with sufficient details about themselves and the animal (such as harness, collars, medication schedule, vet details). Next step? Finding an available walker nearby who matches with all these criteria to take their pup for a stroll around town! Once completed, the dog owner then gives his/her pup over for a walking adventure!

As per experts of mobile app development companies in USA, dog walking app platforms have become more and more popular with dog owners for good reason. Not only can these services provide owners with extra income but they are a fantastic opportunity for spending quality time with their pup while making money simultaneously!

Dog Walking App Features

Let’s go over what features make up the effective dog walker apps.

GPS Tracking

As per custom mobile app development company experts, Live GPS tracking can provide owners with peace of mind. This is because their pet goes for walks with them. Add instant image-of-a-dog’s live walk feature into your app for even greater effectiveness!

Review/Rating

Wanting to include reviews or ratings features so users can provide their input about your app? Ideally this user must also be able to connect their social media accounts in order to post reviews about its service – helping other pet parents when booking services as they can see what others think! This helps other pet parents compare reviews before booking with you!

Social Media Sign-in

Users need a seamless and secure sign-in experience so as to not waste too much of their time signing in and registering their email ids with each platform. Dog owners can enter their details quickly and register using them without taking up too much of their valuable time.

In-app Payment 

You must provide users with maximum convenience when it comes to pet ownership and pet sitting services. For this multiple payment methods like credit, debit, PayPal payments, wallet payments, and bank wire must be available within an app for them to choose their payment mode of preference. Providing multiple choices allows owners and sitters to easily pay through different means according to preference – providing unparalleled ease for both pet parents/sitters alike!

Find a Dog Walker

Users need to be able to easily locate nearby service providers with affordable fees, reviews, and ratings – and book them when needed. By using an integrated feature in an app, this feature makes finding suitable pet sitting providers much simpler for customers.

Monetization Opportunities Associated with On-Demand Dog Walker App

When an app developer builds a dog walk apps platform, their primary concern should always be how that app will monetize. Most dog walker marketplaces rely on service aggregator platforms as an effective business model – we will explore several of them here.

eCommerce Integration

As per custom android app development services expert, eCommerce integration simply refers to connecting e-commerce software with other software solutions. This includes CRM and ERP in an automated fashion to create a channel of back-and-forth flow of sales offers. 

Electronic commerce refers to any form of retail sales carried out online through which products can be bought and sold via the internet, the exchange of prices and inventory data as well as completion of online transactions are all accomplished via E-commerce.

Commissions

Commission revenue models can be equally successful on new and established platforms alike. A commission revenue model draws in significant portions of each transaction completed directly on its official website. As a result, commission revenue models provide one of the highest returns among other revenue models available today.

Advertisement Selling

Another easy and straightforward approach for monetizing an application is through advertising to users who visit it, either directly or through paid partnerships with various dog food and toy providers in the market. Of course, be wary when entering into any agreements relating to advertisements as any partnership should only support reliable vendors that do not promote any harmful products for animals.

Best Dog Walking Apps

Below are a few of the best dog walking apps that can help you get a proper understanding. Take a look.

1. Wag

Wag has long been at the top of its field when it comes to on-demand dog walking services and continues to gain ground every day. First introduced as an app back in 2014, due to its success it earned itself the moniker “Uber of Dog walking”.

However, its reputation has taken an unexpectedly severe blow recently. Nonetheless, they managed to secure $300 Million of venture capital funding from Softbank in 2018.

Users looking for services for their dog can book the desired walker through this app and they’ll arrive within 15 minutes at their doorstep. Furthermore, not only does this app offer services. But additionally offers dog notes and instructions for their walker, reports of walks completed, live notifications from walkers themselves as well as much more!

2. Rover

Rover, founded in 2011, has quickly established itself in this app market since entering it 12 years ago. It has become one of the key apps within Uber for pet walking services.

Hiring a dog walker or sitter becomes simpler with the Rover app. Users can contact local service providers through messages within it. They can also make payments seamlessly within this platform. Just one benefit of having Rover at your side!

Users have full access to see where a dog walker is taking them from and additional features. This includes pee and poo alerts, food and water details and personal notes. All this from both guardians and walkers are included in their service plan.

3. Barkly Pets

Barkly Pets began in 2011 with one goal in mind. To provide dog parents with quality pet care services. Barkly pet is an on-demand dog walking app development example. In addition, other brilliant ideas can be considered when creating other on-demand apps for businesses.

Barkly pets offer additional services that go above and beyond traditional dog walking services such as 24/7 customer care for users. Users have the opportunity to meet potential dog walkers before handing over responsibility of their pup to them. Managing all bookings, invoices, and scheduling within one easy app makes things incredibly seamless!

As per custom iOS app development services expert, the above apps can help you out. You get clarity about how to move ahead and then make a decision. 

4. Fetch

Just like Rover, Fetch dog walkers have flexible working hours, insurance and perform various other services apart from dog walking. For people who want to become dog walkers, they should interview with a local Fetch franchise owner. Once a walker is found, the franchisee will collaborate with their walker and match up these walk time orders that fit into the schedule of the walker.

At first, FETCH Ltd can only give them a small number of tasks. The more walkers’ clients grow in number and quality of work will correspond accordingly with the desired amount and types of dogs walking and pets sitting tasks to be offered.

A walker’s income will depend on the number of jobs such as dog walking and pet sitting they agree to do. As per Fetch, it tries to involve the walkers and develops a schedule that is sufficient for them financially.

5. PetBacker

Booking jobs on PetBacker, people have control over what tasks or services to offer at their preferred time and rate. Clients may post a job offer that care providers can accept, or providers may post their services and let clients contact them.

Once complete, PetBacker takes a fixed percentage off of the amount quoted for every dog-walking job. Much like other dog walking applications, users have to make an application and be approved first before they can use it.

Required Tech Stack for Dog Walking App Development

Selecting an optimal tech stack when developing a dog walking app is crucial to its functionality, scalability and security. Here are a few technologies worth keeping in mind for developing app to walk dogs:

Native App Development: Native apps are created using platform-specific languages like Swift or Objective C for iOS apps and Java or Kotlin on Android for optimum performance, user experience and access to devices’ hardware features and hardware resources. These approaches to app creation often offer enhanced performance as well as access to hardware features of devices themselves.

Cross-Platform Development: Cross-platform development employs tools like React Native, Flutter or Xamarin to produce apps capable of running across multiple platforms using one codebase – making the development cost effective as well as fast. Cross-Platform App Development is cost effective while offering quicker development and deployment, providing faster results at reduced expense.

Backend Development: When developing backend solutions, consider technologies like Node.js, Ruby on Rails or Python which offer faster development times with increased scalability and security features.

Cloud Services: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), or Microsoft Azure can provide serverless computing, storage, and security for your app in the form of serverless computing, storage space management services as well as serverless infrastructure protection features.

Real-Time Communication: Real-time communications features like chat, video calls and notifications can be implemented using technologies such as Firebase WebRTC or Pusher for real time features like chat.

Payment Gateways: When it comes to payments processing, payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal and Braintree provide secure and seamless transactions.

User Interface (UI): The User Interface is the visual representation of an app’s visuals such as screens, buttons, menus and navigation systems that is designed to offer users a smooth user experience and effortless navigation. It should provide users with seamless experiences for effortless navigation of an app’s features and functionalities.

Client-Side: The client-side refers to code and logic running on user devices such as mobile apps. This includes features like user input handling as well as interactions between them and backend APIs.

Server-Side Infrastructure: The server-side infrastructure that powers an app’s data storage, processing, and logic includes its server, database, APIs that communicate with clients as well as any necessary servers that must run 24/7 to remain operational.

Database: An app’s data storage component includes user profiles, pet details and payment info. This could include payment data like cardholder info. These databases can use either SQL or NoSQL technologies like MySQL, MongoDB or Firebase depending on its requirements.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): APIs allow communication between client-side and server-side applications and external services. As such they allow apps access data and functionality from them using REST or GraphQL technologies.

Selecting an ideal technology stack depends on several considerations such as app requirements, budget and development team expertise. As per on demand app development companies in USA, select a tech stack which meets these criteria to maximize market success for your app.

Final Thoughts

Dog walking apps can be amazing when created following all applicable guidelines. Dog-walking apps provide owners with a way to enjoy life with their pup without overstressing themselves over their pet. Therefore, now more than ever is an opportune moment to create one with help of an established dog walking app development company.

FAQs

Are Dog Walking Apps Safe to Use?

Dog walking apps work by hiring walkers who will then match up with you/your pup. This means the one who shows up to provide midday walks may well be someone your pup has never encountered before!

How can apps track walking?

As per on demand dog walking app development experts, pedometer apps track all your daily steps. This is done with GPS technology or accelerometer chips in mobile phones or connected with fitness wearables such as watches. Compare free walking apps based on features, usability and more for fitness walkers to select their top choice(s).

How Do Walking Apps Work

An application known as the “pedometer”, which registers your movements before allocating them for accurate step counting purposes. It is based on this data collection process alone your steps can then be determined using this data analysis!