Dog Walker Resume Sample
Written By Nathan SotoCareer Expert & PR Specialist
Reviewed By Samuel JohnsSenior Content Editor & Certified Professional Resume Writer
Nathan Soto
Career Expert & PR Specialist
Nathan Soto is dedicated to providing practical guidance to job seekers, especially people with nonlinear career paths. Nathan’s articles and career advice have been featured on multiple platforms, including Forbes,...
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Dog walker resume template
Dogs are part of the family, so your resume needs to inspire trust. The way you format your resume affects how you’ll look to potential employers, so spend time thinking how you want to organize it.
Use the text resume template below for ideas, and rearrange the sections to highlight your strongest relevant skills and experiences.
- Animal first aid
- Animal CPR
- Office management
- Record management
- Animal behavior modification
- Fluent in Spanish
- Perform basic office activities, contact clients to schedule dog walking appointments, collect on delinquent accounts, and arrange and process payments worth over $2,500 per month
- Maintain a portfolio of 20+ clients per week and communicate with owners regarding their dogs’ behaviors and emotional responses to daily walks
- Walk, clean up, feed, and administer medication for 20–25 dogs for clients twice a day for 5 consecutive days per week
- Promptly respond to email and text messages from clients and business owners to ensure walking activities are accurately coordinated and special requests are addressed
- Always ensure the physical safety of dog clients and other animals and humans during walks
- Facilitated adoption and foster visits for available animals, received and accepted animals, and provided information and education to the public
- Scheduled up to 240 walking sessions per week for 100+ dogs of all types of breeds for full-time and part-time dog walkers
- Walked 15–18 dogs per day as needed for their regular exercise and care, monitoring and reporting their behaviors to the shelter’s head veterinarian
- Adhered to all local leash and curb ordinances, and reported potential violations and citations to the shelter’s manager or lead coordinator
- Maintained diligence in cleaning up after dogs in the facility and during walks, and assisted with answering phones and bathing as needed
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23 skills for your dog walker resume
Dog walkers are responsible for ensuring dogs get enough exercise, socialization, and basic care — such as feeding and watering — when owners aren’t around. With the animal care and service industry expected to grow 29% from 2021 to 2031 (much faster than the average for all jobs), now is a great time to combine your love of animals with a part- or full-time position as a dog walker.
Pet owners consider their pets to be members of their family. So you should list some key skills on your resume to make pet sitting companies and dog owners feel at ease trusting you with their pets. For example, you should show that you’re patient, responsible, and observant — all helpful skills for working with leash-reactive dogs or noticing if a dog’s odd behavior could be a sign of sickness.
You can also use your dog walker resume to fill in — and attract clients to — your profile on freelance sites, such as Rover or Wag.
Pet owners like to hire dog walkers with hard skills (skills learned through training and experience) related to animal care. Some essential hard skills for your dog walker resume include:
- Being comfortable with all breeds and sizes of dogs
- Cat and dog first aid
- Knowledge of animal behavior
- Dog training
- Pet grooming
- Feeding
- Medication administration
- Recordkeeping
- Knowledge of local leash laws
- Good hygiene practices
- Ability to drive
But soft skills (personality traits that affect how you work) are just as important for working on a dog walking team, interacting with clients, and managing your independent walks. So include some of the following soft skills on your dog walker resume:
- Communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork skills
- Client relations
- Customer service skills
- Scheduling
- Time management skills
- Self-motivation
- Organizational skills
- Attention to detail
- Adaptability
Check out our resume examples for teens for additional help.
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Average dog walker salaries in the US
After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.
The following table includes information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report for 2025. Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for dog walkers, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.
Top 10 states by dog walker salary
| State | Salary / Year |
|---|---|
| Washington | $43,330 |
| District of Columbia | $41,360 |
| California | $40,310 |
| Connecticut | $40,280 |
| Maryland | $39,540 |
| New York | $39,190 |
| Hawaii | $39,170 |
| Maine | $38,810 |
| New Jersey | $38,340 |
| Massachusetts | $38,290 |
| National Average | $34,750 |
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