Is Wag Worth It For Dog Walkers? (Honest Wag! Review)

Wag Walking is a popular gig economy app that helps dog walkers and sitters find clients in their city. And it's a flexible side hustle that's ideal if you love pets and live in a larger city.

But how much does Wag pay? And is Wag worth it for side hustlers?

Our Wag review is covering how it works, its earning potential, and testimonials from other walkers to help you decide if this gig is right for you.

Want more ways to make money on the side? Checkout:

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Key Takeaways:

• Make money by walking dogs or offering pet sitting
• Walk dogs in 20, 30, and 60-minute gigs
• Wag pays you weekly through Stripe
• Wag Walkers earn $15 per hour on average but can earn more with other services

Is Wag Worth It?

Wag! is worth it if you enjoy working with dogs and want an easy way to find dog walking and sitting clients in your city. It's also ideal if you value flexibility and want to set your own rates.

However, Wag isn't worth it if you're looking for a full-time job. This is just a side hustle for most people. Plus, the app is pretty competitive, so it might take a while for you to find your first clients and to land repeat business.

Overall, Wag is an effective way for dog lovers to make extra cash alongside competitor apps like Rover. Just know that the application process and fining your first clients takes some time.

How Does Wag Work? – The Sign-Up Process

You can become a Wag Walker if you're 18 or older and live in the United States. Currently, Wag operates in approximately 5,300 cities across the country.

To get started, download the Wag app or fill out the application online. There's a one-time review fee of $25, and it may take up to two weeks for your application to be reviewed, so keep this in mind.

Wag runs a background check on all walkers and sitters as part of the application process. So, you submit a driver's license, passport, or state-issued ID. Wag also checks information like your employment history, criminal record, and credit history.

Next comes a quiz! This tests your knowledge of dog-walking and certain pet-care scenarios. You have two chances to pass the quiz. Wag notifies you via email if you pass, which is a requirement for joining the platform.

Once you pass, you need to download the app (if you haven’t already) and do a “mock” walk to familiarize yourself with how the app works and some of its features such as the “wag cam.” The wag cam allows you to send picture updates to the owner within the app. You can also place “pee and/or poo drops” on a map to update the owner.

Finally, you have to create your Wag profile and set up your Stripe account. Stripe is the payment method Wag uses. As for your profile, it's similar to creating an eye-catching Rover profile, which means adding your bio, profile photos, and details about previous dog-care experience. You can also get endorsements from other walkers and “Pet Parents” who are on Wag, which are basically reviews.

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Getting Your First Clients

Wag works differently than gig platforms like Upwork where you apply for jobs or clients reach out to you. With Wag, the app blasts out potential walks to nearby walkers, which is much more like Uber or DoorDash.

Walking and sitting requests include information like how far away the owner lives, their neighborhood, and a picture of the dog. But it's a first-come, first-serve game. You have to book walks or pet-sitting gigs as they become available.

The Pet Parent has the final say and might accept your booking request based on your profile and the rates you set. This is why requesting bookings as often as you can is critical to finding your first clients. You can also tweak your bids for different services if you find you're not getting any bookings.

Dog walking gigs are very common on Wag. But you can also offer services like:

• Drop-in visits
• Pet boarding (overnight)
• Pet sitting
• Recurring dog walking
• Veterinary care (if you can provide certifications)
• Grooming
• Photography
• Special excursions (swimming, hiking)
• Pet medicine administration

Whatever service you're offering, you manage everything through the Wag app. For example, the app uses your phone's GPS to let the Pet Parent know where you're walking their dog. You can even drop pins using the app to notify the parent where their dog has gone to the bathroom.

Again, checking the app for requests is key since you have to bid for every job. This is why we suggest turning on app notifications so you don't miss out.

How Much Does Wag Pay?

Wag lets you set your own bids per request that comes in. On average, Wag Walkers earn about $20 per hour. However, there are some average prices for different walks:

• 20-Minute Express Walks: $12.75 to $19.99 for one pooch
• 30-Minute Wag Walks: $17 to $26.99 for one pooch
• 60 Minute Deluxe Walks: $25.50 to $36.99 for one pooch

You also keep 100% of all customer tips. So, an hour-long walk might pay upwards of $30+ while a short 2-minute walk can still net over $20. According to ZipRecruiter, Wag Walkers earn about $15 per hour on average.

Other Wag services, like overnight dog sitting or drop-in visits, can pay even more. But you have to price yourself competitively, and Wag even notifies you if your bids are much higher than other Wag Walkers in your area.

Thankfully, Wag doesn't take fees out of your prices. Instead, it charges fees to the pet owner. Wag has undergone some changes over the years and this is one of them: they used to take 40% of what pet caregivers made. Thankfully those astronomical fees are gone.

Finally, you can earn free money with Wag referrals. The company pays you $25 for every Wag Walker you refer to the platform after they complete their first walk.

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Is Wag Safe For Pet Owners & Walkers?

Wag is safe for Pet Parents and takes numerous steps to create a safe environment. For example, it runs background checks on all Wag Walkers who sign up. It also has numerous dog safety tips and training videos to help educate Wag Walkers. Plus, support is available 7 days a week.

There's also a Wag Claims policy that can cover damage to a Pet Parent's home. However, Wag's coverage is far less comprehensive than Rover, which provides up to $25,000 in vet care coverage as well as property damage.

Overall, this platform is safe, and there aren't many horror stories out there. But like other gig economy apps, there are fringe cases where something bad can happen. That's just the gig economy for you.

Pros & Cons

Pros: 

• Wag lets you set your own bids
• You can earn $20+ per hour
• Wag Walkers keep 100% of customer tips
• You can offer numerous services to earn

Cons:

• There's a $25 application fee
• The application process is extensive
• It can take a while to find your first clients
• Wag's insurance and claims policy isn't very comprehensive
• Wag is less popular than Rover

Other Wag Walker Reviews

One of the best ways to tell if a side gig is worth it or not is to read testimonials from fellow hustlers. And there are tons of Wag Walker reviews on forums like Quora and Reddit where people are sharing their experiences. Here's what some recent reviews are saying:

• I made around $330 in a week on wag but it kind of seems like that’s the maximum I can do while working full time and doing rover as well. Wag is nice for slow Rover days or days when I take off of my full time job and just want to hang out with dogs.”
• “A couple autumns ago I was able to make my expenses for a month doing just Wag (like $1000). Some days I did a lot of walks and some days I did nothing.”
• “I do Wag and Rover but Rover is obviously better. I don’t like Wag because everything is so last minute. My days are booked up with Rover, full time job, and a dog of my own.”
• “I like it. I have a lot of recurring walks every week, or a couple regulars who will direct request to book or message me before sending a request. By the end of the week I’ll have made over $200 and that’s walking 1 dog 4 days, and 2 for 3.”

As you can see, these Wag Walkers are generally happy with the platform and can make a couple hundred bucks a week. But most people prefer Rover over Wag since it's busier and leads to more business.

Also note that a lot of Wag Walkers are unhappy with the new Wag Pro membership, which lets you promote your profile more and land more gigs. But I'll cover that right now!

Is Wag Pro Worth It?

Wag Pro is a lifetime membership for Pet Caregivers that grants perks like faster onboarding, profile promotion, priority placement in search results, and priority access to new Pet Parents. It costs $149 or $129 if you pay for express onboarding.

Wag Pro has caused a lot of confusion and complaints from Pet Caregivers. Some Wag Walkers say upgrading to Pro has helped them land way more clients and make more money. But many people complain that paying almost $150 and not getting any extra clients.

We don't think Wag Pro is worth it for brand new Wag Walkers. You should test out the platform first to see if you can even find clients in your area. If you start making money, you can consider investing into Wag Pro to try and increase your earnings.

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The Best Wag Alternatives

We think Rover is the best Wag alternative since it's a more popular app and has more opportunities to find clients. However, you can also find pet caregiver jobs on websites like Care.com.

Taskrabbit is also worth checking out since it lets you post a variety of services for sale, including dog walking and sitting. There are also many Wag alternatives like Mad Paws, Barkly Pets, Dogmate, and GoFetch that you can sign up with.

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How Does Wag Pay You?

Wag issues payments through Stripe, every Friday. There is also an instant-pay feature whereby payments can be sent to a Stripe-connected debit card for a 3% fee.

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Is There Customer Support?

There is customer support, but many reviews have proclaimed it to be sub-par. If you’ve got a question, contact them yourself and find out! Call 855-732-9513 or email [email protected].

Final Thoughts

The gig economy has so much opportunity to make quick money. And Wag is one of the most popular options if you love working with dogs.

However, it's certainly worth stacking this app with competitors like Rover to maximize your earning potential. And if you live in a small town, it might be impossible to earn that much with Wag. But for those of you living in a city, this could turn into a decent side hustle that lets you spend time with dogs.

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