Right i've taken the plunge and work are likely to agree to me reducing my hours so I can work part time.

I was thinking initally starting with dog walking to make up the shortfall of money and covering an area which isn't already saturated with walkers.

BUT I need something different, something else which I can add to it. Something which means I'm not going to spend lots of money on training or outlay really.

I do have a more long term plan which is in place and going through now, but in the mean time i'd like something a bit more than dog walking.

Dog sitting/boarding/day care is not an option at my home

Hi Sue

I'm in a similar position really.
What about offering your services as a dog sitter, but in the persons home, would that work?
Do you have someone at home who could care for your own dogs whilst you do that?

I'm a qualified dog groomer, and my initial desire was to set up my own mobile grooming salon once settled here in Oz.  However, currently finances won't allow that.
I've worked in a couple of grooming salons, which have been a completely negative experience sadly.
I worked for almost a year at the local rescue shelter, but left just before Christmas due to their poor employment practices.
Sounds like excuse after excuse, but if I went into all experiences in detail, you'd all be bored silly! :)
I've just called another grooming salon who are advertising, but they've filled vacancy already.  However, they have taken my details, so we'll see.
I really don't want to work for someone else, particularly after my experiences here in the grooming industry. :(
I'm in a rented property, so can't set up from home.
Agh!  Stuck!
Best of luck in your endeavours.  I'll be interested to read some more suggestions :)

I love dog grooming, but i'm not qualified and its a long road to get qualified, so can't add that as an extra.. Only basic wash and groom could be done.

I'm hoping there can be some good ideas for both of us to explore. Sorry that things haven't panned out for you.

I'm going to ask if my dog trainer would allow me assist her on training nights and maybe I could do a short course on the puppy party type thing and add that in on her evenings prior to the bigger dogs coming in?

I could dog sit in others homes, if not too far away this wouldn't be an issue for my dog as i'd be able to pop back and deal with him in between - don't want to be stuck somewhere 24/7!!

Also thinking photography in all of this too, hmmm..

What about joining the committee of your local canine society? I know that's voluntary but you could gain experience of handling dogs if it's a ringcraft, and perhaps be involved in organising shows. Or if your local CS does obedience or agility, you might be able to help out there - it's all good experience and can be fitted into your spare time, still leaving time for your paid work. Or see if your breed club has vacancies on its committee or needs any help. You could build up your knowledge of health concerns and issues within your breed and get involved in running shows. I suppose still just a hobby though.

Then there is massage type training you could go on like Tellington Touch, may be fairly short courses? I guess could be a bit pricey though.

As for photography, there could be classes locally under Adult Education. Not sure how expensive they are these days but perhaps still quite reasonable.

Good luck!

Well done for reducing hours I did the same last year def no regets. Now would like to do something different also . Tellington touch could be good idea. Will watch with interest for ideas

Im a trained microchipper and i go to houses and chip litters and single pets. £10 per pup for breeders and their litters, £12.50 individual dogs. Cost just over £80 for the course and £200 for the starter pack including scanner, sharps box, implanter gun, 10 chips, chips are approx £5 each the more you buy the cheaper they are. Plan on going to local ringcrafts to offer services and training classes and get a heap of dogs done at the same time. Vets charge £20 or over round here so im saving people money.

I had my name down on a course(micro-chipping) which they cancelled at the last minute, so reluctant to book myself onto another at the local college in case they do the same thing again to me, not great practice tbh to be treated like that.

I stopped chipping other people's animals long ago as it wasn't worth the hassle -for it to be legal you MUST have insurance and that made the profit virtually non existent if you were going to undercut the vets. Plus to get cheap chips (and the cheapest place I found I will never use again as I had a lot of problem with their chips) you have to buy so many so need to have the money to lay out to start with.
Edited to say: at training classes, ringcrafts etc most dogs will already be chipped. Virtually every class I've ever been to have offered chipping and nobody ever took them up on it as the dogs were already done. Travelling to breeders meant the petrol costs hiked the price up.

I would look into getting trade contacts for food and dog related accessories, then you can deliver food direct for your customers, and sell them nice toys and dog walking accessories, gifts etc, as well as getting paid for your walking duties. 

If you're at all arty, look at doing portraits as well, although I can tell you from experience that one is a lot of hard work! 

All an option thanks.. However what I do need before I embark on anything else is a van. I can't find one which I want. I know the make/model etc and the spec I want, but on Autotrader there is nothing covering that currently, nor has there been in a long time :-(

I've been keeping an eye out on Agilitynet too, but again their vans tend to be slightly smaller than I am looking for..

try ebay, always loads of vans on there.

I was going to get a van, big initial outlay though if the business doesnt work out so im sticking with my car for now ......... just got some funky magnets through for it with  my company name and stuff on :)

I'm wanting to switch from my car to a van anyway, so really it was going to happen regardless, but trying to find what I want is hard enough, but for a good price is almost impossible?? lol..

Can you look at vans before bidding on them on ebay? I'm not buying something so expensive without test driving it first..

On the van front, have a look on the Autotrader website. You can pick out ads there from the folk who deal with ex lease vehicles. If you're in the North, send me a message & I'll send you the web address of a very good site, place I got my van from.

> I love dog grooming, but i'm not qualified and its a long road to get qualified, so can't add that as an extra.. Only basic wash and groom could be done.
>
>

We have mobile dog washers here and that's about as much as they do and they are busy.  Some people may just want a dog tidied up and think that dog groomers just want to sculpt poodles etc.and wouldn't be interested in washing a dog and tidying it up.    My sister's Cavalier could do with this!

> We have mobile dog washers here

Hmmmm... Interesting..
As for the van, nothing on Autotrader in the south currently - Iphone App not giving me the Vito Dualiner I want. :-(

Yeah, 2 in Dundee, both men!  Both use converted vans.

I bought my Doblo from eBay and used their service at the time where you paid £5 and they ran a check to make sure it wasn't hookie.

http://vans.autotrader.co.uk/wheelbasetype/swb/stock-item-id/at8a60b91b2e47bf07012e76977b7c61cc/advert

This is the vehicle i'm looking for - not so new(roughly 54/55 plate) and without that silly price tag - would prefer leather seats too as have them now and they are the bees knees. :-D

Suejaw. When you get your van (good luck), how about offering a local service to take peoples dogs (pets) to the vet or anywhere else they need to go. There is a similar service here on the island and I'm amazed at how often I see it out and about or parked at the vets.

Thanks Lacy, there is a company who do that in our city called Pets to Vets, or something like that, so yes i'd be prepared to offer all those things providing I can get the insurance to cover me for them, without it i'm doing nowt :-) I'm going to get a quote to cover everything I can with Cliverton and see what they come up with, normally it shouldn't be a huge amount..Fingers crossed.

I paid £136 for the year with Cliverton, they cover me for all my services.... and stuff I dont offer like pet taxi, but its handy having pet taxi on there because it covers the dog whilst in your car.

> Vets charge £20 or over round here so im saving people money

WOW Louise.  And I thought things were more expensive down south!

I use an expensive vet (big modern veterinary hospital.)  But, as long as I pay for chipping at the same time as the puppy jabs, my vet only charges £7 for the chip.

With my smallest breed I don't like them done too young, but, as he does a free 6 month puppy health check, I have the chip put in then. 

My current vet wont chip and vac at same time too much trauma to the neck area she says (she will do it a week after), and i have always paid 20 along with first jabs previously.

> I paid £136 for the year with Cliverton, they cover me for all my services.

Is that all?? Wow!! brilliant news on the insurance front then.. Cheers Claire..

and it covers family members which was great when I went to Crufts as my parents covered my walks for me :)

Suejaw
You can view the vans etc before you bid on them..you just contact the seller and ask if its ok to come and have look. At least you can see what you are going to bid on and ask all the questions in person and check out any faults that there might be. Also if he/she has got a "buy it now" price you can haggle over it and possibly get it down a bit if you say you want it.

ETA
My vet charges £33.44 for chipping!