As a passionate pet lover myself I couldn’t wait to write this post….
There are many, many ways to turn your furry passion into a thriving business – even combining several of the below – so let’s dive right in:
#1 – Start a Dog Training Business
Love doggies, but have no formal dog training experience?
No problem, because there is Doggy Dan(*)!
“Doggy Dan” is one of the top dog trainers in the world and created an excellent online course where he shares his unique – and very successful – approach to dog training.
It’s a bit of a paradigm shift, but very loving, and makes a lot of sense when you see him in action. I have frequently applied his wonderful tips and techniques during my many house sits and they always worked marvelously well!
All training videos were shot in beautiful New Zealand and his own dogs often assist in the training. It’s wonderful to watch – even just as a dog owner.
You can test it out for just $1 for 3 days and after that it’s only $37 a month (you can cancel at any time).
Going through the entire course, incl. an extensive chapter on puppy training, will give you plenty to work with.
His methods are simple and easy to repeat.
He also has a trainer certification course. It’s a bit more pricey and only opens once or twice a year, but you can add it down the road.
In the meantime, you can check out his main course here:
Doggy Dan’s Training $1 Trial(*) – CLICK HERE.
#2 – Start a Dog Walking Business
The following three platforms make it easy to get started as a dog walker and work with a flexible schedule. Over time, you can build a portfolio of repeat clients and referrals and start your own business – even sub contract other dog walkers.
This is a service that will always be needed and peace of mind is the most treasured resource for any dog owner.
Here are the 3 apps:
Swifto (NYC)
You first have to pass through a vetting process, including a criminal background check, and prove solid dog experience.
Once accepted, you can create a profile and start taking jobs.
Wag has been called “the Uber for dogs”, because the app uses a similar algorithm to pair currently available dog walkers with owners in the same neighborhood. Otherwise, all three apps work very similar.
Owners can follow along on a map where doggies walked and did their business…:) – and will receive a few furry pictures.
Payments are handled via the apps and vary depending on location. With a 97% 5-Star rating and availability in most US cities, Rover and Wag offer two great options to start in the doggy business right now.
UPDATE: It appears that since Wag changed leadership a while back, the company has been in decline with frequent problems, including the welfare of dogs. See more in this article.
#3 – Start A Housesitting & Pet Boarding Business
House sitting has been an important and beloved part of my Digital Nomad lifestyle since 2014. I’ve cared for lovely fur babies all over the US, South Africa, Botswana, Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Singapore, Thailand, Dubai, Vietnam, England and Spain.
It’s a great way to travel and see the world while getting a much needed “furry fix” along the way.
Demand for local sitters and private pet hotels is also huge, especially during vacation times, and quite well paid – at least in the US ($50+ per night).
You can offer pet boarding and doggy day care at your home or pet sit at the owner’s home – either during the day, over-night or for longer stays.
The best known platforms for paid sitting and boarding are:
You will also find so-called “house sitting” platforms. Those are more for travelers/tourists and usually work on an exchange basis: free pet sitting in return for a free stay. Great when you travel, but not what you are looking for in a “work from home” job.
#4 – Start a Pet Photography Business
Pet photography is a real “thing” and beyond just photos, you can integrate with a custom POD (print-on-demand) service.
Meaning, you offer to print photos of people’s beloved pets on mugs, T-Shirts, pillow cases, and much more.
Owners love it and will pay premium prices.
Fulfillment is done through print-on-demand platforms like Gearbubble, PrinTech and many others.
You just upload the photo, purchase at wholesale price and then sell it to the client.
#5 – Start a Pet Phone Consulting Business
With 6ya you can offer services as an animal communications expert and get paid by the minute at a rate you set.
This platform also works well if you have a following on social media, Youtube, podcast or blog. This way, you can offer your followers to get their questions answers on a quick – paid – call.
Calls are accepted through a smartphone app whenever you want to be available, so your phone number remains private.
Another option is Ether.
#6 – Start a Pet eCom Store
Pet ecom stores are extremely popular and offer a wonderful way to combine your pet love with a lucrative business option.
Key is finding popular products – either sourcing from AliExpress (that’s called “drop shipping”) or print-on-demand platforms (mugs, pillows, T-Shirts, etc) like Teelaunch or Gearbubble.
The key success factors for any eCom store are:
- Picking winning products
- An effective way to drive traffic to your store (aka, “Marketing”)
- Building a loyal customer base of repeat buyers that you can keep marketing to => mailing list
Not rocket science, but you want to learn from successful sellers and not reinvent the wheel, getting nowhere.
Here is a free training by 8-figure seller Kevin David to show you how it all works:
👉FREE SHOPIFY BEGINNER TRAINING
#7, 8, 9 – Start a Pet Blog, YouTube Channel or Podcast
Content platforms are another logical monetization option. You could also add podcasting here though it won’t apply as much to the more visual niches.
How do you monetize content platforms?
With a combination of the following:
- Affiliate Marketing – you recommend products and services and get paid a referral fee if someone follows your well researched suggestions and signs up. One of the most important monetization options online that any entrepreneur will and should use.
- Information Products – another big one: ebooks and especially online courses. More on that in the next chapter
- Sponsorships
- Ads
- Store
For this to work, you need to build an active, engaged following. Regular visitors to your blog or channel who love your content and trust your recommendations.
How-to’s, tutorials, reviews and tips are the most important type of content here.
To learn effective growth and marketing strategies for each, you can check out these courses by some of the top performers in each field:
BLOGGING
👉 SassyZenGirl’s FREE Blogging Course (Part 1 of SassyZenGirl’s Blogging Boot Camp).
YOUTUBE
👉 Jeven Dovey is a professional film maker and runs a Youtube channel with a 6-figure following
PODCASTING
#10 – Create Online Courses
Robert G. Allen of “Nothing Down” famously said: “I made millions with real estate, but I made hundreds of millions teaching it.”
You can create an online course on any topic under the sun and find a hungry audience, so this applies to pretty much any skill or interest you might have.
First, you need to build an engaged following though, so you’ll have someone to sell to.
Online courses are usually priced in the $97 to $997 range. Some even higher. Selling a high ticket item to a complete stranger who has never heard of you, is very difficult unless you are a very experienced marketer.
However, an audience that knows you, loves your content and trusts your recommendations, will love to learn more in-depth tips and strategies from you – even at a premium price.
You can then build out “sales funnels” that allow you to mostly automate the process and turn it mostly into passive income.
Another great way to build a following – actually, by far, the fastest way, is self-publishing on Amazon. Literally within a few weeks – as soon as you successfully publish your first book:
#11 – Publish Pet Related Books
The absolute fastest way to grow a following and start monetizing your passions, hobbies or interests.
See an in-depth beginner guide in this blog post.
Be sure to download your FREE copy of the Top Selling Publishing Guide worldwide here: 
BestsellerPublishing.net
#12 – Grow an Influencer Pet Page on Instagram
Yep…this is really a thing!
You can absolutely monetize your pet passion on the Gram.
Pet pages are hugely popular and you monetize through shoutouts once you have a significant following – as well as your own ecom products.
Learn more about growing a business around your pet passion on Instagram in this article.
