Today I’m pleased to share a guest post from Brooks, a solopreneur who builds multiple income streams. In this piece, he explains how a single Facebook post from his wife turned into a profitable side hustle—bringing in about $12,000 to $15,000 per year—just from watching other people’s dogs. If you want a low-cost, flexible way to earn extra money from home and you love dogs, Brooks’ story is full of practical tips, amusing moments, and easy-to-copy systems. Whether you’re curious about pet sitting or enjoy hearing about creative side hustles, this post offers useful takeaways.
My wife said, “Let’s test it,” and made a simple Facebook post.
Now we’re on pace to earn $12–15k this year watching other people’s dogs.
Not bad for a side hustle that’s completely flexible and feels more like play than work.
Here’s how we stumbled into one of our favorite income streams.
How It All Started (Spoiler: Facebook Post)
I enjoy building multiple income streams. One of my personal projects is a newsletter called Build Income Streams.
This particular income stream, however, happened almost by accident.
My wife and I were talking about how much we love dogs. We’ve always been dog people, but we weren’t ready to add a second permanent dog to the household.
She suggested, “What if we watched other people’s dogs?”
Not necessarily dog walking, but dog sitting—having pups stay at our house while their owners were away.
She posted a simple message on Facebook: “Hey friends, we’re thinking about dog sitting. Anyone need someone to watch their pup?”
Within a week we booked our first stay, and before long requests started piling up.
Part of the appeal was that my wife genuinely adores dogs and enjoys little touches like making pup cups and crafts for guests.
That’s when we realized this could be a reliable source of side income.
Our Simple Setup That Works
We’re not running a fancy boarding facility—just hosting dogs in our home. A few straightforward features make the arrangement work well:
1. A fenced backyard
This is the most important element. Dogs can run and relieve themselves safely, giving them freedom and reducing how often we need to walk them.
2. The pool surprise
We have a backyard pool. Some dogs jump right in; others avoid it entirely. It’s always funny to see which dogs love the water. The first time I panicked, but now I just grab a towel and enjoy the show.
3. Comfortable inside space
Dogs have mostly free rein inside. They naturally spread out—some on the couch, some on the floor, and a few inevitably in our bed. My wife enjoys it; sometimes I have to fight for my own spot.
That’s it—no fancy equipment, just a dog-friendly house and a secure yard.
The Discovery
After hosting dozens of dogs, patterns emerged. Some pups are clingy, others independent. Some want nonstop play; others prefer naps.
We noticed doodle mixes—goldendoodles, labradoodles, bernedoodles—tend to get along exceptionally well in group settings. They’re friendly, adaptable, and play nicely together, which makes hosting multiple dogs much smoother. It helps that our dog, Beau, is a labradoodle.
When We Had 11 Dogs (Don’t Try This)
Once we kept saying yes until we had 11 dogs in the house. It was fun, but chaotic—food bowls everywhere, lots of barking, and one dog who didn’t mix well at drop-off. We require owners to have a backup plan for initial stays in case their dog reacts poorly in a group setting. That experience taught us our limit: ten dogs was too many.
Now we cap at ten and typically aim for 6–8 dogs, a manageable and still-profitable sweet spot.
Our Ultra-Simple Business System
People expect complicated systems with apps and automation, but we keep things very simple. Our process uses four basic tools:
1. Google Doc for intake
Prospective clients complete a short Google Doc with the dog’s name, age, special instructions, and emergency contacts. It takes five minutes for them and requires almost no time to manage for us.
2. Shared calendar
A shared Google Calendar shows availability, bookings, and personal breaks so we can see everything at a glance.
3. Private Facebook group for updates
We created a private Facebook group for dog parents where we post photos and videos while their dogs are with us. Parents love seeing their pups in action, and this saves us from sending individual updates.
4. Venmo for payment
We accept Venmo or cash—no invoicing or complicated payment systems. Simple requests and simple payments keep bookkeeping easy.
That’s our entire system: Google Doc, shared calendar, private Facebook group, and Venmo. No subscriptions, no fancy software—just straightforward solutions that work.
Why We Take Breaks (And You Should Too)
Any side hustle has to stay enjoyable and fit your lifestyle. We plan regular breaks—right now we’re taking a full month off—so the work doesn’t take over our lives.
Avoiding burnout
Even something you love can become overwhelming. Ten dogs for a week straight is a lot of energy and responsibility. Breaks keep it fun instead of stressful.
Our own travel
We travel and can’t host when we’re away. Planned breaks let us take trips without disappointing clients.
House maintenance
Breaks give time to deep clean, repair any minor damage, and reset the house. So far the issues have been small—mostly a few destroyed dog toys.
The Numbers That Made Us Smile
Now the money. We charge $40 per dog per night. Some people say we could raise rates, and that’s probably true, but $40 feels fair to us and our clients. For context, a local business charges $44 per night, and we live in Mobile, Alabama, where the cost of living is lower than many U.S. cities—so adjust pricing for your local market.
This year’s numbers
We’re on track to earn $12–15k this year without working full-time and while turning down requests when we don’t feel like hosting. We work when we want to work.
What that money means
This income funds vacations and larger discretionary purchases. Because it’s not necessary for bills, we don’t feel pressured to accept every request. That flexibility keeps the gig enjoyable.
The missed opportunity
We could likely scale this into a six-figure business given demand, but that would require hiring staff, managing complex schedules, handling more difficult situations, and likely turning the fun into stress. We prefer to keep it small and enjoyable, even if it means leaving potential income on the table.
Multiple Income Streams Are Everything
This dog sitting side hustle illustrates why I emphasize multiple income streams. I run the Build Income Streams newsletter because having several sources of income provides freedom and security.
My current income sources include a YouTube channel, affiliate partnerships, real estate projects, local media businesses, the Amazon Influencer program, domain investments, and now dog sitting. Each stream behaves differently—some are seasonal, some scale easily, and others are more hands-on. When one slows, another often picks up.
Why this matters:
- You’re not dependent on a single source of income.
- You can experiment without risking everything.
- You can say no to opportunities that don’t fit your life.
- You gain flexibility in your schedule.
- You can prioritize enjoyment as well as profit.
Dog sitting is seasonal, low-cost to start, and can be adjusted to match our availability—exactly the kind of income stream that complements others in our portfolio.
The Compound Effect in Action
This story started with one Facebook post. Word-of-mouth referrals followed, which built trust and repeat business. A few simple systems later, we had consistent income and a waiting list. It’s a small example of how compounding effort and consistency create results over time.
What This Means for You
You might not want to host dogs, and that’s okay. The principles apply to any side hustle:
Start simple. You don’t need a perfect plan—just test an idea quickly.
Use what you already have. We didn’t buy special gear; we used our home and yard.
Keep it enjoyable. If it becomes stressful, it’s no longer worth it. Set boundaries and take breaks.
Build word-of-mouth. Happy customers are the best marketing. We never paid for ads or used major platforms—referrals filled our calendar.
Know your limits. We learned ours after overcommitting; now we stick to a capacity that keeps the work manageable.
The Future of Our Dog Sitting
Will we do this forever? Maybe, maybe not. Our interests and capacity change, and new opportunities appear. For now it fits our lifestyle, delivers meaningful income, and brings joy. Possible changes could include raising rates, being more selective about which dogs we accept, or adding more structured systems. Or we may keep it exactly as it is. The advantage of a side hustle is you get to decide.
Final Thoughts
Starting a side hustle doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or perfectly planned. Sometimes it only takes saying “let’s test it” and making a simple post. Our dog sitting side hustle shows how modest ideas can generate meaningful income—$12–15k might not change everything, but when it’s vacation money and it comes from something you enjoy and can schedule around your life, it’s valuable.
The key is diversifying income streams: some that take time to build, some that scale, and some that are simple and active. Dog sitting sits nicely in the latter category for us, and it’s exactly what we needed in our portfolio.
So what’s your “let’s test it” idea? Try something small this week—you might be surprised where it leads. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean up some dog hair.
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Author bio: Brooks is a long-time solopreneur and family man with 17+ years of experience. He’s passionate about creating multiple income streams, launching business ideas, and building a flexible life. Every week he shares lessons from his projects to help others improve in marketing, personal finance, and online business.
Recommended reading:
- 11 Jobs Where You Can Bring Your Pet to Work
- How We Became Professional House Sitters In Europe & Saved Over $5,000
- 19 Ways To Get Paid To Walk