Today, I’m excited to share a guest post from Brooks, a solopreneur with a passion for building income streams. In this post, he shares how a single Facebook post from his wife turned into a side hustle that brings in $12,000 to $15,000 a year – just from watching other people’s dogs. If you’re looking…
Today, I’m excited to share a guest post from Brooks, a solopreneur with a passion for building income streams. In this post, he shares how a single Facebook post from his wife turned into a side hustle that brings in $12,000 to $15,000 a year – just from watching other people’s dogs. If you’re looking for a low-cost, enjoyable way to make extra money from home (and you love dogs!), this post is full of great tips, funny moments, and helpful systems you can copy. Whether you’re interested about pet sitting or just love hearing about unique side hustles, I think you’ll really enjoy Brooks’ story.
My wife said, “Let’s test it” with a simple Facebook post.
And now we’re on track to make $12-15k this year watching other people’s dogs.
Not bad for a side hustle that’s 100% flexible and more play than work.
(That’s one of the reasons it makes this list of side hustles you can start with no money!)
Let me tell you how we stumbled into one of our favorite income streams.
How It All Started (Spoiler: Facebook Post)
I love building multiple income streams. That’s why one of my personal projects is literally a newsletter called Build Income Streams.
But this one? This one happened by accident.
My wife and I were chatting one day about how much we love dogs. We’ve always been dog people. But we weren’t ready to commit to owning more than one ourselves.
My wife had an idea.
“What if we watched other people’s dogs?”
Not necessarily dog walking (which is also great), but more like dog sitting.
So she made a Facebook post.
Something simple like: “Hey friends, we’re thinking about dog sitting. Anyone need someone to watch their pup?”
Within a week, we had our first booking.
Before we knew it, we had more requests than we could handle.
I think part of the reason is my wife’s true love for dogs and doing fun things like crafts and giving them pup cups 😁
And that’s when we realized this could be serious money.
Recommended reading: 14 Best Side Hustles for Animal Lovers To Make Extra Money
Our Simple Setup That Works
We’re not running some fancy dog hotel here.
It’s just our house.
But we do have a few things that make it work perfectly.
1. The fenced backyard
This is probably the most important part. Dogs can run around safely. They can do their business without us having to walk them every hour.
It’s freedom for them and easy for us.
2. The pool surprise
We have a pool in the backyard. Some dogs see it and immediately jump right in. Others want nothing to do with it.
It’s hilarious to see which dogs are the water lovers.
The first time it happened, I panicked. Now I just grab a towel and laugh.
3. Inside space
We give the dogs mostly free rein inside. The dogs spread out naturally.
Some like the couch.
Others prefer the floor.
A few always end up in our bed.
My wife loves it – sometimes I’m fighting for my own spot 😜
That’s it. Nothing fancy.
No special equipment. Just a dog-friendly house with a fenced yard.
The Discovery
After watching dozens of dogs, we started noticing patterns. Some dogs are super needy. Others are completely independent. Some want to play all day. Others just want to nap.
We found that doodle mixes seem to get along really well with each other.
Goldendoodles, labradoodles, bernedoodles, you name it. These dogs just seem to have the best temperaments for group settings.
They’re friendly. They’re adaptable. They play well with others.
Don’t get me wrong – we love all dogs.
But when we have multiple dogs staying with us, the doodle mixes make everything smoother.
And of course it’s perfect since our current dog (Beau) is a labradoodle.
When We Had 11 Dogs (Don’t Try This)
Let me tell you about the time we said yes to too many dogs.
It was a busy weekend. Lots of people going out of town. We kept getting requests. And we kept saying yes.
Before we knew it, we had 11 dogs in our house.
Eleven!
It was chaos. Don’t get me wrong – it was fun chaos. But it was still chaos.
Dogs everywhere. Food bowls scattered around. So much barking when someone came to the door.
And then there was the one problem dog.
This particular pup didn’t get along with the others at drop-off time.
We had to have the owners enact their plan B (we do this for all initial stays, since we don’t know how their dog reacts in group settings).
That’s when we learned our limit – ten dogs max.
Usually, we try to keep it closer to 6-8 dogs. That’s our sweet spot. Manageable but still profitable.
Our Ultra-Simple Business System
People always ask how we manage the “business side” of dog sitting.
They expect a complicated system. Apps, software, automated everything.
Nope.
We keep it stupid simple.
1. Google Doc for intake
When someone wants to book with us, they fill out a Google Doc.
Dog’s name, age, special instructions, and emergency contacts.
Basic stuff.
Takes them five minutes.
Takes us zero time to manage.
2. Shared calendar
We have a shared Google Calendar.
Shows when we’re available.
Shows when we’re booked.
Shows when we’re taking breaks.
Easy to see at a glance.
3. Facebook group for updates
This was my wife’s genius idea.
We created a private Facebook group for all the dog parents.
When we’re watching their dogs, we post photos and videos.
The parents love seeing their pups having fun.
And it saves us from sending individual updates to everyone.
4. Venmo for payment
No invoices.
No complicated payment systems.
Just Venmo (or cash).
Simple request, simple payment.
Done.
That’s our entire system. Four simple tools.
No fancy software. No monthly fees. Just simple solutions that work.
Why We Take Breaks (And You Should Too)
Here’s something important about any side hustle.
It’s got to stay fun and work with your lifestyle.
I’m a big believer in deciding your lifestyle first and designing work around that.
Right now, we’re taking a full month off from dog sitting. No bookings. No dog hair in the house. Just us and a clean house.
Avoiding burnout
Even when you love what you’re doing, too much of anything gets overwhelming. Ten dogs in your house for a week straight? That’s a lot of energy. A lot of responsibility. A lot of cleaning.
Breaks keep it fun instead of stressful.
Our own travel
We like to travel.
Hard to watch other people’s dogs when you’re not home.
By taking planned breaks, we can book our own trips without disappointing clients.
House maintenance
Let’s be real. Dogs shed. Dogs track in dirt. Dogs have accidents.
Taking breaks gives us time to deep clean. To fix anything that got damaged. To reset the house.
So far, we’ve had no major damage.
Just some dog toys destroyed. Since we don’t take pups, we usually don’t have to worry about our shoes getting chewed up.
The Numbers That Made Us Smile
Let’s talk money. Because that’s probably why you’re reading this.
We charge $40 per dog per night. Some people think we could charge more. They’re probably right. But $40 feels fair to us and our clients.
A local business where we took our dogs charges $44/night, so we’re in line.
Just as a reference, we live in Mobile, Alabama which has a lower than average cost of living than the average American city. So price accordingly.
This year’s numbers
We’re on track to make $12-15k this year. That’s not working full-time. That’s turning down plenty of potential requests.
That’s working when we want to work.
What that money means
This income allows us to splurge on vacations and large purchases. It’s not money we need for bills.
That takes all the pressure off. We can say no to bookings we don’t want. We can take breaks when we need them. We can keep it enjoyable.
The missed opportunity
Here’s the thing that blows my mind. We could easily turn this into a six-figure business. The demand is there. We get more requests than we can handle.
But that would mean:
- Hiring employees
- Managing schedules
- Dealing with more problem situations
- Working when we don’t want to
- Turning fun into stress
So we don’t. We keep it small and enjoyable.
Sometimes leaving money on the table is the smart move.
Multiple Income Streams Are Everything
This dog sitting gig perfectly shows why I’m obsessed with multiple income streams.
I run my Build Income Streams newsletter because I believe everyone should have multiple ways to make money.
Not just for the extra income. For the freedom.
My current income streams include:
- YouTube channel
- Affiliate partnerships
- Real estate projects
- Local media businesses
- Amazon Influencer program
- Domain name investments
- And now dog sitting
Each stream is different. Each has different requirements. Each has different peak seasons.
When one stream slows down, others pick up the slack.
Why This Matters
Having multiple income streams means:
- You’re not dependent on any single source
- You can experiment without risking everything
- You can say no to opportunities that don’t fit
- You have flexibility in your schedule
- You can optimize for enjoyment, not just money
The dog sitting perfectly fits this philosophy. It’s seasonal (busier during holidays and summer). It requires minimal startup costs. It can scale up or down based on our availability.
It generates income while we’re having fun.
The Compound Effect in Action
Remember how I talk about the compound effect?
How everything builds upon itself over time?
This side hustle shows that perfectly. Started with one Facebook post. Led to word-of-mouth referrals. Built trust with clients. Created a simple system. Generated consistent income.
Now we have a waiting list of people who want to use our services.
All from testing one simple idea.
What This Means for You
Maybe you’re not interested in dog sitting. That’s fine.
But the principles here work for any side hustle:
Start Simple
You don’t need a complex business plan.
You don’t need perfect systems.
You just need to test the idea.
My wife’s “let’s test it” approach beats months of planning.
Use What You Have
We didn’t buy special equipment. We didn’t renovate our house. We used our existing space and made it work.
Look around your life. What assets do you already have that could generate income?
Keep It Enjoyable
The moment a side hustle becomes stressful, you’ll want to quit. We deliberately keep this fun. We say no to difficult clients. We take breaks when we need them.
We prioritize enjoyment over maximum profit.
Build Word-of-Mouth
The best marketing is happy customers telling their friends.
We’ve never advertised. Never posted on Rover or other platforms. Every client came through referrals.
Focus on doing great work and the marketing handles itself.
Recommended reading: Is Rover Worth It? A Guide to Making Money with Rover
Know Your Limits
We learned our capacity the hard way (11 dogs = too many). Now we know our sweet spot.
Don’t be afraid to set boundaries. It’s better to do fewer things well than many things poorly.
The Future of Our Dog Sitting
Will we keep doing this forever? Maybe. Maybe not. Our interests change. Our capacity changes. Other opportunities come up.
But for now, it’s perfect. It fits our lifestyle. It generates meaningful income. It brings us joy.
And it’s teaching us lessons we can apply to other income streams.
What we might change:
Maybe we’ll raise our rates.
Maybe we’ll be more selective about which dogs we accept.
Maybe we’ll create more structured systems.
Or maybe we’ll keep it exactly as it is.
The beauty of a side hustle is you get to decide.
Final Thoughts
Starting a side hustle doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t require a perfect plan. It doesn’t need significant investment.
Sometimes it just requires saying “let’s test it” and making a Facebook post.
Our dog sitting side hustle proves that simple ideas can generate serious income. $12-15k might not sound life-changing. But when it’s vacation money? When it comes from doing something you enjoy? When it fits perfectly around your other commitments?
That’s pretty amazing.
The key is recognizing that income streams come in all shapes and sizes.
Some require years of building.
Others can start generating money immediately.
The trick is diversifying across different types.
Having some that are scalable and others that are simple.
Some that require active work and others that are more passive.
Dog sitting falls into the “simple and active” category.
And that’s exactly what we needed in our income stream portfolio.
So what’s your “let’s test it” idea? What simple thing could you try this week?
You might be surprised where it leads.
Trust me, if a Facebook post about watching dogs can turn into $15k in vacation money, anything is possible.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go 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 obsessed with building income streams, launching business ideas, and creating a flexible life. Every week, he shares lessons from his projects to help others level up in marketing, personal finance, and online business. You can connect with him on his newsletter, X, LinkedIn, or his website.
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