How To Build A Dog-Walking App Like Puppr & Rover?

Last Updated on August 25, 2022

We all adore various types and kinds of pets.

We enjoy playing with them and taking them on walks since we view them as an essential part of our family.

We become overly preoccupied with our work schedules as the world changes and cannot care for pets. Dogs are among the animals that the majority of people worldwide keep as pets.

Previously, anytime we wanted to go outside, we would leave the dogs at the homes of our friends or family. Technology is becoming a lifesaver. We can plan dog walks using a dog walking app like Rover or Puppr.

The market for dog walking services is forecasted to rise by 1.7 percent annually to $979.2 Million over the next five years as per reports. Additionally, pet owners spend more than $60.0 billion annually on products and services for their animals, treating them like members of the family. According to studies, demand for dog walkers would increase until the year 2023 due to increased working hours and anticipated employment market stability. Evidently, industry revenue is anticipated to maintain its increasing trend.

You’ve come to the right location if you want to have an impact on this sector of the economy. We will discuss what it takes to create an on-demand dog walking application that is comparable to a well-known brand in the market in the few minutes that follow — such as Rover or Puppr.

What Is a Dog-Walking App?

A two-sided marketplace exists within an on-demand dog walking app. The actions that follow will be our attempt to define it.

• The dog owner requests to have his dog taken for a walk as the first step.
• The booking is confirmed in real-time by one of the dog walkers participating in the app.
• Now that geolocation services are available, he can simply track where his dog is when he goes for a walk. The dog walker can even provide him with photo updates.
• The dog walker returns the dog to his owner after a fun stroll, and the app then pays him for his services.
• The dog owner can grade the dog walker based on the services he rendered in the final stage and even leave a review.

Who Needs Dog Walking Apps?

Yes, dogs are fluffy and adorable, but they also come with extra duties. You must consistently take care of them, feed them, train them, groom them, take them to the vet, play with them, and most importantly, take them for walks since it revitalizes them after being inside all day.

You cannot delegate all of these tasks to someone else, but you may delegate the most crucial one—taking the dog for a walk—to someone else. Due to the availability of numerous on-demand dog walking services, customers may place their dog in the capable hands of these service providers, who will care for it like their own.

These dog walking services are especially helpful for people with demanding work schedules. Therefore, a dog owner who struggles to find time for his dog might try these dog walking apps.

How Do These Dog-Walking Apps Work?

An on-demand dog walking app’s operation is quite standard and simple to carry out. The first step for a dog owner is to register with enough information about them and their pet. Additional information on the dog, such as his harness, collars, meds, and veterinarians, can be added.

Now that the registration is complete, he may look for a dog walker in his area, and when he finds a match, he can give the walker his dog to take for a walk.

Dog-walking apps are now growing in popularity among dog owners, and it makes sense given that they provide a wonderful opportunity to spend time with dogs while also making money.

Numbers & Statistics For Dog Walking Applications

It is crucial to examine the past, present and projected statistics and facts before starting any firm to determine whether it is worthwhile to invest in. However, due to the on-demand dog walking industry’s explosive growth and expanding popularity, it is important that we take a closer look at two different types of statistics.

The first is the percentage of homes with dogs, and the second is the typical number of hours a worker puts in each week throughout the month. According to an APPA poll, 63.4 million American homes have dogs, which leads to the next statistic, which states that at least 40% of workers put in shifts lasting more than 40 hours a week.

Now that these two statistics have been combined, we can see that these dog owners work more than eight hours every day. They must find time outside of their working hours to complete their social and household obligations. You can probably anticipate where this is going—they don’t have enough time left to spend with their gorgeous dogs.

Another study by the American Pet Product Association found that Americans spend $23.4 billion on dog food, $15.73 billion on veterinary care, $14.39 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medications, $5.24 billion on boarding and grooming services for pets, and $2.19 billion on pet purchases for their homes.

These staggering numbers show that American households are overly devoted to pets, especially dogs. Blogs on dogs and cats are becoming more and more popular. The only thing preventing them from spending time with their pets is their work schedules and other obligations.

On-demand dog walking apps have a fantastic opportunity to enter the market as a result, and usage of these apps is increasing. There are numerous reasons to like these applications, but some of the top ones are that they are time-saving and effective, that dog sitters and daycares are seeing a sharp surge in revenue, and that it is a straightforward yet efficient method to make money. Pet care startups have a huge scope in the current scenario and building such an app can be highly profitable for businesses.

Steps To Build An App Like Puppr or Rover

Step 1 — Conduct A Market Research

Understanding your target audience and examining your competition are the two key components of market research. Let’s take a quick look at both:

• Recognize Your Target Market

You must first and foremost be aware of your target market. To determine the audience, you might develop a user persona. A user persona is made up of demographic information, problems experienced by different users, and appropriate solutions.

In addition, you may keep an eye on the most recent developments in the market for on-demand dog walking. You can change them and give users something fresh.

• Analyze The Competition

Consider Your Rivals

Prior to entering any industry, it is vital to understand your rivals. In addition, you should be knowledgeable about a variety of aspects of the rivals.

You should discover solutions to the following important questions:

• What are the top dog walking applications on the market today?
• What services are provided by them?
• What marketing strategies do these apps employ?
• What is the market standing of these dog walking apps?
• You’ve already completed half the work by figuring out the answers to these questions.

You should also evaluate the capabilities of the apps that provide on-demand walking. You can download these applications to learn more about them and their features.

The main objective is to draw ideas from these dog walking apps and develop the finest dog walking service app for users and walkers.

Step 2 — Decide The Features Of Your Application

You would need to finalize the features needed for your Rover-like, dog walking app once you have conducted thorough market research. Here, we’ll provide you with a list of the essential functions your dog walking app has to have.

• Customer App

• • Register/Signup
  • Real-time Pet Tracking
  • Photo Updates
  • Book Dog-Walkers
  • Digital Payments
  • Check Profile of Dog-Walkers
  • Advanced Search & Filters
  • Track bookings, walking distance, etc.
  • Chat with Vet

• Dog-Walker App

• • Enroll/Sign Up
  • Make a Profile
  • Manage reservations – accept or reject them.
  • Schedule bookings
  • Observe Payments
  • Message consumers
  • View the Dog’s Profile
  • Verify Invoices, Billing, and Reports

• Dog-Walker App

• • Login
  • Manage your clients and dog-walkers
  • Push Notifications
  • Performance Reports
  • View Finished Reports
  • Control Payments
  • Scheduling Dog Walking Jobs

Step 3 — Pick A Business Model

The business model of an app is its most crucial component. The following are some of the common revenue models seen in service-aggregator apps:

• Paid Advertising

Each independent dog agency or pet walker might charge a fee to be listed on your website. You can charge an additional fee if the dog owner wants to list their services at a certain location in the app.

• Paid Promotions

It is one of the typical methods for an app to make money. When your app has enough traffic, you can offer a location for your on-demand company to broadcast adverts. Many pet-related companies would be thrilled to offer advertisements on your app.

• Transaction Commission

When a customer purchases a service through your app, you can charge a percentage of the price.

• List Price

For adding themselves to the app, dog walkers can be charged a small fee.

• Surcharge Fees

Similar to how Uber’s surge pricing operates. When there is a high demand, dog and pet owners occasionally have trouble finding dog walkers. You can charge more and give these dog owners dog walkers. It is a great way to increase your income.

In addition to these, there are a number of other app monetization strategies you can take into account if you want to make money with your dog-walking app’s on-demand business model.

Related Read: Rover Business Model

Step 4 — Hire Developers

You should hire on-demand app developers once you’ve decided on all the features and the business plan for your on-demand dog walking application. Why? They have years of experience creating mobile apps on demand for clients all around the world.

As a result, they can fully comprehend your company and provide you with the ideal on-demand dog walking app. On B2B sites like GoodTroopers and others, you can look for on-demand app developers.

Step 5 — Get The MVP Ready

Starting with an MVP is the most efficient method to create an on-demand dog walking software. The app must have the bare minimum of functionalities before being launched.

After that, you must continually gather user input and add more features as necessary. The building of the MVP app enables you to audience test your product. In addition, it helps you save time and money.

Analyzing competitors is essential before creating an app. 

Step 6 — Launch & Test

Testing the on-demand dog walking app follows the development of the MVP version. You must tell your family, friends, and acquaintances about your app. Then, you must get the right input from each of these individuals.

The next stage after getting input is to fix every problem with your on-demand app. You can get in touch with the company you employ to design your on-demand app. They will fix every bug in your application.

Launching your app in the appropriate shops comes last but not least. The business you choose will often assist you with it.

Conclusion

We trust you now fully grasp how an app for dog walkers is made. The demand for dog-walking applications will likely rise in the near future as a result of people’s increasing busyness.

Please get in touch with us if you want to create an on-demand dog walking app.

OyeLabs provides startups and all companies with on-demand dog walking software solutions. You are therefore welcome to discuss your project concept with us. We’ll investigate it further and offer you a workable solution.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Walking Application Development (FAQs)