How to start a dog walking business in Ireland

In Ireland, there's no national licence just for dog walking. Most new walkers register with Revenue as a sole trader, take out insurance, check their local authority's rules for parks and beaches, and look after clients' data properly. Boarding is different: commercial boarding kennels can fall under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, so check with your council before you take dogs overnight.

This guide covers the main steps. It's general information rather than legal or tax advice, so confirm anything specific with Revenue, your local authority or an accountant.

Do you need to register with Revenue?

Yes, if you're working for yourself. As a sole trader you'll register for Income Tax with Revenue. You need a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), which becomes your tax reference number once you're registered.

Most people register online through Revenue's eRegistration service, using myAccount or the Revenue Online Service (ROS). If you're not eligible for eRegistration, Revenue's paper option for resident individuals is Form TR1. Once you're registered as a sole trader, Revenue expects you to file your returns and make payments through ROS.

Keep a simple record of what you earn and spend from day one. An accountant can help with your first return and explain preliminary tax.

Do you need to register for VAT?

Not at first, for most walkers. The VAT registration threshold for businesses supplying services is €42,500 in any continuous 12-month period. Below that, registration is optional. If you expect to grow past it, or you also sell goods such as treats or leads, check Revenue's guidance on thresholds.

Do you need a licence to walk dogs?

There's no specific national licence for dog walkers or dog day care in Ireland that we could find. But a few rules still apply:

• Dog licences belong to owners. Under the Control of Dogs Acts, every dog owner needs a dog licence, either annual (€20) or lifetime (€140), available from post offices or online at licences.ie. It's reasonable to ask new clients to confirm their dog is licensed and microchipped.
• Restricted breeds. Certain breeds and their crosses, including Rottweilers, German Shepherds (Alsatians) and Staffordshire Bull Terriers, must be kept on a short, strong lead by someone over 16 who can control them, and muzzled in public. If you walk these breeds, those rules apply to you while the dog is in your care.
• Local bye-laws. Councils set their own rules for parks, beaches and walkways, such as lead-only areas and seasonal beach bans. Check before you plan your routes.

What about boarding and day care?

If you board dogs, look at the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. It defines a commercial boarding kennel as a premises, other than an animal shelter, where dogs not owned by the occupier are temporarily sheltered, fed and watered for a fee. Local authorities keep a register under the Act, and some list commercial boarding kennels among the businesses that need to apply.

For day care, the position is less clear-cut and varies by area. The safest step is to check with your local authority's veterinary department before you open, and with the planning office if you'll use your home or a unit for the business.

What insurance do you need?

Insurance isn't a legal requirement for walkers, but it's the one thing not to skip. Common cover includes:

• public liability, in case a dog in your care injures someone or damages property
• care, custody and control, which covers the dogs themselves if they're injured, lost or become ill while with you
• key cover, if you'll hold clients' keys
• business use on your car insurance, if you'll drive dogs anywhere

Read the policy for limits on how many dogs you can walk at once and whether off-lead walking is covered.

How should you get paid?

Agree this before the first walk. For regular clients, SEPA Direct Debit works well: the client gives you a mandate once, and you collect what's due from their bank account on the agreed date. Things to know:

• Pre-notification. You need to tell clients the amount and date before each collection. The default is 14 calendar days, but you can agree a shorter period, such as a few days, in your terms.
• Refund rights. Payers can ask their bank for a refund of an authorised debit within eight weeks, no questions asked. Clear invoices and good communication keep this rare.
• Timing. SEPA debits aren't instant. Stripe, for example, advises waiting at least six business days before treating a payment as successful, so plan your cash flow.

Most small businesses use a payment provider, such as Stripe, rather than setting up Direct Debit with their bank directly. Card payments are a useful backup for one-off bookings.

What about GDPR?

You'll hold personal data about clients: names, addresses, phone numbers, sometimes key codes and alarm details. Under GDPR you're responsible for keeping it secure, only collecting what you need, and telling clients how you use it.

The Data Protection Commission is Ireland's regulator and has guidance for small businesses. In practice:

• keep a short privacy notice explaining what you collect and why
• store information securely, not in an open notebook or a shared group chat
• ask before sharing photos of a client's dog publicly
• delete data you no longer need

Your starting checklist

Our startup checklist has more on the practical side, and the terms and conditions guide can help you write terms that cover payment notice and cancellations.

How Trusthound can help

Trusthound handles the day-to-day once you're set up: bookings and recurring schedules, card payments and SEPA Direct Debit through your own Stripe account, daily care records, vaccination reminders, and walk updates for owners with photos and GPS routes. Clients agree to your terms in the app, so there's a clear record. Have a look at the dog walking software page to see how it fits.

Sources

• Revenue: How to register for tax as a sole trader
• Revenue: eRegistration
• Revenue: VAT thresholds
• gov.ie: Dog licence
• Galway County Council: Restricted breeds
• Irish Statute Book: Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, section 2
• Carlow County Council: Dog breeding establishments enforcement
• Data Protection Commission
• Stripe Docs: SEPA Direct Debit

Checked 20 October 2026.