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Dog Walking Invoice Template

A dog walking invoice is usually a statement of a week or a month of visits, so the client needs to see which days you walked, which dogs, for how long and at what rate. Group the walks by type (solo, group, puppy visit) and length, then add separate lines for a second dog, weekend or holiday walks, late cancellations and extras such as feeding, medication or a ride to the vet. Use this template for regular clients billed weekly or monthly, or for a one-off holiday booking. The download is an editable HTML file with the invoice header, a description, quantity, rate and amount table, and dog-walking fields for the pets, service address, billing period and walk dates, walk type and length, per-walk rate, surcharges, cancellations, extra services, prepaid package balance and your cancellation policy. Fill it in your browser, then print it or save it as PDF.

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Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Pet names and number of dogs
  • Service address (never door or lockbox codes)
  • Billing period and walk dates
  • Walk type: solo, group or puppy visit
  • Walk length in minutes
  • Per-walk rate and number of walks
  • Additional dog, weekend or holiday surcharges
  • Cancelled walks and late-cancellation fees
  • Extra services: feeding, medication, vet transport
  • Prepaid walks or package balance
  • Cancellation notice policy

How to Create Your Dog Walking Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Regular clients are usually billed weekly or monthly, either in advance for the scheduled walks or in arrears for the walks completed. Billing in arrears makes each invoice match what actually happened; billing in advance protects your schedule but means crediting cancelled walks on the next invoice. Due on receipt or within 7 days is common for household clients. Put your cancellation notice period on every invoice (for example 'Walks cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are charged at 50%'), and make sure the client agreed to it before the first walk.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

Sales tax on dog walking depends on the state. Minnesota's Department of Revenue lists walking, exercising and entertaining animals, picking up pet droppings and transportation charges among taxable pet care services when the provider is in the business of providing them, for example by advertising or soliciting clients. New York's Department of Taxation and Finance held in a 1998 advisory opinion (TSB-A-98(81)S) that a dog walking service was not subject to sales tax because it is not an enumerated taxable service; advisory opinions are limited to their facts. Check your own state. If you are self-employed, tips you receive are income: pet walkers are listed under Treasury Tipped Occupation Code 506 in the final federal tips deduction regulations, so keep a record of tips separately from walk charges. This is general information, not tax advice.

Industry context (2026)

Two recent official sources affect how dog walkers invoice. First, sales tax: there is no national rule. Minnesota's Department of Revenue guidance on boarding and grooming services (Internet Archive capture of 17 May 2026) lists walking, exercising or entertaining animals, picking up pet droppings and transportation charges as taxable animal care services when provided by someone in the business, meaning anyone who solicits sales, advertises or enters into written contracts, while a neighbour paid to walk a dog occasionally is not taxed. By contrast, New York's advisory opinion TSB-A-98(81)S of 2 December 1998 found a dog walking service was not subject to sales tax because dog walking is not among the enumerated services in Tax Law section 1105(c). Second, tips: the final Treasury regulations on the qualified tips deduction (T.D. 10044, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-18, effective 12 June 2026) list 'Pet and Show Animal Caretakers' as Treasury Tipped Occupation Code 506, with pet walker, pet sitter and pet groomer among the examples. The statute caps the deduction at $25,000 a year, limits it by income and ends it for tax years beginning after 31 December 2028, and amounts automatically added to a bill as service charges are not qualified tips. That is why this template keeps tips off the invoice and cancellation fees clearly tied to a stated policy.

Worked example

Paws on Pine, a sole-proprietor dog walker, bills Dana Whitfield monthly in arrears for two dogs, Biscuit and Juno, under this price list agreed at sign-up: 30-minute walk $25.00, second dog from the same household $8.00 per walk, 60-minute Saturday group walk $22.00 per dog, vet transport $35.00, walks cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice charged at 50%. Invoice INV-0087, billing period 1 to 31 October 2026, issued 1 November 2026, due in 7 days. October 2026 has 22 weekdays. Dana cancelled 12 October two days ahead (not billed) and 21 October on the morning of the walk (late cancellation). Line 1: 30-min walk, Biscuit, 20 weekday walks, 20 x $25.00 = $500.00. Line 2: second dog, Juno, same 20 walks, 20 x $8.00 = $160.00. Line 3: Saturday group walk, 60 min, 2 dogs on 5 Saturdays (3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Oct), 10 x $22.00 = $220.00. Line 4: late cancellation 21 Oct, 50% of the $33.00 two-dog walk, 1 x $16.50. Line 5: vet transport, Juno, 14 Oct, 1 x $35.00. Subtotal: $500.00 + $160.00 + $220.00 + $16.50 + $35.00 = $931.50. This example assumes the walker's state does not tax dog walking, so tax is 0% and the total is $931.50; a Minnesota business would add sales tax to these charges. Dana pays $971.50 by bank transfer, including a $40.00 tip. The invoice is recorded as paid at $931.50 and the $40.00 tip is noted separately in the walker's records.

Common mistakes to avoid

One line for the whole month

'Dog walking, October: $931.50' hides the walk count, the second-dog charge and the late cancellation. Split the month by walk type and add-on so the client can check it against their calendar.

Charging cancellations with no policy

A cancellation fee the client never agreed to is a dispute waiting to happen. Put the notice period and fee in your service agreement and repeat it on every invoice.

Printing access codes

Lockbox combinations and alarm codes do not belong on an invoice. Anyone who sees the document could get into the client's home.

Adding a 'gratuity' line

A tip line added to the bill turns a voluntary tip into a service charge, and service charges added automatically are not qualified tips under the federal tips deduction rules. Let clients tip separately.

Assuming no sales tax applies

Some states tax pet care, including walking, when you are in business. Check your state's revenue department guidance before your first invoice rather than after an audit letter.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Never put door codes, alarm codes or lockbox combinations on an invoice. Invoices get forwarded, printed and stored. Keep access details in your client records.
  • 2Group walks by type and length rather than one line per walk: '30-min solo walk, 20 walks (1 to 30 Oct)' is easier to check than twenty identical lines. List the dates in the description or notes.
  • 3Show a second dog from the same household as its own line, so the client sees the base walk price and the add-on separately.
  • 4Record cancellations by date, with the notice given, and charge only what your policy says. Walks cancelled in time should simply not be billed.
  • 5Bill extras such as vet runs, medication or a feed visit as separate lines with the date and pet name. If your state taxes some pet services and not others, check before mixing them.
  • 6Keep tips off the invoice. InvoiceQuickly records payments only up to the invoice balance, so note any tip paid on top in your own books.
  • 7If you sell prepaid packs (for example 10 walks), show walks used and remaining on each invoice or receipt so the client can see their balance.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a dog walking invoice include?

Your name or business name and contact details, the client's name and address, an invoice number, the billing period and due date, then the walks: dates, walk type and length, number of dogs, rate and quantity. Add lines for extra dogs, weekend or holiday walks, late cancellations and extra services, then the total, any tax, how to pay and your cancellation policy.

Should I bill dog walking clients weekly or monthly?

Either works. Weekly invoices are smaller and catch payment problems early; monthly invoices mean less admin for you and the client. Many walkers bill regular clients monthly in arrears so the invoice lists only completed walks, and take payment up front for one-off holiday bookings.

How do I charge for a second dog?

Add it as a separate line with its own rate and the same quantity of walks, for example '30-min walk, second dog, same household, 20 x $8.00'. A separate line makes your pricing transparent and makes it easy to adjust if one dog stops walking.

Do I charge for cancelled walks?

Only under a policy the client agreed to in advance. A common approach is no charge with 24 hours' notice and a partial or full charge for later cancellations. On the invoice, list the cancelled date, the notice given and the fee, so the charge is clearly tied to the policy.

Is dog walking subject to sales tax?

It depends on the state. Minnesota taxes walking and exercising animals when the provider is in the business of offering pet care. New York issued an advisory opinion in 1998 that dog walking was not a taxable service. Check your state's revenue department before you add tax.

Are dog walking tips taxable?

Yes, tips are income. The federal qualified tips deduction, which runs for tax years through 2028, lists pet walkers under Treasury Tipped Occupation Code 506, and service charges added automatically to a bill are not qualified tips. Record voluntary tips separately from your walk charges and check eligibility with the IRS or a tax adviser.

Can I create dog walking invoices in InvoiceQuickly?

Yes. Type or say what you did ('20 half-hour walks for Biscuit and Juno in October, plus a vet run on the 14th') and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice for you to review. Free includes 5 invoices and 3 AI drafts. Pro adds email delivery, scheduled reminders, recurring invoices and Stripe or PayPal payment links. Recurring invoices create one line per schedule with the saved tax rate, so they suit a flat monthly package rather than an itemised month of walks.