In short: there is no national dog walking licence in Canada, and whether you need a permit depends entirely on which city's parks you work in. In Toronto you need a commercial dog walker permit above three dogs in a park and the one-year fee is $305.99 before tax; in Calgary the trigger is more than six dogs off leash; in Montreal it is more than three dogs and the licence costs $111.80; and in Edmonton and Hamilton there is no dog walker permit at all.
Verified on 28 August 2026 against the Constitution Act, 1867, the City of Toronto's permit page and Municipal Code Chapter 608, the City of Calgary's animal services permits page, the City of Mississauga's dog walker permit page, Ville de Montréal's dog walker licence page, City of Edmonton Bylaws 20700 and 13145, and City of Hamilton By-law 12-031 and its dog parks page. This is general information, not legal advice. By-laws change, so confirm with the city before you take money for a walk.
This post covers Toronto, Calgary, Mississauga, Montreal, Edmonton and Hamilton. It does not cover Vancouver, Ottawa or Winnipeg, and it does not cover any province-level rule.
Why the answer changes from one city to the next
The reason there is nothing to look up federally is written into the Constitution Act, 1867. Section 92 gives the provinces exclusive power over "Municipal Institutions in the Province" and over "Shop, Saloon, Tavern, Auctioneer, and other Licences in order to the raising of a Revenue for Provincial, Local, or Municipal Purposes." Licensing a small local trade is a provincial and municipal matter, and provinces hand that work down to cities.
So six cities produced six different answers. A permit kicks in above three dogs in Toronto and Montreal, at five dogs in Mississauga, and above six dogs in Calgary. The ceiling is six dogs in Toronto and eight in Montreal. Only Toronto's published page states an insurance condition. The published fee runs from $111.80 to $408.01. None of that is a rounding difference between similar rules. They are separate regimes that happen to share a subject.
One thing to watch is where each rule bites. Toronto's, Mississauga's and Calgary's triggers are written for parks, leash-free zones and off-leash parks. Montreal's page states its three-dog trigger without naming a location. Read the wording that applies where you actually walk.
The four cities that issue a permit
| City | Permit needed from | Maximum dogs | Fee | Insurance required |
|---|
| Toronto | More than 3 dogs in a park | 6 | $305.99 per year, before tax | Yes, $2,000,000 |
| Montreal | More than 3 dogs at once | 8, and 2 inside a dog park | $111.80 | Not stated on the licence page |
| Mississauga | 5 to 8 dogs in a leash-free zone | 8 | $370.89 resident, $408.01 non-resident, HST included | Not stated on the permit page |
| Calgary | More than 6 dogs off leash | Not stated as a fixed ceiling | Not published on the permits page | Not stated on the permits page |
Toronto
Chapter 608 of the Toronto Municipal Code is blunt about it. "No person shall have control of more than three dogs unless authorized by a commercial dog walker permit," and separately, "No person shall have control of more than six dogs." The permit itself is defined as one "authorizing a commercial dog walker to be in control of between four and six dogs while in a park." Four to six dogs is the whole width of the permit. Seven is not available to anyone.
The insurance condition is the part people underestimate. Toronto wants "evidence of Commercial General Liability insurance coverage for the full term of the permit in the amount of $2,000,000 for bodily injury, property damage and personal injury liability including the City as an additional insured." Toronto asks for the City to be named as an additional insured, so confirm with your broker that your policy says so.
Fees starting January 1, 2026 are $305.99 for one year, $153.00 for six months or $76.50 for three months, tax not included. The short terms are useful if your route is seasonal.
Montreal
Montreal asks the question directly on its own page: "Are you walking more than three dogs at the same time? You must get a dog walker license and renew it each year." The licence costs $111.80 whether it is a first application or a renewal, which makes it the cheapest of the three cities that publish a fee.
Two limits sit underneath it, and they are easy to mix up. A licensed walker may handle a maximum of eight dogs under the by-law, but may bring no more than two dogs into a dog park. The second number overrides the first the moment you step through the gate.
Montreal also issues the licence to companies, not only to individuals. Where a company holds it, each dog walker must carry a copy.
Mississauga
Mississauga sets its threshold higher and its restriction tighter. "If you're walking 5 to 8 dogs at a time in a leash-free zone, you'll need a dog walker permit." So four dogs in a Mississauga leash-free zone is below the permit threshold, while four dogs in a Toronto park needs a permit.
The catch is the schedule. "Commercial dog walkers are permitted to use leash-free zones Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m." Weekend group walks in a leash-free zone are not part of the deal, which matters if you were counting on Saturday clients to fill the week.
The fee is $370.89 for Mississauga residents and $408.01 for non-residents, all fees including 13% HST. Additional walkers attached to the original permit cost $74.17 for residents and $82.21 for non-residents.
Calgary
Calgary has the most generous threshold of the four. "As of September 30, 2022 under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, if a person wants to walk more than six dogs at a time off leash they will require a professional dog walker permit." The rule sits in section 11.1 of that by-law and applies in off-leash parks. Six dogs off leash in Calgary needs no permit; seven does.
Calgary also qualifies people differently. To qualify, it asks for at least one of: a City of Calgary business licence related to a dog business, proof of one or more years of self-employment as a dog walker, proof of one or more years of employment as a dog walker in the form of a letter from an employer, or relevant training certification such as dog training, dog behaviour, animal science, animal health or canine assessment coursework. That is a competence test, and it rewards anyone who kept records of their first year of work.
Two cities where there is no permit to get
Edmonton's Public Spaces Bylaw 20700 handles dogs in public through leash and control alone: "A person having care or control of a dog must have it under control and held on a leash not exceeding 2 metres in length." There is no dog walker permit in it and no cap on how many dogs one person may walk. The only number Edmonton attaches to dogs is in a different by-law, the Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw 13145, and it is a keeping rule: no person shall keep more than three dogs on any premises with a municipal address in the City. That governs the home, not the leash.
Hamilton has no dog walker permit either, but its dog parks are effectively closed to group work. The City's rules state that "No more than two dogs may be brought into the park by an individual at the same time" and that "Professional dog trainers are not allowed to use dog parks for their business." Hamilton's Responsible Animal Ownership By-law 12-031 limits animals kept at a premises, "more than any combination of four animals," and again says nothing about walking.
The practical reading: no permit does not mean no rules. It means the constraint arrives as a leash length or a park cap instead of a paper application.
What to do before you take a group booking
Work out the largest group you will ever hold at once, then check that number against the city whose parks you use, not the city you live in. If you are near a municipal boundary you may be under two regimes on two different days of the week.
If you are still working out whether the numbers add up, our guides on
setting dog sitter rates and
whether pet sitting is a good business cover the money side. If you are starting from zero,
becoming a pet sitter with no experience is the place to begin, and Calgary's qualification route is a reminder to document every month of it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a dog walker permit in Toronto?
You need one if you have control of more than three dogs in a Toronto park. The by-law says no person shall have control of more than three dogs unless authorized by a commercial dog walker permit, and the permit covers between four and six dogs. Six dogs is the hard ceiling for any one person in a park, permit or not.
How much is a dog walker permit in Toronto?
Starting January 1, 2026 the City of Toronto charges $305.99 for a one-year commercial dog walker permit, $153.00 for six months and $76.50 for three months, before tax. Toronto also requires evidence of $2,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured for the full permit term.
Do you need a licence to be a dog walker in Ontario?
Dog walker rules in Ontario are set by each municipality. Toronto and Mississauga have their own separate regimes with different dog thresholds, different fees and different conditions, so check the by-law of the specific city whose parks you plan to work in.
How do you become a dog walker in Toronto?
If you plan to walk four to six dogs in a Toronto park, apply to the City for a commercial dog walker permit and provide evidence of $2,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance including the City as an additional insured. Walking three dogs or fewer in a park does not trigger the permit requirement.
Do you need a permit to walk dogs in Calgary?
You need a Calgary professional dog walker permit only if you walk more than six dogs at a time off leash. Since September 30, 2022 the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw requires a professional dog walker permit above that number, under section 11.1, and it applies in off-leash parks. Calgary grants the permit on evidence of experience, a dog-related business licence or relevant training.
Is there a dog walker permit in Edmonton?
Edmonton has no dog walker permit. Its Public Spaces Bylaw regulates dogs in public by leash and control, requiring a leash no longer than two metres. Its only numeric dog limit is three dogs on any premises with a municipal address, which is a keeping rule rather than a walking one.
