Become a dog walker in Markham
Owners in Markham pay for a walker who shows up on time, every time. Walks in Markham run CAD 20 to CAD 35 per 30 to 60 minute walk, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
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Local know-how pays off in Markham
The Buttonville station sits inside Markham and puts January at a -1.7 C high and a -10.1 C low. Wind chill drops below -20 C on 9.4 January days, and 40.3 cm of snow falls that month. Markham plows roads at 7.5 cm and clears sidewalks after 5 cm. July tops out at 27.3 C, so the round starts before 7 a.m.
When demand peaks
Stouffville line service at Markham GO is nine southbound trains to Union in the morning and nine north in the afternoon or late evening, so dogs are alone from early. GO bus 71 covers the rest of the day. Markville Secondary starts August 31, 2026, ahead of the September 8 board-wide return.
Know your Markham routes
Milliken sits at the south end by Steeles, where apartment blocks put several dogs on one round. Unionville walkers circle the 33 hectare Toogood Pond Park off Main Street. Cathedraltown is detached streets in the north, so driving between houses sets the count.
Breeds you will meet in Markham
Owners here mostly keep Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, French Bulldog. Knowing how those breeds behave, and saying so on your profile, is what turns a first booking into a repeat client.
Bilingual owners book faster
Booking messages here arrive in Cantonese and Mandarin. Cantonese is the mother tongue of 71,905 Markham residents and Mandarin of 49,380, out of 338,503 people. Tell an owner in Milliken which of the two you read and the booking thread gets shorter.
What a dog walking job in Markham actually involves
By-law 2018-91 section 3.2(4) requires a leash of two metres or less off the owner's property, and section 3.2(3) treats a dog as at large anywhere else off leash. Markham runs four permanent off-leash parks, among them Cornell Community Dog Park at 300 William Forster Road and the Miller Avenue park at 560 Miller Avenue. Salt comes off the paws at the door from November.
Before the first walk
You meet the owner and the dog, agree the pickup time and the route, and check the harness, the leash and whether the dog pulls or reacts to other dogs. In Markham that meet-and-greet is where most repeat clients are won.
During the walk
Leash on, waste bagged, water offered on longer loops, and a check of the pavement before you head out on a hot afternoon. Owners want to know the dog was walked, not driven around a parking lot for twenty minutes.
After the walk
Paws wiped, water topped up, the dog settled inside and the door locked as you found it. Then a photo and a line about how it went. That message is what turns one booking into a standing weekly slot.
Choose your services, set your own rates
Typical Petme rates in Markham. You set your own price for each service, and keep up to 90% of every booking.
Dog walking
CAD 20 to CAD 35 per 30 to 60 minute walk
Drop-in visits
CAD 20 to CAD 35 per 20 to 30 minute visit
Doggy daycare
CAD 30 to CAD 55 per day
Dog boarding
CAD 45 to CAD 75 per night
House sitting
CAD 45 to CAD 75 per night
Run the numbers on Markham. Three standing clients at four walks a week is 12 walks; at CAD 28 a walk that is CAD 336, and you keep up to 90%. Most of that comes from the same three doors every week.
Markham areas that book the most
Dog walking bookings in Markham come from Milliken apartment households near Steeles and from Unionville owners who ride the morning train to Union.
Ontario licenses no dog walkers or pet sitters. Markham By-law 2018-91 section 3.1(1)(a) wants a dog licensed within thirty days of acquisition, and section 3.2(4) sets a leash of two metres off the owner's property. Section 3.8(1) caps a dwelling unit at two dogs over 16 weeks, and Keep there covers temporary control, so a dog in your care counts. Pet-care income is self-employment income, reported on form T2125 with your T1 return. GST/HST registration is required once taxable revenue passes the CAD 30,000 small-supplier threshold in four consecutive quarters.
Built for sitters in Markham
Keep up to 90%
You set your rate. Petme keeps a low service fee, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
Full schedule control
No assigned shifts and no minimum hours. Accept or decline each request and pause your profile whenever you need to.
Protected on every booking
CAD 32,000 in Protection Plan comes with every confirmed booking, so you are never on the hook alone if something goes wrong.
What Markham owners look for in a walker
Owners read profiles the way they read reviews of a daycare. Four things get you the first booking.
Named neighborhoods
A profile that says which Markham neighborhoods you cover beats one that says "anywhere". Owners search for someone close, and a short travel time is what makes a recurring walk work.
A regular slot
Owners want the same walker at the same time each day. Say which weekday windows you can hold, and you will be chosen over a walker with a wider but vaguer calendar.
Dog experience, stated
Which breeds you have walked, whether you are fine with a strong puller or a reactive dog, and what you do when one dog will not walk. Specifics win. So does a photo of you with a dog.
How to start earning in Markham
1. Download Petme
Download the Petme app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Build your profile
Add photos, a short bio, and the Markham neighborhoods you cover.
3. Verify your ID
Complete identity verification so owners can trust your profile before they book.
4. Set your rates and accept bookings
Set your own rates per service, choose your schedule, and accept the bookings you want.
Dog walking jobs in Markham
What new sitters ask before signing up on Petme in Markham.
How much does a dog walk pay in Markham?
Am I covered if a dog gets hurt on a walk in Markham?
Is this a part-time or full-time job in Markham?
What do I need to start pet care work in Markham?
How do I apply?
How do I get paid for bookings in Markham?
Where in Markham do owners need walkers most?
Do I get to pick which Markham walks I take?
Is dog walking a good part time job in Markham?
Do Markham dog walking jobs keep going once the plows are out?
Dog walking jobs near Markham
Cover more than one patch. Each city page has its own local rates and demand notes.
Start earning in Markham
Set your own rate. CAD 32,000 Protection Plan on every booking, cashback that keeps your clients rebooking, and fast payouts to your bank.