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Chico, CAWalk dogs near you in Chico and keep up to 90%
Chico dog walkers start before 8 a.m. from June into September, when the July normal high is 95 degrees. Walks in Chico run $15 to $34 per 30 to 60 minute walk, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
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$15 to $34
per 30 to 60 minute walk in Chico
Up to 90%
of every walk kept by the walker
$22,000
Protection Plan on every booking
4.9 / 5
average sitter rating on Petme
Why Join Petme
Everything you need to succeed
We provide the tools, support, and protection you need to build a thriving pet care business.
Flexible Schedule
Work when you want. Accept bookings that fit your lifestyle. No minimum hours required.
Petme Protection
Every booking includes up to $22,000 through the Protection Plan. Care for pets with confidence.
Easy Booking System
Our app handles messaging, payments, and scheduling. Focus on what you do best: pet care.
Local Visibility
Get discovered by pet owners in your area. Our search helps clients find the perfect sitter.
Fast Payments
Get paid within 2 business days after each booking. Keep up to 90% of every booking.
A local edge
Local know-how pays off in Chico
July normals in Chico run to a 95-degree high, and the Downtown Chico grid holds that heat past sunset. Walks move to before 8 a.m. from June into September. Winter is the wet half of the year, with 5.12 inches of rain in January, so the Bidwell Park gravel paths turn soft. December lows near 36 degrees are mild enough to keep the same route.
When demand peaks
Chico State's fall term opens August 24, 2026, and spring classes start January 25, 2027, which is when weekday midday requests climb. Enloe Health employs more than 3,000 people here and runs its hospital around the clock, so weekday cover is the steady ask. Walk work thins over the late-December break.
Know your Chico routes
South Campus and Downtown Chico hold the apartment blocks, and those clients want short lunchtime loops on flat grid streets. The Avenues sit north of downtown under mature street trees, so longer routes work there. Barber sits at the south end beside the Comanche Creek Greenway paths.
Breeds you will meet in Chico
Owners here mostly keep French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever. Knowing how those breeds behave, and saying so on your profile, is what turns a first booking into a repeat client.
The work itself
What a dog walking job in Chico actually involves
Bidwell Park covers 3,670 acres along the north side of Chico. Code 12.18.150 lets a dog off leash in Lower Park each day between 5 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The same section allows it north of Upper Park Road in Middle and Upper Park until 30 minutes after sunset. Anywhere else in a Chico park the leash runs six feet or less. DeGarmo Park on Leora Court is the city's own dog park.
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 Chico 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.
Getting Started
How it works
From sign up to your first booking in just a few simple steps.
1
Create Your Profile
Download the app, add photos, write your bio, and select the services you want to offer.
2
Get Verified
Complete our verification process. Once approved, your profile goes live.
3
Set Your Services
Choose your rates, availability, and the types of pets you're comfortable caring for.
4
Start Earning
Accept booking requests, provide great care, and build your client base.
Earnings Calculator
See what you could earn
Adjust the sliders to estimate your potential monthly earnings.
Based on typical boarding rates in the United States
Estimated Monthly Earnings
$1,178
per month
Per pet rate: nearly half of our clients have multiple pets
Rate per night$34
Bookings per Week8
Weeks per month4.33
Monthly total$1,178
Actual earnings depend on your rates, services offered, location, and availability. Many sitters earn more by offering multiple services.
Rates in Chico
Choose your services, set your own rates
Typical Petme rates in Chico. You set your own price for each service, and keep up to 90% of every booking.
Dog walking
$15 to $34 per 30 to 60 minute walk
Drop-in visits
$15 to $34 per 20 to 30 minute visit
Take the middle of the band. Three regular clients in Chico at four walks a week, at $25 a walk, is 12 walks and $300. You keep up to 90% of that, and the walks sit in two blocks either side of the working day rather than across it.
Where demand is strongest
Chico areas that book the most
Chico dog walking bookings come from apartment households around South Campus and Downtown Chico, plus Enloe Health staff working weekday hospital shifts.
California licenses no pet sitter or dog walker. Chico Municipal Code 7.08.110 bars a dog from running at large. Section 7.08.010(C) defines a leash as no more than six feet. That at-large rule steps aside inside a Bidwell Park area the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission designates for exercising dogs. It also steps aside inside a dog exercise area the city council sets aside elsewhere in Chico. Section 19.76.040.B caps a residence at three dogs over three months old. Anyone doing business inside the city limits, a home-based office included, carries a Chico business license. Sitting income is self-employment, reported on Schedule C.
Downtown ChicoThe AvenuesSouth CampusChapmantownMulberryBarberCalifornia ParkDoe MillMeriam ParkAmber GroveHusa Ranch
What gets you booked
What Chico 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 Chico 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.
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions
How much do dog walkers earn per walk in Chico?
Dog walking on Petme in Chico runs $15 to $34 per 30 to 60 minute walk. You set your own rate, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
Are there part time dog walking jobs in Chico?
It works as flexible income alongside a job or studies. You pick your availability and scale bookings up or down, and a compact route around Downtown Chico keeps travel time low between walks.
What protection do I get on walks?
Every confirmed Petme booking, including walks, includes $22,000 in Protection Plan for the dog in your care, at no cost to you or the owner. The same cover applies whether you walk in Downtown Chico or The Avenues.
Are dog walking jobs hiring near me in Chico?
Yes. Petme recruits sitters across Chico year-round, from Downtown Chico to The Avenues, and owners send booking requests directly to sitters in their area. There is no vacancy list to wait on: you create a profile, set the areas you cover, and accept the requests you want.
Can a teenager get dog walking work in Chico?
No. Petme sitters must be 18 or over, so under-18s cannot take bookings yet. From 18 you need a smartphone with the Petme app, to pass ID verification, and a profile that describes the pets you have cared for, including your own.
Is there dog walking work near Downtown Chico and The Avenues?
Chico dog walking bookings come from apartment households around South Campus and Downtown Chico, plus Enloe Health staff working weekday hospital shifts. You walk where you already know the parks, the quiet routes, and the local leash rules.
Can I turn down walks that do not fit my day in Chico?
Yes. You decide where to walk, when, and for how long. No assigned routes, no minimum hours, no shift rosters. Many Chico walkers build a regular loop through Downtown Chico and The Avenues and accept or decline requests as they come in.
when do Chico walks have to move to early morning?
From June into September, when the July normal high reaches 95 degrees. Chico dog walking shifts to before 8 a.m. and sticks to the shaded paths in Bidwell Park. Afternoon slots come back by November, when the average high is 65 degrees.
What are the requirements to be a dog walker in Chico?
You need to be 18 or over, have a smartphone with the Petme app, and pass ID verification. Owners choose on reviews, availability and a complete profile, so it is worth describing the pets you have looked after, including your own, and naming the Chico areas you cover.
What kind of dogs will I be walking in Chico?
Owners in Chico mostly keep French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever. Saying on your profile which of those you have walked helps owners choose you, because most are looking for someone already comfortable with their dog's size and energy.
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