7:22 a.m.
I turn over in bed and check my phone, absent-mindedly scrolling through the messages and Snapchats I missed until my eyes have fully opened and can appreciate the sunlight streaming in through my window. I get out of bed and stretch, looking down at the white tents just starting to pop up around Union Square in preparation for a morning of selling flowers, bread, and fruit.
I usually head to the gym at this time to get myself energized for the day, but I’m in need of money for a couple weekend excursions I have planned, so I sit down at my desk and open my dog-walking app.
Immediately, five walks pop up giving their various distances away from my current location, complete with the amount I will get paid and a cute picture of the dog. I scroll past the walks that would require me taking the subway until I find one that is less than a mile away. 30 minutes, Yellow Lab, 0.63 miles away. Cha-ching.
I request the walk and go to brush my teeth while the owner confirms. Part of me hopes that another dog walker gets it first because I’m tired and want to sleep before going to French class in a few hours, where my brain will undoubtedly be fried by complex grammar arrangements and my professor’s incessant pop-questions. Jaxx, comment dit-on…?
Then again, I do need the money, and the ease of having an app arrange my appointments for me is too good a deal to pass up. I hear the familiar ding as the owner has confirmed the walk and quickly get dressed, letting the owner know I’ll be there in 15 minutes.
As I walk up 5th Avenue, I take note of the people around me; the business people buying iced coffee from the cart in front of their buildings, the college students heading to their 8 a.ms.
How fortunate I feel to be a part of this early morning rush when the sunlight is still a blessing on my cheek and the air is cool.
I buzz the owner’s apartment, and by the time I get up to their door the dog is already leashed and ready to go. “This is Charlie,” the owner says from behind a mug of steaming coffee, and I crouch down to let Charlie meet me while the owner goes over Charlie’s triggers.
After a reassuring nod and quick belly scratch, Charlie and I are off, strutting down 25th street on our way to the water. Charlie is still a puppy, so it’s work to keep him attentive, but soon we have each other’s habits down and I can sense when he’s about to lunge at a squirrel.
When he pauses to go the bathroom, I quickly dig my phone out of my jacket pocket and mark the bathroom pin on the app so the owner knows he’s taken care of before stooping down with a doggie bag. This is definitely the worst part of being a dog-walker, cleaning up after the dog, but a little hand sanitizer and the dog’s loving nudge makes it worth it.
Charlie and I spend half an hour walking together, enjoying the gentle breeze lifting off the water and the fellow dogs moving past us, but soon it’s time to go home.
I take him back to the apartment and give him some love before passing him off to his now-dressed owner. It’s almost 8:30, which means I have another hour before I have to leave for French, and I head back home to get ready for the day as the city hustles around me.
While the best part about being a dog walker is the untethered access to dogs, I can’t help but appreciate the malleable schedule and pre-registered clientele. Sometimes I get out of class and feel so blah that homework feels like an impossible nightmare, and I need something to pick me up and get me moving.
Other times, I find out I have an unusual block of free time in my hectic schedule and get bored, craving an activity that is quick and paid. This is when being a dog walker truly becomes the best job for any college student.
If a project comes up and I can’t take any walks for a week, I just stay away from the app and remain unbothered. If I am bored and want to make an excursion to an outer borough, I simply pick dog walks that are out of the way and can give me an excuse to wander around for a while.
If you’re in need of some money and want a job that is as low- or high-commitment as you want and have time for, then consider becoming a dog walker. As I said before: untethered access to dogs… it’s a win-win.
