As a college student, you're pretty much always broke as a joke. Money goes to food, rent, tuition, food, coffee, food, phone bill...did I mention food? I have recently found myself needing cash to tide over between months. I thought about applying for things like Uber, Lyft, kind of a make your own schedule type of thing. Then I came across the dog walking app Wag. You may have seen the ads on Facebook! It's advertised as "Uber for Dogs." Basically, a dog owner needs a walk for their dog. They schedule a walk, and it appears on your home screen. Then, if it's a good time for you, you click request. Wag also offers dog sitting (you go to the dog's house) and dog boarding (the dog goes to your house.) Everything is done over the app, it's so easy to use, and is pretty much the most fun job I've ever had. I'll take you through a few things that helped me get started on the app, some pros and cons, and some questions that I get asked most often!

How to get started:

First, you have to apply. Go to the Wag Walker website and see if Wag is actually in your city. They recently expanded to 16 new cities, and are constantly working to expand everyday. Then you'll fill out an application, which is pretty basic information. It will ask you if you've ever volunteered at animal shelters; if you have experience walking dogs, and follow up with the Safety & Harness test. You'll then go through the situational assessment, to see how you would react in certain situations (dog getting off leash, being aggressive, etc.). I thought it was pretty much common sense. The only thing I wasn't super knowledgeable of was the harnesses. But, they show you videos of the right way to attach each type of harness and collar. Once you get all of that completed, you go through a background check. That takes the longest part, mine took 10 business days. But once you're all cleared, Wag sends you the hardware to download the walker app (it's not in the App store). You'll create your profile in your application, and it will be all set up for you!

Pros and Cons:

PROS - You get to walk dogs. I mean, what could possibly be wrong with that? You get consistent exercise, depending on how much you work. That is both the blessing and the curse of this job. You choose when you work. For example, I usually take Sundays off from walks to give myself a break, so I simply don't accept any walks. I love that I don't have to request days off, I love that I get to love on dogs, and I love the company itself. You also send a Report Card to the owner at the end of every walk, telling them what you did on the walk, if the dog peed/pooped, and my personal favorite, snap a picture of the dog! Or, I usually try to snap a selfie with the dog, as noted by the pictures in this article. My phone storage is now full of dog pictures and I couldn't be happier about it.

CONS - With the making of your own schedule, there comes the potential that you won't make a lot of money. Also in Phoenix, walks are sometimes really hard to get. The walker to dog ratio seems like it's around 4-1. That's not an official number or anything, but there is definitely more supply of walkers than demand for them if that makes sense. Also, the Wag rates are determined by the market. So the walks in San Francisco are priced very differently than walks here in Phoenix. So depending on where you are, that can be a pro or a con.

FAQ's:

1. How do I access the dog owner's house/apartment?

Wag sends the dog owners a lock box to put the key in. They give you, the Walker, the code to open it and get into the house. There is a space on the walk's profile for all access information, whether it's lock box codes, or if they placed the key under a doormat, gate codes, security measures, etc. You also as a walker have an opportunity to leave notes for future walkers of this dog to make it easier for them. There are categories for Parking, Access, Triggers (for the dog, if they don't like men, cats, etc.) and General. I found this extremely helpful as I was first getting started, just to know what to sort of expect with the dog!

2. I just joined, why am I not getting walks?

I always tell people that when they first join, they have to be patient. I'm not kidding when I say babysit the app. Click request on every single walk that pops up. Remember that the competition, especially in Phoenix, is fierce right now. There are different types of walks: on demand, scheduled - one time, and recurring. Most of the time, those "on demand" walks, not scheduled walks, are how you build your clientele. Once you establish a relationship with a dog and an owner, they can make you their "preferred walker", meaning you'll get notified first when they need a walk. The on demand walks mean that the owner needs a walk that second, so you'd have to drop whatever you're doing and be there in under half an hour. But, that's how you get recurring walks.

3. Enough already, how much do you get paid?! That's what we all really want to know.

Phoenix Wag market rates are $12 for a 30-minute walk for one dog and $15 for a 30-minute walk for two dogs. The owners can have you do 60 or 90-minute walks, those do pay significantly more but they are rare. Then, the dog owners can tip you on top of the walk base price. You also have the opportunity to make an extra $1 if you snap the Report Card picture with you wearing a Wag shirt and the dog you're walking is wearing the Wag bandana. You can pay $30 up front when you get accepted to become a "Wag Ambassador" and receive your shirt, a bandana, and 50 promo cards. To me, the $30 was for sure worth it, I made that $30 back in no time, plus extra with tips. What are promo cards? Glad you asked! For every new customer that signs up using your specific promo code, they get a $20 credit to use towards a walk, or sitting/boarding, and you get $25. That adds up FAST. And, they have a $50 bonus for you if you complete 40 walks in your first 28 days on the app. Yes, that does sound like a lot. But I've been on the app for almost 16 days, and I'm over halfway there. And I do limit myself to 3 walks maximum per day, especially since it's getting progressively hotter outside in Phoenix. But if you live in say, Seattle, what's stopping you from doing 5 walks a day? Nothing. It all depends on what you want.

I hope this was informative for you, maybe I'll see you out walking dogs with me! I don't get paid if people I tell about this join the app as walkers, I literally just love my job and want to share it with everyone. If you like cute dog pics, follow my Wag Instagram @wagwalkermegan, I post pictures from every walk I do. If you're a dog owner and want to try Wag in your city, my promo code is MEGAN1239. Feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions about Wag, or you can visit their website!