West Sussex has plenty of dog walkers, but finding ones we could verify was harder than it should be. Our standard is strict: a walker is listed only if their own website shows they work in the county and states their insurance and checks, and marketplace walkers need at least 50 reviews. Every insurance, DBS and first-aid statement below is the walker’s own claim, we haven’t seen any certificates, and none of the sites gave a base postcode.
Walkers with their own websites
Sussex Paws & Trails covers Chichester, Tangmere, Boxgrove and Westhampnett (07815 446333). Its site says it is fully insured, DBS checked and canine first aid trained, and lists no prices or reviews. Kate’s K9 Companions in Chichester offers walking, home boarding and pop-ins, and says it is licensed, insured, DBS checked and first-aid trained, with a “5 star rating with Chichester District Council”. We couldn’t verify that rating or a licence number, so ask for both. Doug’s Dog Walks covers Littlehampton, Rustington, Angmering and East Preston, with solo walks at £20 for 45 minutes and group walks at £15. It claims insurance, DBS checks and first aid, and the contact email is under a different first name than the business, so confirm who you’re dealing with.
Wagtastic Dog Walking covers Thakeham, Storrington, West Chiltington and Pulborough, takes a maximum of four dogs per walk and says it is fully insured, DBS checked and a member of the Professional Dog Walkers Association. Petpals Chichester and We Love Pets Horsham are franchises. Petpals covers Chichester, Bognor Regis, Felpham and nearby, with dog walks, and We Love Pets lists dog walks from £19 an hour across the Horsham area. Both say they are insured, DBS checked and first-aid trained. We Love Pets also quotes an animal activity licence number for home boarding, which we couldn’t tie to a council, so ask which council issued it.
Marketplaces and gaps
On Pawshake, one Horsham walker has 61 reviews and a starting price of £15 a walk, but we didn’t open her profile, so check her insurance and DBS status yourself. No Worthing walker we saw reached 50 reviews. On our first pass we found no walkers with their own sites in Worthing, Shoreham, Crawley, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Midhurst, Petworth or Steyning, which is a limit of our search rather than proof none exist (the Google Maps second look below lists We Love Pets Crawley, for one).
Licences and dog limits
We found no West Sussex council requiring a licence for ordinary dog walking. Dog limits do exist, though: Worthing’s order caps dogs at six per person across open public land, and Mid Sussex caps them at six on council nature reserves and selected large parks. Chichester’s order sets no limit. Dog day care and home boarding do need an animal activities licence, and Chichester’s fees start at £422 for home boarding. If a walker keeps your dog at home or in a vehicle for day care, ask which council licensed them.
Whoever you choose, ask about insurance, group size, recall and emergencies, and do a meet-and-greet first. A calming bite can help take the edge off a nervous dog’s first few walks, and if anxiety is a regular issue, speak to your vet. For everything else, see our West Sussex dog services hub, and for places to walk yourself, our best local dog walks in West Sussex.
A second look on Google Maps
We also cross-checked Google Maps. These West Sussex businesses have a listing, their own website and at least 12 reviews, all rated 4.8 or better when we checked, and some may overlap with the businesses above:
We Love Pets Crawley
★★★★★ 5.0 · 81 Google reviews
Based in Crawley; also offers day care.
View on Google Maps
Paws & Whiskers Pet Services
★★★★★ 5.0 · 39 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Paws Outdoors Dog Walking Services
★★★★★ 4.8 · 31 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
The Flying Walker
★★★★★ 5.0 · 26 Google reviews
Also offers home boarding.
View on Google Maps
waggawagga dog walking
★★★★★ 5.0 · 20 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Rosie’s Chums
★★★★★ 5.0 · 19 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Sussex Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers
★★★★★ 4.9 · 14 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Canine Crew Billingshurst
★★★★★ 5.0 · 14 Google reviews
Based in Billingshurst.
View on Google Maps
Bow-Wows
★★★★★ 5.0 · 14 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Woody’s Dog Walking and Pet Care
★★★★★ 5.0 · 12 Google reviews
Has its own website; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Wagtastic Dog Walking
★★★★★ 5.0 · 12 Google reviews
Covers Thakeham, Storrington, West Chiltington and Pulborough (see above).
View on Google Maps
We haven’t tested any of them, Google ratings come from the public, and the listings rarely make the town clear, so ask where each walker operates. Chichester Dog Sitters is a licensed day care and boarding business with over 200 reviews, so it falls under a different activity, but it’s worth knowing about. Paws with Claws (20 reviews) has no website on its listing, so we’ve left it off.
If your dog finds groups a bit much, a private session in one of our secure dog fields in West Sussex might suit better, and our dog-friendly pubs, cafés and restaurants in West Sussex are there for a break afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dog walkers need a licence in West Sussex?
We found no licence for ordinary dog walking. Day care and home boarding do need an animal activities licence from the council.
Is there a limit on how many dogs a walker can take in Worthing?
Yes. Worthing’s dog order allows a maximum of six dogs per person on open public land.
What should I ask a dog walker before booking?
Ask for proof of insurance and DBS checks, group size, recall practice and emergency plans, and arrange a meet-and-greet first.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who always asks to see the lead before the walker.
