We found six dog-walking businesses in Wiltshire and Swindon whose own websites we could read, mostly around Chippenham, Calne and Swindon. Insurance, DBS and first-aid statements below are each business’s own claim, which we haven’t checked. Neither council requires dog walkers to be licensed, so always ask to see proof of insurance before you hand over a key.
Businesses we could check
Playful Paws Dog Walks (Chippenham and surrounding villages) offers small group walks, solo walks and pop-ins. Its site gives group walks from £11 for 30 minutes, solo from £13 and pop-ins from £10. It says it is fully insured, first-aid trained and DBS checked. Alpha Dog Walks and Training (Chippenham) runs one-hour countryside group walks at £15, with collection and return, plus visits from £10 and a pet taxi. It says it is fully insured and the owner is first-aid qualified.
DW Dog Training and Pet Care covers Calne, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Royal Wootton Bassett, Devizes, Westbury, Lyneham and Swindon, with walks, pop-ins and training. Its site shows an insurance logo but no insurer or prices. In Swindon, Pitcher’s Pet Carers offers group walks on weekdays and home visits, and Manns Best Friend offers walking, home boarding and a pet taxi in the SN1, SN2, SN4, SN5 and SN25 postcodes, with a boarding licence number shown on its site that we haven’t checked against the council register. Canine Wild Walks covers Trowbridge, Bath, Bradford on Avon, Holt and Melksham, but it’s mainly a training business.
Council schemes and rules
Wiltshire Council runs a voluntary Dog Walker Scheme, set up in July 2021, asking walkers to have suitable vehicles, the correct insurance and to follow a code of conduct. The page gives no fee or maximum number of dogs. Playful Paws says it is on the scheme, and the council’s list also names Alpha Dog Walks and DW Dog Training. Swindon Borough Council has a voluntary registration costing £50 for three years, and its code of conduct sets a maximum of four dogs at once unless on private secure land, £5m public liability cover and an animal first aid certificate. The council’s own page was last updated in 2018, so check it is current.
Pitcher’s Pet Carers mentions group walks of up to eight dogs, which is above Swindon’s four-dog limit for public land, so it’s worth asking where they walk. Councils say boarding and home day care need a licence. Neither of the council pages we read lists dog walking on its own as licensable, but we haven’t read the regulations themselves.
Leads and gaps
These appear on council lists, but we couldn’t verify their own sites: Hanlon’s Happy Hounds (Chippenham), Hooves & Hounds (Calne), Salisbury Concierge, Watson’s Walks (Westbury area), Paws and Cuddles Wilts (Melksham), Two Happy Tails and Calling All Canines (both Swindon). Marketplace walkers need at least 50 reviews to count, and we couldn’t check any. On our first pass we found nobody verified for Salisbury, Devizes, Marlborough, Warminster, Amesbury, Malmesbury or Corsham, which says more about our search tools than about the area. The Google Maps section below does name Amanda’s Paw Pals in Salisbury and PAWS of Malmesbury.
A new walker can be a big change for a sensitive dog. A calming bite may help take the edge off, and if your dog is anxious about being handed over, speak to your vet or a qualified trainer. For more, see our Wiltshire dog services hub and our guide to dog walks in Wiltshire.
A second look on Google Maps
We also cross-checked Google Maps. These Wiltshire businesses have a listing, their own website and at least 15 reviews, all rated 4.8 or better when we checked, and some may overlap with the businesses above:
Mooches with Pooches
★★★★★ 5.0 · 53 Google reviews
Has its own website. The listing doesn’t make the town clear, so ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
The Chippenham Dog Walker and Pet Care Service
★★★★★ 5.0 · 39 Google reviews
Has its own website. Chippenham area; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Amanda’s Paw Pals
★★★★★ 5.0 · 37 Google reviews
Has its own website. Based in Salisbury; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Walkies
★★★★★ 5.0 · 37 Google reviews
Has its own website. The listing doesn’t make the town clear, so ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Woodland Walkies
★★★★★ 5.0 · 30 Google reviews
Has its own website. The listing doesn’t make the town clear, so ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
PAWS of Malmesbury
★★★★★ 5.0 · 27 Google reviews
Has its own website. Malmesbury area; ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Cotswold Woofers
★★★★★ 4.8 · 19 Google reviews
Has its own website. The listing may sit near the Bath and Cotswold borders, so ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Tilly Henderson Pet Services
★★★★★ 5.0 · 16 Google reviews
Has its own website. The listing doesn’t make the town clear, so ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
Flo and Friends Pet Services
★★★★★ 5.0 · 15 Google reviews
Has its own website. The listing doesn’t make the town clear, so ask where they operate.
View on Google Maps
We haven’t tested any of them and Google ratings come from the public, and a couple of listings sit near the Bath and Cotswold borders, so ask where each walker operates. Wiltshire Waggies (5.0 from 18) has no website on its listing, so we’ve left it off.
Planning your dog’s week around a walker? A private session in one of our secure dog fields in Wiltshire makes a nice change of scene, and our dog-friendly pubs, cafés and restaurants in Wiltshire are there for a sit-down afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dog walkers need a licence in Wiltshire?
Not for walking alone, as far as the council pages we read show. Wiltshire Council and Swindon both run voluntary schemes, and home boarding and day care need a licence.
How many dogs can a walker take out in Swindon?
Swindon’s voluntary code of conduct sets a maximum of four at once, unless the walk is on private secure land.
How much does a dog walker cost in Chippenham?
Playful Paws lists group walks from £11 for 30 minutes and solo from £13. Alpha Dog Walks lists £15 for a one-hour group walk.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who is very particular about who holds the lead.
