Finding dog-related services online has become easier in this digital age. There are many apps that provide dog sitting and dog walking services that now it has become much difficult to make the right choice. It is easy to find as many apps as you can but knowing which one will work for you and for your little friend often requires an extra couple of hours of research.
When we talk about dog walking ad dog sitting services, there are two most popular names that cannot be ignored; Rover and Wag.
Rover and Wag, both are leading apps for dog-related services. Both apps function as a digital platform where people can find pet sitters, dog walkers, and boarders. Most of the services that these two apps have to offer range from $20 to $50.
Of course, when you have more than one option, you always want to go with the one that offers the best outcome and the same is with these apps. As people are getting familiar with the names of Rover and Wag, they want to know which one provides reliable and professional services at affordable costs.
We all are not new to the fact that each thing has its good side and a bad side or we can say the side that needs improvement. Rover and Wag, being the most famous apps, also have clear strengths and weaknesses. There are certain aspects that every pet owner would want to know in order to decide between the two.
Before getting into details, we first want to help you understand some things as a pet owner.
Does Your Dog Need More Walking?
To improve your dog’s lifestyle, adding a walk-in their daily routine can keep them active and easy to deal with. The more interaction they experience with the outside world, the more human-friendly and environment-friendly they become. And you probably would need a reliable dog walker to do that job for you if your schedule is already all packed up.
Dogs can benefit from having extra walks in a number of ways such as:
- High-energy dogs are more active and playful. They need more energy outlets. Hence an extra number of walks can help them stay happy and active.
- Dogs with behavioral issues can benefit from walks. Increased exercise can be better for maintaining the good behavior of your dog.
- Small dogs struggle to ‘hold it’. So in order to help them, regular midday walks work best.
- Young and very old dogs also face issues with the same thing. They cannot ‘hold it’. Young puppies can benefit from walks while they are in the process of getting their potty training. Older dogs, as they are near to the end of their lives, do not have the same energy and hence they can lose control. To save your dog’s dignity more walks can help.
What Are Dog Walking Apps and How They Can Benefit You?
Dog walking/ dog sitting apps can be lifesavers. All you have to do is to install the application and request a sitter or walker for your dog. These apps work on both computers and smartphones.
This is also a way for dog lovers to express their love for dogs if they cannot keep one at their house due to some reason. They can sign up and give services to dog owners such as walking other people’s dogs and having a fun time playing with them.
Dog walking applications like Wag and Rover make it easy for you to find dog walkers through your smartphone. These applications provide you to have a background check on walkers so that you may know that your fluffy friend is in the right hands.
Using a dog walking application can help you save time by just doing a few taps on your phone’s screen. And there are plenty of dog walkers available to choose from so you do not have to worry about calling your regular dog walker if he doesn’t show up one day.
Now let’s see what Rover and Wag have to offer and how one is better than the other.
Rover vs. Wag
Rover
Rover was founded in 2011. This application is available in more than 10,000 cities and it has around 85,000 dog sitters. The interface of the app is easy to use and understand. It looks nice and decent.
Basics:
There is a variety of dog care types available on the app’s homepage such as day-care, walks, overnight stays, drop-in visits, and boarding. You are required to enter your zip code, the timing in which you need a walker/sitter, and of course, some information about your dog.
Walkers:
After entering the basic information, it is time to select a walker. The app then shows you a map of walkers with their information including the name, picture, a brief tagline, a background check, how much they charge per walk, reviews from their clients, and any regular clients.
Selection:
You will see hundreds of walkers that will be willing to take your dog out for a nice walk. Even in the most expensive cities such as Denver, a walk costs mostly around $13 to $17.
Contact:
After choosing a walker that suits you, you can hit the ‘contact walker’ button. It asks you to log in or create an account if you do not have one. It also asks you if this is going to be a recurring event or is it just a one-time walk. It also confirms the dog that is going to have the walk. The app allows you to put a message for the walker and let them know if you need any picture or text updates during the walk time.
After submitting your request it asks you if you want to contact some other walkers too which means that you can choose more than one walker so that if one walker couldn’t respond on time, some other walker will.
Response:
You can see quick responses from the walkers and it allows the walker and client to communicate through text messages rather than a customized messaging tab. If you confirm one walker and have contacted others too, let them know that you already got a response from other walkers, when they respond to you back.
Wag
Wag is a recently introduced app and it is apparent from its homepage that it is not as clean as Rover’s but it is still not that hard to start with. The app requires you to create an account just when you install and launch it.
Signing Up:
Signing up includes some informational questions like what does your dog likes and dislikes if it has any behavioral or medical issues. This helps to let you walkers develop an understanding with you and your dog.
This shows that Wag lets its users enjoy a better working experience with one another making it more user-friendly. Once you are done entering all your information, it offers to send you a lockbox if you want it you can accept or you can figure out another way to let your walker find the keys where you have put them.
Walkers:
After you have put all your information, it takes you to the next page where you find a map if walkers near you. It displays the information on the walker that you want to reach out to. It shows you their basic information and reviews just like Rover.
Walk Options:
In the next step, it shows a variety of walk options that you can select from. It allows you to arrange an ASAP walk instead of a scheduled walk in case of unforeseen conditions and emergencies.
In this step, you are also required to choose if this is only a one time walk or a recurring event just like Rover.
One main difference here is that Rover shows time frames like morning, afternoon, evening, Whereas Wag is more specific. It shows one hour slots.
Payment:
In this step, you put all your payment information, the same as Rover.
Additional Information:
Some more information that Wag requires is that how the walker can get into your house, what triggers your dog, parking etc. Rover also requires these.
Confirmation:
Just like Rover, the confirmation from the walkers comes instantly within an hour. But the only surprising thing is that you can get confirmation from any available walker if the one that you choose is not available at that certain time. Which means you do not have complete control over who walks your dog.
Credit Options:
The basic package on Wag is for $90 for $100 credits. It asks you to purchase credits for walks. The price for a 30 minute is around $20 and a one-hour walk costs more than that. Wag is a bit expensive than Rover.
The Walk:
You get a GPS map of your dog’s walk and it also shows you markers where your dog peed or pooped. This is known as a report card.
And The Winner Is Rover!
On Rover you have plenty of walkers to choose from, it is inexpensive, plus it is very much easier to use as compared to Wag. Though Wags collects all data about your dog in order to develop an understanding, build a reliable and trustworthy relationship between the walker and the client but it still somehow less attractive than Rover when it comes to certain aspects of the app.
FAQs:
Rover vs. Wag pay?
In Rover, pet owners set their rates. The prices begin from around $15 for a 30-min walk. Whereas in Wag, the prices are mentioned and cannot be changed. It charges $20 for a 30-min walk.
Is Wag or Rover better to work for?
It depends on your schedule. Rover works best for walkers who are looking to work on a more regular schedule. But if your schedule is unpredictable for example you are a college student, then Wag will work for you.
Are Rover and Wag the same company?
Wag and Rover are different companies that are working as a digital market place where dog owners can connect with dog walkers more easily and efficiently.
What is it like working for Rover or Wag? Is it safe? Are the dogs you sit friendly or do you worry about being bitten/attacked?
Working for Rover or Wag can be fun, as an experienced dog sitter/walker you might gain some new experience each time with a new dog plus you can make some extra cash as well.
Yes, it is safe working with both app companies. Well as far you are concerned about dog friendliness, it totally depends on the information you are being provided by the dog owners, based on that information you may accept the job.
What is the difference between pet sitting services Rover and Wag? Which do you recommend?
Rover is well known and used by the dog owners for pet sitting and walking service provider. Whereas, Wag is known famous for only dog walking service provider.
I would recommend you to go for Rover.
Which pet company do you prefer Wag or Rover for your dog and why?
I would prefer Rover, as it has huge number of experienced dog walkers, it is cost effective, has goodwill in the pet industry as compared to Wag and is easy to use.
Does any dog walking/sitting sites (rover, wag, etc.) hire 16 year olds?
No, I don’t think that Rover or Wag hire any 16 years old. Only 18 years old are eligible for this job.
How to get your first walk on Rover?
Well, it’s pretty simple, once you have entered all the basic information the app will then display you list of walkers on the map along with their name, photo, their background, the amount they charge for each walk and reviews from clients they got.
Are Rover and Wag the same?
Rover and Wag are both not same but similar when it comes service providing for your pets.
