SafestHires — Background Screening Solutions
All resourcesContractor-paid screening

Background checks for dog walkers

Scheduled or on-demand dog walking means entering the home while the client is at work, day after day.

Short answer

Can a dog walker pay for their own background check?

Yes. An independent dog walker can order and pay for a background check on themselves and share the finished report with every client and platform. Because walkers hold keys and enter empty homes, a self-ordered report is one of the strongest things a walker can offer a new client.

Why clients ask dog walkers for a background check

  • Daily entry to an empty home, usually with a key or lockbox code.
  • The walker learns the household's schedule precisely.
  • Walks happen in public where the dog's safety depends on the walker's judgment.
  • Clients often hand off before ever meeting in person twice.

What the check should include

These are the searches we would run for a dog walker. A contractor ordering their own report gets the same searches an employer-ordered check would use.

SearchWhy it matters here
SSN address traceIdentity and address history.
National criminal database searchMulti-state first pass.
County criminal searchCourt-verified theft, burglary, and violence.
Sex offender registryUnsupervised residential access.

Who pays, and how contractor-paid works

When a dog walker orders the report, they pay at checkout, the finished report is delivered to them, and they decide who sees it — one report, shown to every client who asks. When a platform or company orders it instead, the company holds the report and carries the adverse action obligations that come with using it to make a decision.

Our personal background check is a fixed $44.95, plus any court access fee charged by the counties searched — published at cost on our access fee lookup. Median report time is under four hours, and 89% of reports return the same business day.

Order your own background check Screening a whole network? Talk to us

Questions dog walkers ask

Do dog walking apps run background checks?

Major platforms advertise screening, though the depth varies. Independent walkers should hold their own current report.

What will a client actually look at?

Whether identity was confirmed and whether county court records were searched in the places you have lived — not just a database hit list.

Can I put the report on my website?

You can say you are background checked and share the report with clients on request. Publishing the full report exposes your own personal information.

How long does it take?

Median under four hours; 89% return the same business day.

Related contractor guides

Background checks for independent child-care providers and babysittersCan a babysitter or independent child-care provider pay for their own check?Background checks for independent elder-care and companion providersCan an independent caregiver pay for their own background check?Background checks for pet sittersCan a pet sitter pay for their own background check?Background checks for food delivery driversCan a food delivery driver pay for their own background check?

Back to the contractor-paid background checks hub for all 30 occupations.

Keep reading

Back to resourcesTalk to a SafestHires advisor