Should You Pay Per Piece Or Hourly For Your Pet Care Team? | Ep. 151

Should you pay your dog walkers and pet sitters per visit or by the hour? I’ve used both models, and while I prefer hourly pay for most team-based pet care businesses, there are situations where I would leave a working per-piece model alone. In this episode, I explain how pay structure affects labor costs, the applicants you attract, and compensation for training and additional responsibilities as your company grows. I share what changed when I moved my own team to hourly pay, plus what to consider before changing yours. These are general business principles, not legal or state-specific HR advice. Please verify the requirements for employee pay, time tracking, and mileage reimbursement in your state before making changes. #PetCareBusiness #EmployeeCompensation #DogWalkingBusiness ⏱️ Timestamps0:00 - Hourly vs. per-piece pay and important considerations2:12 - A hiring resource for owners starting to build a team3:20 - My experience moving from per-piece to hourly pay4:52 - When I would leave a working per-piece model alone5:58 - Comparing per-visit payouts with hourly labor costs8:27 - How pay structure can influence the applicants you attract9:44 - Anchoring compensation to time instead of individual tasks10:55 - Paying trainers for assessments and follow-up work11:55 - Building a pay structure that supports employee progression12:46 - Digital Summit tickets close September 30th 🧠 Key Takeaways• Evaluate your pay model through labor costs, compliance, hiring quality, and employee retention• Switching to hourly pay reduced labor costs by about 12% in my own business• A compliant per-piece model that supports healthy labor costs and a stable team may not need changing• Compare per-visit pay with its hourly equivalent, accounting for drive time and service volume• Consider how your compensation structure communicates the type of job you are offering• Clear expectations around availability help you understand staffing capacity and plan for new clients• Hourly pay anchors compensation to working time rather than a separate payout for every task• Additional responsibilities should come with additional pay, including when employees become trainers• Training assessments and follow-up work need a clear place in your compensation model• Think ahead about how field, trainer, admin, and management pay fit together as your team grows 🚀 Join Me Digitally at the DogCo Business SummitIn-person ticket sales are closed, but digital tickets are available until September 30th for the DogCo Business Summit, October 2nd-4th, 2026, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I’d love for you to take advantage of the education and bring new ideas back to your pet care company. Explore your digital ticket options 👉 dogcosummit.com -M