Wag pet sitting is contract work through the Wag app: one caregiver application unlocks dog sitting and cat sitting in the pet parent's home and dog boarding in your own home.
You must be at least 18, a US permanent resident and able to pass a background check.
After approval you set your own rates, choose which bookings to accept, keep 100% of your tips, and Wag releases payment within 48 hours of a completed service.
What sitting services Wag offers
Wag's pet-caregiver application covers three sitting-side services: dog sitting, cat sitting and dog boarding.
They differ by venue.
Dog sitting and cat sitting happen in the pet parent's home, and boarding happens in yours — so your workplace is either the client's house or your own.
All three services come through the same caregiver application, so the dog and cat sides of your profile start from one sign-up, and walking is on the same form too: sitters, boarders and walkers apply as one caregiver category.
If walking is your half of the platform, the Wag walking guide covers the sign-up stages and field rules in walking terms; this page stays on sitting and boarding.
Sitting on an app is also one route into the work, not the only one.
The pet sitter career guide compares platform sitting with company jobs and building your own client base.
Wag pet sitter requirements
Wag's application page lists the requirements sitters must meet: you must be at least 18, a US permanent resident, and able to pass a background check, applying under your legal name as it appears on your ID.
The age line is written twice.
The help center sets the minimum at 18 at the time of application, and application fees are not returned to under-18 applicants denied due to age.
Sign-up runs through six portal stages: Welcome, Tell us about yourself, Endorsements & Pet Quiz, Application Fee, Background Check and Approved.
Two parts of that sequence deserve a closer look.
On endorsements, Wag encourages you to share your endorsement link with at least 5 people who can speak to your pet care experience, and those endorsements then appear on your profile.
The Pet Safety Quiz has 10 questions with a 70% passing score, and if you don't pass, you can retake it as many times as needed.
The fee comes before the check: a one-time, non-refundable application fee is required of all applicants, and the amount varies by state and region.
Wag does not publish the figure on its help pages, so read the amount shown in your own application portal before you pay.
The background check runs through Vetty.
Wag says it typically takes 3 to 5 business days after the fee is paid, and can take up to 14 business days depending on your location and background history.
Once approved, you accept the Pet Care Provider Platform Use Agreement, download the Wag app and start accepting bookings.
Wag sitting is contract work
How Wag sitting bookings and pay work
Once you are approved, the commercial terms are short: Wag says caregivers set their own rates, choose which bookings to accept, keep 100% of their tips, and are paid within 48 hours of completing a service.
Your rate is not the price the owner sees.
Wag's help center, on a page last updated August 2024, tells caregivers to multiply their pricing settings by 1.67 to see what a pet parent pays, before tips, booking fees and taxes.
Your take on each booking is the rate you set, not the sticker price the owner sees, and tips fall outside the multiplier entirely.
The field rules apply to sits as much as walks: Wag says all services are meant to happen with the pet on leash or secured indoors.
Off-leash time happens only if the pet parent formally requests it in the booking notes, and only inside their fenced backyard — Wag does not recommend dog parks.
Weather is your call as an independent business owner, but skipping carries a cost: Wag says simply not starting a booked service results in an automatic missed service and a 1-star rating.
As for totals, our research verified no typical earnings figure for Wag sitters, and the monthly-earnings claims on Wag's own sign-up page are the company's marketing, so treat any earnings screenshot as unproven for your market.
Pros and cons of sitting for Wag
The case for sitting on Wag:
- One application covers dog sitting, cat sitting and dog boarding, so cat-sitting bookings widen your range without a separate sign-up.
- You set your rates and choose which bookings to accept, keep 100% of tips, and Wag releases pay within 48 hours of a completed service.
- Boarding happens in your own home, so boarding bookings run from your own four walls instead of a round of client addresses.
- The sign-up screens for age, residency and a background check; the pages we read name no experience minimum or certification requirement on top of them.
The case against it:
- The application fee is one-time, non-refundable and unpublished — the amount varies by state and region.
- Approval waits on the Vetty background check: Wag says it typically takes 3 to 5 business days, and up to 14 depending on your location and history.
- The owner's price is not your rate: Wag's help center puts the pet parent's price at 1.67 times your settings before tips, booking fees and taxes.
- Wag classifies caregivers as independent contractors responsible for their own taxes and says it cannot provide proof of employment or character references.
- A booking you never start is an automatic missed service and a 1-star rating, so weather calls need to happen before the service is due.
- You must be 18 and a US permanent resident to apply at all.
Career information, not legal or tax advice: Wag's terms, fees and classification can change, so confirm the details in its own materials before you apply, and send tax questions to the IRS or a tax professional.