Reykjavík Grapevine - jun. 2023, Page 11

11
Side Hustle Of The Issue The Dog Walker
Meet a man making bank with every step
WORDS Iryna Zubenko
IMAGE Art Bicnick
With Jaki the Siberian
husky, Mía the schnauzer by his
side, Guðmundur Ingi Halldórsson
turns heads as he strolls through
downtown. But there’s more to
his strut than meets the eye. With
each step, a few more krónur find
their way into his bank account.
Guðmundur is not just any ordinary
pedestrian. He’s a dog walker.
Guðmundur Ingi Halldórsson, 34,
a waiter
Waiting tables at Jómfrúin is my
main source of income. But I’m
also the founder of Guðmhundar-
ganga, a dog walking business. My
plan is to make this a full time job,
even though I’ve just started doing
it this month.
I got started when I quit my job
as a kindergarten teacher and I
had to find something that kept
me active. Two years ago, I was
diagnosed with ADHD and various
other things. A huge part of living
with ADHD is exercise. When I look
back at my childhood, I always felt
best when I was outside, walking
dogs. So why not do it when I’m
grown up as well? It’s the best kind
of company!
The dog walking business is a
huge thing on the mainland of
Europe and in America. It’s not a
thing here in Iceland. I wanted to
pave the way for this type of a job
and do it well. Plus, have an impact
on the dog culture, regulations and
the society of dog owners, espe-
cially with just getting around with
a dog, getting to stop somewhere
and have a drink or for some food
and being able to take my whole
family with me. I have a daughter, a
dog and three cats.
DOGS WITH DIVERSE DE-
SIRES
Different types of dogs have dif-
ferent sensories. They’re made
for different types of actions. For
example, this is a working dog
(points at Jaki). He can run forev-
er. This one (Mía) is all in the nose.
When I take her for a walk alone,
she just runs around for 20 min-
utes fulfilling her need to smell.
I have to be able to know the
needs of each dog. That’s why I
do this very formally. I don’t know
anyone that does it as formal as
I do. I take dog walking very seri-
ously. Plus, I’m entering people’s
homes. I always tell people that I
have no criminal record. Our first
meeting is always free. I get to
know the owner and the dog in a
safe environment where they feel
good. Then I pull out a contract, we
fill that out and make plans for how
we will continue working together.
I don’t have the least favourite
thing about dog walking right now.
I suppose it’s the computer work.
Everything else is awesome. I love
working with dogs and I love to see
progress.
SNIFFING FOR CUSTOM-
ERS
I advertise on social media. You
can buy half an hour or an hour of
just single walks or get a monthly
pass. I’ve got one customer that
has already bought a pass for two
months. I’m going to walk her dogs
for two months, every weekday. I
don’t work on the weekends, ex-
cept for at the restaurant.
My advice for anyone who wants to
be a dog walker is to be formal and
study YouTube. YouTube is awe-
some. If you’re looking for a job to
exercise, I highly recommend this.
I’m walking at least three hours
a day. Dogs are the best kind of
people.
Want to share how you’re mak-
ing ends meet? Email us at
grapevine@grapevine.is with the
subject line “Side Hustle.” We’ll
happily keep your identity anony-
mous.