How to Start a Guard Dog Business

Start a guard dog business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Guard Dog Business
2. Form your Guard Dog Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Guard Dog Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Guard Dog Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Guard Dog Business
7. Get Guard Dog Business Insurance
8. Define your Guard Dog Business Brand
9. Create your Guard Dog Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your guard dog business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Guard Dog Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a guard dog business?

First of all, you will need a location from which to operate that has well-built kennels and space for the dogs to run. You will also need to purchase transportable sizable locked cages. As business owner, you will need to either train the dogs yourself or pay for the cost of having them trained and handled. Depending on the square footage needed, and the number of dogs employed, you're looking at start-up costs of up to $50,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for a guard dog business?

Ongoing expenses for a guard dog business include food, maintenance, and veterinary care for animals, upgrading or purchasing new kennels and cages, vehicle maintenance and gas, training costs, and salary for any handlers. You'll also incur monthly phone and website maintenance costs.

Who is the target market?

Preferred clients are business or operating in high crime areas, or private homeowners, who wish to rent or buy a trained guard dog.

How does a guard dog business make money?

A guard dog business makes money by either renting out guard dogs or selling highly trained guard dogs to individuals.

How much can you charge customers?

Guard dog rentals without any security handlers can run up to $80 for an eight-hour shift, which includes pickup and delivery of the dog. Guard dogs that are housed in cages in the location's perimeters average about $100-$150 per day, which includes visiting the dog daily, feeding it, and providing any clean-up. If you rent out guard dogs with security handlers, it will run from $150 to $200 for 8 hours. Sales of trained security guard dogs range from $10,000 to $12,000 for a level I dog, and $20,000+ for a level III dog.

How much profit can a guard dog business make?

Guard dog trainers command a salary of approximately $35,000 per year. Rentals of dogs including kennel on site service and pick up and delivery services include all costs associated with dog care, veterinary care, and transportation costs. Sales of trained dogs are much more lucrative, although it does take a substantial investment of time to train the dogs before they are ready to be sold.

Depending on the level of training a guard dog receives, and the amount of salaries and rent or mortgage payments, guard dog business owners can expect to see profits of approximately 20-25% annually.

How can you make your business more profitable?

If you can train and sell guard dogs, this will add a significant amount of profit to your business. Likewise, if you provide much of the training and handling yourself, your business will be more profitable than if you have to hire other professionals to do the bulk of the work for you.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your guard dog business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a guard dog business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Service Agreement

Guard dog businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example of a services agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your guard dog business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Release of Liability

To avoid liability and potential lawsuits, guard dog businesses should have their clients sign a release of liability. Here is an example of one such form.

Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional release of liability form for your business when you sign up for their premium membership.

Certificate of Occupancy

A guard dog business can be run out of a large storefront or athletic space. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a  Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a storefront:
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a guard dog business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening,  it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

• If you plan to purchase or build a storefront:
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for you business’ location to ensure your guard dog business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

This is a wonderful business for dog trainers and handlers, as well as people with an interest in security and crime deterrence. A business owner should be in good physical condition, since they will be training, caring for, and possibly transporting guard dogs.

What happens during a typical day at a guard dog business?

A dog guard business owner will be kept busy with a number of important tasks, including training, transporting dogs to their place of employment, cleaning up after the dogs and locking them up in their onsite kennel after their shift is over, or dropping off rental guard dogs at night and picking them up in the morning. They'll also need to care for the dogs' health and transport them to the vet when necessary. A business owner must also be responsible for the upkeep of vehicles, finding new dogs that are suitable for training, and providing 24-hour emergency customer service.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful guard dog business?

Degrees or certification in animal science or related fields and experience with animals is very important. It's highly recommended that you or your trainer should pursue a training program in dog obedience and behavior modification and as a protection dog trainer. Join a protection sports association like PSA K9, which will give you or your trainers an outlet to practice civilian competitions in controlled protection and canine obedience.

What is the growth potential for a guard dog business?

Depending on the number of dogs you have, the increased popularity of owning a protection dog, and the crime statistics of the neighborhood, there is potential for growth. Keep in mind, though, that quality of care - clean, well-ventilated kennels and healthy, well-trained, cared-for dogs - should be a primary consideration before considering quantity.Growth potential is estimated at 15-20% annually.

Not sure if a guard dog business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.