Best dog walkers in Durham, NC
These are the dog walking specialists serving Durham and nearby towns, ranked by our methodology, which weighs ratings, review volume, recency, and sentiment. Every business here treats dog walking as a core service, not a side offering.
Looking for daycare instead? See our separate ranking of the best dog day care center overall. The order below reflects walking-specific service quality: daily communication, reliability, and how each team handles anxious or medically needy dogs.
Picks are ranked by score and relevance to dog walker, so a lower overall score can rank higher here.
At a glance
| # | Business | Score | Rating | From | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faithful Friends Pet Care | 86 | 4.9 (69) | — | Anxious or senior dogs |
| 2 | Kaitlyn's Kuddles Pet Services | 85 | 5 (46) | — | Owners who want daily photo proof |
| 3 | Bull City Pet Care | 83 | 4.7 (75) | — | Flexible short trips to long stays |
| 4 | Fetch! Pet Care | 77 | 4.9 (79) | — | Medically complex pets |
| 5 | Walk & Wag | 76 | 4.8 (32) | — | Consistent, long-term walker relationships |
| 6 | Peak City Puppy | 75 | 5 (15) | — | In-home routine continuity |
| 7 | Kate's Critter Care | 75 | 4.9 (67) | — | Established, long-run reliability |
| 8 | Josie Furry Kids Daycare LLC | 68 | 5 (2) | — | Multi-pet households |
| 9 | Nose, Toes & Tails Pet Care, LLC | 66 | 4.7 (10) | — | Medication administration |
| 10 | Lucy's Pet Care | 58 | 4.9 (30) | — | Thorough meet-and-greets |
| 11 | DogDayAdventure | 54 | 5 (3) | — | Active, personality-matched outings |
1. Faithful Friends Pet Care
4.9 (69 reviews)score 86/100
Faithful Friends built a near-perfect record on the back of staff who stay the full booked visit and send written notes plus photos every time. Owners specifically trust them with post-surgery recovery, medication schedules, and older pets in decline, which says a lot about how carefully they handle fragile cases.
- Daily photo and written updates, every visit
- Staff stay the full duration instead of rushing
- Owner Julie responds fast, including in emergencies
- Comfortable with anxious, senior, and special-needs pets
Services: pet sitter, dog walker
2. Kaitlyn's Kuddles Pet Services
5 (46 reviews)score 85/100
Kaitlyn's Kuddles pairs a perfect 5.0 rating with a genuinely high review count, and the throughline in feedback is trust built fast, even from owners who are usually guarded about who watches their pets. The team handles medical needs and last-minute schedule changes without losing composure.
- Daily photo updates through a client portal
- Comfortable managing medical or behavioral needs
- Bonded and insured
- Consistent team means repeat clients get familiar faces
Services: pet sitter, dog walker
3. Bull City Pet Care
4.7 (75 reviews)score 83/100
Bull City Pet Care handles everything from one-day visits to 12-day stays, with named sitters like Melissa, Ashley, and Bonnie that clients specifically request. Reviewers note the staff go past the basics, cleaning up messes or handling extra tasks, which points to a team that treats the job as more than a walk-and-go.
- Every-visit photo updates via an easy portal
- Named staff clients trust and request by name
- Handles anxious or strong dogs with patience
- Flexible for both short trips and extended vacations
Services: dog walker, pet sitter
4. Fetch! Pet Care
4.9 (79 reviews)score 77/100
Fetch! Pet Care's staff, including Anna and Chelsea, are called out for learning pet routines ahead of time and managing complicated medical situations with care. The high rating comes with a lower confidence flag: one cancellation without notice stands out against an otherwise long run of reliable service.
- Detailed pre-visit consultations to learn routines
- Staff experienced with anxious or medically complex pets
- Daily photo and text updates with progress notes
Watch out: One reviewer reported a last-minute cancellation without advance notice.
Services: pet sitter, dog walker
5. Walk & Wag
4.8 (32 reviews)score 76/100
Walk & Wag keeps the same named walkers with individual dogs over time, and 94% of reviews land at five stars, with owners citing years-long trust as the reason they stick around. It's a smaller review base, so treat the score as promising rather than fully proven.
- Same walkers build relationships with individual dogs
- Photo and text updates after each visit
- Flexible with last-minute scheduling needs
- Comfortable handling multiple pets and cats alongside dogs
Watch out: One reviewer flagged a refusal to share proof of insurance documentation.
Services: daycare boarding, puppy daycare, cage free, webcam monitoring
6. Peak City Puppy
5 (15 reviews)score 75/100
Peak City Puppy holds a perfect five-star rating, though on a smaller sample size, with praise focused on same walkers and sitters returning visit after visit so the dog's routine stays intact. Owners mention quick responses and willingness to shift schedules on short notice.
- Daily photo updates and written notes
- In-home care model keeps routines familiar
- Same walkers and sitters for continuity
- Flexible with short-notice schedule changes
Services: daycare boarding, cage free, transportation, dog walker
7. Kate's Critter Care
4.9 (67 reviews)score 75/100
Kate's Critter Care has been operating since 2008 and covers Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and South Durham, with caregivers like Mariana, Beth, and Rosemary earning individual mentions for knowing pets personally. Sliding-scale pricing and same-day emergency availability add practical flexibility.
- Established track record since 2008
- Same-day emergency availability
- Sliding-scale pricing option
- Daily photo updates and strong bonds with pets
Watch out: A few reviewers mention limited availability at busier times.
Services: daycare boarding, puppy daycare, cage free, webcam monitoring
8. Josie Furry Kids Daycare LLC
5 (2 reviews)score 68/100
Josie Furry Kids Daycare is a small operation built around Maria Jose, who reviewers trust with multiple animals at once, including dogs, cats, and other pets, while traveling. The review count is very low, so this is one to watch rather than a settled track record.
- Confident with multi-pet households
- Trusted for extended home stays while owners travel
Watch out: Based on only two reviews, so there is limited track record to judge from.
Services: daycare boarding, dog walker, pet sitter
9. Nose, Toes & Tails Pet Care, LLC
4.7 (10 reviews)score 66/100
Nose, Toes & Tails has kept clients returning across six years, with Michelle's team known for handling medication needs and sending regular photo updates. One client raised a communication concern during a difficult situation, worth weighing against an otherwise dependable history.
- Six years of returning long-term clients
- Daily photo and text updates
- Comfortable administering medication
- Fair, transparent pricing
Watch out: One reviewer described a communication disagreement during a difficult situation.
Services: dog walker, pet sitter, dog training
10. Lucy's Pet Care
4.9 (30 reviews)score 58/100
Lucy's Pet Care runs a proper meet-and-greet before the first visit and gets consistent praise for patience with anxious animals and flexible last-minute booking. A serious no-show incident from a few years back is worth knowing about even though it sits outside the recent review pattern.
- Thorough meet-and-greet before first visit
- Daily photo and text updates
- Patient matching for anxious or difficult pets
- Easy online booking and scheduling
Watch out: A past incident involved consecutive no-shows that cut a client's trip short.
Services: daycare boarding, cage free, dog walker, pet sitter
11. DogDayAdventure
5 (3 reviews)score 54/100
DogDayAdventure is a one-person operation run by Scott, who tailors outings to each dog's energy level and personality and holds canine CPR and first aid certification. The review count is very small right now, so it's early days for a full performance picture.
- Outings personalized to each dog's temperament
- Owner certified in canine CPR and first aid
Watch out: Only three reviews so far, too early for a full track record.
Services: dog training, dog walker
Looking yourself? Describe what you need once and hear from suitable dog day care center in Durham, NC.
Enquiries submitted through our forms may be passed to partner providers who can do the work, and we may receive a referral fee. Our rankings and scores are based on our published method only, independent of any referral fees.
Guides before you choose
- How to choose a dog walker in Durham: questions to ask before you hire
What to check before hiring a dog walker in Durham, from GPS tracking and key handling to what happens if your dog is injured on a walk.
- Insurance, bonding, and liability: what to ask before hiring a dog walker or pet sitter
What bonding and liability insurance actually cover for a dog walker or sitter, and the specific questions to ask before someone gets a key to your home.