Hey, Ritchie here.
This is one of the first questions people ask — and the honest answer is simple:
No, you don’t need any previous experience working with animals or running a business to start a PHG franchise.
What really matters is a love for animals—especially dogs and cats, trustworthiness, reliability, and a willingness to learn. Everything else — from dog walking and delivering your pet care services, to marketing and operations — we’ll teach you step by step.
You Don’t Need Experience — You Need Passion and Trustworthiness
Every successful PHG franchisee starts with the same thing: a deep love for animals. If you’ve ever owned a pet, you already understand the care and commitment required.
When you join PHG, we’ll build on that passion by giving you practical, hands-on training through hands shadowing with myself and my wife, who still run PHG Southampton to this day. Yes, we also run the PHG franchise but there's no way we could have given up Southampton—we simply love what we do too much and this actually brings with it an incredible opportunity for new franchisees ..... to join us and experience the running of an established business first-hand! Additionally, you will have opportunities to shadow some of our amazing franchisees, gaining practical insights into how they run their businesses. Plus, you will have access to a suite of animal handling courses online, giving you all the theorertcal knowledge you could ever need to confidently work with and care for a variety of pets.
Our two-day business training then focuses on everything you need to actually run your business — adopting the PHG standard, marketing your business effectively, managing systems and software, and delivering a five-star service consistently.
From there, you’ll have access to the PHG Toolkit, packed with templates, resources, and materials that continue to grow as our business evolves. You’ll also become part of our PHG forum — an amazing space where franchisees share advice, celebrate wins, and help each other succeed. We are one big family at PHG and the forum is central to this.
The Support You’ll Receive
We don’t just train you once and wish you luck. We’re here for the long-term.
You’ll receive:
- Quarterly development reviews to help you grow your client base.
- Access to marketing templates and the ever-expanding PHG Toolkit.
- Unlimited website updates, fully managed Google Ads campaigns, and one-to-one help with your software and systems.
- Ongoing support from Amber, myself, and the wider PHG family whenever you need it.
It’s all designed to make sure you’re never left figuring things out alone, allowing you to focus on delivering the best possible service to your customers and their pets.
What Kind of Person Thrives at PHG?
This business suits people who are dependable, caring, and safety-focused.
Trustworthiness sits at the heart of everything. Pet owners hand you their house keys and trust you with their beloved pets— that’s a responsibility we take seriously. The clients who stay with you for years are the ones who know they can rely on you 100%, every single day.
Safety-mindedness is equally vital — and it always will be. The safety of both you and the animals in your care comes first, no exceptions. Prevention is always better than cure. Every walk, collar, harness, gate, and latch needs your full attention. That mindset builds both safety and trust.
You’ll also do well if you’re:
- Organised – planning your days well and keeping everything running smoothly for you and your clients.
- Resilient – ready to handle the occasional challenge with confidence.
- Genuinely caring – the animals’ wellbeing always comes before convenience.
If you’ve not worked with animals before, a bit of voluntary time at your local dog shelter is a great way to build confidence and experience. But, as mentioned, this is not a requirement.
What You’ll Need to Get Started
You’ll need a full UK driving licence and a reliable vehicle, since most of your work involves travelling between clients.
Financially, the joining fee is £1,495, and we recommend having around £2,000 available to help you get off to a strong start. It also helps to have 3-6 months of personal living and business costs covered while your client base builds — that breathing room keeps things stress-free in the early days.
What If You’ve Never Run a Business Before?
That’s exactly why PHG exists.
Our franchise model takes away the guesswork. We’ve spent over 13 years perfecting the systems, training, and tools that make this business work. You’ll follow a proven blueprint — not trial and error.
Your website and Google Ads are set up and managed for you. You’ll have access to all our forms, templates, and step-by-step guides from day one. And that's just scratching the surface!
All you need to bring is dedication, consistency, reliability and your passion for animals.
No-Shows Are Not An Option!
Please remember — in this industry, a no-show simply isn’t an option. Missing a home visit would mean a pet goes hungry or not carrying out a scheduled walk would result in a a dog missing their much-needed exercise and loo break. The damage that would do to your reputation and trust is hard to repair.
That’s why reliability is everything. You have to genuinely love what you do, because that passion is what keeps you consistent, even on the tougher days. Speaking from experience as a co-owner of PHG Southampton, we truly are living the dream — but part of that dream is never letting your clients down.
Final Thoughts
If you genuinely love animals, want to work for yourself, and value professionalism and support, PHG will give you everything you need to succeed. You’ll be joining a family that truly cares about helping you build a business that fits your life — one which brings freedom, fulfilment, and purpose every single day.
If that sounds like you, download our PHG Prospectus or get in touch for a chat. Amber and I would be happy to talk through what’s possible.
📞 023 8225 4562 | 📧 info@petshomesandgardens.co.uk
