Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Borges.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Mariana, and I own Dogo Walking, a dog walking and cat sitting business serving parts of Morris County.
I’m also a dog mom. In 2019, I rescued my dog, Dogo, when he was three months old. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and it changed my life. I didn’t know back then, but that was the beginning of Dogo Walking.
Dogo and I would go on walks every day, and like it happens when you walk your dog, I started making friends in the neighborhood. You know when you see someone walking their dog, you stop, ask the dog’s name and age, let the dogs sniff each other and maybe play for a few minutes, and little by little, you get to know each other.
One of those people was Loki’s mom. Loki quickly became Dogo’s best friend, and although we sadly lost him earlier this year, he’ll always be a special part of Dogo’s story.
Loki’s mom mentioned one day that she needed to find another dog walker for Loki, and since I was working from home at the time and had a flexible schedule, I offered to help. I wasn’t charging her, I was just happy to help a friend. I ended up doing the same thing for a few other friends.
People in the neighborhood started seeing me walking one dog one day, another dog the next, and they assumed I was a dog walker. They would stop me and ask how much I would charge, and my answer was always, “No, I’m not a dog walker.”
After a few people asked me the same question, I remember thinking, “Wait a second… I think I’m missing something here.”
So I went home, started researching how much dog walkers charged, and started walking my neighbors’ dogs, this time as a paid service.
At the time, I was working as a travel insurance analyst. It was a very flexible job, so I was able to walk dogs in the middle of the day and work in the mornings and evenings. And that actually worked really well because lunchtime is when most people need someone to let their dogs out.
For the first year or year and a half, everything was very informal. But slowly, it started becoming a real business. I got pet insurance, just in case a dog got hurt in my care, created an Instagram account, got pet care certifications, registered the business, and started learning everything I could about running a pet care company.
After about three years of doing both jobs, I decided to leave my career as a travel insurance analyst and dedicate myself full-time to Dogo Walking.
Today, we’re a team of 12 people and have served hundreds of clients. I’m really proud of the amazing team we’ve become. I see every day how much everyone on the team cares about the dogs. This isn’t just a gig for them. They really love what they do, and their dedication shows in the quality of care they give every dog.
And when I think about how it all started, it’s kind of crazy to see where we are today. I never planned to start a dog walking company. I simply rescued a dog, started taking him for walks, met some people, and one thing led to another.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To be honest, it was a pretty smooth road, especially in the beginning. I think the big reason for that is because I never really sat down and decided, “I’m going to start a business.” It was very organic, almost like the business found me. I didn’t have a big to-do list or a lot of pressure because I didn’t need the business to make money. I still had my full-time job, so I could let Dogo Walking grow naturally and figure things out as I went.
I started very informally, walking dogs and getting paid for it. Then I realized I needed pet insurance, so I got pet insurance. I had some really great pictures of the dogs I was walking, so I decided to create an Instagram account. Then came the next question: what should I name it? My dog’s name was Dogo, so I thought, “Dogo Walking.” Very simple.
I ended up liking the name so much that I decided to register it, just in case someone else decided to use it. Then I registered the business, started getting certifications, and began learning everything I could about pet care and how to do the best job possible for the dogs.
I think that’s why I feel like it was so easy. Dogo Walking started from real relationships and people I met in my neighborhood, not from a business idea. I wasn’t trying to build a company. I was just helping people with their dogs, enjoying what I was doing, and figuring out what I needed to do next.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dogo is a dog walking and cat sitting company serving parts of Morris County. One of the most important things to know about us is that we believe loving dogs is not enough. That’s just the starting point. You have to keep learning about them, understanding their behavior, their body language, and what makes each dog different.
A lot of pet care businesses say, “We take care of your dog like they’re our own.” We actually look at it a little differently. We love them like they’re ours, but we care for them like they’re theirs. The owner knows their dog better than anyone, so we listen to them and follow their instructions, even if we would do something differently with our own dogs. When we’re walking our own dogs, for example, we can be more relaxed because we know them. When we’re walking someone else’s dog, we’re responsible for their family member, so we’re paying much more attention to the dog and to potential triggers along the route, like a dog who is afraid of sewer covers, startled by passing trucks, or reactive to other dogs or people.
Another thing that sets us apart is that even though we are a team, we want our clients to feel like they’re getting the same personal level of care every time. We have procedures that every walker follows, and everyone is trained to follow the same standards. It also means that if a walker is sick, on vacation, or has an emergency, we have someone on the team who can step in and take care of the dog. Our clients don’t have to worry about finding someone else when their regular walker isn’t available. They know their dog is still in good hands.
I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve been able to grow from me walking a few neighborhood dogs into a team that has served hundreds of clients, without losing the personal side of what we do. We want our clients to know that their dogs are loved, understood, and cared for the way they want them to be.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I never really had a traditional mentor when I started Dogo Walking. Most of the relationships that have helped me have happened naturally, through friends, clients, other business owners, and people I met in the pet care industry.
I also listened to a lot of business and pet business podcasts, especially in the beginning. I would listen to them while driving from one client to another, so I was always learning something new while I was working. I’ve attended pet business conferences too, and I really enjoy meeting other people in the industry, talking to them, exchanging ideas, and learning from their experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dogowalking.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogo.walking
