Time To Pet is good software. But at $50/month with no AI features, a lot of dog walkers are asking: is there something better? Here is everything you need to know about making the switch.
Let's get something out of the way: Time To Pet is solid scheduling software. It has been around since 2015, has thousands of users, and does the job. If you are happy with it, you do not need to switch.
But if you have been eyeing your monthly bill and wondering whether $50/month (or more) for scheduling is the best use of your budget, you are not alone. We hear from dog walkers every week who are looking for alternatives — and the reasons keep coming up:
"I love TTP but the price keeps going up. It was $19 when I started, now it's $50 for the same features. At what point is it too much for a calendar?"— r/PetSitting, 2025
"The software does way more than I need. I'm a solo walker with 15 clients. I don't need team management, route optimization, or facility scheduling. I just need booking, invoicing, and something to answer my phone when I'm on a walk."— Capterra review, January 2026
If either of those sounds like you, this guide walks through exactly what Time To Pet costs, how HeyDogWalker compares, what you will gain, what you will lose, and how to switch without disrupting your business.
Time To Pet restructured their pricing in 2024. Here is what each tier costs today:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $25/mo | Basic scheduling, no client portal, limited features |
| Solo | $50/mo | Full features for one person — scheduling, invoicing, client portal, GPS tracking |
| Team | $40 + $16/staff | Multi-staff scheduling, route management, staff permissions |
| Facility | $80/mo | Daycare/boarding facilities with capacity management |
| Text Add-on | +$10/mo | SMS messaging to clients (not included in any plan) |
So if you are a solo walker on the Solo plan who wants to text clients, you are looking at $60/month ($720/year). A two-person team with texting: $66/month ($792/year).
Key takeaway: TTP's pricing is designed for teams and facilities. Solo walkers are paying for a lot of infrastructure they never touch — staff management, route optimization, facility capacity tools. If you are a one-person operation, you are subsidizing features built for companies 10x your size.
Here is a feature-by-feature breakdown. We are comparing TTP Solo ($50/mo) against HeyDogWalker Pro ($29/mo) since those are the plans most solo walkers would use:
| Feature | Time To Pet (Solo) | HeyDogWalker (Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Monthly price | $50/mo | $29/mo |
| Annual cost | $500/yr | $348/yr |
| Free tier | ✕ | ✓ Up to 5 clients |
| AI Features | ||
| AI receptionist | ✕ | ✓ 24/7 call answering |
| AI text & email | ✕ | ✓ Auto-replies |
| Text messaging | +$10/mo add-on | ✓ Included |
| Core Features | ||
| Online booking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client portal | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pet profiles | ✓ | ✓ |
| Growth & Marketing | ||
| Google review automation | ✕ | ✓ |
| Marketing automation | ✕ | ✓ |
| TTP Advantages | ||
| GPS walk tracking | ✓ | Coming soon |
| Visit report cards | ✓ | Coming soon |
| Per-staff charges | $16/mo each | None |
| Commission | ✕ None | ✕ None |
| QuickBooks integration | ✓ | Coming soon |
Where Time To Pet is still better: GPS walk tracking with live maps, visit report cards with photos, QuickBooks integration, and deeper staff scheduling for teams of 5+. If you need those features today, TTP is still the right choice.
Where HeyDogWalker wins: AI receptionist that answers calls 24/7, AI-powered text and email responses, Google review automation, marketing tools, no per-staff charges, a free tier, and a price that is $21/month less. If you are a solo walker or small team who values AI automation and growth tools over GPS tracking, the switch saves money and adds capabilities TTP does not offer at any price point.
Let's look at what the switch actually saves you in hard dollars:
But the savings go beyond the subscription. Consider the AI receptionist value:
A standalone AI receptionist (like FetchDesk or My AI Front Desk) costs $79-$500/month on top of your scheduling software. With HeyDogWalker, it is included in your $29/month plan. That is $948-$6,000/year in AI receptionist costs you are not paying separately.
Research shows that 62% of calls to small businesses go unanswered. For a dog walker getting 10 inquiry calls per week, that is roughly 6 missed calls. If even one of those converts to a recurring client worth $200/month, that is $2,400/year in revenue you are leaving on the table.
An AI receptionist that answers every call, qualifies the lead, and books a consult does not just save you money on software — it makes you money by catching the calls you miss while you are on a walk.
Bottom line: Switching from TTP Solo (with texting) to HeyDogWalker Pro saves $372/year in subscription costs alone. Factor in the AI receptionist value and recovered missed calls, and the total economic benefit is easily $3,000-5,000/year.
We are not going to pretend HeyDogWalker does everything TTP does. Here is what you will genuinely miss if you switch today:
Our honest take: If GPS tracking and report cards are non-negotiable for your business today, stay with TTP for now. If you care more about AI automation, growth tools, and saving money, HeyDogWalker is the better fit and those features are coming soon.
The entire process takes about 45 minutes. Here is exactly what to do:
Before you do anything else, download your client list from TTP. Go to Clients → Export in your TTP dashboard. This gives you a CSV file with client names, emails, phone numbers, pet details, and addresses.
Also export your service pricing and schedule templates if available. You will want these as reference when setting up HeyDogWalker.
Create your free account at heydogwalker.xyz. You can start on the free tier (up to 5 clients) to test everything before committing. No credit card required.
Fill in your business name, service area, and contact info. This immediately creates your booking page that clients can use.
Using the pricing info you exported from TTP, recreate your services in HeyDogWalker. Add each service type (30-min walk, 60-min walk, drop-in visit, overnight sitting, etc.) with the correct pricing.
Set your availability hours and any blackout dates. This is also a good time to adjust pricing if you have been meaning to raise rates — a platform switch is a natural moment to update.
Add your clients to HeyDogWalker. You can enter them manually (for small lists) or contact our support team for help with bulk imports from your TTP export file.
For each client, add their name, email, phone, address, and pet details. The pet profiles in HeyDogWalker support all the basics: breed, age, weight, vet info, special instructions, and emergency contacts.
This is the feature you did not have before. Your AI receptionist is automatically configured based on your services and availability. Call your own business number to test it.
The AI will answer, describe your services, check availability, and offer to book a consultation or walk. Customize the greeting and responses if you want a specific tone. Try texting the number too — the AI handles text conversations as well.
We recommend running both platforms for 1-2 weeks. Use HeyDogWalker for new bookings and gradually move existing clients over. Send each client your new booking link with a short message:
"Hey [Name]! I've upgraded my booking system. You can now book walks with [Dog Name] anytime at [your booking URL]. Same great walks, easier to book!"
Once all your active clients are on HeyDogWalker and you are comfortable, log into Time To Pet and cancel your subscription. TTP does not charge cancellation fees.
No credit card required. Keep your TTP running while you test. Cancel only when you are ready.
Start Free — No Card Needed →Yes — in a good way. They will get a booking link they can use 24/7, and an AI that answers the phone when you can not. Most walkers frame it as an upgrade rather than a change. Send them your new booking link with a message like: "I've upgraded my booking system — here's your new link to book anytime!" Clients appreciate the convenience.
Absolutely. Start your free trial while still on TTP. Run both platforms for a week or two — use HeyDogWalker for new bookings and TTP for existing ones. Cancel TTP only when you are fully comfortable with the new system. There is no pressure and no time limit on the free tier.
If you have 5+ staff members, TTP's Team plan has deeper staff management tools — route optimization, staff permissions, individual schedules, and payroll tracking. HeyDogWalker is currently optimized for solo walkers and small teams (1-3 people). We are building team features, but for large operations, TTP is still the better fit right now.
Yes. HeyDogWalker's free tier supports up to 5 active clients with all features — scheduling, booking page, AI receptionist, invoicing, everything. You can run a small operation at $0/month forever. No credit card required, no trial expiration. The Pro plan ($29/mo) unlocks unlimited clients and priority support.
GPS walk tracking and photo report cards are not available yet (both are on our roadmap and coming soon). QuickBooks integration is also in progress. Everything else — scheduling, online booking, payments, invoicing, client management, pet profiles — is covered. And you gain AI features that TTP does not offer at any price: AI receptionist, AI text/email replies, Google review automation, and marketing tools.
Save $252/year, get an AI receptionist that answers every call, and never miss a booking again. Your clients will think you hired an assistant.
Start Free — No Card Needed →No credit card required. Free tier available forever.