# Wag Caregiver Requirements **Category:** [Wag](https://community.mycartracks.com/c/wag/30) **Created:** 2026-04-20 09:20 UTC **Views:** 11 **Replies:** 0 **URL:** https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-caregiver-requirements/229 --- ## Post #1 by @MyCarTracks_support ![Wag mileage tracking guide badge](upload://fQrZoovRwBq44Q9ha9MoK7flwGM.svg) If you want to offer services on Wag, you need more than a profile. You need the right age and residency status, a completed application, screening records, app setup, payment setup, and enough pet-care judgment to complete services safely and reliably. This guide follows the full requirement path: who can apply, how the account setup works, what the platform expects during onboarding, what equipment and service types matter, and why mileage tracking should be ready before your first booking. A mileage tracker app helps you build mileage logs from day one so your taxes and payout records are not reconstructed later. If you want the record side ready before approval, [MyCarTracks automatic mileage tracking](https://www.mycartracks.com/products/automatic-mileage-tracking) can be set up before the first drive, and the official [Wag caregiver signup page](https://wagwalking.com/dog-walker) plus the [dog-walker onboarding guide](https://wagwalking.com/daily/how-to-become-a-dog-walker-with-wag) explain the main application and activation steps. ## Eligibility and age requirements The [Wag caregiver signup page](https://wagwalking.com/dog-walker) says applicants confirm they are US permanent residents and over 18. The [onboarding guide](https://wagwalking.com/daily/how-to-become-a-dog-walker-with-wag) reinforces that the platform is built around adult caregivers who can complete services, screening, and payment setup in the US flow. That is the minimum threshold. The real standard is higher: you also need enough reliability, pet-handling judgment, and schedule control to complete services the way pet parents expect. ## Creating your Wag account The account setup is simple on paper. The onboarding guide says you can apply through the app or the online form, and you will need to provide basic details such as your legal name, email address, and phone number. A complete profile matters because pet parents are trusting a real person with a pet, a home, and a schedule. Clean profile details, a usable photo, and accurate availability are part of the requirement in practice even when they are not framed as a formal compliance item. ## Completing your application The onboarding guide lays out the full application flow: - submit the application - optionally add endorsements - pass the background check - pass the pet-care quiz - download the caregiver app - complete a test walk - set up Stripe - optimize the profile before taking real requests The same guide says approval takes an average of 14 days, though timing can vary with application volume. ## Experience requirements Wag does not present the platform as requiring formal professional credentials for basic dog walking, but the work still requires real pet-care judgment. You need to be comfortable with leashing, home access, behavior changes, instructions, weather, and the pace of back-to-back services. Experience with your own pets, volunteer work, or prior paid pet care can help. More importantly, you need to know your limits. Do not accept services you cannot complete safely. ## Training and onboarding The onboarding guide says applicants must pass a pet-care quiz, then download the caregiver app and complete a test walk. Those steps matter because the job is not just pet handling. You also have to use the app correctly, complete service actions, and keep the platform record clean. If you want the screening side separated from the broader setup, use [Wag Background Check](https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-background-check/224). ## Required equipment Wag does not frame this as a long formal equipment checklist, but the service itself assumes you can handle pet care responsibly. In practice, that usually means: - a reliable phone - a charged battery and data access during services - weather-appropriate clothing - basic cleanup supplies - safe footwear - a vehicle when your service area requires driving ## Service types on Wag Wag's public service pages show categories such as walks, drop-ins, sittings, and boardings. You should choose service types based on what you can actually deliver well, not only on what looks profitable. Different services create different demands. Boarding and sitting can create longer care windows, more communication, and more supply costs than a simple walk. That should affect both your setup and your recordkeeping. ## Scheduling and availability Flexible work is only useful if your availability is honest. You need a service area you can reach on time, calendar space that reflects your real schedule, and enough room between bookings to avoid rushing the pet, the home-access process, or your own travel. ## Payment and tax requirements The onboarding guide says caregivers set up Stripe to receive payments, and public Wag materials explain that caregivers are self-employed independent contractors. That means you should expect to manage your own tax records, mileage tracking, and business expenses from the start. If you want the filing side broken out further, use [Wag Tax Forms](https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-tax-forms/231) and [Wag Tax Guide](https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-tax-guide/232). ## Professionalism and expectations The [Wag Community Guidelines](https://safety.wagwalking.com/community-guidelines) group platform expectations under safety, home and personal security, respect, and reliability. That means professionalism is not optional. Pet parents expect you to read instructions, communicate well, control the pet safely, respect the home, and finish the service cleanly. ## Maintaining good standing on Wag The [Deactivation Policy](https://safety.wagwalking.com/deactivation-policy) says caregivers with a star rating below 4.75 are subject to deactivation, and the guidelines also warn that violations can lead to loss of platform access. Good standing depends on more than finishing a booking. It depends on reliability, ratings, and safe conduct over time. ## Why mileage tracking matters before your first booking Mileage tracking should start before the first live service, not at tax time. The first week can already include onboarding errands, supply runs, and paid services that create business mileage. [MyCarTracks automatic mileage tracking](https://www.mycartracks.com/products/automatic-mileage-tracking) helps you start that log early instead of rebuilding it later. ## US-first market note This article is written for the US Wag platform because the official caregiver flow uses US residency language and US-first onboarding references. For Canada and Europe, use local pet-care marketplace rules and official local tax sources instead of assuming Wag applies. ## MyCarTracks workflow
Use [MyCarTracks](https://www.mycartracks.com/) to tag Wag-related driving before your first booking so you can keep onboarding, service, and follow-up mileage separate from personal use. After that, compare the mileage reports against [Wag Pay Guide](https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-pay-guide/227), [Wag Mileage Guide](https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-mileage-guide/226), and [Wag Pet-Care Supplies and Records](https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-pet-care-supplies-and-records/228). ## Sources - [Wag caregiver signup](https://wagwalking.com/dog-walker) - [Wag sitting and boarding signup](https://wagwalking.com/dog-sitter) - [How to become a dog walker with Wag](https://wagwalking.com/daily/how-to-become-a-dog-walker-with-wag) - [Wag Trust and Safety](https://safety.wagwalking.com/) - [Wag Community Guidelines](https://safety.wagwalking.com/community-guidelines) - [Wag Terms of Service](https://safety.wagwalking.com/terms) - [IRS gig economy tax center](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/gig-economy-tax-center) - [IRS Publication 463](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463) - [CRA business expenses](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed-income/business-income-tax-reporting/business-expenses.html) - [EU rules on platform work](https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/platform-work-eu/) - [Stripe Connect](https://stripe.com/connect) --- **Canonical:** https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-caregiver-requirements/229 **Original content:** https://community.mycartracks.com/t/wag-caregiver-requirements/229