From Zero to 50K Dogs Hiked in 10 Years

This week, I sat down with Kath Allen, founder of Hike Doggy, a Denver based mobile dog hiking business that just crossed 50,000 dogs hiked over the past decade. Kath started with a single bus parked in front of her house and this year launched into franchising, with five locations already active.

What began as a personal habit of hiking her own dogs before work in the Colorado foothills turned into a full business model built around safety, tranquility, and giving dogs an actual adventure instead of a walk around the block.

We covered the business model behind mobile dog hiking, how she handles safety with groups of live animals, and why she waited a full decade before franchising the concept.

The Key Takeaways

Below are the most essential insights from my conversation with Kath that you can apply to your home services business today.

1. A Business Born From a Morning Habit

Kath’s brother offered to be her equity partner if she came up with a business plan, correctly guessing it would involve dogs. She had spent years hiking her own dogs in the foothills before work and realized plenty of other owners wanted that same enriched life for their dogs.

“I just kept saying to myself, I bet there’s a lot of people just like me who want their dogs to have this enriched life. Be well behaved, tired for the rest of the day. And so that’s kind of how Hike Doggy was born.”

— Kath Allen

2. The Business Model: Pickup, Real Trails, and a Shower on Board

Hike Doggy buses pick dogs up from home, drive them about an hour outside the city to real natural settings rather than a neighborhood loop, hike for a couple hours, then wash and dry the dogs before the ride home. Parents get photos and written notes so they know exactly what their dog did all day.

“It really relieves parents’ guilt because they’re busy all day and they see their dog so happy, and then they see all the pictures and they see the write up, and they’re like, oh my gosh, I know what you did today, I know where you went, I know you were hanging out with your buddies.”

— Kath Allen

3. Safety Comes From Grouping Dogs by Temperament and Speed

Before every hike, dogs are grouped by temperament and pace, one hiker to four dogs on leash. New or uncertain dogs get slowly blended in with a second hiker rather than dropped straight into the pack, and parents who know their dog can’t handle other dogs simply self-select out.

“We actually group our dogs by temperament and speed before every hike. And when I say temperament, I like to equate it to, I go to a party, I don’t love everybody at the party, I don’t know why, but I just don’t.”

— Kath Allen

4. It Runs Year Round, Even Through Denver Winters

Hike Doggy hikes twelve months a year, only canceling a handful of days annually when temperatures turn dangerous. More often they simply delay two hours, similar to a school snow delay, which parents appreciate as a sign the company is genuinely looking out for their dogs.

5. Ten Years of Mistakes Before Franchising

Franchising was the plan from day one, but Kath refused to sell franchises until the model was fully proven. She spent a year and a half building a training system, learning management system, and support team before awarding a single franchise.

“I love when people come to me and they’re like, I love dogs, I love hiking, I’m going to do this. And I’m like, it took 10 years, trust me, you know, software, figuring it out, logistics, safety, all of those measures.”

— Kath Allen

6. Partnering With Loyalty Brands to Scale Faster

After realizing they didn’t know how to recruit the right franchisees on their own, Hike Doggy recently partnered with Loyalty Brands, which handles franchise development while Kath’s team keeps ownership of training and support. Her five-year goal is 2,000 locations, a target she says would take far too long to hit alone.

“John once said to me, he goes, Kathy, you’re not partnering with me to become a better doghiking company, you’re partnering with me to scale this business.”

— Kath Allen

Looking Ahead

Kath is looking for franchisees who are genuinely obsessed with dogs and bring real business experience, trusting her team to teach the rest. With a proven model, a strong new franchise partner, and a decade of lessons already paid for, Hike Doggy is betting its next chapter looks a lot bigger than its first.

“We are looking for franchisees, and you know, people who are just absolutely love dogs, obsessed with dogs, and have had business experience, and we can teach them the rest.”

— Kath Allen