General Questions
What services do you provide?
I offer midday dog walking for when you are at work and pet sitting 7 days a week. I also offer limited pet boarding. And finally, I offer professional quality pet photography portraits. You can see more details on our Services & Rates page.
What are your hours and what about weekends and holidays?
Our earliest visit starts at 7:30 AM and our latest starts at 8:00 PM, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I am available for every holiday with a $5 surcharge for major holidays. For new clients, you would need to contact me about holiday visits as early as possible as my availability is limited (I won’t take on more visits than is physically possible). Dog walks and pet sitting visits are not available during the hours of 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
What is your Service Area?
I walk dogs in the Art Museum \ Fairmount area (zip code 19130), or specifically from Poplar St. to Pennsylvania Ave. \ Spring Garden St., and 28th St. to approximately 19th St. Pet Sitting covers the same area but extends slightly further south and east of the above boundaries. My service area does change from time to time so contact me if you are just outside of those areas.
When is payment due? What forms of payment do you accept?
Dog Walking: Payment is due weekly on the day before your last visit. Pet Sitting: 100 % of the payment is due up front. Pet Boarding: Half up front. Payments can be in cash or check for dog walking, cash only for pet sitting and boarding.
I’m interested, how do I go about becoming a client?
Just go to my Contact page to ask if I have availability for the service you need. In your email please provide your name and a brief message on the services you need, the dates\times needed and any other pertinent information. Also, include the street and block # where you live. I will get back to you within 24 hours, but usually much quicker than that.
Dog Walking Questions
What if I need to cancel, add or change the time for a walk?
No problem if you give enough notice. I’m not going to ding you with a charge every time life intervenes and your daily schedule changes. Obviously, I’d prefer as much notice as possible.
For dog walking, I can start as early as 10 am, so text me before that if you have a change for your walk that day. I will charge you the full walk rate if I show up to walk your dog and you are home and mention that you forgot to let me know. An exception to that would be if you are really sick and you forgot to let me know. Keep in mind that I worked your dog into the schedule, drove to your place, had to find a parking spot, etc. t messes up my schedule if you wait too long to cancel the walk.
If you are coming home early from pet sitting, just let me know before I show up for a walk.
How many dogs do you walk at a time?
One at a time (unless of course, you have two dogs). I do have clients that would prefer a play friend for their dog while on a walk, especially puppies or recent rescues that need socialization. In that case, assuming both clients approve, then I will walk 2 dogs together, never 3 or more!
What are your weekday dog walk hours?
Most people choose walks at the halfway point of the time they away from home, usually somewhere from 10:30 am to 3 pm. I like to know what your ideal walk time is. Assuming I have an opening, then 95% of the time I can walk your dog within a +/- half hour time of that time but most of the time +/- 15 minutes is possible. In rare situations, we do ask for a +/- 45-minute window, which still beats the standard that other companies offer, which is usually a 2-hour time frame.
How can I train my dog to walk next to me on a leash?
Having your dog walk beside you is known as heeling. I believe that the three most important commands are: stay, sit and heel. I’m not a dog trainer but I’ve had this problem with my dog. This is a big topic and can’t be covered in one paragraph. Check out my article of training your dog with the Easy Walk harness. I also wrote an article on how to train your dog to walk next to you.
Pet Sitting Questions
I have a dog but am unsure if I need dog walking or pet sitting. What is the difference?
Dog walking is for people who need their dog walked the same time each day during the work week. Pet sitting is for people who go away for a number of days, and so need multiple visits for their dogs. Pet visits tend to be 3 visits per day for dogs with AM and PM feedings. For greater clarification of these terms, you can also read my article on the definitions dog walking, pet sitting, boarding, and in-house sitting.
Note: Advanced notice is suggested to make sure I have time slots open for pet sitting visits. It is possible if you wait until a few days before your trip that I will not have openings for you. So please schedule 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
I’m thinking of going away every weekend during the Summer. Are you available for pet sitting every weekend?
No. I do value having a day off occasionally, so I’m not interested in DEFINITELY committing to pet visits every weekend over the Summer. I’m sorry but you will have to find another pet sitting service who offer that.
I’m going on vacation for an entire week (or longer). Can you cover that many pet visits?
Yes. Just contact me with the dates of your visit with preferably at least 10 days notice. If you give me less than 10 days notice, then I may already be booked and not be able to help you. It’s best to give me 2 or more weeks notice as I rarely book up that far in advance.
I go on a lot of weekend trips. Do you have any restrictions on weekend visits?
Yes. My last visit for a weekend is Sunday afternoon. I do not offer pet visits on Sunday evening into Monday morning for people who like to extend their trip. If you are going away for the week (see the questions above), then, of course, I’ll cover you, but for now, Sunday nights are off times for me.
Exception: I can do Sunday night visits if once in a while you need it. I will not leave you high and dry if your car breaks down, if your flight is delayed or if you could only get a Sunday night flight when you planned your trip. I don’t want anyone’s pet to suffer. I have this restriction because I have had more than one client who ALWAYS tended to schedule a Sunday night visit, and sometimes a Monday morning visit. I just need a mental and physical break before my week of daily dog walks.
What about visiting during inclement weather?
The only weather that is a problem is snow, sleet or freezing rain. While it does take much longer getting around in that kind of weather, most people cancel walks because they work from home or take the day off. In the event of such weather while you are away and I am pet sitting for you, no matter what it takes I will make sure to visit your pets! During extreme heat, we may shorten the walk if your dog seems to be having difficulty, but will spend the remainder of the time inside playing with them.
Are there extra costs for weekend or holiday visits?
There is a $3 charge for evening or weekend visits 20 and 30-minute walks or pet visits. Also, add $5 per visit for holidays.
Are you able to give medication and insulin shots to pets?
Yes. I’ve given pills orally or in food, applied topical medicine and administered insulin shots for both dogs and cats.
What if the pet is ill or was injured and required veterinary care?
Leave notes about which veterinarian you use and their contact information. In the rare event that your pet needs to go to the vet, then I will take them myself and will contact you immediately. This is rare and I’ve only had to do that once.
Pet or Dog Boarding Questions
Do you board cats or dogs?
I can board both, but being that I have a dog and 2 cats, you must bring your pet to my place to make sure all the animals get along. You also must provide proof of up to date vaccinations and use of flea and tick control. A deposit is required to book a spot.
How much is it to board a dog?
The rates are for 24 hour periods. The rate for a dog is $50 per day for dog boarding, $40 for cats. The rate for boarding puppies is $65 per day. Boarding includes at least three walks per day and feedings. I do have a fenced in yard for a late night break. Check out all the details about boarding on my Services and Rates page.
Do you have any questions that I did not cover here?
Feel free to contact me on any issue or question about your pet. Even if I can’t help you with my services, I may be able to point you in the right direction for what you need. Or take a look at my Links page where I list pet-related sites in various categories.