✿ ​Is Spotty Dog Hiking insured?

Yes! As of January 16, 2023, we are now insured through Pet Sitter's Associates! Please check out their website for details: https://www.petsitllc.com/​ 

✿ ​Is Spotty Dog Hiking Pet First Aid & CPR Certified?

Yes! As of February 26, 2023, I have earned my Pet First Aid and CPR certification through Four Footed Family! Very happy to be able to provide your pets with even better care, although I hope I never have to use it! https://www.fourfootedfamily.com/

✿ ​Do you have breed restrictions on dogs you'll accept?

Not at all! I love dogs of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. I do not discriminate based on breed alone. I will only reject a dog if I feel for some reason I cannot handle them, or feel that they are a safety risk to myself, themselves, or others. A decision like this will be based solely on behavior and body language of the dog, not the breed.

✿ ​What is your weather policy?

We will walk rain or shine, however we will not walk during heavy rain, thunder/lightning storms, extreme wind, sleet/hail, severe snowstorms, below 0 degree temperatures, or over 100 degree temperatures. In the event that there is inclement weather during your scheduled walk or hike, we can convert your visit into a drop-in and play together indoors, convert to a 15min potty only break, or cancel/reschedule. Please leave out any weather specific clothing (rain jacket, booties, etc), and I would be happy to dress your pet before heading outside.

✿ ​How do I schedule a service with you?

New Clients: Please email me with the form on the contact us page. Once we receive this we can set up a free 1/2 hour Meet & Greet to make sure that we are a good fit for each other. 

Returning Clients: You can request a new service through PetPocketBook, email, or text. Text is preferred as I will see it right away and can respond sooner. 

✿ ​What does a Meet & Greet entail?

A meet & greet is a free 1/2 hour casual meeting in your home to ask each other questions, meet your pets, and determine if we are a good fit for each other before jumping the gun and scheduling future services. This will allow you to show me around your home, where your pet's supplies are located, where they like to play in the yard, what kind of food and toys they like, cleaning routine, anything you can think of that will be involved in caring for them. You'll be able to show me any routines you have, commands your dog knows, how to get into your home for services, etc. You will also be able to ask me any questions you have, and get to know me a little better before entrusting your pets into my care.

For Dogs:
If your dog is nervous and wary about my presence, you may notice that I will not look at them directly, or reach down and coo at them trying to coax them over to me. Eye contact can make a dog even more anxious, so the best way to go about the meeting is for me to relax and talk to you, basically pretending that the nervous dog isn't there. This will allow them to observe me and approach me on their own without feeling threatened or pressured. Oppositely, if your dog is excited and jumping around at the prospect of a new person in the house, I will be more than happy to bend down and give them all the pets and happy wiggles to let them know that I am fun and exciting person to have around! 

✿ ​What is PetPocketBook?

PetPocketBook is the scheduling system that I use to schedule all of your services. You'll be able to message me through it, request services, receive invoices and make payments for services, receive a report card and photos after every service, see our signed waivers and agreements, and most importantly you'll be able to fill out a profile for each one of your pets. Please provide as many details about your pets as possible on their profiles. Behavioral notes, feeding schedule and amounts, house rules, commands the pet knows, locations of items, etc. There is no such thing as "too much info" when it comes to caring for your pets!

✿ Is there a minimum walk/hike/visit per week requirement?

No, however we do encourage setting your dog up for recurring walks/hikes! We can set up a recurring schedule for you in any format, whether that be daily, a few times a week, weekly, or even monthly. This ensures that you always have a spot reserved on the schedule for your desired time frames.  

✿ ​Do you offer boarding or daycare services at your home?

I live in a small apartment, so I am unable to offer these options at this time. 

✿ ​What is your cancelation policy?

There is no refund for any service cancelled with less than 24 hours of the scheduled service. We reserve the right to charge a 50% cancelation fee for any overnight services canceled with less than 7 days notice prior to the scheduled service if the services exceed 5 days of care. 

✿ ​What types of payment do you accept, and when is payment for services due?

We accept credit cards through PetPocketBook, check, and cash.
PetPocketBook will send invoices typically the day after services are completed, or once a week on Mondays, and it will give you options for payment. If you've already paid me, I will apply the payment to the invoice so that it will show as $0.

✿ ​Do you have any specials or discounts?

We have a Recommendation Special: If a person you recommend me to books a service with me after their Meet & Greet, you will receive a $5 credit towards your next service! Your friend must mention that you referred them to me as proof. 

We do not currently provide any kind of discounts on services.  

✿ ​Are you able to administer medication to my pet?

I am currently able to administer oral and topical medications. At this time I am unable to administer any injectable medication, however I hope to learn in the near future.  

✿ ​What if there is an emergency with my pet?

In the event there is an emergency, we will contact your primary vet on the Veterinary Release Form that you fill out upon scheduling with us. We will also contact you right away, and if we are unable to reach you we will contact your secondary contact on your PetPocketBook profile. If your vet is unavailable, we will go to the closest available emergency vet. 

✿ ​How will I know that you have been to my home?

Upon finishing any services, I will always message you with a report of how the visit went, and send photos of our time together. PetPocketBook will also allow me to send out a little report card after our visits! I love taking photos of your pets having fun and being cute, so there are no shortage of picture updates!

✿ ​Will I be able to see photos of my pets when they are spending time with you?

Of course! I will send many photo updates during stays, drop-ins, and walks. I also post them on our Facebook Page and Instagram! 

✿ ​Why does my dog need a harness for on-leash hiking?

We use long leashes on our hikes so that your dog has the most freedom possible without being off leash. I prefer to clip the leash to a well secured harness, as clipping a long leash to a collar around the neck could be dangerous. Sometimes the dogs like to wrap around a tree, or start running and the leash gets caught under a root. The force of the leash getting caught as the dog is moving forward could very well hurt their delicate neck, or even collapse a trachea. For safety reasons we will not hike without a harness.
Selecting a Harness: I try to avoid using easy-walk front clip harnesses or any harness that wraps straight around the chest as these types of harnesses considerably restrict your dog's movement. I make easy-walk harness exceptions for dogs that pull, but otherwise they should be in a properly fitted Y shaped harness that allows the shoulders to move naturally. "Y shape" means that when you hold the harness up and look at it from the chest area, the straps should be going up in a Y shape exposing the shoulders. I'll add some images below for reference. You'll also want to make sure that the neck area of the harness is also adjustable! Each dog has a different neck width, and an un-adjustable neck area means that the harness may end up being too loose, and your dog may be able to back out of it easily even if the chest part is fitted well. Here are some examples:

✿ ​Do you have any positive reviews from previous pet parents?

Any review I get, good or bad, is copy and pasted onto the Reviews page!
You can also see them live on our Facebook Page. 

✿ ​What days are you closed?

Here are the closed dates for 2023 & 2024: