FAQ

How do you handle keys?

Most of our clients now have electronic locks or use a lockbox. If we’re providing sitting services while you’re away, we like to hold a backup copy just in case it’s ever needed. Keys will be safeguarded and never kept with information that identifies your house. If you live in a building with a front desk, we can obtain the keys from the desk each day too. Most buildings are great, but please keep in mind this may consume part of the walk time if there’s a delay on their end.

My pup is pretty energetic and sometimes difficult to walk. Can you help?

We have worked with professional trainers to develop our walk protocols and use leash training methods that work for most dogs. We may recommend, or occasionally require, certain equipment or leads. We may sometimes require additional services during an introductory period to help acclimate your dog, too, such as longer or more frequent walks. If your dog needs more help than we can provide, we may need your pup to receive training, and we can work with you to arrange this. We work to ensure all our walks are as safe as possible, and we may need to handle walks differently than you do yourself.

How will I know my services have been completed as requested?

We utilize the latest technology to keep you updated on your services and to make scheduling easy. After each service, you will receive a report that includes the start and stop time, GPS tracked route, personal notes from your walker, photos from the walk, and other relevant information. These reports will be emailed to you after each service, and you can also log in to view them and to see additional details.

I love the services I receive from our walker! Can I leave a gratuity?

Of course! Our payment system makes it easy to add a tip to your invoice. If you do, then the tip is divided out proportionately to the walkers who completed services on that invoice. You can also leave cash for your walker, but please make it clear by leaving it in an envelope with their name.

What is your hiring process like? Do you perform background checks for new hires?

Our hiring process includes reference checks, a background check, and extensive training on safety, procedures, and client service.

Are your walkers employees or independent contractors?

Employees. Every walker on our team is a W-2 employee of Pups On Passyunk, not an independent contractor or a gig-app walker. We hire, train, and supervise everyone who walks your dog: hiring includes reference checks and a background check, and every walker completes our in-house training on safety, procedures, and client service. We think employing our team is the best way to give clients consistent, accountable care, and it’s the only way to structure our team properly, and legally, with real oversight.

Are you insured?

Yes. We carry business insurance, and because our walkers are employees, they’re covered by workers’ compensation.

Will my pup have the same walker each day?

With regularly scheduled walks, your pup will have a primary walker who completes most of your walks and gets to know your pup’s routine. When your walker is off, out sick, or leaves the company, another trained member of our team steps in. Walks outside your normal schedule may be done by another walker, and if your schedule varies a lot, you’ll see more variety in who comes. We work together as a team so services are completed as scheduled.

We take the time to discuss your pup’s routine with our walkers so they can complete your services the way you expect.

Note that if your dog is not friendly with strangers or has other unique considerations, we may need to cancel if your primary walker is not available. We always put safety first. We would of course discuss this during signup if it might be an issue.

What happens if my walker calls out sick?

Another trained member of our team covers the walk. As soon as we hear from your walker, our scheduling team reassigns it, ideally to someone who has walked your pup before. Every walker has your pup’s care instructions and home access details, so the walk goes the way you expect, and you’ll still get your visit report with notes and photos from the walker who covered.

If your pup isn’t comfortable with new people, we’ll talk through a plan at your meet and greet. In some cases that may mean cancelling a walk when your primary walker isn’t available.

How many dogs can you walk at once?

Your dog will never be walked with other dogs outside of your household. In most cases, we will walk up to two dogs from the same household.

Do you walk reactive or strong dogs?

Often, yes. We walk a number of reactive dogs, some of them for years. At the meet & greet, a manager meets your dog and talks through what works: the right equipment, and sometimes longer or more frequent walks while your dog settles in. If your dog isn’t comfortable with new people, we plan around your primary walker. If your dog needs more help than we can safely give, we’ll tell you and can help you arrange training.

We would love to have our training methods reinforced on all our pup’s walks. Will your walkers help us with that?

Absolutely! We’re happy to continue your training efforts, and we can have your pup stop at the corner before crossing, stay off the furniture when we’re playing inside, and anything else you need! We will customize your dog’s care to their individual needs. Of course, we only use positive reinforcement methods and will never do anything to cause a dog fear or pain.

What if I need to cancel?

We want to be as flexible as possible, but we also need to plan staffing and scheduling with all our client needs in mind. Weekends and holidays often fill up, requiring us to turn down client requests. Our booking and cancellation policy is aimed at striking a balance. For our regular customers and their regular walks, we are pretty flexible if something occasionally comes up last minute.

Excessive cancellations of regularly scheduled services may result in changes to your service times and placement into a different pricing tier based on our pricing model.

Our current cancellation schedule, which is subject to change, is listed on our prices page.

Why aren’t you able to provide overnight stays?

All our staff are employees. We believe this provides the best experience for our team and our clients, and we believe this is the only way to properly (legally) structure our team to be able to provide adequate oversight. To provide overnight stays, all hours worked (even overnight, sleeping hours) would be paid hours. That’s the law, and it’s also a reasonable expectation of someone working. Not only would it get prohibitively expensive, it would quickly push staff into overtime hours. While it might not work for all dogs, we believe our Extra Love visits are the next best thing!

My schedule tends to change (a lot!). Can you still help with my pup?

We are always happy to work with changing schedules (subject to our cancellation and booking policies). This is why we offer occasionally scheduled walks! If you schedule “regular walks” and have excessive cancellations, we reserve the right to modify your time window (with notice of course) to allow us to accommodate other clients in need of regular services. If you are receiving a weekly rate based on a certain number of walks, excessive cancellations may also affect your rate. In other words, you can’t effectively hire us for occasional walks and still receive a weekly discounted rate.

Can I book walks for weekdays only?

Yes. Weekday walks on a regular schedule are most of what we do. You choose the days and the walk length, and your walks repeat every week. New accounts usually need at least two walks a week. Weekend walks are available too, with a surcharge.

What time will my walker arrive?

Walks are scheduled within a three-hour arrival window. If you need a tighter window, a two-hour VIP window (11 to 1 or 12 to 2 for midday walks) is available for a small fee. Puppies under six months, some senior dogs, off-peak walks, and clients with more than one walk a day may get a shorter window at no extra charge.

How much does a dog walker cost?

It depends on how long each walk is and how many walks you book each week; regular weekly walks cost less than occasional ones. Our Prices page lists every rate, and our guide to what a dog walker costs in Philadelphia walks through weekly examples.

Can I meet my walker?

One of our management team meets with all new clients. This allows us to evaluate your pup, including any potential safety matters, and we can discuss the details of your services. Clients with regularly scheduled walks have a primary walker, and we keep staffing as consistent as possible since we think that’s easier for our pups and our team.

However, we also support our team when they need time off, and occasionally last minute absences arise due to illness or emergencies. Other walkers may complete your pup’s walk when needed, unless a safety concern prevents that (which we would discuss at signup).

Why do you charge evening and weekend fees?

These fees help to pay staff higher wages to cover walks during hours of low demand. Most of our walks occur during the day, and we build schedules around those walks. If one of our walkers is coming to you for an evening or weekend walk, there’s a good chance it’s the only walk during that period in your neighborhood. This fee is to help compensate them for being available during these additional times.

Can you help with our dog at our wedding?

Occasionally, yes. Dates are very limited, so ask early. See how wedding day dog care works.