FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Do you offer dog walking on an evening or weekend?
Absolutely, the Good Dog Walking team is available seven days a week, 365 days a year if you need us.
2. Is my house safe when you’re out?
Absolutely. Our dog walkers all double check a door to ensure it’s locked before we leave for our walk. House door keys are always firmly secured to a lanyard or chain while we are out on a walk too. If you have a home security system, we will ensure your alarm is armed when we leave the property, be that from memorising the pin code or by using a alarm fob.
3. What happens in an emergency?
This is dependent on the emergency and what your specific requests are. However, in most instances we would alert the owner immediately to advise them of the situation. If a dog has been injured, we would either take him to your vet straight away, or wait for the owner to arrive. Depending really on how serious the injury was.
If a dog has run off while out on a walk, again the owner would be alerted immediately. While this doesn’t happen very often (thank goodness), Cheryl has been known to rally the entire GDW team into looking for an errant dog before, only for him to be found safe and sound and utterly oblivious to the fuss caused!
4. Do you offer discount for two or more dogs from the same household?
Yes, a half price discount is given for a second (or third) dog from the same household.
5. My dog does not socialise well with other dogs, can you still walk him?
This is more common than many owners realise. All members of the GDW team are used to walking unsociable dogs, who just want to be left alone and walked in peace and quiet. If your dog is particularly anxious of other dogs (or humans for that matter), we recommend they tie a yellow ribbon to the leader (or a yellow bandana is also a good option), and many dog owners recognise this as a symbol of an anxious dog.
6. How long will my dog be out?
He will be out on his adventures for at least the minimum time you have booked. But in most cases, it will be longer. Especially if we are taking your dog on a group walk, as he will be transported to and from the locality of the walk. Where possible, we aim to have dogs out for as long as possible, particularly if the weather is good and they are having a good time with their friends.
7. Do you towel dry my dog after they have been out?
Yes, if it is wet outside, all dogs will be given a towel dry and a dab of their paws. In winter, some of the GDW team also carry portable dog showers, so they can wash their legs and feel. But, we can’t get them spotless.
8. How do you make sure all your staff are trust worthy?
All potential team members undergo a two-stage interview process by Cheryl and Michelle. Additionally, DBS checks will also be undertaken and we also request two references. If a new walker comes on board, they shadow one of our more experienced dog walkers for a day, to ensure they learn the Good Dog Walking way and understand our processes and procedures.
9. What happens if I need to cancel my appointment?
We try to be as flexible as possible, but we request that a minimum of 24 hours’ notice is given to cancel an appointment. Any cancellations within 24 hours will be charged.
10. Do you accept cash?
Yes we do, although we prefer weekly BACS payments, as this is more secure for our walkers.
11. Will you walk my dog off a leader?
We will only walk a dog off the lead if you say it is safe to do so.
12. What type of insurance do you have?
We are fully insured by PetPlan Sanctuary, including public liability insurance to the value of £3,000,000. The insurance policy also includes cover for accidents your pet may have while out with any of our walkers too, which may incur veterinary treatment.
13. Do you offer dog training?
We are not qualified dog trainers, so we will not train your dog while we are walking him, but we will follow any instructions you give us for commands, to reinforce the good behaviour you are teaching him.
14. What does Countryside Day Care include?
This is quite a unique service, where we will have your dog out and about for the best part of the day. They accompany the walker on all their other walks, so get to socialise with lots of different dogs throughout the day. It’s perfect for a dog who has endless energy loves to be a social butterfly.
15. Do you also walk the dogs in bad weather?
Yes, we walk dogs come rain or shine. No matter what the weather is, we will be there to take your dog for his walk. We do vary the locations for our walks dependent on the weather! On hot, sunny days we will usually head for woodland or somewhere shaded with a stream, where the dogs can cool off in the water.
16. I want to be a dog walker, can I join your team?
Please get in touch! We are always on the looking out for experienced and reliable people to join the GDW family.
17. How far in advance do I need to book?
We don’t need much advance notice if you are one of our regular clients, especially for weekday walks, maybe a few hours. Get in contact, and I am sure we can help. During the hours of 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, we aim to respond to all booking enquiries within an hour. Outside of this, your confirmation may take a little longer.
