DoggyWalker.com Dog Walking Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are you licensed, bonded and insured? With who?
2. How and when do I get billed?
3. I’m going to be home every/every other Friday. Should I still get a monthly contract?
4. I’m going away for a week next month. Will you prorate the monthly contract?
5. Can I get a discount if I……
6. Can you take my dog to the park around the corner?
7. Will I have the same caregiver every day?
8. Why do you have to have two keys?
9. How do you choose your pet caregivers?
10. What is your rescue dog program?

Are you licensed, bonded and insured? With who?
Yes, we are licensed by the city of Alexandria and by Arlington County. We have many caregivers who live and work in both areas. Doggywalker.com is an active member of Northern Virginia Professional Pet Sitters, Pet Sitters International, & National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. We are bonded, which means that if an employee is convicted of stealing something, the policy will pay to replace the stolen item(s). We carry normal commercial liability, with a special pet coverage. More than likely, your pet is better covered when we are here than when we aren’t!!

How and when do I get billed?
If you are a monthly contract client, payment is due on the first business day of the month. For your first pet sitting visit we usually charge on or around the first day of the visits. Future visit series are usually billed towards the end of the visits. If you have regular daily dog walks, but are not purchasing a monthly contract, you will be billed for the current month on the business day closest to the 20th of the month. Payment can be made through our online billing system, you can leave a credit card on file with us, or you can mail a check.

I’m going to be home every/every other Friday. Should I still get a monthly contract?
It’s up to you. Some months it may be cheaper for you to go on the per-visit rate. However, many of our clients stay with the monthly contract even if they are going to occasionally be home. These clients find that they still use the Friday walk, as having it scheduled allows them the freedom to get out and take care of their lives without having to schedule it around letting their dog out.

I’m going away for a week next month. Will you prorate the monthly contract?
Because the monthly contract has been set up at a discounted rate (a monthly contract walk averages out to $15.95 for one dog, & $17.85) for two dogs and you pay for the monthly contract at the beginning of the month with a “use it or lose it” policy we do not credit back any payment for walks that are not used. In a situation where you know ahead of time that you will be taking a week off, we can check to see if it would be cheaper for you to pay the per visit fee of $20/$23 a walk. If it is a better deal for you, we will convert you temporarily to a per-visit basis, as long as we have advance notice, at least ten days prior to the beginning of a month.

Can I get a discount if I……
Doggywalker.com already offers very competitive pricing our goal is to make our services as affordable as possible while maintaining a professional standard and compensating our caregivers accordingly. Our monthly contract is already heavily discounted; the average cost of a daily walk over a 12 month period is $15.95. We also credit two weeks of vacation per year. Ask us for more details about the vacation credit policy.

Can you take my dog to the park around the corner?
As a professional pet-sitting company offering individual leash walks, we can not take your dog to public dog park. The reason for this is because although your dog may be well behaved at the dog park with you, we can not predict how other dogs may react to your dog and therefore can not guarantee your dog’s safety. Your dog’s well being and health is our primary concern and for this reason we do not put them at risk by taking them to a public dog park. If your dog enjoys off leash exercise we will happily play ball in a fully fenced in yard. If you live in an apartment complex with a private fenced-in dog exercise area, we will utilize this area as long as it is well fenced, your dog is responsive to being called and going on and off the leash and there are no other dogs in the exercise area at the time.

Will I have the same caregiver every day?
We assign a primary caregiver to each of our clients and our goal is to keep the same caregiver with the client. Situations arise where we need to substitute a caregiver, vacation, medical appointments and emergency situations. In this case we utilize the 2nd key that we keep on back up at the office and assign a substitute a caregiver to ensure your dog receives the daily care that he needs. We have online profiles that we keep up to date so the substitute can access this information and do the best job possible. Often Dean ( the owner) or Sue (the Office Manager) will cover walks, in an emergency situation and both have a wealth of experience with a wide range of dogs so rest assured your dog will continue to receive the best care possible.

Why do you have to have two keys?
Doggywalker.com keeps two sets of keys on file in case there is ever a problem. Occasionally the unplanned happens in life (please feel free to ask us for some of the amusing, and not so amusing, examples of this), and having an extra set of keys allows us to make sure your pet(s) can still be visited. One set of keys is assigned to your caregiver, and the other is safely stored "just in case." We believe in Better Safe Than Sorry! Additionally, for multiple visit pet sitting, it is often necessary to share visits between two caregivers.

How do you choose your pet caregivers?
Doggywalker.com's goal is to ensure the safety and security of our clients, their pets and their property. Our caregivers undergo an interview and screening process before they are hired, including reference checks and criminal background checks. Doggywalker.com's caregivers then complete a training process, pass a test, and everyone participates in an annual pet first aid training course. We know it can be a little scary to have someone you don't know coming into your home. That's why Doggywalker.com takes the time and effort to seek out only the best caregivers for your pet(s) and your home! On average, our caregivers have almost two years of professional pet care experience, and many of them have been with us for much longer. Several of our caregivers have done over 20,000 pet sitting visits!!!

What is your rescue dog program?
The management of Doggywalker.com believes in rescuing dogs in need of a good home. Our personal dogs have all come from Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. If you rescue a dog and sign up for monthly contract walks, upon receiving payment for the third month, we will make a $50 donation to the animal rescue organization that you designate.