Q&A

New hours & what that means to you:

What if I already have confirmed visits scheduled for after July 1?

Don’t worry, we would never leave you in a bind!  Any pet sitting visits that are already scheduled will be honored!

Can I still use you when we travel or have long days?
Absolutely!  We would love for you to continue to use us whenever you need between 9-4pm while you have family, friends, or another provider outside our hours if needed.
What about my cat or other small critters that you care for?

We look forward to caring for your kitty and other small critters within our new hours of 9-4p.

But we love the team, how will we ever find someone else?!

That’s so sweet, thank you! No worries, we’ve already vetted a few pet care providers in the area that are happy to visit your household outside of our 9-4p hours.  So we still get to see your fur family, and their circle will expand even more! 

Playdating:

How do I sign my dog up for Doggy PlayDating?

Fill out their application.  It’s pretty detailed- we want to be positive we are being good matchmakers!  So be sure to set aside 10 or so minutes to complete it.  Also, fill this out for all your dogs looking to date in your household.  They can go on separate dates or if we find the right match, there could be a trio date!

What is the process (get on the schedule, multiple visits before pairing attempt)

First you fill out the application, then we set up your pooch on a recurring schedule to establish the ideal visit times and days.  Then, if we don’t already know your dog well, we will do multiple visits with just them so we can start building a relationship and understanding their personality a bit more. Once we feel confident that we understand your pup, we find them the perfect match based on their application info, our assessment of them, location and when you would like the visits to be! Once a match is made, each dog will have their own Pet Care Specialist (PCS) for the introduction and possible for 1-2 additional visits to be sure the dogs are 100% happy with their PlayDating set up.  Once the pair is established then just one PCS will care for both dogs.

How long is the playdate?

Playdates can be 45, 60, or 90 minutes

Where do they go?

That really depends on the dogs and what is best for them.  We might pick them up and take them on a hike, hang out in one of the dog’s fenced in yards, or go on a walk in the neighborhood.  We are also looking into renting SniffSpots for those dog pairs without a fenced yard (an additional cost to cover the rental).

How many dogs at a playdate?

This service is just for 2 dogs from separate households.  If you would like your pup to hang out with a larger group, we recommend our pack hikes! These consist of 3-6 dogs together hiking on a local trail.  We limit our Pet Care Specialists to 2 households to ensure all the dogs have plenty of individual attention and if anyone is feeling cranky, it’s easy to separate!

What is the cost?
Since our pricing is based off of time and not the number of pets or what we are doing with them, the pricing is same as our other services. (45 minutes: $46, 60 minutes: $58, 90 minutes: $82)
What about travel for the PlayDates?
In addition to the standard visit time, there is an additional up to 15 minutes round trip travel time to get to the other house, and then from there it depends on what the plan is for the pups.
What if my dog doesn’t like all dogs?
If your dog is simply picky about who they want to be friends with (preferences such as: they do best with smaller/bigger/male/female/submissive/confident, etc.), we can work with that.  Part of the goal of PlayDating is so that the shy, nervous pups can have a social outlet that’s a little less scary than a daycare dropoff or dog park.  You will tell us these preferences in the application!
 
If your dog has a history of aggression, or just doesn’t like the company of most dogs, then I recommend our solo visits!  Your pooch can still get some socialization with us humans and the exercise and mental stimulation they need during our 30min to 2 hour solo visits (single household, can be multiple dogs).
How do you introduce dogs to each other?
As with everything we do, we have a very specific process to ensure the safety of the dogs and our team.
 
Since every pair is going to be different, there will always be appropriate tweaks to be sure it’s the right plan for that specific pair.  
 
Introductions are always with one human per dog so if there is an issue, we can easily separate them.
  
We typically will start with a walk (neutral ground) with the dogs near each other, gradually getting closer so they can engage and we can monitor their body language and behavior to know when/if they are ready for more engagement.  For most dogs this is going to be an easy process, but for those with a little more hesitation we’ll just take it slow and create a plan for them and their date to get the best start.  Sometimes it won’t be a great match, and we’ll just try again with another potential bestie!
How long will it take to find a match?
This depends on a few factors, boiling down to the more flexibility you have about the day and time, the easier it is to make a pairing. A match will be made when a dog that matches what your dog is looking for signs up, wants the visit on the same day, and lives within 7 minutes of your house.  This is a new service so we don’t have any data to go by, but we are optimistic that pairs will be made within 30-45 days of signing up for the service (we’ve already got a number of people on the waiting list, hopefully you will join them!)