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Frequently Asked Questions
Some faqs for you
How long have you been established? TLC Dog Walking was established in 2008
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Will my dog have its own walker? Yes, all our dogs start with one dog walker, and when they are comfortable with their walker and the dogs they walk with, we introduce them to their backup walker, who they have probably already met at one of our pooch parties.
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Are you insured? Yes, we are fully insured for any accident that happens due to being walked by TLC Dog Walking.
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Are your dog walkers trained? Yes, all our team have an ongoing training program.
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Are your dog walkers employed? Yes, all our team are employed. This means we an ensure they are all trained to a standard we require and you desire.
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What if my dog walker is off sick? Your back up dog walker or team leader will step in.
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What if my dog walkers car breaks down? Your backup dog walker or team leader will step in.
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What if my dog gets lost? We walk hundreds of dogs a day, and I can count on my fingers the dogs that have got lost. If we do loose a dog, we immediately let all our team know, as they are likely to be near by. We then call on the power of social media, this is a very effective way of spotting any missing dogs, as immediately the post gets to hundreds of people, who have the chance to immediately contact us if they see the dog. If we have not found the dog within 30 minutes, we will contact you, we do not do this earlier, as the chances are, the minute we contact and panic you, your dog will come strolling out of the trees after chasing a rabbit! Please do ensure your dog has a current ID tag on with as many telephone numbers as possible, feel free to put on ours alongside your own.
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How do I book? We have two options, ideally, you book on line through the Petsitter software that we use but you can email your team leader at the team email.
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If I have a problem, who do I contact? Your team leader, we like to know any issues you may have however small.
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I am unhappy with my dog walker, what should I do? Contact your team leader immediately.
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Do you walk for the whole time I have paid for? Certainly, if you pay for an hour walk, your dog will get an hours walk. If there is any reason we can not complete your full walk, your dog walker will let you know through your client feedback form on your client portal and it will be emailed to you.
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If I go on holiday and leave my dog at home, can you walk them? Unfortunately not, it is against the law to leave dogs without suitable supervision.
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What is your cancellations policy? Please see the terms and conditions
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What security measures do you have? Your key will be numbered, with no association to your address. Any personal data we have regarding you will be kept secure and never given to any third parties.
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Can I be sure my dog will be happy? All our team are huge animal lovers. They all choose to do this job because they love dogs and understand hard work, not because they feel it will be an easy money job. All our team are trained and understand dogs. If they have any issues, they have the support of their team mates and a team leader. All the dogs that board with us walk with us, meaning that they already have a bond with their dog walker and the dogs they walk with. As we have plenty of pooch parties, most of our dogs know each other and all our team members.
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How much should I expect to pay for dog walking or home boarding? A general rule is, if it is too good to be true, it probably is. Are the details transparent? Are they insured? Are they trained? How long are the walks? If there is no set amount, beware! Are there registration or invoice fees?
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How do I choose a good dog walker? Ask questions. Do they have insurance? Do they have training with dogs? Why do they do the job? How experienced are they with larger, aggressive dogs? (It does not matter if your dog is small and timid, if they are not good with larger, aggressive dogs, what would they do if one attacked the dogs they were walking?) Are they part of a larger network and subject to strict rules and guidelines? Do they walk more than they are legally allowed? Do they have a back up if they are ill, in an accident, car breaks down, on holiday etc How long have they been doing dog walking? Many do not last longer than 2 years!
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What time will my dog be walked? For group walks, we generally have three slots to choose from, the morning slot, when walks will be at some point between 9am and 12 Noon, the lunchtime slot, when walks will be at some point between 11am and 2pm, and the afternoon slot, when walks will be at some point between 1pm and 4pm. We can not generally do solo walks in the popular lunchtime slot, and you walks may vary within the slot, depending on the demands of that day. If you do require a smaller variance in time, you can pay extra to have a two hour slot variance, but spaces for this are very limited.
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Do you walk un-neutered male dogs? Please see our neutering policy here.
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Do you walk un-neutered female dogs? Please see our neutering policy here.
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How do I pay? You can either pay by bank transfer weekly or monthly or Stripe monthly.
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Do you walk dogs 365 days of the year? If we have team members available we can walk dogs, however, Bank Holidays and breaks (Christmas) are extra time. Any repeat bookings are cancelled on Bank Holidays and our Christmas Break.
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Are you insured? Absolutely. We are fully insured by Pet Business Insurance for any accident or incident that may happen due to your dog being out with us. Please do be aware though, there are no business insurances that will cover if there is an injury due to the breed type, or if your dog started a fight and was injured. We are insured to walk up to 6 dogs, but generally only choose to walk three or four at a time. No company will ever insure a dog walker to walk more than 6 dogs on their own, so do be careful if you see a dog walker with more, keep clear.
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When are your next holidays? Please click here