FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know

How do we know if you're the right fit for us?

We understand your pets mean the world to you! As we feel the same, we find our furry clients an extension of our own family!

All Paws is a small and intimate family run business, our team are animal lovers first and foremost and experienced in what they do.

After you enquire, we arrange a 'meet and greet' appointment for you to meet the dedicated member of the team that will be providing your pet care service, you and the team member will have the chance to get to know each other, as well as us meeting your beloved pet ahead of the start of your chosen service, which is a great time to discuss behaviours, routines, feeding/walking/home etiquette where required and ensure we mirror your routine and house rules as closely as possible to ensure your pet is happy and comfortable.

We also provide a client details form where you provide all details you would like us to know, we can also provide details of our insurance certificates and reviews!

Are you insured?

Yes all of our team are fully insured with Pet Plan and certificates with details can be provided if required.

Are you first aid trained?

Yes! Our team is certified Level 2 Canine First Aid Trained.

What service do I need?

We offer a range of services tailored to your requirements and your pets needs. Take a look at our Services page where you can find out more information on what we offer and what this will entail. If you're not sure, please contact us, we would be happy to help!

Do you provide services for other pets that are not dogs?

Of course! We regularly care for cats, chickens, small pets such as; guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits and exotic birds! Our drop in and feeding services cover all pets, as well as overnight and day sitting! Including puppy and kitten care.

Do you take in-tact, nervous or reactive dogs?

Each dog is different, whilst we are not trainers All Paws act as an extension of you and your dog's routine. So this means we make the effort to get to know your pet, we do this in 3 ways:

1. New Client Forms

We ask every client to fill out an extensive form, detailing everything we need to know about your pet. This information is shared with your dedicated walker/sitter and discussed during your meet and greet appointment.

2. Meet & Greets

We arrange a meet-and-greet between our dedicated team member and your family with your pet ahead of the service starting, free of charge! At these meetings you have the opportunity to discuss all details about your pet and requirements, go through your new client form details and any things to note such as; behaviour traits, things your dog may be nervous around, recall, on/off lead walks, diet and medication, house rules and location of items for pets.

3. Dedicated Walker/Sitter

We dedicate a member of the team to your pet, so your pet is comforted by the company of someone they are familiar with, if for any reason it is not possible for your dedicated team member to attend, you will be notified ahead of time with details of cover, to see if you are happy with these arrangements. This would possibly be in the event of staff sickness or holiday. So you always have piece of mind knowing who is with your pet.

This is done to ensure we know as much as we can about your pet so we can advise of the best service to suit them. Including, nervous, reactive, in-tact dogs.

For example;

For reactive and nervous dogs we can offer 1-2-1 walks with their dedicated walker. This is a walk with no other dogs, and can be arranged to take place in a private enclosed field that we work with locally, all we ask is the hire fee for the field to be covered.

We also take on in-tact/entire male and female dogs, in both group walks and 1-2-1. Of course placement of these dogs in the correct groups is very important and is assessed on a case by case basis to ensure there are no hormone induced situations.

Can I specify a particular time for my dog to be walked?

Of course! We discuss details of timings at the initial 'meet and greet', where we will advise if specific timed walks are possible or what we would be able to offer for you. We will be open and transparent to ensure you are as well informed as possible.

Will my dog be walked by the same person each day?

Yes. You will meet your dedicated walker at your 'meet and greet' appointment, if this person is ever unavailable, you will be notified ahead of time (where possible) and advised of who will be walking your dog on this occasion, with contact details of this person. When possible we also arrange for this team member to have a meet and greet in advance of cover, however this is not always possible with staff sickness and other things outside of our control.
We ask that our clients fill in the client information form to ensure all team members can be advised of the details regarding your dog and this information is shared ahead of the service.

Where will my dog be walked?

All of our walks are carried out in parks, woods, fields and green spaces where it is safe, dog friendly and interesting for your dog. Sometimes in the same town/village but always in close proximity to your home. 1-2-1 walks are mostly in your local area, with group walks a little further afield as we will be picking up other pals for your pooch!
We vary the locations to provide variety for your dog and ensure we do not have a 'set routine' that can be predicted for safety reasons. We would be happy to discuss specific areas if you wish to know :)

Do you keep us updated on each walk?

Unfortunately as we are often booked throughout the day, we are unable to guarantee contacting each client with updates of each walk/drop in directly. We do post pictures of each walk/service each day on our instagram and Facebook page for you to follow!
However for overnight sitting and holiday care, we will contact you regularly with updates and pictures!

How many dogs can you walk at once?

We work with our clients wishes and ensure we get to know each pet to pair them with other dogs that are a good fit to them!
As a general rule we would advise one walker would have no more than 6, well behaved and dogs that have been introduced to each other beforehand, get along well and that walk well on lead with good recall off lead. We would also be sure to use well known spaces with lots of room!

What happens in bad weather?

Our team are suitable prepared for bad weather! It is England after all... We do ask that you leave out towels, coats and anything else you would like us to use in the event of wet weather!

What happens in hot weather?

We always assess suitability of walks during summer and warm weather spells.

In warm weather we walk in wooded/shaded areas that are cool and/or have water present as well as providing our own drinking water for the dogs.

In heatwaves or when weather is too warm for walks, we offer walks early morning and late afternoon/early evening when possible, alternatively we offer garden visits only, to ensure your pet is giving time to go to the toilet/feeding etc. We ask if you have any hoses, paddling pools, water toys etc to please provide these in the garden.

A dog has never died from being denied a walk, however walking in hot weather could harm your dog.

Do you do evening and weekend walks?

We are happy to offer morning, evening or weekend walks, please contact Kyra to check availability!. For safety reasons we would not walk dogs in the dark, but happy to spend time with them at the house and in a secure garden.

If I go on holiday and leave my dogs at home, can you walk them?

If you have made alternative arrangements for overnight and day care for your dogs, we would be happy to walk them.

We would unfortunately be unable to walk your dogs if there is no suitable arrangement for them to be cared for overnight (but you can book us for sitting!). It is against the law to leave your dogs at home without supervision whilst you go away, and it would upset our team to leave them! We would be happy to discuss day and overnight sitting services with you :)

My pet needs to go to the vet. Will you take them?

In the event that your pet is unwell (fingers crossed this never happens!) under our care, we will contact you before taking your pet to the vet unless this is a real emergency/life or death situation. We do ask that every client fill out a client information form with vet details and insurance details for such situations. Please refer to our terms and conditions page for more details.

What do I need to provide you to walk my dog?

We ask if you could please provide the following before we start walking your dog:

Completed Client Form
Collar or harness with up to date ID tag*
Lead
Up to date microchip
Any special treats if you prefer certain ones

We provide everything else such as poo bags, transport, a new friend and a great time!

(*The law (Control of Dogs Order 1992) states that your dog must wear a collar and a tag when in public. The tag must have your name and address on; your telephone number can be helpful too. Without a collar it is possible that your dog may be seized and treated as a stray. You should always keep the contact details on the tag up to date).

Do you allow intact/entire dogs?

We do!

As long as your dog has no behavioural issues related to being entire/intact.

We do ask that all clients with intact/entire bitches advise us of any signs of their dog coming into season in advance of a planned service. It is best to keep a note of when your dog comes into season so you may be able to predict this more regularly and we can help you to keep an eye out for signs.
We will be unable to walk your dog when they are in season, unless pre-planned and a private field is booked to keep her safe and comfortable.

How does your Day Care work?

With our Day Care we offer something different to the ’traditional’ facilities, where groups of dogs are in an enclosed facility which is not suitable for all dogs.

We pick up your dog and take them with us on our day of walking appointments with other friendly dogs in the outdoors, so your dog enjoys walks out and about in the wide-open countryside, as well as socialising with some friends!

We have found this type of Day Care to be much more suitable, your dog has the benefits of:

Socialising with groups of friendly dogs, a maximum of 6 dogs on Day Care at any time.
Less stress, wide-open spaces and smaller number of dogs provides a much less stressful environment, some dogs find with ‘traditional’ Day Care that they are restricted in a defined space which can cause stress and behavioural changes.
Reinforced training, your dog is walking in the big wide world with distractions and help them to become more well-rounded and get more accustom to what they will encounter on walks in the public.
Down Time too!, your dog has great fun on walks but also time to unwind and relax between walks.

We offer a range of different length Day Care services to suit your needs.

In between walks your dog will have rests and naps in the car whilst travelling to our next clients as well as lots of regular water and treat breaks, at the end of the day we drop your dog back to your home.

We can't wait to hear from you!

Eccles, Aylesford, Kent

allpawskent@gmail.com

TEL: 07368648709