Frequently Asked Questions – Dog Walking 🐾

 

Here are some common questions clients ask about our dog walking services at TLC Dog Walking. If you have any other queries, feel free to get in touch!

 

📌 General Dog Walking Questions

 

❓ How long are the walks? We do not say an exact time for our walks, it varies depending on the day, traffic, the dogs we have, the walk we take etc...Generally our standard group walks last around 60 minutes, not including travel time. Puppies and older dogs may have shorter, more suitable walks if required.  The exception is the Great Rover Ramble, where the walk is around 120 minutes, this may be one walk or split over two walks, so the dogs may be gone anything from two hours to four or even five hours if we have gone further afield for a fabulous walk.

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❓ Do you walk dogs in all weather? Yes! We walk in rain, snow, and sunshine, ensuring your dog gets their exercise whenever possible. In extreme weather (heatwaves, storms, or icy conditions), we may adjust walk times for safety. Plus, in extreme times, regular walk times may be adjusted either for the dogs benefit(i.e. too hot in mid day sun), or due to traffic (i.e. icy roads).

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❓ Do you cancel walks on bank holidays and weekends?  Yes, all walks are cancelled on bank holidays. Weekend walks are available at an extra cost, and bank holiday walks (if available) are charged at double time.

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❓ What areas do you cover? We provide dog walking services in Halifax, Northowram, Shelf, Shibden, Southowram, Brighouse, Wibsey, Queensbury, Low Moor, and Wyke and surrounding areas, contact us if you think we may cover your area.

 

📌 Group Walks & Solo Walks

 

❓ How many dogs are walked together? Our group walks include small, carefully matched groups to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Our small groups are two or three dogs, our regular groups are 3-6 dogs.

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❓ My dog isn’t good with others. Can they still be walked? Yes! We offer solo walks for dogs who prefer their own space or need extra training and support. We also provide small group walks for dogs that may be selective about their company. Solo walks are not generally at the peak walking lunch slot.

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❓ Can my puppy join a group walk? We offer puppy walks to introduce young dogs to walking in a safe and structured way. Once your puppy is confident and ready, we can discuss moving them into a suitable group.

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❓ Will my puppy do full hour walks?  With small puppies, we do home visits before their jabs, where they get let out, fed, played with and some training practice.  Once they are able to go out, they have a minute walk per week of their life.  However, this is based on structured road walks.  We do try to keep them out longer to get more experiences, by either carrying them or letting them sniff or play.  We always avoid repetitive movements like stairs with puppies and throwing balls repetitively as these are bad for forming joint.  Walks on soft, flat surfaces can be a little longer.  Once they are over 6 months, we aim for them to join group walks, but still avoid repetitive ball throwing, long runs, road walks, stairs or hills.  However, the older dogs can give them great social skills.

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❓ Do you offer training during walks? All walks do provide some basic training. Additionally we provide “Dog School on the Go”, where we reinforce lead manners, recall, impulse control, and confidence-building while out on walks, please ask for prices.

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📌 Safety & Requirements

 

❓ What do I need to leave out for my dog’s walk?

Please provide:

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✔ A secure harness (suitable for vehicle transport)

✔ A collar with a name tag (legal requirement)

✔ A lead

✔ A towel for wet pooches

✔ Access to an outdoor tap, or a mud daddy if needed.

✔ Treats (if your dog has dietary restrictions)

✔ A Kong with food inside (if needed after the walk)

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❓ Will my dog be transported in a vehicle? Yes, dogs are securely transported in safety-fitted vehicles with proper restraints.

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❓ Do you have insurance? Yes, TLC Dog Walking is fully insured, giving you peace of mind while your dog is in our care.

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❓ What happens if my dog gets dirty on the walk? We do our best to clean muddy paws before returning your dog home. Please leave a towel out for drying.

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❓ What if my dog has health issues or is recovering from an injury? We can tailor walks to suit your dog’s needs, whether that means a shorter solo walk or a gentle-paced outing.

 

📌 Booking & Payments

 

❓ How do I book a walk? You can book by contacting us directly via email to your team leader or our Petsitter Portal.

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❓ Can I cancel a walk? Yes, but please not on the morning of the walk please as we carefully structure the walks so all the dogs are happy, if we have to remove a dog from a walk it can throw out the whole day, however, the latest cut off point is 9am on the day or the walk for major emergencies.

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❓ Do you offer discounts? Yes! Our TLC Family Club offers £2 off every booking when you sign up for a 6-month (£300) or 12-month (£500) membership.

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❓ How do I pay? We accept bank transfers and other agreed payment methods. Payments are made as per the agreed schedule.

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❓Do I Still Need to Pay If the Walk The Dog Walker Has Turned Up?  Yes – if your dog’s walk has been carried out or our dog walker has turned up as you forgot to cancel or cancelled after 9am and we were already out walking dogs and therefore turned up, payment is required in full.  Once your dog is collected and the walk has taken place, our time, travel, and resources have already been invested, so the session is chargeable.  Please be aware that if a dog walker has come to you, your dog is already planned in their day and their time and fuel has been used to get to you.  We understand that plans can change unexpectedly. If you need to cancel, please do before 9am to avoid being charged. We’re always happy to work with you where possible, but once the service has been provided, we cannot offer refunds or credits.  This policy helps us run a reliable, fair, and professional service for all our clients. Thank you for understanding!

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📌 Walk Times

 

❓Can I Have a Set Time for Walks?   We completely understand that timing is important to many owners, so we want to be upfront and transparent.

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Our walks are organised into three set time slots:

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• 9:00am – 12:00pm

• 11:00am – 2:00pm

• 1:00pm – 4:00pm

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Puppies Under 6 months have slightly shorter slots as they have smaller bladders.  Once they get to six months, they go into the above time slots.

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• 9:00am – 11:00am

• 10:30am – 12:30pm

• 12:00pm – 2:00pm

•   1.30pm - 3.30pm​

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Your dog’s walk will take place within your allocated slot. However, collection and drop-off times may vary slightly, depending on the route and the dogs scheduled that day.

We do not group dogs together simply because they live nearby. Instead, we carefully match dogs based on temperament and play style to ensure everyone has a safe, fun, and fulfilling walk. This means we often travel further than the average dog walker, and as a result, we’re sometimes affected by traffic, roadworks, or unexpected delays—all part of navigating the real world.  We can not guarantee what dogs your dog will be walked with as every day is different.  We do offer a more tailored service for dogs with more complex needs, please enquire about our DD Program or our solo dog walks, which are generally not available at peak peak group walk times between 10.30am and 2pm.

 

If you require a precise, to-the-minute collection time, we may not be the best fit. Many new dog walkers may promise exact times, but from experience, that often changes as their client list grows.

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We’ve been proudly walking dogs since 2007 and believe in being realistic and honest from the start. That way, you always know what to expect.

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