About

GETTING STARTED WITH DOG ADVENTURES

Evaluations and Meet-and-Greets

All potential Adventure, Day Camp, Boarding, and Board and Train clients will have a 30-Minute Evaluation with the trainer who is available to start up services with their dog. This service is provided free-of-charge. There is no obligation to book with Dog Adventures Northwest LLC at or after the Evaluation. All Pet Sitting clients will have a 30-Minute Meet-and-Greet with the pet sitter who is available to start up services with their dog. This service is provided free-of-charge. There is no obligation to book with Dog Adventures Northwest LLC at or after the Meet-and-Greet.

Puppies

Puppies may begin Adventures at six months of age. Before this time, puppies are welcome (and encouraged!) to work with Dog Adventures Northwest through Private Training.

Animal Aggression

Dog Adventures Northwest LLC does not offer Adventure services to aggressive or highly reactive animals, though we are happy to consider aggressive or reactive dogs as a part of our Private Training service. As a Dog Adventures Northwest client, you agree to honestly represent your dog’s history, and disclose any history of biting and/or threatening behavior to a person or animal. You are responsible for all costs (including, but not limited to, medical care, legal fees, etc) if your dog bites a person or another animal while they are in our care. You are also responsible for contacting Dog Adventures Northwest if you notice any significant behavioral changes in your animal, and Dog Adventures Northwest agrees to do the same. Dog Adventures Northwest LLC is unable to accept dogs that have a bite history resulting in medical intervention, either with another dog or a person.

Vaccinations

We require that all dogs have had their core puppy vaccines (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, and Rabies), and that they either receive boosters or titers, at the recommendation of their vet. Dogs who are adventuring with us additionally need to be on preventative flea and tick treatment. Though the Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Canine Influenza vaccines are not required, it is highly recommended that all adventuring dogs receive these vaccines. To start services with Dog Adventures Northwest, please forward a digital copy of your dog’s vaccination records to woof@dogadventuresnw.com.

Health

Please be sure to inform us of any health condition your dog may have, including food allergies. Note that brachycephalic dogs, puppies, and geriatric dogs, and those with laryngeal paralysis or Addison's disease may require additional precautions and closer attention.

Dog Adventures Northwest LLC cannot provide service to any pet that has any form of contagious illness. For the safety of our trainers and the other dogs in our care, please let us know if you need to suspend service due to animal illness.

Equipment

Clients are responsible for supplying a flat collar with identification, a harness, a leash, and any necessary medication. Dog Adventures Northwest will supply every off-leash dog a Garmin Astro 430 satellite GPS tracker while on adventures and will charge a one-time equipment maintenance fee of $50 for this service. Dog Adventures Northwest LLC will not employ the use of any aversive equipment, such as choke chains, pinch collars, tightly fit Martingale collars, or e-collars. If you use these items, please supply alternate items when your dog is spending time with us. Please note that Dog Adventures Northwest LLC is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged leads, collars, tags, clothing or any other item left with their dog.

Intact Males/Females

Intact males and females are welcome to join our services, provided they are deemed safe by Dog Adventures Northwest LLC, and that their intactness does not interfere with another dog's adventure experience. Excessive mounting, indoor marking, aggression, and bullying are not allowed, nor are females that are in heat or carrying puppies.

COMMUNICATION

Time to Pet Portal

Dog Adventures Northwest LLC uses an online management software for scheduling, invoicing, payments, measuring satisfaction, and tracking specifics as to your dog’s care. Once your account has been activated, please fully complete the “Client Details” and “Pet Details” sections of your profile. This information is integral to the care of your pet, so please do take the time to thoughtfully fill in all fields. Additionally, you will be asked to sign the Dog Adventures Northwest LLC Terms and Conditions and liability waiver when you log in for the first time. Services cannot begin until you have agreed to the Dog Adventures Northwest LLC Terms and Conditions and signed the liability waiver.

Time to Pet Communication

Please communicate with us in the way that is most convenient for you. In order to keep everyone in the loop, however, we will update your Time to Pet conversation feed and/or Time to Pet profiles with any important info. This allows us to have all communication in one place. The information contained in Time to Pet can be viewed by all Dog Adventures Northwest trainers who care for your dog, so this is the easiest way to make sure we have all of the relevant info on-hand.

Report Cards

At the end of every service, you will receive a report card of your dog's time with us, including a brief write-up and photographs.

SCHEDULING

General Scheduling

Our trainers are all independent contractors, and therefore make their own schedules. If you find that your scheduling needs do not meet the trainer’s availability, please let us know, and we will do our best to reassign you to a different trainer. Dog Adventures Northwest LLC books services 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

Pick-Up and Drop-Off Windows

All of our services provide pick-up and drop-off at your home or office, with the exception of our Day Camp service and our Boarding services. Due to the unpredictability of traffic and the pick-ups and drop-offs of your dog’s Adventure buddies, we cannot guarantee arrival at your home at an exact time. The times listed as pick-up and drop-off times are approximate. If a trainer is going to arrive more than an hour after the approximate pick-up time, they will communicate via phone call or text.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation fees for Adventures and Day Camp are as follows:

Cancellation fees for Private Training are as follows:

Deposit and cancellation information for Pet Sitting, Adventure Boarding, and Adventure Board and Train is as follows:

Our cancellation fees are not at all meant to be punitive; life gets in the way sometimes and we totally get that! The fees instead only serve to cover the trainer's missed earnings. If we have enough notice of a cancellation, we can make sure our trainers' schedules stay full. In the event of a late cancellation, however, we don't have time to fill that spot, and our trainers — who all work on commission — are not able to make up those funds. Thank you in advance for your understanding!

Inclement Weather

If there is snow falling or snow/ice on the roads, we may need to cancel. It is up to each individual trainer as to what feels safe to them, and whether to offer services when the roads may be dicey. If your trainer does not feel safe venturing out, but you would still like service, we will do everything we can to find a substitute. If your property is likely to be impassable in the event of snow or ice, please keep us in the loop when it comes to driving conditions in your area on the day of your pup's Adventure.

In the event of severe weather after an Adventure has begun, the service schedule may be changed, interrupted, altered, or cancelled at our discretion. In the unlikely event that your home is no longer reachable due to extreme weather mid-Adventure, your trainer will work with you and the Dog Adventures Northwest Manager to develop a plan.

Substitutes

Trainers occasionally need to take time away due to sickness or scheduled vacations. Trainers will give clients as much notice as possible for these times. When a trainer cancels, clients can either choose to cancel service or request a substitute. Clients may also request a free meet-and-greet with the substitute trainer if schedules allow.

Reminders

If you have services scheduled for any given week, you will receive an emailed reminder on the Thursday before the week of service.

PAYMENTS

Credit Card Storage

Time To Pet is fully PCI Compliant (for validation: https://www.timetopet.com/pci). Time To Pet never stores credit card information on its servers; instead, all credit card information is stored via the integrated payment processor's secure storage, and only the last four digits of a client’s card and the card’s expiration date are viewable to us. All of Time to Pet's integrated payment processors are also fully PCI compliant. Dog Adventures Northwest LLC uses Stripe as a payment processor, which is fully integrated into the Time to Pet system.

Regular and Recurring Services

Payment for all regular and recurring services is due on the first of every month for the upcoming month’s services, unless alternate arrangements have been made. Note that clients who book one or more recurring services per week will receive a 10% discount.

Irregularly Scheduled Services

Payments for irregularly scheduled services will be due on the date of service, unless alternate arrangements have been made. Upcoming invoices can be viewed at any time through the Time to Pet portal.

Overnight Services

For Pet Sitting, Adventure Boarding, and Adventure Board and Train reservations, 25% of the invoice is due upon receipt to hold the dates, and the balance is due the day before your trip.

Automatic Payments

Dog Adventures Northwest LLC will charge the card on file for services on behalf of all clients. If you do not wish for us to run your card, please let us know, and you can individually pay on every invoice. We can also arrange our automatic payment system to charge you on a different schedule. You can view all upcoming invoices at any time through the Time to Pet portal. Please note that automatic payments are opt-out only. Unless you specifically request to personally pay on every invoice, Dog Adventures Northwest LLC will process payment on your behalf.

Cancellations on Pre-Paid Services

If a cancellation on a prepaid service is not subject to the Cancellation Policy (under "Scheduling"), clients will see a credit on their next invoice for the price of the cancelled service. If there is no upcoming invoice, clients can choose to receive a refund or hold the amount as credit on their account.

Delay in Payment

If a client opts-out of automatic billing and is more than two weeks past due on an invoice, Dog Adventures Northwest LLC reserves the right to suspend service until payment is received. For payments more than two months overdue, Dog Adventures Northwest LLC reserves the right to employ a collection company to collect payment and fees.

ANIMAL CARE

Ratio

Dog Adventures Northwest maintains a strict ratio of four dogs to one human. We will never have more dogs than we can safely and securely handle. All dogs in our care receive highly individualized attention.

Transportation

All Dog Adventures Northwest trainers who drive dogs as a part of service carry valid driver's licenses and insurance. Note that trainers transport dogs to and from Adventure locations safely, using tethers, grates, crates, and/or dog restraint systems.

Exercise

We keep our pups happily hiking and playing during their time with us. The amount of exercise your dog needs depends on his or her age, breed, and health. Please speak with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s ability to go adventuring. Exercise modifications can be made for senior dogs, or pups recovering from injury or illness. Note that no dog will be pushed to exercise if he or she shows any signs of fatigue, and that rest stops and water breaks are part of every Adventure.

Reliable Recall

If your dog does not come when called, you can book Private Training with us to train recall in a controlled setting before we venture into the wilds. If you are unsure of your dog’s recall, we can also schedule a one-on-one Trial Adventure with a trainer for further assessment. Our Adventure leaders are all dog trainers, and will be able to appropriately assess your pup’s tendencies, and also to teach your dog a reliable recall while out on the trail. Note that most dogs — while they may rove and ramble — have little desire to actually run away. Even so, for safety's sake, all dogs will be required to wear a Garmin satellite GPS tracker, provided by Dog Adventures Northwest.

Training

We teach and actively practice recall while out on the trail through positive reinforcement training. We additionally reinforce desirable dog behavior (sit, down, come, drop-it, leave-it, stay, etc.) and manage undesirable behavior (jumping up, resource guarding, leash reactivity, mouthiness, bullying, mounting, etc). We absolutely refrain from positive punishment and negative reinforcement operant conditioning, either through training or management tools.

Animal Temperament

It is essential that your dog is socialized to other dogs if you would like him or her to adventure with us. Your dog doesn’t have to be the life of the party, but aggression issues will not be accommodated. Dogs go out in groups of no more than four dogs to one trainer to ensure everyone has a good time and is kept safe. Dogs on a weekly schedule go out with the same group, and often become good friends with their other adventure buddies.

Clean Paws and Towel-Dried Coats

Your dog will likely get a bit dirty on his or her Adventure. No dog will be kept from getting dirty if that is in their heart’s desire. All dogs, however, will be returned with clean paws and a towel-dried coat. Dogs who love mud can also get hosed off outside of your home. (If this is your preference, please detail the location of your spigot and hose to your trainer, and be sure it is in proper working condition.) Please note that we do not offer dog bathing, though we are happy to drop off your pup at the groomer’s instead of your home.

Allergies

Please let us know if your dog has any allergies, and also list this information in your pet's profile. We can accommodate basic food allergies by using alternate treats. For more significant allergies, however, we may ask you to supply treats for your pup.

Medication

Dog Adventures Northwest LLC is happy to follow all provided instructions to administer medications but cannot be held responsible for complications that arise as a result.

Sickness

We will notify you if your animal vomits, has loose stool, has a notable change in behavior, or appears sick in any way. Please note that we cannot care for any animal that has any form of active contagious illness. If a Dog Adventures Northwest contractor is bitten or exposed to any disease or ailment received from client animals that have not been properly or currently vaccinated, you will be responsible for all costs and damages that may be incurred as a result.

RISKS

Dog Adventures Northwest mitigates risk by contracting with qualified trainers, keeping our human to dog ratios very low, only adventuring with safe dogs, and tracking all dogs with satellite GPS trackers. Even so, there is an element of risk in allowing your dog to hike with us, as nature is unpredictable. Because Dog Adventures Northwest is not financially liable for any injury your dog may sustain on the trail with us, clients are advised to insure their dog through Trupanion, Healthy Paws, Paws' Best or another highly-rated pet insurance company before adventuring begins. 

Injuries and Emergencies

Dog Adventures Northwest LLC takes every precaution to ensure your dog’s safety. Your dog will be kept on leash from your home to the car and from the car to the trailhead/park entrance. On our adventures, no dog is pushed beyond his or her physical comfort zone, and rest stops and water breaks are part of every adventure. All dog play is carefully monitored to avoid injury, but scratches, punctures, torn ligaments, or other injuries may occur despite the best supervision. Additionally, even though we are experienced in deescalation through the use of recall, retreat, diversion, and appropriate body language, adventuring presents risks, and your dog may get injured by an unknown dog we meet while out on the trail.

If your dog does get hurt while in our care, we will take them home, to your veterinarian, or to the closest emergency animal hospital, depending on the severity of the injury. We will contact you right away as well, and take your lead when it comes to your dog's care.

Though Dog Adventures Northwest is not financially responsible for any injury your dog may incur while adventuring, the risk of serious injury is quite low, and we will do everything in our power to prevent injuries of any kind. Please note that all of our trainers are up-to-date in animal first-aid, CPR, and rescue breathing, should the need arise.

Giardia

Giardia is a microscopic, contagious parasite common in the Pacific Northwest. It causes the gastrointestinal illness known as giardiasis, resulting in diarrhea and vomiting. Giardia cysts can live for many months in the water and soil, as long as it is relatively cool and wet. Cysts are acquired from fecal-contaminated water, food, objects, or self-grooming. While Giardia is common and very treatable with medication, it is highly contagious in dogs and no fun for anyone. Dogs exhibiting symptoms of Giardia will not be allowed to adventure with Dog Adventures Northwest LLC until they have received a clear fecal test from their vet and have been thoroughly bathed.

Fleas and Ticks

We are starting to see a rise of both fleas and ticks in the Pacific Northwest. Our adventure leaders will do a once-over at drop-off, but it is also good for pup parents to be on the lookout. Preventative flea and tick medication is required for adventuring with Dog Adventures Northwest, as well as for all Boarding reservations.

Salmon Poisoning

Salmon poisoning is caused by a bacteria/parasite combo that can infect wild fish found in coastal streams of the Pacific Northwest (primarily salmon and some kinds of trout and salamanders). While it is unlikely that a dog on an Adventure will take a bite of an infected fish, we take the possibility of salmon poisoning very seriously. In the event that a dog does ingest any part of a fish while out on an Adventure, we will secure all dogs away from the fish, take a photo for future identification, and hike in a different direction. We will then notify you to watch out for signs of infection (decreased appetite, lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhea), in which case you should take your animal to the vet for antibiotics and a dewormer. Fortunately, salmon poisoning has clear symptoms and is highly treatable with proper care.

Grass Awns

Grass awns are dry, barbed grass seeds that can get into a dog's skin, eyes, and ears. We've had foxtails in our area for a long time, but climate change has also brought about a proliferation of cheatgrasses, which can also cause infection. We check for grass awns at the end of every adventure, but it's good for our clients to be aware of awns as well. Please watch for signs of irritated skin (especially around paws), acute head shaking, sneezing, or gagging. If a vet visit seems to be in order, please keep us in the loop, and make sure to let your veterinarian know that your dog has been hiking in tall grasses. 

Dog Safety While in an Unattended Vehicle in Hot and Cold Weather

Our trainers will take the following precautions when leaving dogs in vehicles during pick-up and drop-offs on hot or cold days:

The above is the default practice. If a trainer does not have air conditioning or heat in their vehicle, they will make specific and alternate plans with both you and the Dog Adventures Northwest Manager. Modifications may include meeting the trainer at the door if you are home at pick-up and drop-off; ensuring that dogs who live in downtown apartment buildings are the first pick-up and the last drop-off; bringing the dogs who are already in the trainer's vehicle into your backyard while the trainer is picking up or dropping off your dog; heating/cooling pads; reflective window coverings; extended screened windows; fans; and remote temperature monitoring. Even with these modifications, no dog will be left in a vehicle alone for more than ten minutes.

Also note that every dog handles temperature differently. Miniature breeds such as Chihuahuas, Toy Poodles, and Yorkies and short-haired breeds such as Whippets, Greyhounds, MinPins, and Rat Terriers are more susceptible to cold weather. Brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, and Boxers and thick-coated breeds such as Malamutes, Chow Chows, and Bernese Mountain Dogs are more susceptible to hot weather. Please consult with your vet to determine best practices for your particular dog on extremely hot or cold days. Cancellation fees will be waived if you choose to cancel in the event of extreme temperatures. If you would prefer to not cancel, we may make alterations to your dog's adventure, such as shifting the adventure time earlier, changing the adventure location, carrying miniature breeds in our coats in the event of cold, or encouraging dogs to swim and lie in the shade in the event of heat.

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