Home Watch policies have been created to provide maximum safety and information for all clients and their animals. We do this here so that you can rest easy and we can get down to the business of your dog(s) and animals having a fun walk or home stay!
Human Policy
Our ‘qualifications’ are listed on our ‘About Us’ page so this section is more about how we operate.
Dog walking should be simple and painless service. We typically perform walks in the mornings when it is coolest and dogs are freshest. This will also go some way to tiring them out for the rest of the day, meaning a happy start and less issues at home.
If we need to gain access to your property (locked side gate or main house) we will need a key. This can be kept by us if you choose until you no longer require our services. We will keep any client’s keys in a secure area only to be accessed by staff of Home Watch.
To ensure that we have all the required information about your pet (both for general walk and in case of emergency), we create a pet profile (health, diet and treat preferences etc) of your pet and all contacts such as yourself and preferred vets etc. Before we walk any pets, we co-sign the profile form that safe guards all parties.
Dog Policy
Your dog’s health, fun and safety are paramount to us. That is why:
- We always have a mobile phone for emergencies.
• We prefer walking dogs on lead. We will find out during our consultation process whether this is your preference and how well your dog responds to recall and other commands.
• If dogs must be walked on lead because of health/ socialization/ age issues we will do so using your own collar/ lead that is in good repair.
• For your dog’s safety and the safety of others, we will not walk dogs that are listed on the dangerous or restricted list, unless they are not aggressive, on lead, and cannot conflict with other dogs.
• Dog identification tags, with phone numbers, must be on all dog collars.
• Dogs will not be left unattended in cars or with anyone not authorized to care for your dogs.
Dog Conditions
- Our standard walk kit includes: phone, waste bags, treats, water (where we walk includes fresh water)
• During transportyour dogs will be safely secured by a harness. We request that you provide your dog’s leash in good repair so that it fits well and they are used to the product.
• Basic positive reinforcement (as opposed to negative punishment techniques) will be used. If you have any special positive techniques that work with your dog, please let us know.
• All weather walking. While people may not like inclement weather, most dogs are a little more primal than their owners and just want to have a daily walk. If you or your dog dislikes rain, then let us know in their profile.
• We do not walk dogs in extreme heat or thunderstorms. Since we mainly walk dogs in the morning only active extreme thunder conditions are likely to stop a walk, and we will contact you to reschedule.
• We do not cancel walks on cold days, unless you have previously stated a minimum temperature that they are to be walked on their profile. We encourage owners of dogs susceptible to cold to be provided with a warm coat on these days.
• The dogs in our care are our primary commitment. We will endeavour to make their experience as fun and enjoyable as a dog can have!
If you have any question about our policy, please contact us.