Smart Walks

More than “just a walk,” Smart Walks involve a certified trainer working with your dog on maintaining skills you’re building, increasing confidence in shy or timid dogs, and helping reactive dogs get the mental exercise they need. Best of all, these walks are one-on-one - your dog doesn’t share the time with anyone else - they’re the absolute focus of the walk!

Who benefits from smart walks?

• People with busy schedules who need help getting their dog adequate exercise and mental stimulation from a certified professional

• People with leash-reactive dogs who are working through these behaviors with a trainer and would like some help making sure their training efforts are consistent even with a dog walker

• People who work from home with excited adolescent dogs who need more mental stimulation

• Dogs for whom doggy daycare is not an ideal environment, but whose people would like help meeting their exercise needs

• Dogs who like daycare but get too tired going every day, but who still need an outlet on those “off” days

• Dogs who are highly distracted when working outdoors

• New puppy pawrents whose pup can’t hold their bladder for a full work day

• We can also work on socialization to novel stimuli with puppies during these sessions!

• Dogs with separation anxiety whose people are actively working with a trainer to manage and treat behaviors, but who work longer hours than they’re able to leave their dog alone for

• Anyone who wants to add a bit more fun and training to their dog’s day! Your dog will thank you for it (with naps!)

Getting started

• Enrolling in the Smart Walks program includes a short meet & greet with the trainer so she can get to know you, your goals, and your pet. You’ll also fill out a history form before this meeting to give us adequate info about your pet’s preferences.

Rainy Day Plans

• If the weather prohibits a walk on the day yours is scheduled, there are still plenty of options for your dog to have fun! The benefit of hiring a trainer instead of a dog walker is that we can offer trick training, working on skills in the home, and playing fun games with your dog to help meet their needs on days when it’s too difficult to get outdoors. No more cabin fever!

• We always assess each dog’s comfort level in regards to cold and heat to determine if a full outdoor session is safe.

Accommodations for fearful pets, hyper-vigilant dogs, etc

• Does your dog prefer to stick closer to home? We love working to help timid pups build confidence in their neighborhoods, help hyper-vigilant dogs learn to settle in their surroundings, and more!

• We will always advocate for your dog’s needs!

Timeframe

• Our trainer will arrive midday to take your dog on a fun outing while you’re working. Arrival times will be between 10:30am and 2:30pm

• Scheduling will be within said window of time, days of the week may be chosen by client as long as the schedule allows

Duration

• Most clients choose either a 30 or 60 minute walk (see pricing below)

  • 90-120 minute walks can be arranged depending on our availability. Please inquire for pricing of longer walks.

• If you would like us to provide your dog with an extra 15-30 minutes of a mid-day break in addition to the walk to feed them lunch, set up an enrichment activity for when we leave, or give other pets in the home a potty break, please let us know and we can often provide this for an additional fee.

Frequency

• We can discuss this with you to find a frequency that works for you and your pet. We have clients who prefer every other week, once per week, or multiple times per week.

• Minimum of two Smart Walks per month must be completed to maintain enrollment in this program.

Location

• We come to you! No need to drop your dog off or pick them up!

• This service is offered within a 10 mile radius of Warner Park

  • New! If you’re just outside this range but located in Sun Prairie, we are offering Sun Prairie Smart Walks on Wednesdays!

  • Just outside the range in a different direction? Get in touch and we can see if you’re near other clients and if we can make a coordinated effort to provide this service.

Cost

• 30 Minutes: $40

• 60 Minutes: $60

• 50% additional fee for any additional pet (e.g. 2 dogs = $60 per 30 min visit if both dogs are involved)

What Smart Walks are not

• Smart Walks are not meant to be a singular solution for addressing leash reactivity, phobias, inter-dog conflict in the home, or aggression issues. While we have experience handling dogs of many temperaments, we recommend working with our qualified behavior consultant, Sarah, to help you actively work to address these concerns through our private training sessions.

• If your dog exhibits the above behaviors, Smart Walks may still be an option after a behavior modification plan is in place - please contact us to discuss