What About...?
You've got questions.
We've got answers.
By default, all dogs on Pupventures will be leashed or put on a 20' long line. If you would prefer that your dog be allowed off-leash, they must have excellent recall and a vibration collar must be provided to be used as a Hail Mary in the event of a wildlife encounter.
Pupventures are not "pack walks." There will never be more than four dogs on any given Pupventure, and the groups are carefully curated with temperament, training, and ability levels in mind.
Each Pupventure is different! If there's a dog that yours would get along well with, our default is that we'll pick both pups up and head to the closest trailhead for some good hiking, but we've also had owners request dog park visits so their dog can run off-leash in a contained environment. All dog park visits are actively chaperoned - we are not on our phones during these sessions, and are engaging the dogs in play and monitoring other dogs the entire time.
Wherever we go, we'll send detailed Pupdates in a report card at the end of each adventure!
Pupventures
The short answer? Whatever you need us to!
The long answer? All Drop-Ins are customized to your household needs. We can spend the majority of the time playing fetch in the backyard, we can take a walk down Main Street, or we can do a quick potty walk and then feed dinner. Plants can be watered, litterboxes can be cleaned, or fish can be fed.We love 'em! Unfortunately, due to allergies, we cannot offer overnight sits for kitty households, but we can absolutely hang out for up to an hour and pspspsp our way into your cat's favor. We believe in enrichment for kitties, too, so we hope they like paper bags!
Walks & Drop-Ins
That's a great question! DDOS has moved to standardize arrival & departure times from residences, similar to how checking into and out of your favorite hotel works. However, we offer flexible arrival and departure packages for clients in our Full Service Areas.
On the day you leave for your trip, a Standard Arrival will have DDOS showing up between 3 & 5 PM to move in and get settled with your pups. If you need to leave fairly early in the morning, you can choose an Early Arrival and DDOS will arrive between 7 & 9 AM for a 30-min Drop-In to feed breakfast, go for a walk, etc. and then will come back between 3 & 5 PM. If you will not start traveling until later in the day, DDOS offers a Late Arrival and will have DDOS arriving between 6 & 8 PM.
On the day you're set to return, a Standard Departure will have DDOS feeding breakfast and going for a short morning walk, then spending some time doing some light cleaning in preparation for your arrival and departing between 8 & 10 AM. If a Late Departure is chosen, your dogs will have breakfast and a morning walk to stretch their legs. DDOS will then spend the middle of the day walking other pups around the county and return for a 30-min Drop-In between 3 & 5 PM.
Currently, these packages are only offered to clients in Dillon, Frisco, and Silverthorne because of the amount of drive time required for a 30-min visit. If clients in our Limited Service areas need more care than the standard arrival/departure times allow for, it is suggested that a separate 60-min Drop-In be scheduled on the bookend days of your trip.
While Dog Days of Summit does not provide 24/7 care, with Full-Service vacation care, we will move into your home on the first day and then treat your pups as part of the pack : we will have coffee with them in the morning, walk them in the middle of the day, and then spend some quality time on the couch each night. However, we do require that dogs can be left alone for 6 - 8 hours so that we can take care of our other dog walking clients in the middle of the day, go to the grocery store, etc.
You can read more about our Full-Service vacation care here, but it's guaranteed that your pets will be pampered and your home will be respected while you're away! Your pups will get an hour of exercise each full day (unless there are physical limitations, in which case we can substitute time with brushing, hanging out in the sunshine, etc.), light cleaning is included on the last day in preparation for your return, and you will get daily video + photo Pupdates.
Sitting
It's easy! Our process is outlined here, but the gist is that we ask that you fill out our New Client Intake Form as a virtual Meet & Greet. Once we've reviewed that, we will reach out via phone or email if we have any questions, and then we will send you a link to schedule a Meet & Greet at a time that works best for you. Once the Meet & Greet is scheduled, we will drop by to learn more about you, your pets, and any household intricacies (keypad codes, where food is kept, where cameras are, etc.). After a M&G, you are welcome to use Time to Pet to request any services that are offered in your area!
DDOS does not have any breed restrictions in place : we will work with 9 lb. Dachshunds or 150 lb. Danes.
However, we do have a few guidelines for dogs that we are not well-suited to care for. These dogs include:
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Dogs with severe separation anxieties that cannot be left alone for up to 6 hours.
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Dogs with limited leash manners (excessive pulling or lunging).
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Dogs with a history of aggression, whether towards human or animal. (We can potentially work with reactivity.)
When filling out intake paperwork, please be completely transparent with details about your pup. This is not only for the safety and well-being of your dog, but the sitters as well. If we cannot help you, we would be happy to assist you in finding care with another trusted local source.
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For Walks & Drop-In services, there is an additional +$5/pet charge.
For Pupventures, there is an additional +$20/dog charge.
Full-Service vacation care and Almost Overnights include up to three pets. Fish are free, and if multiple pets (ie, hamsters, birds, etc.) are contained in one cage, they are counted as one. After three, each additional pet is +$20/day.Currently, Dog Days of Summit is a one-woman operation with the intention of bringing on a small, well-trained team at some point in 2024. At that point, walkers may change, but the DDOS standards will not. Every team member who is onboarded will go through a training program that will include K9 first aid/CPR, breed traits, etc.
Dog Days of Summit uses a platform called Time to Pet. Through TTP, clients may request services, view and settle invoices, and see their daily report cards. Simply log in and click "Request New Service." Illustrated, step-by-step guides for how to request each service are located in the client portal.
Requests must be made prior to 5 PM the day before the service is to start. Requests made after 5 PM cannot be guaranteed. Requests must be processed through Time to Pet - no requests will be accepted through text message, email, etc.
Please note that DDOS is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so no Pupventures or Drop-In services will be available those days. Full-service pet sitting is offered 365 days a year, pending availability.
Because pet sitting is in such high demand in Summit County, a non-refundable 50% deposit is required upon invoicing before vacation care requests will be considered confirmed. If you need to cancel a reservation, this deposit may be kept on file and transferred to another service to be used within a year. If a visit is canceled within 5 days of the start of a sit, the deposit will be forfeited. However, we are happy to provide any requested documentation to your travel insurance.
Pupventures & Drop-Ins must be canceled no later than 5 PM the day before; otherwise, a 50% cancelation fee will be charged. If the cancelation is related to weather, no fee will be charged if any of the following are closed: Vail Pass, the Eisenhower Tunnel, or Summit County schools.
All cancelation requests must be processed through the Time to Pet software by the client. A request to cancel through a text message will not be considered valid.
Clients in Dillon, Frisco, & Silverthorne are eligible to any service DDOS offers. However, due to the amount of drive time required to reach Blue River, etc., 30-min services are not available in those areas. Clients needing care in Limited Service Areas have the option to request 60-min Drop-Ins, 90-min Pupventures, and Standard Arrival & Departure times for pet sitting.
If additional care is needed for pups in our Limited Service Areas on bookend travel days, it is suggested that a separate 60-min Drop-In or Pupventure is requested.
To see a detailed map of our service areas, please click here.