Frequently Asked Questions
The questions West Auckland dog owners ask us most, answered honestly. If your question is not here, send it through: real questions from real owners are how this page keeps growing.
Booking and getting started
How do I book a dog walk?
It starts with a free 30-minute meet and greet in your home, where we meet your dog, learn their routine and answer your questions. After that, weekly walks are arranged around your schedule. Book your meet and greet here, or see how the whole process works step by step.
Is the meet and greet really free?
Yes, completely free with no commitment. It is half an hour in your home, and it is where the match happens: we learn your dog’s temperament, triggers and play style, and you get to ask everything before deciding.
Do I need to be home for pick up and drop off?
No. Pick up and drop off windows are arranged at your meet and greet, so your dog can be collected while you are out. Gate or door access is agreed in advance, and your dog is returned home settled, washed and towel dried.
Which areas do you cover for pick up?
We collect from Oratia, Titirangi, Green Bay, Laingholm, Waima, Woodlands Park, New Lynn, Glen Eden, Sunnyvale, Henderson Valley and Henderson, plus Central West Auckland. If you are just outside those areas, ask us; we can often work something out.
Walks and packs
How long is a walk?
Every outing is a two-hour adventure, with pick up, drop off and a wash and towel dry included. That is roughly ten times the outdoor time of a standard half-hour pavement walk, which is why our dogs come home genuinely settled.
Where do the walks actually happen?
On a 40-acre property in Oratia in the Waitakere foothills: open fields, native bush tracks and fresh streams. It is a familiar, predictable playground for the packs, and walks follow Auckland Council dog access rules at all times.
Will my dog be off leash?
Some of the time, where it is safe, legal and earned. On-lead and off-lead time is matched to your individual dog: recall and manners come first, freedom follows. We are honest about this at the meet and greet rather than promising every dog runs free from day one.
How many dogs walk together in a pack?
Packs are kept small and matched by temperament and energy, so bouncy dogs walk with bouncy dogs and calm dogs with calm ones. New dogs are introduced gradually: watching first, then a short introduction with the calmest compatible dog, then pack time at a pace they cope with. Read how our group walks work.
Practicalities
What does dog walking cost?
The Adventure Excursion is $50 per dog, all-inclusive: two hours, door-to-door pick up and drop off, and a wash and towel dry. The Twice the Love walk is $55 plus $20 for each additional sibling from the same home. The 30-minute meet and greet is free. Full details are on our prices page.
Are you insured and certified?
Yes. The team is insured and certified, including animal first aid training, with clear emergency plans agreed before your dog’s first walk. Janet and Ethan are certified through Rhonda Bilodeau’s My Dog Camp programme, grounded in Mark McCabe’s TBTE (Training Between the Ears) system.
What if my dog is nervous around other dogs?
Nervous dogs do well here because introductions are structured, never rushed: distance first, then one calm compatible greeter, then gradual pack time in a quiet group. Some dogs are better suited to our dog socialisation walks, which are built exactly for this. You will get an honest assessment at the meet and greet.
What training do your handlers have?
Janet and Ethan are certified through Rhonda Bilodeau’s My Dog Camp programme, grounded in Mark McCabe’s TBTE (Training Between the Ears) system: an approach that builds calm, confident, well-socialised dogs through communication rather than correction. It shapes everything from how packs are matched to how new dogs are introduced.
Still deciding?
The free meet and greet is the easiest way to get every question answered in person, with your dog in the room.
More reading: why dogs and their humans choose Hipster Dogs and how it all works.