We currently visit Research, Eltham North, Eltham, Montmorency, Briar Hill, Lower Plenty, Greensborough and Viewbank.

Absolutely! We’re experienced with invoicing requirements for NDIS participants and are happy to handle dogs, drive pets to the vet and grooming appointments, help you pick up pet supplies and anything else you may need support with. Please get in touch if it’s something you’d like to chat about in more detail.

There are a lot of great pet care services out there already, we even use some of them ourselves! Walks With Dogs exists as there’s a niche for a dog walking service that has a greater focus on reinforcing training and behaviour. We also have very clear policies on everything from leads to weather, dog parks and training so it makes it a lot easier to know what to expect from our services when there are so many other options our there in the pet services world.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t take on dogs who are already well trained and socialised and who just need to stretch their legs and get some fresh air. It just means that we’ll also happily walk the more challenging pups out there who may not be easily catered for by other businesses.

Walks are always one-on-one unless otherwise arranged or a household has more than one dog. The reason for this is simple; it’s just a lot easier to achieve what we want that way! Group/pack walks are great social fun for a lot of dogs, but Walks With Dogs has a focus on training, behaviour and structured socialising which would be very difficult to achieve with a large group of dogs.

That said, sometimes two compatible dogs are combined for a walk. This is great for dogs who either don’t spend much time with others throughout the week, or those who would benefit from learning to be calm around other dogs. This is only ever done after we’ve gotten to know the dogs well and have cleared it with all relevant owners.

Possibly! As a rule, the most dogs we’ll walk from one household at once is two, but we may be able to accommodate more depending on the dogs. Get in touch and we can have a chat.

By default only positive/force free training methods are used, which involves rewards based reinforcement (treats, toys, etc) to guide dogs towards desired outcomes. That said, our walkers have experience with a variety of walking/training equipment, so we’re happy to work with whatever is working best for your dog.

Pets are never walked or visited without an initial meeting with owners to discuss what you and they require so training methods/ideas/equipment are discussed in more detail then.

The simple answer is yes, absolutely!

The longer answer is yes, but we’ll have a conversation about training, equipment and safety because we have to ensure that dogs, walkers and the general public are safe. If we feel that there’s an unavoidable/unacceptable risk, the less simple answer is no. That said, with the correct methods and equipment it shouldn’t be a problem. We’re pro-muzzle too, so if your dog happily wears one that’s great!

All we ask of owners is to be honest about their dog’s…quirks. It’s probably not going to be an issue, we just want to know in advance what kind of precautions need to be taken and what triggers to be aware of.

Our policy is also to always advocate for your dog, so we’ll do everything we can to avoid putting them in positions that would make them uncomfortable and/or trigger reactive behaviour. Even if that means being a bit hostile to Joe Public who says their little fluffy loves other dogs/kid is always gentle/all dogs love me and just wants to say hi. No Joe, just no.

Nope! Any breed, any size.

This varies, but is usually around the area local to their house. That doesn’t mean we’ll always do the same walk around the block, rather it’ll be mixed up different routes and if possible a variety of environments. If they’re happy in the car and time permits we can also drive somewhere nice for their walk and even train trips are a possibility if your dog seems up for it.

We’re big fans of local shops for the socialising opportunities they present, as well as Bunnings, pet shops and parks. Being based in the Eltham area means there’s no shortage of these kinds of spaces.

In a nutshell: if your dog’s happy then that’s all that matters.

So for example while we’ll walk in the rain, if your dog’s not a fan we won’t make them and will look into an alternative for their booking (see below information about heat contingencies). Whether that’s playing games indoors or taking them to the local shops where it’s more sheltered, we’ll find a way to keep them dry. If they do love the rain we’ll make sure they’re given a thorough towel down before they come inside and lie on your bed.

And then there’s the heat – we have hot day (over 26 degrees) contingency plans which include changing the walk time to a cooler part of the day, taking them somewhere cooler and/or indoors (like Bunnings or a pet shop), staying home to play games or cancelling the walk altogether. Water is also carried on all walks during warm months.

Weather complications will always be discussed with you when they come up so a solution can be arrived at that keeps your pup happy and safe.

Along with the heat, the warmer months of course involve our non-legged friends. We operate in areas where there is a lot of snake habitat, so out of respect for them as well as an abundance of caution for our doggy clients we avoid these areas during the months that snakes are active in (roughly October to March, but this varies). This means that we go on more urban walks and stick to mown grassy areas instead of going for bushy rambles.

It’s always appreciated if owners supply their own poo bags, but we carry plenty of them as well. Same goes for treats.

We use a variety of different treats for training purposes, but always choose high quality brands. This includes brands such as Ziwi Peak, Black Dog, Savour Lives and Prime 100, and they’re usually chicken, beef or lamb based. If you want to supply your own treats for us to use that’s absolutely fine.

All dog walks are performed onlead by default, but offlead walks can be discussed if both Walks With Dogs and owners feel that it’s appropriate. We also will not take dogs to designated dog offlead parks unless previously discussed. While offlead dog parks can be a nice outing for some dogs, they are also rife with issues such as poor social behaviour from other dogs, inattentive owners and even the potential to be attacked. So dogs under our care are only taken to dog parks if it’s appropriate and discussed in advance.

Unfenced offlead areas are also something that are only visited if it’s been determined that a dog has adequate recall and of course dogs are not allowed offlead unless it’s a designated dog offlead area.

We’re strict about this because the safety of our doggy clients is our number one priority, this includes both their physical and psychological safety!

To prevent transmission of disease, we use F10SC Veterinary Disinfectant on all of our equipment (including shoes) in between households and also carry F10 wipes.

Unfortunately, yes, we’d need to charge more but we’re happy to come by and give you a free quote.

It depends on where you live – we visit Montmorency on Monday, Eltham on Wednesday, Briar Hill on Thursday and Eltham North on Friday. If this doesn’t suit your schedule we’re usually flexible so can likely accommodate what you need.

This includes (but is not limited to): Eltham, Eltham North, Research, Wattle Glen, Hurstbridge, Panton Hill, Briar Hill, Montmorency, Greensborough and Lower Plenty. If you live in a suburb that’s not on this list we may still be able to accommodate you, so please get in touch.

If you’re working and can’t get your pet to an appointment we’ve able to transport them to their appointment and back again, contact us for further information about rates and availability.

Any of them! Most of the pets we visit are dogs and cats, but we also see fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, stick insects and a turtle. If you can write care instructions for your pet then we can probably look after them.

We’ll absolutely do everything we can do keep your kitty friends happy! It’s very common to look after cats and be told that there’s this one thing that has to be done just right or they won’t eat/use the kitty litter/drink water/etc. It’s no problem, even if it seems a bit weird (that’s cats for you).

Look, we get it, cats really do make it feel like they’ll be difficult to care for. But that’s part of the job and they’re never as bad as owners fear it will be. It’s ok to be honest about some of their more challenging habits so we know what to expect, and if you leave out the cleaning equipment/products you usually use then we’ll take care of it.

Maybe move the house plants out of reach.

Oral medications are all a-ok. We’re happy to give cats, dogs and any other animals medication as required. If they’re on a special diet let us know and we’ll make sure they aren’t given anything they shouldn’t be.

We can also administer injections for diabetes management in cats.

Absolutely! Get in touch to chat about what you need.

As pet owners ourselves we know it can feel like a huge leap of faith to have someone care for them while we’re not around. We have current police checks and are always happy to provide references, photo ID, and anything else you need to feel comfortable. We also always come by in advance to meet you and your pets.

For every booking you’ll receive an update via SMS or Whatsapp, including photos and information about how your pet is faring. The last thing anyone needs is to worry about their pets when they’re away (whether that’s just at work or on holiday) so we’re very particular about reliability and communication.

We do not post photos of your pets on social media or anywhere else online unless you’ve given us permission to do so. If indoor photos are shared (only really relevant to indoor pets), we’ll crop out personal objects like photographs and artwork.