Here Are Three Reasons Why

Therapeutic  Exercise

Have Leash, Will Travel is the dog walking service that will TRULY exercise your dog.  Naturally, we visit your pets to provide companionship, fun distraction & relief while you are away from home, but our primary goal is to supply them with the sustained, aerobic exercise that is vital to a dog’s overall well-being.  To be clear, there is nothing more important in an urban dog’s life than the dog walk.  A good walk from a skilled handler provides canine therapy that keeps dogs physically & mentally healthy, satisfying them like nothing else.  As you know, your dog wants to move, often quickly, so we provide them with an outlet for that primal urge.  Unless otherwise instructed, we will travel with your dog at a high pace, set by the dog but maintained by the handler over a healthy distance, usually around 1.5 miles per 30-minute visit.  Your handler is plenty fit & motivated enough to travel 8-12 miles every day, in all sorts of weather.

Expertise = Safety

Skillful & safe dog handling is not intuitive; it cannot be learned from a book. It’s achieved over time, through experience and attention to detail.  It’s about developing fine touch with the leash and acute sensitivity to the dog’s actions and energy.  It’s about communicating with dogs in their own language.  Our walker is an EXPERT dog handler, not only because he has walked his client’s dogs well over 10,000 times, but also because he is an obedience trainer with an ever-expanding knowledge of animal behavior & dog psychology.  He has learned how to be recognized and respected as pack leader by canines, filling the dogs with a sense of security, allowing them to relax & simply enjoy the journey.  Your dog will be calm & under control – and thus safe – in his hands.  In quite short order, all of the dogs he cares for walk voluntarily and cheerfully, in a calm manner, at his side.  You and your dog can trust him to make the right decision.

Dedication To Your Dog

Simply put, the health & behavior of the dogs we are responsible for IMPROVES under our care.  We pride ourselves on exceeding all expectations for at-home dog care.  We want balanced, fit, happy dogs and satisfied owners and will go the extra mile to assure it.  Not only will we routinely monitor your dog’s physical condition & behavior, informing you in writing if we notice anything you should be aware of, but we will work with you to improve your dog’s health and address specific training & behavioral issues, at no extra training charge.  With other lesser services, your dog may have many different handlers over time, with widely variable levels of skill & trustworthiness, but to provide the consistency & clarity dogs respond best to, your dog will only have one handler for the entire term of service, and he will not give group walks with dogs from different households.  Your dog will have the handler’s undivided attention and a walk tailored for him/her.

Walking Rates

Dog visits of 30 minutes and 60 minutes in duration are offered.  All prices listed below are for visits that take place during our normal walking hours, which are Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.  Evening, weekend, and holiday walks are often available as well, for additional charge, although we are not available on a consistent, ongoing basis for evening visits.  The dog walking service is available to most residents of southwestern Saint Paul (Highland Park, Mac-Grove, Merriam Park, Summit-Hill).  If you live in an adjacent neighborhood, feel free to email us; we may be able to make a special arrangement.

This service is available to dog owners who will commit to a minimum of two walking visits per week, every week for the duration of the service. (Open spots on our schedule are solely available to owners looking for dog care on a consistent, continuing basis.  If you seek temporary or occasional dog walks (such as only when you are on vacation or when you will be running late at work), you are not eligible for this walking service.)  Since all clients need several visits per week, visits are sold in packages of ten.  Walking packages are not refundable.  (If you are ever unsatisfied with one of our dog visits and let us know within two days of the visit in question, however, you do not pay for that visit.)  By using the walking service, all clients agree to comply with our cancellation policy.