WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR BUSINESS NAME?

Molly named her business after Dakota, a husky mix who was her best friend and constant companion for almost seventeen years. Since Dakota was an extremely gentle and wise dog, the nickname Molly's friends gave her was “The Doggy Lama” after the spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Buddhism teaches mindfulness; similarly our pets help us to be in the present moment.

 

WHAT ARE YOUR SERVICE AREAS?

We take care of cats and dogs in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Alameda.

Do dogs have to be spayed or neutered to go on walks? Do you walk intact dogs?

Dogs must be spayed or neutered for group walks or boarding. We can walk dogs who are intact, (not spayed or neutered,) privately, and if they are puppies they can go into puppy play group. (Note: When our clients' dogs get spayed or neutered and need to miss services to recover, we will refund up to two weeks of services as a one-time courtesy. If the time needed to recover is longer than two weeks, clients must pay for the missed services as part of their package.)

What are the requirements for my dog to go on group adventure hikes?

For group hikes, all dogs must be spayed or neutered and current on rabies and distemper vaccinations. We recommend the combination vaccination for distemper (generally denoted by the letters DHLPP, DHPP or DA2PP,) which also protect against some other transmittable diseases. We also recommend but do not require the bordetella or CVK vaccination for coronavirus, an infectious upper respiratory infection similar to the common cold in humans. Dogs must also have a history of being polite and social around dogs and people. You must live in our service area and we must have a space available with an appropriate walker and group for your dog.

What is the timing for my dog to be picked up and dropped off for group walks?

In general, walkers pick up dogs for the day's first walk in the 9-11 window and drop off in the 11-1:30 window. Walkers pick up dogs for the second walk of the day in the 11-1:30 PM window and drop dogs off between 1:30-4. The windows overlap because walkers often pick up dogs for the second walk while they drop dogs off from the first. We try to keep to the approximate times clients are used to us picking up their dogs when there is a vacation scheduled or an emergency happens.

Do the dogs get dirty on walks?

Our walkers are happy to wipe your dog down with a pre-approved towel if needed, but if you have areas of your house you are concerned about getting dirty, please make arrangements with your walker in advance to keep them confined somewhere where a little dirt won’t hurt. Whether your dog gets dirty depends on several factors—where the walker takes the dogs, what the weather’s been recently, and whether your dog enjoys getting dirty. Most off-leash trails are dirt roads and therefore, prone to getting muddy on rainy days. Sometimes there are streams or ponds in the areas where we walk, and although we try to minimize muddy occasions, we can’t guarantee we can always keep playful pups out of puddles.

Do the dogs ever get fleas and ticks?

We advise our clients to keep their dogs current on flea and tick medication at all times. It is not uncommon for a flea or tick to be found on a dog that is currently protected but most often they will either die or jump off shortly after landing on the dog. We recommend a full-body application like Advantage or Frontline Plus or giving your dog Comfortis, which is an oral flea medication, rather than just a flea collar, which only protects the area around the head. Talk to your vet about which flea and tick treatment he or she recommends for your pet.

I am allergic to poison oak. Can I get my dog walked and somehow not get poison oak?

Although we cannot guarantee your dog will not "give" you poison oak sometime, we do have a trade secret that seems to work almost always with poison-oak-sensitive clients. We ask clients to provide a bottle with a diffuse spray that the client fills with 90% water and 10% rubbing alcohol. The bottle is left in an handy spot for the walker, who sprays down the dog (diffuse spray is really important--we will avoid dogs' eyes) and then towel off the dog with a towel the client provides. We can do this after each hike. We've checked in with our clients, and so far they tell us they don't think they've gotten poison oak with us using this method. (Spread the word--poison oak is awful!)

Will the same person always walk or visit my pet?

Generally, yes. We will assign a primary caretaker for your pet. If you have a dog who goes on regularly scheduled walks, one of our senior staffers who are floaters will cover for your walker when they are sick or on vacation.

How many keys do you need to provide services and how do you keep them safe?

For dogs that go on private walks and only have one walker or for kitty or drop-in visits, we need two sets of keys--one for the walker and one for the office in case of emergency. For dogs that go on group walks, we need a key for their main walker, a key for the floater/back-up walker and one for the office in case of emergency. The walkers have their own sets of keys and they keep their keys for the day with them at all times in a fanny pack when they are out and about--they don't bring leave them in the car at night, on the trail when they're hiking, or when they go into people's houses to get dogs. The spare keys are in a locked cabinet in Molly's carport, which is at her ranch on a hill behind a gate. The keys don't have any family name or address on them. They each have a clip, a strong ring, and a tag that says the dog's name and breed, e.g., "Moishe pug."

What if I move? Can I get my old keys back? How do I get you new keys?

If you are still located within our service area and would like to continue services, we can do a key exchange at the last walk at your old home or first walk at your new home. If you haven't had services in a while and need to get us new keys, we can schedule a key pickup for $32. For key returns, we mail clients' keys back in a padded envelope.

What is the policy on who’s financially responsible for a dog that gets injured during walks?

We have an excellent safety record and have policies and procedures to avoid accidents and scuffles. Having said that, while we do our best to ensure all our client dogs are already well-socialized with other dogs and people, dogs can be unpredictable at times, and accidents occasionally happen. As specified in the service contract, any injury sustained to your dog during an outing will be your financial responsibility.

What can I do to prepare my dog for off-leash adventure hikes if I usually keep my dog on leash?

Although we train our dog walkers with our excellent in-house trainers and outside positive-reinforcement dog trainers as part of our continuing education program, they are not doing official “dog training” on group walks. You can help your dog succeed in the pack and gain off-leash privileges more quickly by working with your dog to help strengthen good recall and basic commands. An easy way to train for recall is to reward your dog with a small, yummy treat, playtime with a toy, or your enthusiastic praise when they return at your command. Ask us if you'd like our recommendations for dog trainers and basic obedience classes.

How will you bill me for services?

We ask clients to set up automatic payments through the client portal on our website. We send out quotes around the first of the month for services in the previous month. Seeing quotes first enables clients to view their invoices and request any changes. We charge clients' credit cards on file about a week later.

What’s your cancellation policy?

If you are on a monthly package for dog services, all cancellations are included in that package (there are no credits given for cancellations). Clients should cancel walks via their client portal. If a canceled walk is less than 24 hours away, clients should email the office and text their walker as a back-up. We do not reschedule service days if there is less than 24 hours before the scheduled service. For services not on a package (as-needed services,) we require 24 hours notice or the client will pay for the service.

Are you closed on any major holidays? What if I need services on a holiday? 

Doggy Lama does not provide regular services on these holidays, unless services are specifically arranged: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Services on those days cost $35 more than the usual price for dog walking or drop-in visits and boarding. For those on a monthly package, these holidays are included in your monthly package and are not refunded. We are also closed the week between Christmas Day and New Years Day. If you have regularly scheduled walks during that week, we will adjust your package so you will be credited for those days. Services on those days cost $20 more than the usual price.

Will I always get a photo of my pet when you take care of him or her?

No. When possible, our staff send pictures directly to clients of their pets, but it is company policy that the priority of walkers and pet sitters is pet safety, followed by pets' exercise and enrichment. This is especially true for group walkers. When possible, a senior staff member goes out with walkers to take photos and send them to clients. We occasionally post pictures to our Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Where will my dog go on group walks?

Some of our favorite hiking spots are Redwood Regional Park, Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Leona Canyon, Claremont Canyon, and Strawberry Canyon. Occasionally we go to the Albany Bulb, Pt. Isabel, or the Bridgeview Trail. We decide which trail to go to depending on trail, traffic, and weather conditions, driving time, and on group size and fitness level.

Where will my dog go on private walks?

All regular private neighborhood walks will occur in your neighborhood. If you would like for us to drive your dog to a trail or cemetary for a more rugged or quiet experience, check out our private trail hikes. Some of our favorite spots for private trail walks are Oakland's Mountain View Cemetery, local marinas, and the trails mentioned above in the group walk question.

What are your favorite things you've seen in nature while walking dogs?

Molly says: red foxes with fluffy red tails, spider webs with backlit dew drops stretched across the trail, ring-necked garter snakes, a rainbow trout in a pool that made it through a dry summer, awkward teenagers who looked like they were having a first kiss, lady bug "herds" that may have numbered in the thousands, and dozens of raptors, including a couple owls.

What's the oddest thing you've ever seen while walking dogs?

Well, we have shared the trails with a man who has a border collie who's been trained to walk his miniature donkey! Then there's the fellow in Montclair who walks his herd of goats through the streets. We also sometimes run into a "gaggle" of mountain bikers who happen to ride unicycles! What's your oddest thing you have ever seen? We want to know!

Do you offer dog boarding?

Yes, but it is a very small part of our business, so please know that we accept very few dogs. To support a calm, healthy environment, we accept only spayed and neutered adult to senior dogs that are housetrained and current on their shots. We do not currently board puppies. Dogs must be social or uninterested in other dogs. Boarding dogs go on a minimum of a one-hour walk or trail hike during the day, although senior or disabled boarding dogs may instead get walks in the neighborhood on leash. We do not leave dogs in the backyard or garage unattended. Our guests stay in our homes with us and have supervised yard time. We promise we will only use positive reinforcement to motivate our dog clients--we won’t put a shock collar or choke chain on a dog or use harsh "corrections." Controlling with fear is not the way to treat anyone, especially the animals in our care. The boarding rate is $90 per day per dog. For dogs that may have special needs, we may add on $5 per day for extra clean-up time, etc. We always do a trial night in advance of a boarding so that we can be sure that the dogs will feel comfortable staying with us. The cost of the trial is the same as a night of boarding. There is an additional $35 charge per day on these holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. Drop-off and pick-up times must be confirmed with the boarder. Boarding day rates are based on calendar days, (not 24-hour periods,) so the client will pay for a boarding day regardless of what time the dog gets dropped off. If the client picks up their dog before 10 AM, we do not charge for boarding that day. If a dog is picked up after 10 AM, we do. (So, an evening to evening boarding stay will be two days of boarding.) Early-morning and late-evening drop-offs and pick-ups may be arranged with the boarder, but may be subject to an additional charge of $20. If you're interested in boarding with us, please fill out step #1 on our website and we will respond within a couple business days to let you know if we think we can board your dog.

I want to work for you as a dog walker. What do I do?

We'd love to talk to you about that possibility. Please check out our careers page for more information. We give priority to folks who have experience or education with positive-reinforcement (R+) training methods. You must have a clean driving record and pass a criminal background check. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity. We love diversity!