Questions Pet Parents Ask
How the Care (and the Memberships) Fit Your Life
| Because what we offer looks a little different from a typical dog walking service.
Most services focus on completing the visit — the walk happens, a photo gets sent, and everyone moves on with their day. It’s a start… Outside Feet focuses on what’s happening with your dog over time. We notice when their energy shifts, when their appetite changes, and when their walk pace suddenly slows down or they start ignoring the toy they usually love. Those small details are often where important things start. So the membership is paying for someone who’s paying attention. If you’re simply looking for the lowest price, we’re probably not the right fit. But if you want thoughtful care for a family member who can’t exactly text you how they’re feeling, we should talk. |
Absolutely! Dogs change, schedules update, and life sometimes gets… complicated.
Some pet parents start with a wellness walk and move into a wellness package once they see how helpful deeper coordination can be. The Wellness+ Package will be available later in the year.
Others adjust in the opposite direction when life settles down.
The goal is long-term support, not locking you into something that no longer makes sense.
Then we talk about it. Sometimes something small just needs adjusting — timing, communication, or expectations. Other times it turns out we’re simply not the right match.
If that happens, we will help point you toward a better option if we can.
Because the goal is to make sure you have peace of mind when your dog ends up with the right care.
The Practical Stuff Pet Parents Ask About
DC:
Sixteenth Street Heights · Cleveland Park · Woodley Park · Adams Morgan · Dupont Circle · Columbia Heights · Petworth · Brightwood · Shepherd Park · Takoma DC · Chevy Chase DC · Tenleytown · AU Park · Friendship Heights · Brookland ·
Montgomery County: Bethesda · Chevy Chase · Silver Spring · Kensington · Takoma Park
Don’t see your neighborhood listed?
Reach out anyway. Sometimes our routes already pass close by — and occasionally a dog convinces us to expand them.
Within reason, yes.
Because we build thoughtful routes for the dogs we care for, exact timestamps aren’t always possible.
But we can usually commit to windows like:
- Early afternoon between 11 and 12
- Late afternoon between 1 -3
- Early evening between 3 – 5
Weekends and off-hours are available under the Care package. Additional fees apply.
And once your dog gets used to the rhythm, they often start waiting by the door before we even arrive.
Tell us everything.
Medical conditions.
Medications.
Diet quirks.
Mobility changes.
Behavior patterns that help us understand what’s normal for your dog.
The more we know, the better.
Dogs with complex needs often benefit the most from consistent, attentive care — which is exactly where Outside Feet tends to shine. Really.
It’s rare… but dogs are honest.
If your dog truly doesn’t feel comfortable, Steve will tell you directly and help point you toward another provider who might be a better match.
Because forcing a relationship with a dog never works.
Dogs know who they trust, and we respect that.
A few things.
First, Steve’s background. Before Outside Feet, he spent time doing the kind of work where small details matter and missed signals turn into big problems pretty quickly.
That mindset continued when he started working with dogs.
Second, the role we play in your dog’s care. Your vet focuses on medical care, and your trainer focuses on behavior. Outside Feet helps make sure those plans happen on a random Tuesday afternoon.
Third, the level of attention. Over time we learn what’s normal for your dog. How they greet someone at the door, or how fast they usually pull toward the park. When you see the same dog day after day, those little patterns become obvious, which makes it much easier to notice when something changes.
Glad you asked! It depends on the level of support your home needs.
Wellness Walk
Wellness Package
Wellness+ Package
See our services.
Trust & Safety. The Music to Your Ears.
Yes! Outside Feet carries $2M in commercial general liability insurance along with pet care coverage that protects against injury or illness related to our care.
We’re also bonded. If you’d like to see documentation, we’re happy to provide it. Thoughtful pet parents usually ask.
Before starting Outside Feet, Steve spent doing work that required noticing details, managing risk, and making sure nothing slipped through the cracks.
Today that same mindset shows up in how he cares for dogs.
Also, Steve holds certification CPPS (Certified Professional Pet Sitter)
And most importantly, he’s spent more than 30 years living with dogs, including navigating complicated health situations as a pet parent himself.
Very carefully.
Keys are stored in a secure lockbox without your address attached.
They’re never shared, and they’re returned immediately if services end.
When we enter your home, doors are locked behind us, alarm systems are handled exactly as instructed, and anything unusual we notice gets reported right away.
We’re guests in your home while caring for your pet, so we treat your space the same way we’d want someone to treat ours.
Yup. To protect our clients’ privacy, we don’t post references publicly.
But if you’d like to speak with current clients, we can connect you with two or three families who’ve offered to serve as references.
Many people prefer to schedule a consultation first and then request references before making a decision, which works perfectly.
How Dogs (and Their Humans) Join Outside Feet
It’s a simple 15-minute conversation, either by phone or video — whichever feels easiest for you.
We’ll talk about your dog, what you’ve been noticing, and what kind of support would make life easier for your day to day life.
Sometimes people come with a specific concern, while other times it’s just that feeling of “I wish someone else was paying attention to this too.”
Either way, by the end of the call you’ll know whether Outside Feet feels like the right fit.
Once we decide to move forward, we ease into your dog’s routine step by step.
First, we connect with your vet if needed and review any medical history or guidance that helps us understand the full picture.
Next comes a meet and greet at your home — usually about 30–60 minutes — where we meet your dog, walk through their routine, and learn the little details that make their day (and yours) run smoothly.
Then the first visits begin.
During the first couple of weeks we focus on building trust with your dog and learning their patterns — how they greet someone at the door, what their usual walk pace looks like, what a “normal day” feels like for them.
From there, care settles into a steady routine.
Most homes are fully up and running within about two weeks.
It mostly depends on availability.
If you’re dealing with something urgent, mention it during the consultation.
We’ll always try to help if we can.
Outside Feet tends to be a great fit for pet parents who:
- Think of their dog as family
- Have had frustrating experiences with sitters or apps
- Notice the little changes in their dog’s behavior
- Want someone who treats care like a partnership, rather than a quick stop-by
We’re probably not the right fit if:
- You’re simply looking for the lowest price
- Your dog just needs a quick five-minute potty break
- Detailed updates would feel like more information than you want
If you’re unsure, that’s exactly what the consultation is for.
A quick conversation usually makes things clear pretty quickly.
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