FAQs
Can you tell me more about your business and what services you offer?
Hi I’m Lara. My partner and I offer overnight dog care from our own home, with daily walks, love and fun. I consider my role is to make sure your dog has the best time while you are away, so they are happy and enjoying life without so much worry. I don’t run a kennels. Instead, think of it as your dog’s home from home in Sheffield.
We offer both dog boarding and doggie day care, for one off or regular care.
Where are you located?
I am located in Sheffield. If you message me (07714 649062) I can give you our exact address.
What days are you available?
We offer dog sitting 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We can provide pet care from 1 day/night to much longer stays, including long term. It all depends on your requirements.
Are you insured to have dogs?
Yes. We have Full Pet Business Insurance with Protectivity Pet Insurance. It covers full dog care insurance, including: Dog Grooming, Dog Training, Dog Walking, Pet Home Boarding, Pet Minding, Pet Sitting, Pet Taxi and Pet Transportation. We are also Licensed by the Council (Licence number AW_AB0061). I always want to make sure any dog I look after is safe and happy.
Do you cater for special diets?
Yes absolutely. Either you can bring along the food you know your dog is ok with, which I would recommend. Or alternatively, for a small charge I can provide food you require. I know what it is like to have allergies or special requests. It is important your dog is happy and I can tailor what you need to you.
What are your prices?
Doggie daycare = £26. £22 for each additional dog(s). This is 8am-6pm. If you want to collect after 6pm that is fine with arrangement, it just means that after 6pm it becomes the overnight rate. If you want to drop off earlier this may well be fine but let me know.
Day with Overnight = £35. £22 for each additional dog(s). This is anytime from 8am until 9am the following day. If you haven’t collected by 9am on the last day that is not a problem, but as it takes up a daycare slot that would be another daycare for that day.
Discounts are available! £25 off 20 nights, £15 off 15 nights, £10 off 10 nights, £5.00 off 5 nights. For regular daycares coming 3x or more a week it is £23 rather than £26.
Entirely free meeting first to get to know me here.
How much notice do you need?
I can cater for pre-planned or last minute dog sitting bookings. Obviously the more notice the better as I get booked up, but text me on 07714 649062 and I can see what I can do.
With places they can go fast and it’s on a first come first serve basis. As soon as the deposit is paid that confirms the stay. If you want any dates please let me know as soon as possible that you want me to write them on the calendar. Sometimes we have space for a few days ahead, but generally we get booked up several months before. The earlier notice the better xx
Do you have a garden?
Yes. It’s fab for bouncing about in. It’s great to give them plenty of chances to wee and for toilet needs and to have a play outside. It’s totally secure. We go on plenty of walks too, with the amount matched to what they need.
Are they allowed on the furniture and around the house?
Yes, if you allow them at home. It is a friendly, loving home. Chilling together on the sofa is fine by me! If you don’t allow this though, I can make sure they follow this rule at mine too.
Do I drop off or can you pick my dog up?
Regarding transport, people generally drop their dogs off and collect them. If you are needing pickup/drop off in Sheffield I can possibly do this for for £8 collection and £8 drop off. This covers my fuel costs there and back and a bit of my time. If wanting me to collect or drop off please do message me about it as it is not always possible. It depends a bit on the distance and our availability and would need to be prearranged.
Can you look after puppies or elderly dogs?
This will depend on who I am looking after at the time. In principle, yes. Please give me a call first to discuss. We often care for both. We love puppies and elderly dogs and have lots of experience.
My dog is xyz breed. Can you look after them and are there any you won’t take?
We care for a variety of breeds and ages of dog. We cannot take a dog if they have aggressive/violent tendencies. This makes sure that we and the dogs we care for are totally safe and that we can give them a wonderful time. In this case I can recommend people if you message me.
Just to check, these are the dogs we can accept ❤️:
✓ Friendly with other dogs i.e. absolutely no nastiness. (If they are super bouncy bouncy or nervous this is totally fine, but only if they are friendly as they are not in cages. It’s more a home from home where they can tootle about together and have cuddles on the sofa, play in the garden and have nice walks together)
✓ Medium/smaller sized dogs such as pugs, sprockers, chihuahuas, yorkshire terriers, small poodles, frenchies, pomeranians, cavapoos, spaniels, cockapoos, whippets and small/medium cross breeds. We are not taking on larger dogs at the moment (even though we totally adore them) because we have lots already.
✓ Neuteured males and females (There are 2 exceptions to neutered dogs: We can take unspayed females but only if not in season. Or if you have an unneutered puppy, that is fine up until they are 2 years old as it gives them time to fully develop. Do contact me if this is the case)
✓ Not incessantly noisy/barky (If a dog barks with the postman or someone at the door this is fine, but if they are prone to making a lot of noise on a regular basis we have to keep good neighbourly relations)
✓ Housetrained (if a puppy don’t worry about this, we understand!)
✓ Ok recall/allowed off lead (if a puppy don’t worry about this either, we understand they might still be learning)
✓ Sleeps ok at night (It is fine if they need to be in our room so long as they sleep peacefully and don’t keep us and the others awake)
The reason we have these conditions is because it means the dogs have a wonderful time having cuddles with us and playing with their friends and it goes great. We have a lot of experience and love all of the dogs who come to stay. Each dog is so individual. If they have a particular personality like if they are a bit nervous or shy or extra playful etc that is absolutely fine. Just drop me a message or give me a call and tell me all about them. We love to hear about your dog(s).
How many walks do you go on a day?
This depends a little on the needs of your dog(s). Generally the minimum amount of walks I take them for is 2, but I can do shorter or longer walks depending on their exercise needs. If they are old, they may not want to go on a long walk, but if they are young or full of energy, rest assured I will wear them out!
Will they be left alone at any point?
As I work from home, I would very rarely be away from your dog. If I need to go out for any reason, such as to get groceries, I would not be out for more than an hour. Also my partner works from home, so they are not left. There’s always someone there.
What made you start dog sitting?
Quite simply, I started my dog sitting business as I love animals and I especially love dogs. I have grown up with dogs all my life, I love nature and walking and it fits perfectly.
What if they need to go to the vet or hurt themselves?
It is important you give me all details of your vet and any medical issues before you go. Rest assured I will ring you if there is the slightest problem, but let’s hope we don’t need to do this! It is unlikely anything will go wrong, but I will have your details in case.
How many dogs can you look after at one time?
Generally my partner and I look after 3-5 dogs at a time when dog sitting but it varies a bit, sometimes less, sometimes a bit more. We are not like a kennels where they might take 50+. I like to keep it manageable, both for myself and the dogs I look after.
Do you have a dog or any animals? Do you have a cat?
I don’t have a dog or cat or any pets at present, no. I have grown up around dogs all my life, but I currently don’t own one. Which means I have plenty of time for the pets I look after!
I work long hours (e.g. nurse) and I work past 5pm, is that ok?
Yes absolutely. We do the pricing per day rather than per amount of hours and we are open long after 5pm. We are generally available from 7am to 9pmish at night so the drop off time and collect time is quite flexible. Just drop me a message at 07714 649062 and we can sort it. If you’d need to drop off before 7am or collect after 9pm I’m sure we can work something out. We have a few people who do this and it’s fine.
If I’m going away on holiday, what do I need to bring with my dog(s)?
Along with your doggie(s), the only thing that we generally say is their food and any treats they most like. We have spare food, but it’s better when it’s what their stomach is used to and you know they enjoy it. Having their bed is lovely for them or something that smells of home as it means they settle really quickly. The rest is up to you. Some people bring hardly anything, others pack lots of things. Please label anything you bring so it doesn’t get muddled. We don’t need much as we have spares of everything (beds, leads, toys, towels, etc).
What do you do about deposits? How does that work and how do I pay?
After the meet and greet we take 50% deposit to secure their place and then the remaining half you can pay the week before. You can do this via card or you can bring cash at the meet and greet, whichever is easiest for you. With regular daycare, the deposit system is slightly different. For that you pay for the whole month ahead at end of the month. E.g you pay March’s dates at the end of February. We ask for plenty of notice to cancel and please let us know in advance which future dates you might not need so someone else can have them.
Do you offer discounts or special offers?
Yes! £25 off 20 nights, £15 off 15 nights, £10 off 10 nights, £5.00 off 5 nights. We do discounts for daycare when coming 3 or more times a week. FREE meeting to get to know me first and get to know your dog.
I want to come and meet you with my dog(s). How do I do that?
We are so excited to meet you and your dog(s). You can book a day and time to visit that suits you best here. Drop me a message to tell me a little bit about your dog too and what dates and timings you had in mind.
While you are away on holiday/at work etc we will make sure that we give them the best time full of fun and attention. We send you plenty of updates and photos so you can keep up to date with their adventures. ❤️
Really looking forward to meeting you!
Lara xx
