Frequently Asked Questions

The DOG Nanny Group, LLC started in 2010 and we have completed more than 40,000 visits in the area since then.  Who let the dogs out?  WE DID!

Pets are most comfortable at home, in their own familiar surroundings – that’s why we started The DOG Nanny! Our sitters will come to your home for scheduled visits to keep your pets to their usual routine. Using our service allows you to completely customize your visits to meet your needs and the needs of your pets. Visits may include potty time in the yard, a walk, feeding, dispensing medications, clean-up when necessary, belly rubs, love, snuggles on the couch and even an overnight sitter if that’s what your pup prefers. Cat visits include much of the same (we may skip the belly rubs if your feline isn’t into that) and of course keeping the box fresh. During our visits we also care for your home by bringing in the mail and newspaper, checking for packages on the porch, alternating lights and blinds, and even watering plants. The presence and activities of our sitters will make your home look occupied while you’re away and serve as a deterrent to burglars.

I started The DOG Nanny back in 2010 because I needed someone to care for my pets. Both were anxious at the kennel and one would become so upset she wouldn’t eat. She always came home having lost weight, and both dogs would sleep for at least 24-hours straight when I got them home. I have had potential clients tell me their dogs fall asleep on the ride home from the kennel because they are tired from having so much fun. While that may be true for some pups, most dogs sleep for days after having been at the kennel because they are anxious and stressed being left in a strange place with a bunch of other barking dogs!
Pets are most comfortable at home, in their own familiar surroundings. With us, your fur kids get to hang out in their yard, play with their favorite toys and go for walks with their Nanny! Our sitters will learn about your pet’s likes, dislikes, and make sure they’re happy, loved and receiving plenty of snuggles. Have a special feeding routine? Not a problem – we don’t charge extra for special requests, pampering, or dispensing medications! In fact, care customized to your needs and the needs of your pet is what we do! Between visits, your pet will be able to stretch out peacefully on the sofa or lounge in their favorite sunny spot until it’s time for our next visit. Having a professional pet sitter care for your pets at home is the next best thing to having you there. This will be evident when you arrive home to a relaxed, confident and happy pet.

1. The DOG Nanny Group is locally owned and operated. We care about our reputation in this community because we live here too, and it matters to us!
2. Our goal is to build a lasting relationship with our clients that carries through the lifetime of your pet. This is our profession – not a side hustle to make some extra cash.
3. We are bonded and insured for your protection. No client of ours has ever been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement to hide the truth.
4. We hire employees – not independent contractors. This means we can legally train our staff and oversee their work (unlike App sitters). Our employees are also covered under workers’ compensation insurance which protects you and them if there were to be a workplace incident or injury. Simply put, we have more control over your experience with us. An App platform is only a middleman and you get what you get – good or bad.
5. We work as a team. We have more than one team member who knows your pets and their routine. We pride ourselves in our ability to serve you consistently, when you need us.

Our office hours are from 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. Our pet sitting and dog walking hours are typically from 6am-9pm 365 days per year. We do not have office hours on weekends or holidays.

We service the cities of Marinette and Peshtigo, WI and Menominee MI. We do go a mile or two outside the cities. Please contact us if you question whether or not we cover your area.

We care for many different pets! Dogs, cats, some birds, fish, rabbits, ferrets, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, and chickens! We have even been known to visit horses and if you have an indoor pet duck – we do that too!

CLICK HERE. After you complete your registration, we will be in touch, or you can call 828-PET-NANY (828-738-6269) to discuss your reservation and set up a consultation. This is best done 10-days to 2 weeks prior to your first visit when scheduling vacation care. At the Consultation, we will get acquainted and discuss care details. During this meeting you will need to show proof of vaccinations for each pet (Rabies for dogs and cats, Distemper/Parvo for dogs), provide a working house key to be kept in the office and have your lockbox or coded door knob so the code can be tested and verified. The Dog Nanny Group business policies will be discussed as well as a review of the Service Agreement and other necessary paperwork. Most importantly, the Nanny will spend some time getting to know and bonding with your pet(s). Payment for services is also required at the consultation. Consultations are free with your first booking. A $30 fee will apply for consultations/new client intakes when the first service is canceled.  When you are setting up your account with fewer than 5 days before your first service, there is a $30 fee to expedite your registration.

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE

This is a great opportunity for us to meet in person or virtually!  We will collect detailed information on the care of your pet, learn their routine and see where their supplies are kept. We will answer any questions, do some paperwork, and make sure we are all set for your reservation. We will also collect your spare key, test your lockbox or door code and make sure we can gain entrance to your home. Most importantly, we can meet your pet(s) so they know us and feel comfortable when we arrive for our first visit.

1. Keeping your keys on your property reduces the risk of loss or theft.
2. It provides you with peace of mind knowing you can change the combination at any time.
3. Lockboxes can be used for anyone who need access to your home like housekeepers and contractors.
4. Being keyless allows us to serve you better while keeping us on schedule.
5. When you have a key in a lockbox – you will never lock yourself out of the house again!

Doorknobs, fences, gates, or any other location out of the elements on your property will work. We do prefer they be concealed in some manor – each house is different. Apartments can be tricky, and we will discuss this when we meet.

We want to be prepared for anything that comes our way! Things happen: 1. Your lockbox won’t open, 2 Your lockbox is empty, 3 Your sitter accidentally locks your key in your house.  Keeping a spare key at the office allows us to maintain your pet’s care. There will be an added visit charge when codes have been changed without updating us and when your key is not in the lockbox.

Vacation services are customized to your pet’s needs. Each visit begins with a potty break and play time or walk, plenty of love and companionship, fresh water, feeding at mealtimes, medications when necessary, a house check, last potty outside, and treats when permitted!
The minimum number of visits for dogs is 3 per day which is 7-8 hours between visits. Most of our clients choose 4 visits per day (early morning, lunchtime, suppertime and bedtime) which is 5-6 hours between visits. We require daily visits for cats, and we have many clients who schedule two visits per day for their felines (morning and evening).

Our most popular visit for walks and vacation care is 30-minutes. It really depends on your pet, the number of pets in the household and their routine. We offer 30, 45, and 60-minute vacation visits and walks. We also offer a quick 10/15-minute pit stop for midday visits. Some clients have us “babysit” and hire us by the hour.

Vacation clients receive an email update from us every day! Sitter feedback contains all the details on how your pet is doing and even includes a picture so you can see for yourself that your furry family member is happy, healthy, and having a great time. Clients can reply to these updates to keep in touch with us and even offer their own feedback.

We are more reliable than the US mail! We come rain, shine, sleet or snow! It can get very cold and very hot in Wisconsin. We know that some pets do not do well in extreme conditions, so we make sure we are aware of the temperature and the pets in our care. When extreme temps and bad weather do come into play, we make sure your pet gets out for a quick potty break and spend the rest of our time indoors for some playtime to get out of the elements. Toward the end of our visit we will go outside again for any unfinished business and complete the visit routine as usual. If your pet is up for it, we do walk in a light rain. We take inclement weather on a case by case basis and consider the needs of each individual pet – their safety comes first. In case of a weather emergency, we do what we can to make sure each pet is safe and secure in their home until the threat has passed. We may contact you or your emergency contact for advice and/or assistance. Client cancellations due to weather follow our regular cancellation policy.

When a sitter encounters an emergency with your home or pet, they will contact the office. We will try to reach you so that we can come up with a plan together. If we are unsuccessful, we will try to reach your emergency contact. If we are unable to connect with anyone, we will decide on the best course of action – generally, what we would do with our home, or with our own pet.
If your pet is having a health emergency, we will call your Veterinarian or an emergency Vet Clinic and transport if necessary. Whatever the issue, we will be in constant contact to keep you informed.
When things like this occur, there will be additional charges based on time and travel.

There are times when extra charges may apply.
1. Holidays and prime days around holidays
2. When extra time is required for the care of your pet(s)
3. When we have to shop and purchase supplies for the care of your pet.
4. When non-household pets are added for care during a reservation
5. Cancellation fees may apply when reservations are changed or cancelled

Absolutely! Clients set up a credit card with Stripe (our processor) and pay when an invoice is received. Payment is due a minimum of 3 days prior to service or at the time of your consultation – whichever comes first.

While tips are never expected, they are very much appreciated! Any tip left for the nannies is always divided between your service providers.
You can leave a cash tip at your home or, feel free to mail a check. You may also put a tip on your credit card, but we do prefer cash and checks for this purpose.

Cancellation Policy Vacation Care:

0-24 hours notice: 100% of the total reservation bill is due

2-4 days notice: 50% of the total reservation bill is due

5 or more days notice: there is no cancellation fee

Cancellation during any Holiday week:

0-4 days notice: 100% of the reservation bill is due

5-10 days notice: 50% of the reservation bill is due

11 or more days notice: there is no cancellation fee

Holidays include: Easter weekend, Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day and surrounding days, Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving (Wednesday-Sunday), the week before Christmas thru New Year’s Day

Cancellation Policy for drop-in visits:

0-24 hours notice: 100% of the visit cost is due

2 days notice: 50% of the total reservation bill is due

3 or more days notice: there is no cancellation fee

Cancellation Policy for recurring schedule daily dog walking clients: When notification occurs by 6am the morning of the visit, and the sitter can be reached, no cancellation fee.  Notification after 6am the morning of the visit, the full visit fee is charged.  If the sitter cannot be reached, or is already on the way, full visit fee is charged. 

Once a reservation has begun: No refunds or service credits will be issued for early returns, or canceled visits.

Cancellation of first reservation: A $30 fee will be charged for the consultation on top of the cancellation fee.

The DOG Nanny Group business is insured and bonded. Your keys are kept safely on your property – not carried by staff and the key we have on file is secured in our offices. Keys are not stored with your name and address; they are tagged using just the name of your pet. Codes for keyless entries are securely stored in our password protected software.
All of our staff is fully vetted, have a clear background check and undergo extensive training. We don’t hire anyone that we wouldn’t welcome into our own home to care for our own pets.

We do! And we fill up quickly on holidays so book early!

Yes. Holidays are extremely busy, and sitters are in short supply! The DOG Nanny Group charges an additional $5.00 fee per visit on all major holidays and peak days surrounding holidays.

We look at “job sharing” on a case-by-case basis. While it is preferred for our sitters to provide all care during a reservation, we may be open to sharing the job with someone you trust. Communication is vital to providing consistent care, so we require contact information for the other individual. Should they prove unreliable, we will take over the remainder of the reservation. We want what is best for your pet and in our experience when duties are shared, things do not always go as planned.

We love spontaneity! Once you are an established client and sitters know your pet and routine, we can likely service you same day. Last minute visits make keeping a key in a lockbox on your property a must.

Yes! We have a midday dog walk referral program! When a happy walk or vacation client refers a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker, and that person becomes a year-round 3-5 walk per week dog walk client, we will give the referring client AND the new client each a $25 service credit after their first month of service. They must mention your name when booking their consultation.

The DOG Nanny Group, LLC does not have a kennel license (required by the State of Wisconsin) and therefore sitters cannot bring pets into their homes. It is against the law!

Vaccinations are required for the safety of your pet. In the event a dog or cat bites or scratches someone, a rabies vaccination will prevent the individual from having to undergo treatment. Other vaccines may prevent the spread of potentially deadly disease from one animal to another, and even protect The DOG Nanny sitters.

The DOG Nanny Group will need access to your dog’s collar and leash for potty breaks and walks. It’s also a good idea to have a towel ready in case your dog needs to be dried-off a bit. For vacation care, please make sure you have more food than necessary for all pets (in case your return is delayed), any medications your pet is taking, and other supplies such as scoops and litter that will be needed during the week. Please also be sure your invoice is paid a minimum of 3 days prior to your departure.

The DOG Nanny Group can be reached by phone: 828-PET-NANY(call or text), and by e-mail: admin@marinettedognanny.com