Services
Thank you for your interest in the services provided by Family Dog Walkers (FDW)!
We take pride in offering home-away-from-home care where canine clients enjoy socializing with fur friends and loving humans.
To ensure the best experience possible, all canine clients participate in weekly services so they can maintain a healthy comfort level with one another and our skilled staff.
Presently available services are:
Daycare on Mondays (1 spot) and Wednesdays (1 spot)
“Brian Hikes” on Tuesdays (2 spots) and Thursdays (2 spots)
Boarding
Boarding includes ample affection, cuddle time and comfy sleeping accommodations in addition to all the standard features of Day Care.
Rates are: $90 (Monday-Thursday) ~ $110 (Friday-Sunday) ~ $130 (Holiday)
Drop-off/pick-up times are coordinated as-needed with the intent of being as accommodating as possible but within reason.
“Brian Hikes”
Named after our beloved Brian (one of FDW’s original and still active senior canine clients) we have resumed off-leash hikes in the East Bay Regional Park. Timing and distance vary depending on conditions but outing is on average at least 2 hours from pick-up to drop-off. Additional washing services available if clients have appropriate accommodations.
Rates are: $60 (Monday-Thursday) ~ $80 (Friday-Sunday) ~ $100 (Holiday) + Transportation
Daycare
Daycare includes 6 hours of athletically-appropriate exercise, enriching engagement and supervised socialization with up to nine compatible canines.
Available hours are: 8:30am-3:30pm (Monday-Thursday)
Rates are: $60 (Monday-Thursday)
Extended stays over 6 hours (not to exceed boarding rates) are:
$5 per 30 minutes (Monday-Thursday)
Day Care on Fridays-Sundays or Holidays are offered on an as-needed / limited basis only.
Rates are: $80 (Friday-Sunday) ~ $100 (Holiday)
Extended stays over 6 hours (not to exceed boarding rates) are:
$7 per 30 minutes (Friday-Sunday) ~ $9 per 30 minutes (Holiday)
Pop-In Visits
Pop-in visits lasting 15-30 minutes are available on an as-needed / limited basis and may include athletically appropriate exercise in low-traffic neighborhoods.
Rates are: $1/min (Monday-Thursday) ~ $1.25/min (Friday-Sunday) ~ $1.50/min (Holiday)
Transportation
Transportation cost is calculated per mile within a 4 mile radius of business location (near Lake Temescal in Oakland, CA). Clients outside the service area are welcome but will need to be responsible for transporting their canine companion(s).
Rates are: $2/mile (Monday-Sunday)
Veterinary Appointments
Escorting of canine clients to veterinary appointments is available on an as-needed basis.
Rates are: $1/min (Monday-Thursday) ~ $1.25/min (Friday-Sunday) ~ $1.50/min (Holiday)
Transportation rates are: $2/mile (Monday-Sunday)
Wash and Dry
Wash and dry services are available in combination with another on-site service.
Rates are: $1/min (Monday-Thursday) ~ $1.25/min (Friday-Sunday) ~ $1.50/min (Holiday)
More Information
Additional Dog Discount
10% discounts are applied for each additional canine client (from the same household) sharing a service.
Billing
New Billing Policy (effective January 1st, 2025)
Fees for regularly scheduled daycare and/or hike services will be collected in advance.
Invoices will be emailed mid-month for the next month’s regularly scheduled services and will include any additional services that were provided during the prior month (e.g. boarding, extended stay, pop-in visits, transportation, veterinary appointments, wash & dry, additional daycare or hikes).
Credits will be available for regularly scheduled daycare or hikes that were missed due to a canine client being sick or injured.
Acceptable Forms of Payment
1) Zelle to winter@familydogwalkers.com
2) Venmo to @Winter-Williams-7
3) PayPal to winter@familydogwalkers.com
4) Checks made payable and hand delivered (not mailed) to Family Dog Walkers
Clients agree to cover any fees associated with a payment.
Cancellations
To ensure FDW can continue offering high-quality care in a uniquely family style manner, we will no longer be waiving charges for regularly scheduled daycare service(s) that were missed for any reason other than the canine client being sick and/or injured. FDW will however continue to do it’s best to accommodate requests to substitute daycare dates.
Clients needing to reduce or discontinue regularly scheduled daycare services will provide a minimum of two weeks notice (and/or payment). There will be no charge if clients need to cancel boarding services unless a last minute cancellation has resulted in hardship to FDW.
FDW Holidays 2025
New Year’s Day ~ Wednesday, January 1st
Martin Luther King Jr. Day ~ Monday, January 20th
Presidents’ Day ~ Monday, February 17th
Cesar Chavez Day ~ Monday, March 31st
Mothers Day ~ Sunday, May 11th
Memorial Day ~ Monday, May, 26th
Fathers Day ~ Sunday June 15th
Juneteenth ~ Thursday, June 19th
Independence Day ~ Friday, July 4th
FDW Week Off ~ August 18th-21st
Labor Day ~ Monday, September 1st
Columbus / Indigenous People’s Day ~ Monday, October 13th
Halloween ~ Friday, October 31st
Veterans Day ~ Tuesday, November 11th
Thanksgiving ~ Thursday, November 27th
Day After Thanksgiving ~ Friday, November 28th
Christmas Eve ~ Wednesday, December 24th
Christmas Day ~ Thursday, December 25th
New Years Eve ~ Wednesday, December 31st
New Years Day ~ Thursday, January 1st
Introductory Period
Because our pack is small and deeply bonded, FDW takes extra care when introducing new dogs. We believe in moving at a pace that prioritizes safety, comfort, and long term enrichment of all our canine clients. This requires additional resources and planning during which we consider an introductory period that may last 2-8 weeks. This thoughtful process includes weekly written updates and ongoing communication regarding progress. A 10-20% surcharge will apply during Introductory Periods depending on the extra effort needed.
Temperment
Every effort is made to ensure compatibility between canine clients that are spending time together. All must be spayed or neutered. We do not serve dogs that exhibit concerning, destructive, disruptive, dangerously aggressive or extremely anti-social behavior. If exceptions are temporarily made while behavior modification plans are enacted, a “Special Supervision” increase of 10-20% may be applied to any and all billed services.