FAQs

We Guarantee walks for our established, templated clients (actively and regularly scheduling walk clients with auto scheduling). Once your template is set up, we guarantee you will always be on the schedule for your dog walking services.

 Hot Diggity’s! Availability Guarantee is unprecedented in the pet care industry and we still strive to cover all scheduled services depending on staff availability.

*Overnight & drop-in pet sitting, one off dog walking requests, dog running, pet taxis, solo adventures and other special services are available on a first-come, first-serve basis though we strive to cover every request we receive!

While we can’t guarantee it ALL the time, there is a very good chance we can schedule next-day dog walking or pet sitting service. As soon as you know, just let us know and we’ll get to work scheduling it. We have a record of adding same-day pet care services about 75% of the time. (P.S. our dog walkers and pet sitters are rockstars!) Note: we add a $5 urgent fee to same-day bookings to compensate our sitters for the last-minute logistical change.

Absolutely! Hot Diggity! strives to support whatever training methodology and routines your pets are accustomed to. To that end, we will follow all the training protocols you outline for us on walks. Want Buster to stop at the corner before crossing? No problem. Should Mollie sit before getting a treat? A-OK. Do you need us to avoid other dog-on-leash interactions? Sure thing! We’re happy to customize your dog care to their individual needs. You can share this information a few ways: by updating your pet profile on the portal, showing / telling us at your initial meet & greet, or by uploading training documentation to your account. Please note: our dog sitters use positive reinforcement methods (food, treat, distraction, clicker, create training, etc.).

It’s so easy! Simply click here (Portland), or here (Vancouver) or send an email: [email protected], and tell us a little about you, your pets, and the service types you’re interested in. We are currently limiting the addition of new clients, but if we can fit you in we definitely well get you set up. We’ll set you up with access to your personal client portal, set a time for a new client meet & greet, and you’re on your way. Even if you don’t have an urgent need for services, the sooner you become an established client, the easier it will be to schedule services.

Within a couple days! As soon as your portal is activated and you’ve had your meet & greet, you can begin scheduling services. Need a walk the same day as your initial meeting? We will do our best to get it scheduled.

Absolutely! Our Pet Taxi service will do that for you. We’ll come to your home, or workplace, and be sure your pets get where they need to go. Need us to wait for the check-up? No problem, we’ll do a round-trip! Coming home from vacation late, but don’t want to leave your pup at the boarding facility an extra night? Save stress on them, (and cash for you!) by letting us bring them home for you! There’s nothing much better than coming home from a long trip to a sweet pup waiting for you.

Yes and Yes! With Hot Diggity! Pet Goods Delivery, we’re happy to swing by and pick up more food, litter, medication, or birdseed and drop it by on our next scheduled service. Need an unscheduled delivery? No problem! We can do that, too! For rates and information, check out our Services page.

Absolutely, yes. Simply send us list of your favorite foods, brands, and preferred store (organic? great!) and we’ll swing by and do a quick shop before you get home. We only charge a small errand fee + the cost of groceries if the store is within a mile or two of your home. No need to worry about morning coffee, the next day’s breakfast or a school lunch–it’s covered!

For sure! Hot Diggity! believes the best way to grow our business is through word-of-mouth referrals from happy clients. Here’s how Referral Rewards works: Each time you refer Hot Diggity! to a new client who schedules services with us, we give YOU a credit for a free 30-minute walk. Not a dog person? Don’t worry, we’ll add a credit to your account which can be applied for pet sitting, too! The best news? Referral Rewards are unlimited and transferable across all Hot Diggity! locations. Have a friend in Seattle who needs a dog walker? Send them our way! Sister moved to Vancouver? Awesome! We’ll get them set up. Refer as many folks as you’d like and we’ll reward you for them all. Thank you for spreading the word!

Indeed, we do! I’m glad you asked. We partner with dozens of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations by offering: company discounts, corporate travel and relocation packages, auction and fundraising donations, special event pet care, and more. If you have an organization or event in mind, please contact us and we’ll brainstorm with you to find the perfect fit!

Hot Diggity! pet sitters love all pets! We have experience caring for dogs, cats, birds, chickens, fish, rabbits, goats, llamas, hamsters, rats, pigs, horses, ferrets, reptiles and many other species. So long as your pets do not pose a danger to our pet sitter, and your care schedule abides by our Standards of Care, we’d love to meet them.

Absolutely not! After many years in the pet care industry we realized that extra pet fees are arbitrary, as not all household’s added pets require extra time and care. Because Hot Diggity! values transparency in pricing, we moved to a 100% time-based model—we only charge for the scheduled time it takes to provide quality care to your pets and to follow through on our home care promised.

Nope! Since many of our services are scheduled one-household at a time, we can care for puppies who haven’t had all their shots yet, or older pups who may still be intact—no problem. Our sitters are sure to wash up before and after visits, so we can visit your pets safely between households. Our only limitation: we will need to skip the dog park and other group outings for now. Don’t fret, those services can be added on once vaccinations are up to date or they’re all healed from surgery.

Sure thing! All our pet care staff will administer medication (pills, drops, supplements) with no charge to you. While we do not charge extra for insulin or Sub-Q fluids, it may be necessary to schedule a re-meet with your sitter to instruct them on how to administer these (if a trained sitter is unavailable in your area). Those re-meets incur a nominal fee of $15/30 minutes. We will always try to schedule a trained sitter first to help you avoid that meeting, if you prefer. Lastly, please note that we cannot administer medication to any animal that poses a danger to our Pet Sitters. Thanks for your understanding!

At this time, our focus is primarily on the in your home pet sitting side of pet care which allows pets to stay in their home environment and on a familiar schedule during your absence. Our goal is to match your routine and schedule, to the best of our ability, so your pets stay happy and stress-free. Check out our Pet Sitting Services page for our menu of options. For more information about the benefits of hiring an in-home pet sitter click here. Remember: We can customize our services to match any pet care routine your household requires!

We do not offer group walks, but we can take your dog to a nearby dog play area in some circumstances.

Hot Diggity! has worked to develop a robust client portal which houses all of your pet information, contact information, instructions and household details. It functions as a conversation thread with your pet sitters, manages invoicing, and has email sync functionality. Through the portal you can schedule services, add notes, notify us of any changes, upload documents for your pet sitters, and so much more. If you’re not tech-savvy, no fear. Hot Diggity! is just as happy to answer a phone call or email for scheduling services. Added bonus: We’re the only pet care company in Portland with a full-time, dedicated, office staff Monday through Saturday and an on-call after-hours administrative staff 7AM-10PM seven days a week. We’re here when you need us. All our services are offered in service windows, and do not guarantee a specific arrival time, but we will do our best to arrive as close to your preferred time as possible.

Hot Diggity! tailors our services to fit the needs of your household, thus, the initial meet & greet is a chance to get to know each other better. We’ll familiarize ourselves with you & your pets, their routine, your home, and to go over all the essential details and expectations for care. Our top priority is the health, safety and happiness of pets in our care, thus we want to ensure we form a strong bond from the beginning. Your initial meet & greet is always free of charge for up to 45 minutes with your pet sitter. If you need more time, no problem, it’s just $15 more for every 30 minutes you need to add-on. Once you’ve activated your portal, wrapped up the meeting and confirmed home access instructions, you’re well on your way to scheduling services anytime in the future.

For security reasons, Hot Diggity! strives to keep as few keys as possible in our possession. First we work with clients to find the best ‘keyless’ solution for their home. Here are a few examples:

1. Setting up a lockbox at your home
2. Access through a coded garage door
3. Access through a coded digital door lock
4. Key check-out with building manager or concierge

In the event none of these is an option, you can furnish us with a set of keys or key/fob combination (for secure buildings) and we will hold on to them. Your keys are kept in one of these locations: under lock and key in our administrative office, in a secure drop-box, or with your pet sitter for the duration of your scheduled services or walks. If you have another arrangement for home access, that’s okay too!

Absolutely! We’re happy to work together as a support team if you’re relying on a friend or family member for pet care. Just add a note giving them permission to schedule on your account and we’re happy to swing by for some extra walks, a dinner visit, or to help with the litter box. If your dog(s) will be boarded, we’re happy to stop by and give them an on-leash walk, administer medications, or taxi them home for you. Arrangements like these are extremely common and we’re happy to help coordinate with the people or facilities involved to get everything scheduled seamlessly for you.

Sure! If your pup would prefer a visit to the park instead of a leash walk, we can do that. If it’s within a mile (or so) of your home, there’s no added taxi fee, just the cost for the length of transport + playtime. Keep in mind: We suggest 45-60 minutes for this service so your pup(s) can get their energy out.

It’s so easy! At the time of scheduling, an invoice is generated on the Invoices Tab inside your portal. Its due date will always be one day after your services are completed (they day you come home from vacation, for instance). At any point during your scheduled services, you can access that invoice and make a payment by credit card via our secure, encrypted, payment system. If you don’t have time to log-in, no worries! When your services wrap up, we’ll also email an invoice for review. After 2 days, if we haven’t heard from you about any potential discrepancies, we’ll simply auto-charge your card on file. Easy as pie.

Did your sitter do great? Want to leave a tip? Sure! The invoicing system is setup to add a gratuity for your sitter(s), with just 2 clicks, that is distributed automatically based on the % of work they completed for you. How cool is that?

If you want to arrange other forms of payment, you can contact our staff.  Just please don’t leave cash for payment at your home for your sitter—it’s far too difficult to account for. Thank you!

If your pet becomes ill or injured in our care, we’ll assess your pet’s condition, contact you, and work with you (or your emergency contacts) to create an action plan. If you are unavailable, we’ll follow the instructions in your client portal regarding veterinary care protocols. We will always contact your preferred vet(s) first. If none are listed, or they are unavailable, we’ll default to veterinarians we have strong relationships with. Additionally, Hot Diggity! ensures Pet First Aid certified pet sitters are available all hours and all days to support a sitter who may encounter an incident. If you have a specific situation you’d like to discuss, please reach out so we can learn how to best support you

We prefer to keep a limited number of Pet Sitters assigned to your care. If the person you initially meet isn’t available, a fully trained (and informed) substitute will always be available for back-up. All of Hot Diggity! Pet sitters are well-trained professionals, and are covered by our business liability insurance. If you are most comfortable meeting everyone who enters your home, or if your pup needs to familiarize themselves with each of their caretakers, you can setup unlimited additional pet sitter meetings for just $15/each. We hire only the best of the best so you can be sure your pets and home are in good hands!

Absolutely! Our invoicing system is setup to add a gratuity for your sitter(s) with just 2 clicks when making a payment. It also automatically calculates a distribution based on the % of work they completed for you. If you prefer, you may also give gifts or gratuities directly to your Pet Sitter during their assignment at your home. They appreciate it!

We sure are! Keep up with Hot Diggity! on Facebook and Instagram to see adorable pet pictures, event announcements, featured pet sitters, contests, giveaways, and more!

Yes, of course! After almost 20 years in the industry, we’ve got plenty. We furnish company-wide referrals upon request. In the meantime, you can view company-wide client testimonials here.

Yes! Hot Diggity! Dog Walking and Pet Sitting is covered by a commercial bonding and liability insurance policy (one million dollars). We’re happy to show you a copy of our policy upon request.

Adding a pet sitter to our team is a rigorous process that requires no less than: two rounds of interviews, two shadow days, a national background check (criminal, civil, driving, and registered offender lists), 3 reference contacts, company orientation, and a limited-access trainee schedule for their initial month with Hot Diggity!. We strive to have the most thorough on-boarding process in the industry. Our hiring team is at your disposal for more information or to field specific questions. You can reach them here.

Great questions! Our portal is designed to limit access by any unnecessary parties. The only people who can see your information are: Our administrative / management staff and the pet sitters who are (or have been) scheduled for services in your home. For most households the number of pet sitters who can view your information is limited to 3-5. For transparency reasons, any message left in the conversation thread is viewable by everyone who has access to your account. This ensures all pet sitters are up to date with changes in routine and all managers can be sure services are being performed to Hot Diggity! standards. When a pet sitter leaves Hot Diggity! for any reason, access to the portal is immediately deactivated and they no longer have access to any information or history, whatsoever. For clients with security concerns, we can limit access even further—just let us know and we’ll work together to help you feel secure.

Hot Diggity! values privacy and security; we understand how essential this is in a trust-based industry like ours. To that end, we never share personal data with any outside companies or sell information to any third party companies. Your contact information will only be used by Hot Diggity! directly. Our credit card processing is done through the industry standard: Authorize.net, and is stored securely, encrypted, and without access by any Hot Diggity! staff. Aside from the last 4 digits of your card number, your credit card information is not viewable or accessible to us in any way once it’s stored in our system. If you have any additional questions, just email us at [email protected]!

1. Dog Walking, Pet Taxi, and other one-time services: NO FEE if cancelled by 3PM the day before the scheduled walk. 50% cancellation fee from 3PM-10PM the day before your scheduled walk. 100% cancellation fee if cancelled after 10PM the night before. Monthly Walk Clients get one complimentary late-cancellation per month.
2. Drop-In Pet Sitting Appointments: NO FEE if cancelled more than 72 hours before the scheduled services. 50% cancellation fee if cancelled between 72-24 hours of scheduled start. 100% cancellation fee if cancelled with less than 24-hour notice.
3. Overnight Pet Sitting Appointments: NO FEE if cancelled more than 5 days before scheduled services. 50% cancellation fee if cancelled between 5 days and 48 hours before scheduled services. 100% cancellation fee if cancelled less than 48 hours before scheduled services.
4. Pack Forest Hike: NO FEE if cancelled more than 48 hours before the start of service. 100% cancellation if cancelled less than 48 hours before the start of service. Please note: Due to the limited nature of this service, we do enforce this cancellation policy strictly. Cancellation fee will be waived for ill dogs who substitute a regular dog walk on date of service.
5. Other Services: 50% cancellation fee if cancelled less than 48 hours of scheduled service.

Indeed, we do! Hot Diggity! offers dog walking and pet sitting services 365 days a year with no limitations on service-types or service hours. A few of the major holidays do have a holiday fee of $15/day associated which is paid to your sitter for working through the holiday in lieu of spending time with family and friends.

Mother Nature is a tough cookie, isn’t she! Generally, we follow the protocol above for all cancellations except in extreme circumstances. That said, here are a few examples of exceptions in which case we’ll waive the cancellation fee:

1. If it is dangerous for our sitter to get to your home due to weather, and alternate pet care arrangements can be made.

2. If you cancel because of a legitimate weather incident which renders your workplace closed.

3. If you cancel, preemptively, by 3PM the day before the scheduled walk.

Since late cancellations impact our pet sitter’s earnings, the more consistent their workload, the less turn-over we see in staffing. If our pet sitters can get to your home safely, even in tricky weather, we’d love to keep you on the schedule. Our office often sends out notices during weather emergencies, so keep an eye on your email. If you have an extenuating circumstance, don’t hesitate to reach out!