Tails on Trails
About us
At Tails on Trails, our relationship with you is just as important as the one we have with your pet. We are a professional dog walking and pet sitting business. We are proud to be recognized by the Washingtonian Magazine's 2013 Best of Issue in the category of Pet Care. Our company is staffed with employees, not contractors. They are professionally trained and insured beyond basic insurance and bonding. Additionally, they have undergone thorough background checks. We have a scheduling line, staffed, at all dog walking times, to answer any questions and schedule any needs, including last-minute needs. Our staff, of 25 employees, is made up of experienced pet handlers that love what they do. Our goal is to provide you excellent pet care and to build a lasting relationship. We are flexible to your needs as well.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
16 years of experience
Services we offer
Daily mid-day dog walks, overnight care, pet taxi, vacation pet sitting, weekend walks and pet care.
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.623 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 87% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 9% | ||
| 4% |
Showing 1-23 of 23 reviews
Paul G.
Feb 2015
First let me be clear that Tails on Trails' walkers are beyond criticism. Our regular walkers were just lovely people and we appreciated their work immensely; they looked after our dog two days per week (and early on, made two visits on those days) from roughly 10 weeks to just shy of six months. I couldn't have asked for better people to care for our dog, and our webcam was proof of their kindness, trustworthiness, punctuality and proficiency.
Unfortunately, an unannounced change made by the company in early January of this year came to my attention when new walkers-in-training showed up at a time I thought was quite late. Upon checking the online schedule, I discovered that the window for arrival of walkers had been changed from 11:30a-12:30p to 11:45a-1:15p, which is quite a different wait for a pup under six months of age considering we leave home at 8am.
This change closely followed a day in which I was informed after I'd left for work that a normally scheduled half-hour visit would be cut short to just 15 minutes due to poor weather. No credit to my account was offered or given, though it bears mentioning that if the customer makes a change for the following week any time after Thursday, the company policy is to charge you half of that day's fees. In other words, if I find out on Friday I'm going to be working from home next Thursday and won't need a walk, I still get charged half of the fee for that visit.
In any case, when I contacted the company about the change to the scheduled walk, there was no expressed concern that they'd done so without making effort to communicate that to us--the customer--ahead of time. It was simply stated as the way things would be. When I noted (politely; I'm happy to post my part of the exchange if anyone is curious) that we would simply liked to have known about and discussed the change, the response conveyed a tone of "this is our new schedule, and your new time of walks; if you don't like it, you can find another walker" in so many words, however politely.
So find another walker we did. Though I'm not bargain hunting, they are much less expensive (by 30% for a half-hour walk), yet far more responsive. Changes can be made the day of the walk without any additional fees. Federal "snow days" don't mean a canceled walk (great for those of us who don't operate on the government's schedule). Finally--and most importantly--the owner visited with us in our home for at least an hour to discuss our dog and our needs, how we were training the dog, etc. We talked about changes down the road, to be discussed in advance, namely a move to a two-hour walk window when the pup is ready for that change, but again... after a discussion with us.
In the weeks since we switched to the new provider, I can't say the quality of walks has improved or diminished... they are every bit as good as Tails on Trails, and that is a huge compliment. However, the scheduling/administrative side of Tails on Trails could use some work in my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
Unfortunately, an unannounced change made by the company in early January of this year came to my attention when new walkers-in-training showed up at a time I thought was quite late. Upon checking the online schedule, I discovered that the window for arrival of walkers had been changed from 11:30a-12:30p to 11:45a-1:15p, which is quite a different wait for a pup under six months of age considering we leave home at 8am.
This change closely followed a day in which I was informed after I'd left for work that a normally scheduled half-hour visit would be cut short to just 15 minutes due to poor weather. No credit to my account was offered or given, though it bears mentioning that if the customer makes a change for the following week any time after Thursday, the company policy is to charge you half of that day's fees. In other words, if I find out on Friday I'm going to be working from home next Thursday and won't need a walk, I still get charged half of the fee for that visit.
In any case, when I contacted the company about the change to the scheduled walk, there was no expressed concern that they'd done so without making effort to communicate that to us--the customer--ahead of time. It was simply stated as the way things would be. When I noted (politely; I'm happy to post my part of the exchange if anyone is curious) that we would simply liked to have known about and discussed the change, the response conveyed a tone of "this is our new schedule, and your new time of walks; if you don't like it, you can find another walker" in so many words, however politely.
So find another walker we did. Though I'm not bargain hunting, they are much less expensive (by 30% for a half-hour walk), yet far more responsive. Changes can be made the day of the walk without any additional fees. Federal "snow days" don't mean a canceled walk (great for those of us who don't operate on the government's schedule). Finally--and most importantly--the owner visited with us in our home for at least an hour to discuss our dog and our needs, how we were training the dog, etc. We talked about changes down the road, to be discussed in advance, namely a move to a two-hour walk window when the pup is ready for that change, but again... after a discussion with us.
In the weeks since we switched to the new provider, I can't say the quality of walks has improved or diminished... they are every bit as good as Tails on Trails, and that is a huge compliment. However, the scheduling/administrative side of Tails on Trails could use some work in my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
Response from Tails on Trails
"I so appreciate you taking the time to discuss your experience with our company. Feedback is important to us. When you first started with us, we did in fact, provide a one-hour window for services. That is typically how we work with puppies for twice a day service. At the time you started, and as stated in our agreement, once you go to once a day service, all mid-day services need a 90-minute window. Many of our clients provide us a two-hour window. This window is necessary as we are always so accommodating for canceling and adding appointments the day of service. You can account to this as you had canceled your regular appointments a significant amount of time. In fact, during the short time you were with us, you canceled 14 out of the 30 appointments you had scheduled, not including the holidays, of course. As a result, when clients add and cancel service, we do need some flexibility to meet the needs of all of our clients. We need to then move clients around to route the sitters properly. When you requested a 60-minute window, we told you we would do our best but that we request a 90-minute window. When you expressed not wanting a visit as late as 1:15 PM, we offered you a slightly earlier window of 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM and you refused that as well. We provided a few different options to you, but when you insisted on the one-hour window of noon to 1 PM, we said we would do our best. A few of the days you were unhappy about were days when snow and ice were on the ground. We always work to be as flexible as possible. We were also extremely responsive to all of your requests for changes and needs. I did not feel it was a smart idea to promise something we might not be able to meet. We are a very honest and hard-working staff. We respond to every request, concern, or special need within hours of requesting it of us. We have over 500 very fair and satisfied clients. I find your characterization of our company, staff, and our reputation extremely unwarranted. I would hope anyone reading this review would see we have many, many other happy customers. I am sorry we couldn't meet your needs. I feel it is better to be honest about that, rather than making a promise we couldn't keep. I would be happy to address this issue with you or anyone reading this."
Kathryn E.
Feb 2015
We had used this service with no issues back in August when we were only gone for a few days. This time we were gone for over a week and we were not at all happy with the service we received. We have two cats, and per the instructions on the company's website, the doors to all areas of the house that the cats do not need access to were closed off. Our cats enjoy being in the master bedroom, but the website says that only areas where the cats need access to (i.e. food, water, and litter box locations) should be left open as the workers will not check any other areas. I understand this policy as if something happens in an area the worker doesn't check, it could sit there for days. However, it was still with some trepidation that we closed off the master bedroom, but we wanted to follow instructions. One or both of our cats tore up the carpet under the door of the bedroom so bad that you can see the wood underneath. It will need to be replaced and this carpet is barely even a year old. We were not informed of this either via text or phone call or in any of the daily notes we received. It is possible the workers did not notice the growing amounts of carpet pieces in that location, but it seems unlikely they didn't notice the same issue outside of the upstairs hall bathroom, which was also closed per the company's instruction. In retrospect, I would have rather ignored the company's suggestion and dealt with an easily fixable mess if one of the cats had vomited than have to spend so much extra money on replacing the carpet. I'm not blaming the company for the cats tearing up the carpet, but I am blaming them for not letting us know it was happening so that we might provide instructions for how to stop further damage (i.e. open the doors).
My fiance put notes on the locations of the wet food and silverware, but for some unknown reason, another food was used. I received a text while on vacation that there was an ant problem and the food bowls had been moved. The person also reported the cats weren't eating very much, and upon arriving home and seeing the wrong food cans in the trash can (not in the recycling), I knew immediately WHY the cats weren't eating. Our one cat was a little hefty and she has noticeably lost weight. If there was any question as to which food to use, it would have been nice to receive a text or phone call for clarification. There were also multiple handfuls of treats left on the stairs, presumably for the cats to snack on when they were more comfortable (they are rather shy around strangers), but they had been sitting out so long, they were dried out and hard as rocks.
Finally, the litter box had not had fresh litter put into it for the entire week we were gone. My fiance said it wasn't scooped very well either as there were still many remnants in the bottom to be scraped off. There were 2 boxes of fresh litter right next to the litter box, one of which was unopened, so I don't understand why the box was not refreshed.
Based on our two experiences, I think this company is a much better fit for something like daily dog walks when owners are at work or short weekend trips. I would not recommend using them for any lengthy vacations and I will personally not be using them again at all.
My fiance put notes on the locations of the wet food and silverware, but for some unknown reason, another food was used. I received a text while on vacation that there was an ant problem and the food bowls had been moved. The person also reported the cats weren't eating very much, and upon arriving home and seeing the wrong food cans in the trash can (not in the recycling), I knew immediately WHY the cats weren't eating. Our one cat was a little hefty and she has noticeably lost weight. If there was any question as to which food to use, it would have been nice to receive a text or phone call for clarification. There were also multiple handfuls of treats left on the stairs, presumably for the cats to snack on when they were more comfortable (they are rather shy around strangers), but they had been sitting out so long, they were dried out and hard as rocks.
Finally, the litter box had not had fresh litter put into it for the entire week we were gone. My fiance said it wasn't scooped very well either as there were still many remnants in the bottom to be scraped off. There were 2 boxes of fresh litter right next to the litter box, one of which was unopened, so I don't understand why the box was not refreshed.
Based on our two experiences, I think this company is a much better fit for something like daily dog walks when owners are at work or short weekend trips. I would not recommend using them for any lengthy vacations and I will personally not be using them again at all.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Hello, Thank you for taking the time to review our services. I am disappointed you were not happy with our level of care. We always strive to exceed customer needs as noted by several of our satisfied clients that have reviewed our services as well. We have many, many happy clients that have utilized us for up to two months at a time. The length of time of your reservation should and has never made a difference in the level of our care. I very much would like to discuss your experience with you and make it right with you. Please call me, at any time, to discuss your concerns. I take our reputation and quality of care very, very seriously. I certainly wish you would have reached out to discuss it with me then. However, I welcome an opportunity to address your concerns. Please reach out to me."
Karen F.
Jan 2015
unknown
Greg S.
Dec 2014
unknown
William P.
Jul 2014
We have used Tails on Trails before and received excellent service. This vacation was longer than most and the sitter was very responsive to our request to be kept up to date on an older pet's health and activities. They visit twice a day and will not only provide great pet care, feeding and cat box cleaning, but will also bring in your mail and water any plants that you specify. Can't say enough good things about the service and reliability provided. We do not want to impose on neighbors or extended family when we go away and Tails on Trails is a reasonably priced alternative that it extremely reliable and trustworthy!
Roslyn P.
Apr 2014
I just started using them and they are outstanding. Their service is outstanding and they really care about the pets. They are timely and they keep in contact with me. They always give a timely response for messages that I leave. I really appreciate the great work they are doing.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thank you for your review. We love having Lexi in the Tails on Trails family. She is a delight to be around!"
LORA S.
Jan 2014
I have been using Tails on Trails for several years and I trust them in my house and with my dogs. Even my little Chihuahua trusts them and has become a much more social, relaxed dog. The walker leaves a note after every visit and makes sure they have water and a treat. They are very reliable and always on time and most importantly - my dogs love them and look forward to their walks.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thanks [member name removed]! We love having Gaby and Pepe in the Tails on Trails family. They are great pups!"
Kira T.
Dec 2013
We had a horrible experience with them. We used them to go on a trip to New York, it was a last minute thing, and they said that everything would be fine and good. One of our dogs was not comfortable with meeting new men, and we informed them about that, so they said they would have a backup just in case the first one didn't work out. While we were 10 minutes away from New York, they called to say that the guy can't do the overnight. He doesn't feel comfortable and they don't have anybody else to watch the dogs, and so our dogs would be just surrendered. Their price was fine.
Response from Tails on Trails
"We have absolutely no record of you as a client and we do not service Finksburg. Is it possible you have a different company?"
Kalee C.
Nov 2013
My dog walker is kind to my dogs and makes sure they get exercise. I would feel comfortable using this company to take care of my dogs while I were out of town as opposed to boarding them. They're a tad pricy but I'm willing to pay extra for the reliability of the company and my animals care.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thanks [member name removed]. I know Josh loves seeing your pups!"
Darcy H.
Nov 2013
I had a pet walker take my golden retriever out for mid-day exercise and a pet sitter stay overnight in my home with my dog while my husband and I were traveling. It was wonderful. The sitter sent text and photos while we were gone, and the sitter and walker both provided detailed notes on what happened everyday. I have used Tails on Trails several times including a 14 day trip to Alaska and the service has always been wonderful. Traveling again in February and already have my reservation on the books.
Response from Tails on Trails
"[removed member name]. We really appreciate your continuing to use us. Link is a wonderful guy!"
Carey W.
Aug 2013
Our cat does not like most people but Josh (pet sitter) has done a wonderful job in caring for and getting our cat to respond to him. Tails On Trails is always quick to respond to questions and requests for scheduling. Everyone that I have had contact with at Tails on Trails is very friendly, helpful and professional.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thank you so much [Member Name Removed]. We look forward to working with you for many trips to come!"
Robin C.
Aug 2013
Michelle gives personalized care for my dog. I never worry about her well-being when she is with Michelle.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Katie is a joy to care for and we love her. Thanks!"
Dennis U.
Aug 2013
The company charged fees to offset the additional mileage to my home, as they are based out of Baltimore. These fees, over time, added significant cost to the service. We found a more local company, which also does a great job. This situation is reflected in the "price" grade. Customers in Baltimore not charged the mileage fees will likely be more satisfied with the costs.
Response from Tails on Trails
"[removed member name], I am sorry to hear about your experience. We are not based out of Baltimore, nor do we charge extra for any areas."
Mary M.
Aug 2013
In addition to contracted service, removed trash bag from kitchen that was beginning to smell; gave cat treats; nicely stacked mail and newspaper. They have always done a terrific job -- never missed a visit; always on time; very responsible.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thanks for your kind words. We love having you guys in the Tails on Trails family and are glad you can relax and enjoy your time away!"
James M.
Aug 2013
They provided the services daily for six and a half months.
Andrea K.
Aug 2013
They’re great and I love them! I trust them and they all seem to love animals. The owner is great and I trust her and her staff. They are kind and I know they will take care of the animals. They leave notes for the visits and they even update you while you are away. Your animals can stay in your home and you know they will be taken care of.
Elinor D.
Aug 2013
The experience has been very well. They were pretty easy to contact and are responsive to your requests. They also seem to have a competent staff.
Joanna R.
Aug 2013
I think their service is great! Based on experience I have had in the past with other dog walking services, they are extremely reliable. I switched to them because I came home one day and one of my dogs had pooped in the house. I thought that was weird because he had never pooped in the house before. When I let my dogs outside, the other dog pooped immediately. It seemed as though the dogs had not been let out that day. I found that the dog walker had an accident and was in the hospital. I needed to find a company who very reliable, shows up, and has a back-up plan if something happened. Tails on Trails offers all of this. You never have to worry that they will not show up. Their price is more than I was paying before, but it is still good.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thank you [member name removed]. We so appreciate you taking the time to review us. We love the walking J & S. They are great dogs!"
Michelle D.
Aug 2013
The experience was great! They have great personal attention to their customers.
Response from Tails on Trails
"Hi [member name removed], Thanks for the review. We are glad the visits went well!"
Caitlin W.
Jul 2013
TOT is fantastic. Michelle knew we were anxious about leaving the dogs for the weekend. her and her team gave us constant updates via text message. Another time she called us because she noticed a door was unlocked when her team came by to walk the dogs. TOT is extremely on top of things. We feel completely at ease with them watching our pups! they also leave detailed descriptions when they leave (an actual form, not just a note written on a napkin!). Lastly, their website makes it super easy to request visits. All in all, such a great experience.
Adrienne G.
Apr 2013
I would definitely recommend Tails on Trails. Michelle and her crew are awesome and they take great care of your pets!
Response from Tails on Trails
"Thank you [member name removed]. We love having Rocky in the family. I am happy to know we are doing a great job with your services. Always know, if there is ever anything you would like done differently, we are flexible to your needs. Thanks again!"
Fleet D.
May 2011
They are professional and flexible. You can set up an appointment on a short notice. It?s easy to pay your bills. It?s easy to contact them, text them, and email them. They do a good job with the dogs. The dogs love them. I would use them in the future.
Amy S.
Apr 2011
Great. My dog was fine when I got home, no accidents. Also - my neighbor saw the walker with my dog and said she was very friendly and seemed like she liked my dog.
Licensing
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FAQ
Tails on Trails is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.
Tails on Trails accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Tails on Trails offers free project estimates.
No, Tails on Trails does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Tails on Trails does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Tails on Trails offers emergency services.
No, Tails on Trails does not offer warranties.