FAQ

  • What parts of town do you service?

Most of Austin and surrounding suburbs based on pet sitter or trainer availability.  Check out our service map for more detail.

  • Are you bonded and insured? http://www.petsitllc.com/logos/med_petsit_new.jpg

Absolutely! All of our Pet Care Specialists and Trainers carry coverage through PSA. Membership ID: 30721

  • What makes a Pet Care Specialist so special?

Our Pet Care Specialists (Pet Sitters) are career pet sitters, pet first aid certified, and experienced canine and feline handlers.  Most importantly, each highly trained PCS does their job out of pure love and enthusiasm for animals with a sharp eye for details and a deep respect for the animals.   Everyone who works with Leaps N’ Hounds is also involved with rescue or other groups that contribute to helping animals in need.

  • What makes your training great?
  1. We insist on a FREE training consult for every client so you get to know us before you hire us.
  2. We come to you to train in the home or wherever needed.
  3. Flexible scheduling times include evenings, days, & weekends.
  4. Training is personalized to fit your needs in your home.
  5. More can be taught in fewer lessons with a Private Trainer.
  6. Our sessions average 1.5-2 hours, giving our clients a complete training experience with ample practice in sessions packed with content.
  7. With a private trainer you will benefit from the undivided attention of a professional.  You will learn more about who your dog is, why they do what they do, and how to approach them to get the best results in real life scenarios. Guaranteed.
  8. Your dog will be more confident, balanced and responsive because our approach is 100% kind, focusing on building the bond and communication between dog and person.
  9. We have years of experience with all sizes, breeds, and personalities. From 3lb chihuahuas to 200lb mastiffs and every delightful mutt in between.
  10. We’re in it for the long run.   We offer free “Puppy Tech Support”  and you can always contact your trainer directly even after training is complete.
  11. Therapy training, obedience, CGC Certifications, Small Group Classes, Behavior Counseling, and more – Our Private and Private Group training services can help you and your dog reach your goals.
  • What is the charge if I have more than one pet?

Our pricing is simple.  We charge for our time, so there’s no extra charge if you have more than one pet for training or pet care.  

  • How frequently will I meet with a trainer for private training?

That depends on what your training plan requires for best results. Typically we meet about once a week with our clients for 1.5 hours.

  • How many clients do your trainers typically visit in a day?

To ensure that our trainers stay sharp and our clients never feel “processed,” the maximum number of clients our trainers visit in a day is 3. We do not over book, so when we are booked, we are booked. For this reason we urge our clients to call us in advance to schedule a training consult.

  • How many visits can you do in a day (Pet Sitting)?

2, 3, 4, overnight?  It depends on your pet’s needs. Just tell us what you need and our team will do their best to accommodate you.

  • What if my Pet Sitter gets sick or cannot provide service that day for some reason?

Working as a team, Leaps N’ Hounds Pet Sitters follow strict emergency & safety protocol:

  1. We sanitize so we don’t get sick and we don’t spread germs from animal to animal.
  2. We work as a team.  In case of emergency we will notify you and, in most cases, we will already have made arrangements for one of our other Pet Sitters to cover the visit if needed.
  3. We cross-train.  Most of our pet sitters have met each other’s regular clients and are familiar with the pets and their care routines first-hand.
  4. We have detailed paperwork on file and take excellent notes – all to make sure we take immaculate care of our animal friends and allowing for another pet sitter to step in with the same notes in case of emergency.
  • What is the minimum Pet Sitting Visit?

Our standard visit is a half hour and gives us enough time to feed, walk, and snuggle most pets.  We do not charge extra for multiple pets or administering meds, but additional time may be recommended if your pets’ routines take more time.

  • Can you provide references?

Sure – just ask, reference our testimonials on this site, or surf the web for more of the awesome stuff people have to say about us.  We consistently earn 5 star ratings.

  • Pet Training and Pet Sitting together?

Naturally. We offer a full service pet care packages and want to be there to support you throughout the course of your pet’s happy life. From puppy training to obedience refreshers, to canine and feline behavior consulting, to excellent continued care that you can trust – our services are designed to cover the full spectrum.

  • Do I have to get pet sitting and pet training together?

No – Our Pet Sitters specialize in what they do as well as our Trainers.  We can combine basic training and pet care in case you want us to teach Fido some new tricks while we’re there, but there is no obligation to do so and our pet sitters and dog trainers won’t critique your animals behavior if they aren’t perfect.  We love them for who they are!

  • How does it work?
  1. Call, email or Submit a Service Request to schedule a Meet n’ Greet or free Training Consult, and we’ll come to you as scheduled.
  2. Tell us what you want, order services, and provide us a key if requesting pet sitting.
  3. We show up on the dates and times needed and provide service.
  4. You and your pets are happy!
  • Do you offer services to people without pets?

Sure!  While your pets will always be our first priority, we’d be happy to help look after your home or help out however we can when our clients need it.  Just submit a Service Request and we’ll follow up with pricing and details.

  • Payment

Payment is required prior to service.

We accept cash, checks, & credit card payments through Google Checkout

Split payments may be arranged on a case-by-case basis for training clients who purchase 4 or more sessions.

  • Cancellation Policy

Contact your pet sitter immediately if cancelling services at their direct number (provided at the time of booking).  We will call or email you back to confirm your cancellation.  We do our best to stay flexible with our clients and will not charge a fee for cancelling unless it directly effects our ability to serve other clients.  With that said, our official cancellation policy is as follows:

For Pet Sitting Services

Non-Peak Season Cancellations: 24 hours notice prior to any scheduled service is recommended in order for Leaps n’ Hounds to guarantee full refund or credit.  When less notice is given, Leaps n’ Hounds reserves the right to charge the client full or partial fees to cover travel expenses and time lost at the pet sitter’s discretion.

Holiday & *Peak SeasonCancellations:

Holiday & *Peak Season Cancellations:   All services canceled within 2 weeks (14 days) of scheduled service will be fully refunded.

Cancellations made with less than 2 weeks notice will be subject to a 50% charge of the bookings total including holiday service fees.

*Peak Season includes the time between October 25th and January 15th.  All bookings made within this time frame require a 50% deposit.

*Holidays include:  Valentines Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Halloween. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and the day before (eve) major holidays.

For Training

The success of a dog’s training depends largely on the dog’s human family and is not under the control of the trainer.  For this reason training refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  Training refunds will be considered for the following reasons:  untimely death or illness of the dog or client, unplanned relocations that are deemed too far for your trainer to travel, or if  your trainer believes your dog requires a different type of expertise and will not benefit from their services.

Last Minute Bookings

We work as a team and do our best to accommodate our busy clients’ last minute needs.  You can call us any time to schedule service (even after hours), and we will reply within 24 hours.  Obviously we cannot guarantee we will be up watching the phone or email at 11pm, or that we will have availability at 10am the following day, but we will do our best to provide service when it is requested no matter how short the notice – and without penalizing our clients.

There are no fees or penalties for last minute bookings, however if the pet sitter closest to you is not available, there may be a travel charge for another pet sitter to cover your visit.  Of course we will notify you if there is any additional charge before confirming your visit.

If you are a new client, keep in mind that we must come out to meet you and your pets to set up service first for our safety and yours- NO Exceptions. We recommend you contact us one-to-two weeks in advance during the regular season (and as early as possible during the peak season*).

If you think you will need us last-minute on a regular basis, no problem!  Set up service ahead of time and requesting pet sitting from then on is as easy as submitting a quick Service Request.

Holiday & Peak Season Policy

We start taking holiday bookings for Thanksgiving through New Years early in the year.    50% payment may be required to reserve  holiday pet sitting, with the remainder due on the first day of service.

There is a $5 per visit holiday service fee on all holidays and on the day before each holiday.