Frequently Asked Questions
About Swifto
Swifto is an innovative dog walking company that integrates mobile technology to provide clients with the best possible experience. Our goal is simple: To bring dog walking to the 21st century while preserving the highest degrees of reliability and trust.
Swifto is a dog walking company for the over extended pet owner, a slick solution for your daytime dog worries, and as close as you can to actually being on your pups walk! First, we match you with one of our highly experienced walkers, all of whom are screened, background checked, insured, and bonded. From there our clients enjoy GPS walk monitoring, pictures, and live poop alerts sent directly to their phone and email! It’s pretty rad. Read More
Your Swifto walker will use the app to alert you when they have picked up and dropped off your dog, as well as GPS tracking the entire walk. The app is a cornerstone of Swifto bringing dog walking into the modern age. The Swifto app allows you to know exactly when your walk starts and ends, where your pup goes, and how the walk went. Full features of the app can be found here.
Yes! We currently offer cat visits which include feeding your cat, changing the litter box, refilling the water, brushing, playing, and giving snuggles, love, and attention to your kitty! We can also water your plants, turn off and on your lights, or bring in your mail!
Cat visits are priced the same as dog walks. You can view our pricing pages by clicking below:
Back in February of 2012, Swifto was the first to offer GPS-tracked dog walking and to take dog walking to a whole new level. Nowadays, many dog walking apps are popping up, yet none provide the high level of care and attention to detail that Swifto has always provided. While technology can be copied to some extent, it's actually the level of care, quality of the dog walkers we hire, and excellence in service that we provide that really sets us apart. Read more
Swifto provides dog walks, dog sitting, puppy visits, doggy pick ups and drop offs, cat visits, and overnight stays at your home. All of our services are provided by our professional and stellar dog walkers and pet sitters. The bookings can range anywhere from 20 minutes to overnights.
The Swifto office is open from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, excluding national holidays. While Swifto offers walks and visits 7 days a week from 6am-11pm, all bookings must be scheduled during our office hours (or online). Do note, that for additional walks and visits, we're going to need 5 business hours advance notice in order to guarantee that we'll be able to find a dog walker or pet sitter who can do the booking in time.
How does it work?
Swifto utilizes mobile technology to bring dog walking and pet sitting to the 21st century. Features of our app can be found here. Just create an account and schedule your dog walks or pet sitting visits online, by phone, email, or text and we will take care of the rest! Your new Swifto dog walker or pet sitter will keep you updated using the Swifto app to GPS track every booking and send you notifications and photos of your pet by text and email throughout! Read more
It’s super easy, and you can get started online anytime! Just create a Swifto account here, choose a walk schedule and fill out your dog's profile. Then sit back and relax while we set you up with one of our rockstar dog walkers who will GPS track and update you on every walk via the Swifto app. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us via email at scheduling@swifto.com for NYC and Miami clients, or northcarolina@swifto.com for those in North Carolina. Alternatively, you can give us a call or text at (917) 746-7633 for NYC, (786) 408-7870 for Miami, and (980) 399-5980 for North Carolina, and we’d be happy to assist you in setting up an account.
If you have a consistent schedule, you’ll be matched with a consistent dog walker or pet sitter, the same person who will be caring for your pet for your consistently scheduled walks or visits. If your regular pet sitter happens to ever need time off, no worries! We will have one of our other qualified and experienced sitters fill in and will offer a complimentary meet and greet if time allows. We will always reach out to previous sitters first before asking the rest of the team.
All of our pet sitters have undergone a rigorous hiring process, are insured, bonded, background checked and Swifto certified! A complimentary Meet & Greet is provided in-home as an opportunity for you and your dog or cat to get acquainted with your sitter and develop a personal, trusting relationship. If you aren’t completely satisfied with the sitter originally assigned, we are more than happy to match you with another person who may be a better fit.
Any walk or visit that does not fall within the criteria of consistent, repeating walks/visits is considered a "Sporadic Walk/Visit", which although doesn't include an additional fee has no guaranteed consistent pet sitter. Since our pet sitters have varying pre-planned schedules, there is no way for us to guarantee the same sitter for walks or visits that are not consistent.
Having said that, we will always ask your previous sitter first if they can accommodate another walk/visit, before reaching out to a new sitter. Read More
We’ve got you covered! We will notify you by text and email and set you up with another one of our experienced walkers in your area. If you would prefer not to have a cover walker, let us know and we would be happy to cancel and credit you back for the walk.
Absolutely! All of our dog walks are private one-on-one walks, or if you have more than one dog, household walks. Please note that we can only walk multiple dogs together if they are from the same household, not from different apartments within the same building.
At Swifto, we believe your dog deserves the utmost care! Our private walks guarantee your dog will receive the attention to meet his specific needs.
Yes! When you enter your dog’s information on our site, you’ll be able to specify any of your pup’s needs, including feeding, medication, or any other information that we need to know. Our walkers are more than happy to meet your dog’s needs for no extra charge.
When you register with Swifto, you’ll have the option to let us know how the walker will gain access to your apartment:
- You provide the walker with a set of keys (NYC clients only)
- The key is left with a doorman
- The key is left in a lockbox
- You will be home to let them in
- You will specify another option
If you are a new client, keys are generally exchanged at the initial Meet and Greet. Read More.
This applies to NYC clients only.
The best way to retrieve the key back is to let us know upfront and then the dog walker can leave the key during the last scheduled walk.
Clients can also retrieve their keys by sending us an email to scheduling@swifto.com and requesting for the keys to be returned. We will then mail out the key via USPS and provide a tracking number as well as package the key in a safe and discrete manner.
If the key is needed back urgently, we will arrange a complimentary key drop off by one of our dog walkers at your home within the next business day so long as the drop off location is still within our service area.
Scheduling
Once you have an account, you can easily review your current schedule and request individual or recurring walks online or through the app. Just log in to your Swifto account and select the scheduling tab. From there, you’re able to select the type of service, duration, date, and the walker you’d prefer so that they are asked first. You will automatically receive a confirmation email when your walker is selected including their contact information and a link to their profile. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at scheduling@swifto.com. Feel free to text or call us too! (In NYC - (917)746-7633, in Miami (786)408-7870, in North Carolina (980)399-5980)
Please note that while we offer walks 7 days a week, we schedule all walks (including those requested online) during our business hours, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, excluding national holidays.
It’s super easy to cancel individual walks online at any time by logging into your dashboard and selecting the scheduling tab. If you ever need to cancel a repeating walk, just send an email to scheduling@swifto.com and we will update your schedule accordingly.
You can cancel a walk at any time! Just be sure to let us know at least 24 hours in advance if you wish to be credited back for your cancellation. Swifto maintains a strict 24 hour cancellation policy, which is required as a courtesy to our dog walkers who rely on the income of their pre-set walk schedules to make a living, and who without sufficient notice, aren't granted the opportunity of making alternate arrangements to pick up additional work to make up for the loss of income within the time slot that was originally reserved for your scheduled walk.
If you have a regular, repeating walk schedule, we highly recommend keeping your set walk schedule as constant and unchanging as possible, with minimal scheduling adjustments. As last minute cancellations and reschedules do cause our Dog Walking Professionals to lose valuable work hours, a consistent, set schedule encourages dog walker longevity and reduces turnover rate, resulting in a regular, consistent dog walker for you and your pup!
Nope! We can accommodate regularly occurring walk schedules as well as sporadic, as needed, or emergency walks. If you do have a consistent schedule, though, we can set you up with a consistent dog walker. You can view and update your schedule online at any time.
However, if you do a have a repeating schedule, we will be able to set you up with a consistent walker every time.
Swifto's dog walkers have busy and varying schedules, making it difficult to guarantee exact times. Swifto's two hour time window ensures that our dog walkers have enough flexibility in order to be on time to walk your dog, while also accounting for delays on public transit, finding an apartment, delays with a doorman, etc. It also gives our office some flexibility in the event of last minute covers or additional walks.
For example: your dog walk will begin anytime during the guaranteed, two-hour time frame. If your walk is scheduled between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, that means your walk can begin at any time between those two time frames. Your dog walker will be more than happy to try and accommodate special time requests, especially if it involves puppy potty training, medication etc,. but our commitment to you is to ensure that the walk actually begins within the time window. A two-hour time frame is an industry standard with dog walking. Dog walking companies that guarantee exact times aren't realistic. By providing a broader time frame, we're able to guarantee that the walks will in fact start in the time provided.
No problem! Swifto provides walks 7 days a week between the hours of 6:00am-11:00pm with 6 am - 8 am being the earliest two hour window offered and 9-11 PM being the latest at no additional cost even on Holidays!
Adjusting Regular Walks
Certain changes to your schedule such as a change in address, time, day or duration may be difficult for your regular dog walker to accommodate, but we’ll certainly do our best and if not, we will find another dog walker who can accommodate. If this is an ongoing change that your current walker cannot accommodate, we will be happy to set you up with another regular walker and will arrange a complimentary meet and greet.
No problem! You can review your current schedule and request additional walks online or on the app at any time by logging in to your dashboard on swifto.com and clicking on the “Schedule” tab. Oftentimes your regular walker will be available to pick up additional walks, however many of our walkers are in very high demand and cannot always accommodate scheduling changes and additions. If that is the case, you may choose to either cancel the walk, extend the walk window, or schedule a walk with another one of our talented walkers. Read More.
As a courtesy to our dog walkers, we do ask that regular walks be as consistent as possible. However, we also understand that schedules can change and you may occasionally need to rearrange your walks, so we just ask for at least 24 hours notice for any cancellations to avoid being charged for the dog walk. It’s always best to cancel walks as soon as you know you won’t need them so our walkers can plan their schedules accordingly.
If you need to add a last minute walk to your schedule, we can guarantee to accommodate so long as you give us at least 5 business hours of advance notice, if provided less notice we will still always do our best but can’t guarantee it in that situation.
You can cancel and request individual walks from your online dashboard or through the app by logging in to your account on swifto.com and selecting the scheduling tab. Recurring walks can also be requested online. If you need to cancel a recurring walk, or for any other changes, just send an email to scheduling@swifto.com. And as always, if you feel more comfortable doing your scheduling over the phone, you can always call or text us during business hours (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). In NYC - (917)746-7633, in Miami (786)408-7870, in North Carolina (980)399-5980 and we'll be happy to help you out.
The Dog Walkers
Yes! Swifto only accepts walkers that have legitimate, professional experience in caring for dogs. All of our dog walkers have had years of experience with dogs. Including but not limited to:
- Having worked as a dog walker or a pet sitter in the past.
- Having owned at least one dog.
- Having volunteered at places like a shelter or a doggy day care.
Our walkers are knowledgeable, passionate, and and have a true love for dogs.
Yes! all of our dog walkers are insured and bonded against any accidents that may occur when your dog is in our care. You can take a look at what our insurance covers here.
Absolutely! Swifto employs walkers who have a wide variety of experience with dogs of various sizes, breeds, and temperaments. Our qualified dog walkers are more than happy to walk all and all dog breeds.
The Swifto scheduling team matches new clients with walkers based on the following criteria:
- dog walker’s previous experience with breeds, dog sizes, puppies or elderly dogs
- dog walker’s availability
- any owner specifications:
- personality
- gender
We consider all these factors to guarantee that you and your pup are matched with the best possible walker!
Almost all of our dog walkers have previously owned dogs. If they haven’t, they have had extensive experience working with dogs in other situations, such as volunteering at shelters, walking other’s dogs, and working at vet offices or other dog service industries.
We do our best to accommodate any walker requests, but we cannot guarantee their availability outside of regularly scheduled walks. Not to worry though, all of our walkers are highly experienced with dogs, background checked, insured and bonded. We also select your walker based on your dogs specific preferences such as gender and personality.
Absolutely! For clients with a consistent schedule, new clients, or when your regular walker is on vacation, we offer a complimentary 30 minute in-home meeting called a Meet and Greet between you, your dog, and your regular walker before walks begin. It’s the perfect time to get to know them and go over any additional instructions or practical details about your dog. All of the information you share during the meeting is then saved into your dog’s profile so that your walker may reference it at any time as well as any Swifto Team Member who may cover for additional walks when needed.
The only situation where the meet and greet won’t be complimentary is if you have a sporadic schedule and so we cannot guarantee that the same walker will always be available for sporadic walks, as we never know when you will need them. In that case, you will still get one complimentary meet and greet as a new client, but after that you can reach out to the sporadic walker by phone or text prior to the walk schedule, or pay $15 for additional meet and greets with other sporadic walkers.
You can read more about what happens during a meet and greet here!
If you share our passion for dogs and think you’d make a great addition to the Swifto Dog Walking Team, Apply to be a Swifto Dog Walker.
The Technology
Your Swifto Account is your personal online profile used to manage your calendar, schedule walks for the future, update your billing information, or make any changes to your or your dog’s profile.
Swifto has an app that allows you to live track your dog's walk! The app shows the walk's route, alerts and updates, and photos! You can download the app for iPhone and Android.
For your convenience, only the Swifto Dog Walkers need to download the Swifto GPS Tracking App. In order to view your dog’s walk and receive updates, all you have to do is log in to your Swifto Profile at www.swifto.com, select your dashboard, and watch your walk via the map.
We did recently release an Android app and an Iphone app for our clients as well, but it is absolutely not needed to enjoy our service.
Billing
To set up your payments:
- Log In to your Swifto account at swifto.com
- select your Dashboard
- select “Add Credit Card.”
If you need to edit your card info:
- Log in to your Swifto account
- select your dashboard
- select “Edit Credit Card”
Absolutely! For a 20 minute walk you will earn 13 points, 625 points can then be redeemed for a FREE 20 minute walk!
See here for a full list of how many points you will be earning per walk duration.
If you are (or were referred by) a current Swifto client, you can take advantage of our Affiliate Program! For every friend who you refer that schedules walks, both of you will receive a free 20 minute walk. There is no limit to the number of people you can refer or the number of free walks you can accumulate!
All of our payments are done automatically online via credit card. We accept all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
Just log onto your Swifto account and select the billing tab. There you can view all of your past and current invoices, as well as update your credit card information.
When you log into your Swifto account, any remaining credit will be shown as a monetary amount in the billing tab of your dashboard.
For additional or sporadic walks, we charge on a per walk basis when your walker is selected. Click here for more information about adding additional walks to your regular schedule.
If you’ve paid for a walk and canceled with at least 24 hours notice, you will be credited towards your next invoice. You can also request that any credit you have on your Swifto account will be refunded to your credit card on file, and we’ll be happy to do so.
As a new client you will be billed for the first time only after you've had your first meet and greet and confirmed you would like to proceed with the scheduled walks, and in that case will be charged for the first time a week after your first walk.
After that, by default you will be charged on the Friday before your scheduled walks every week, however you can change your billing frequency to monthly on your dashboard and in that case will be charged on the 1st of every month for the following month’s schedule.
If you add additional walks throughout the month/week, you'll be charged an hour after the walk has been scheduled.
If you add last minute walks, or walks where you only want a specific dog walker, you will only be charged once the walk has been confirmed.
General Questions
Yes. Swifto does drop offs and pickups, to and from the vet, groomer, doggy day care, boarding, and more, so long as it’s walking distance from your home. Please note that we cannot promise to arrive at a certain time for vet visits, as the two hour window still applies to all pickups and drop offs.
Swifto's dog walkers know living in the city means getting your dog adjusted to a bustling and chaotic environment. Our walkers understand your dog's needs and requirements. They know how to make your dog feel safe, less scared, and secure in a city environment. Our goal, with regards to getting your dog adjusted, is to gradually help make your dog feel more relaxed.
A main concern dog owners have when moving to the city is how they are going to get their dog to use concrete for the bathroom. Using concrete, instead of grass, when going to the bathroom is a new experience, but inevitable for a city dog. This transition can be a challenging one, as most dogs feel uncomfortable changing their habits. Addressing this problem as soon as possible will be the most beneficial. Start by gently leading your dog, by his leash, to the area where he should be going to the bathroom. Positively reinforce and immediately reward your dog with treats each time he relieves himself on concrete. If your pup starts heading for the grass, quickly interrupt him by clapping your hands and then redirect him back to the concrete. Praise your pup for his good behavior, as your attitude plays a major role in his behavior change! It will take patience and time to achieve this but eventually your dog will get the hang of it! More helpful advice about new bathroom habits can be read here: Read More
Another concern is how to get your dog used to the loud noises, traffic, and crowded environment of the city. It's important to slowly immerse your dog into the city lifestyle. Start at home by opening the kitchen window so your dog can begin to hear and adjust to the sounds of the city. Doing this around feeding time will help him to positively associate these new sounds with things that make him happy...like food. You should also slowly bring your dog outside, first by holding him and bringing him near traffic, but not too close. Gradually bring him closer to the roads and then, once he's at ease, allow him to walk. This type of adjustment takes lots of patience, so remain calm and positive. To read more about adjusting your dog the the city environment, read this: Read More
The best way to ensure your considerations are always taken into account is to detail your preferences thoroughly in your dog’s profile. You can also let your dog walker know personally about any and all special hygiene requests before the walk. Swifto's dog walkers are highly experienced with all different types of dogs and their special needs. We are very accommodating and understand that you may have concerns. We know how to properly clean your dog and the variety of ways of doing so, such as, wiping paws, brushing coats, cleaning their behinds after the bathroom, etc.
Our dog walkers will be happy to provide any attire for your dog. The best way to ensure instructions are followed correctly is to indicate in your dog profile exactly what’s needed and leave any attire needed out in a prominent place! We accommodate for all weather conditions and are always prepared!
Urinary frequency in dogs differ according to breed, age, size, sex, etc. It’s typically said that smaller dogs and breeds tend to urinate more frequently than larger, older dogs. It’s important to give your dog enough opportunities to relieve himself and know when to do so.
Adult and large dogs have larger bladders than younger, smaller dogs. These dogs should have at least 3 opportunities to relieve themselves per day, about every 6-8 hours. Smaller and younger dogs should have at least 4-5 opportunities to relieve themselves per day, as their bladders are smaller than larger dogs. Dogs with health issues have different requirements when it come to holding it in. Pups with illnesses, such as diabetes or kidney disease, typically need more trips outside per day. Demanding them to hold it in for more than 2-3 hours may be an impossible task. The general rule for all puppies is, “one plus the number of months the puppy is”. Your result is the amount of hours they can hold it in for, but this doesn't directly apply to all puppies, every time. If your puppy is 3 months old, you may need to take him out every 40 minutes or so.
It is true that some dogs may prefer women over men. But, a dog's gender bias isn't so black and white. Women exhibit specific behaviors and features, like calm voices, small bodies, and gentle mannerisms, that many dogs find attractive. But, some dogs may also find a man's bigger frame and strength more attractive. Remember that your dog has a personality also and will select who it wants based on its own personal preferences and personality type.
Keep in mind why your dog might be acting up or becoming shy around the opposite gender. Is a certain man or woman associated with a bad experience your dog has? Do you know of any negative experiences in your dog's life? Do you live with someone of the opposite gender? Take into account all of these factors in order to better understand why your dog is behaving the way it is. A dog's preference can be linked to early life experiences.
To avoid a fido freak out during a dog walk, allow your dog to interact with other people. Don't immerse your pup all at once, but rather slowly let him engage with the opposite gender. Encourage socialization at an early age. Patience and positive reinforcement, something Swifto dog walkers encourage among gender-bias dogs, is key. Overtime you will see a difference!
While Swifto doesn’t discriminate based on gender, if your pup genuinely prefers a specific gender then we can accommodate accordingly.
Our team of trained and qualified dog walkers specialize in giving the highest quality care to each and every dog. The benefits of our dog walkers far outweigh those of a dog boarding facility. We spend one-on-one time playing, feeding, and walking dogs, something that dog boarding facilities cannot provide. Doggy day cares or kennels are crowded, which creates an uncomfortable and scary environement for your dog, and are breeding grounds for contagious diseases. Because these facilties are cramped, the caregivers can't cater to your dog's special needs or show the necessary affection dogs need to thrive. Swifto's dog walkers pride themselves on prioritizing the needs of the dog, which is an invaluable service that you won't get at any doggy day care facility.
Every dog needs to have a collar and/or harness and leash clearly handy for each walk. These need to be placed in a visible location for the walker, and they must be in good working condition and safe for the pooch and walker alike. If you're having trouble finding walk equipment that meets these standards, feel free to reach out to us we'll be happy to work with you to find a solution.
First Time Dog Owner/New Dog or Puppy
One of the most common questions new dog owners have is how often they should have their dog walked. Walk frequency depends on your dog’s unique needs based on age, breed, temperament, and training. For more information, click here or give us a call to discuss.
Ideal walk duration depends on your dog’s unique needs based on age, breed, temperament, and training. For more information, click here We do have a 20 minute minimum duration, however if your dog does better with a brief relief walk, it is up to you how the walker spends the remaining time. Especially with smaller breed puppies, many of our clients ask that their walker not spend the entire duration outside. You can let your walker know how long you would like them to spend walking, socializing with other dogs, or playing inside, and they will be happy to accommodate.
As all of our walks are private, Swifto does not have any rules about vaccinations or spaying/neutering. Just let us know if your dog should be kept away from other dogs while on their walk. Please note that if your dog is not spayed or neutered, it is illegal in NYC to go to a dog run, so please keep this in mind when adding in your route preferences.
It is entirely up to you to decide when your puppy is ready for walks--Swifto does not have any rules about age. For younger puppies who are not quite ready to go outside, we offer puppy visits for a walker to come and play with your new dog and take care of anything such as feeding and changing pads. When your puppy is ready to transition into walks, you can let the walker know how long you would like them to spend walking outside, socializing with other dogs, or playing inside.
Absolutely! Swifto’s walkers have a wide range of experience with dogs of all ages, breeds, and temperaments. If you have any specific requests for your new walker, just let us know and we will do our best to accomodate. For new puppies who can't walk far yet, we suggest setting you up with visits. That way, your walker can take your pup outside to relieve themself, then play with him or her inside for the remainder of the time. Our walkers can also work with your puppy to teach them new tricks, or help teach them basic commands like sitting and staying. For puppies under 6 months, we can offer a 1 hour time window instead of two to help avoid any accidents.
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