Hoochie Poochie East

This varies slightly by neighborhood, and we can discuss your particular timing needs. Generally speaking, we have a morning play group that gets picked up between 9-10:30 a.m. and an afternoon play group that gets picked up between 1-2:30 p.m. Each dog is out for three full hours.

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Each group is a little different, and we match dogs together based on personality, energy level, and location. Your team member will spend the playgroup giving your dog the most ideal experience possible, so they come home happy and tuckered out. We take long walks through Central Park, Riverside Park, and along the Esplanade on the East River. Many of our groups spend at least part of the day running out their energy in an enclosed dog park, with your permission of course.

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Safety is our number one priority. Therefore, we always bring our own water and collapsible bowls each day, to keep your pup hydrated, and also to avoid the "community water bowl" at the dog parks that can contain  bacteria. We want your dog to stay healthy, and take careful steps to do so. We also bring our own rubber Kong balls for the pups. The rubber toys are easy on their tooth enamel, and are easily cleaned so as to not spread bacteria that can accumulate in the tennis balls you often see at the dog parks. Ew! Additionally, Hoochie Poochie East team members all use the same "Tuff Mutt" leash with an auto-locking carabiner. It makes it easier when walking more than one dog if the leashes are all the same length, and the carabiner clip locks in tight, so your pooch is safe and secure. Hoochie Poochie also requires that all dogs under our care have both a collar with ID tags, and a properly fitted harness. The Easy Walk Deluxe Harness, and the Yuppy Puppy Harness are our favorite styles. Our pet care team are under strict contract to be 100% focused on the pups while under their care. This means: no cell phone texting or ipod/earphone distractions. All hands, eyes, and ears are 100% focused on your pooch.

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For safety and liability reasons, we require that all male dogs be neutered prior to joining playgroup, and that all female dogs be spayed as early as your vet recommends, as long as it is prior to their first heat.

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In order to give your dog individual attention in a small group setting, the maximum number of dogs' leashes one team member will hold while walking at one time is four. Sometimes, two team members will work together, so there could be up to 8 dogs in one group. But no one is ever holding more than 4 leashes at once.

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Your dog's safety is our first priority. In the case of extreme weather (heat, cold, blizzards, rainstorms, you name it), we will always be there, but adjust playgroup accordingly. Your team member will make a judgement call based on the experience they have with your dog, and the preferences that you have laid out for us. We will keep your pup out for as long as possible, but when the weather is extreme it is sometimes necessary to cut playgroup short. Because the weather is out of our control and our team members are braving the elements daily in order to give your pup the highest quality of care, charges remain the same during inclement weather if playgroup is amended. 

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We have this process down to a science so we are able to keep your apartment clean and accident-free while never leaving any dog unattended. If other dogs are with your team member at the time of pick-up or drop-off, the leashes are looped to the outside doorknob and the dogs are brought inside with the door closed. This keeps them secure and under our supervision while we attend to your dog. We never let a dog under our care out of our sight or leave them unattended.

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The first step is to complete our playgroup application. This is a simple electronic questionnaire that takes just a few minutes to fill out. Once the application is complete, we will contact you to let you know if we have availability for your dog.  Hoochie Poochie East can only accept new dogs who can commit to a consistent, weekly schedule, with set days each week. There is typically a 1-2 week waiting period to get started (sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on where you are located). We will first set up an initial consultation, where a member of our team will meet with you and your dog at your home. At this time, we will answer any questions you have, complete paperwork, obtain 2 copies of your key (unless you live in a doorman building), and of course, spend some time getting to know your dog! Our team member will then take your pup out for a complimentary 30-minute trial walk.