Raise the Woof!

Never returned our voicemail message inquiring about new service. No idea why not. It has been five days.
℗update: the sixth day, I got a call from Sara acknowledging my call (and a follow up call I made on day five), and saying she was too busy to call us back. They are in no position to take on new clients.

I have been using Raise the Woof for a couple years now and they are the best. Sara and her staff truly care about their clients. After a small mix up today, (the only one in years!) Sara emailed me, called and even text me to make sure everything was ok. When one of my dogs had surgery last year, Sara and my walker Ron, would text me often to ask how she was doing, and Ron would come in and check in on her (since she couldn’t do full walks for a few weeks) I know both of my dogs are in good hands with Sara and her staff of excellent walkers. :)

We’ve been using Raise the Woof since we first got our dog almost two years ago. I can’t believe I’m just now writing a review!
Giving someone the keys to your home, and access to your animal requires a lot of trust and our walkers through Raise the Woof have never let us down. Our normal walker is Ron, who my dog absolutely loves. We’ve actually had neighbors stop us on our morning and evening walks to let us know how great he is with her. Even on days Ron can’t make it, I know my dog will be walked and I’ll come home to a kind and informative note.

We’ve been using RTW since spring last year. While I was working downtown I thought our walker was flexible and accommodating and had no complaints.
However, I’ve been working from home the past few months and have noticed that the walks are significantly shorter than the advertised 25 mins (closer to 10). I know this happens occasionally and have no problem with that, or short (or cancelled) walks when its bitterly cold. But when I asked our walker to note when walks are less than 25 mins (as the manager said walkers should do) and to please give our dog a 25 min walk when there’s not extreme weather he told us he wouldn’t. He said that he has a hard time walking in the snow and that it takes time to put other dogs’ coats on (not ours) and to pls understand that walks are reduced to letting them just poop and pee. His only offer was to take our dog off his route until spring. I haven’t written a review on Unilocal yet but I thought his response was really unprofessional and am surprised that this seems to be the practice when its cold. If I was told I was paying $ 12 for a 10 – 15 min walk that would be different but its definitely not what’s advertised so just keep this in mind when you’re comparing the cost of other dog walking services.

Still just as great a dog walking service as when I reviewed it nearly 4 years ago! We have transitioned through a few walkers in that time due to various circumstances (moves, etc) but Sarah has always been great about communicating any necessary changes and making sure we get to meet the new walker well in advance to make it a smooth transition. We have also boarded our dog (who has a few medical issues) with Sarah a few times and they have been the best boarding experiences our dog has ever had.

Sarah and Steve (the owners) started walking my dog 8 years ago when they were just starting out. I have kept in touch with them even though I’ve moved all over the country. I still call on them to watch my dog overnight, or for walks. They are the nicest people, and I completely trust them. I am nervous about leaving my dog with people, but know that they are wonderful people, and truly care about the dogs. They are the best in the city for hiring a trustworthy and caring dog walker.

Our dog Riley has been walked by Raise the Woof for a month now and I wish we started using them sooner! She loves her walks with Zoe and whichever dog she happens to walk with in her time slot. Zoe leaves great notes about Riley’s walk and they are always really funny and makes us happy to know that for part of her day, she gets to go on an adventure with a new friend. We feel a lot less guilty being late after work knowing Riley had a chance to go outside during the day so that is a huge relief! We get to confirm our walks the week of which is nice with last minute changes. They are very flexible and affordable and Zoe and Sara love the dogs too which is wonderful knowing they are in good hands!

I’ve been using Raise the Woof! for a few months, using both their walk service, and their boarding service. My walker is Ron, who Penny (dog) just loves! I come home to notes informing me on the walk and her bathroom duties.
I’ve been able to cancel and schedule walks for days when my own personal schedule changes, with no problems. Payment is per walk, per week, so one check a week instead of those annoying package deals where I have to lay out a huge sum of money all at once. If there’s ever been a problem where Ron can’t make it, I’m immediately informed and given options.
As for boarding, Penny went to the camp in Indiana and was able to run free off leash for hours on end. She came back exhausted and slept like never before.
Professional, affordable, easily communicable, friendly, always on time. This is what I need from a walker.

I decided to use Raise the Woof as my dog walker after reading all of their amazing Unilocal reviews, but unfortunately my experience did not live up to the reviews I read. This is how my experience with them went.
1. As a teacher I decided that what better time to find a dog walker for during the school year than when I am on summer vacations and have very little obligations. I contacted Sara the owner of Raise the Woof and she and my walker came out to do a meet and greet.
2. At my meet and greet I felt a little uneasy because my new walker, Ron, did not really seem to be listening to what I was saying (maybe that was the teacher in me) and Sara seemed incredibly scattered, but I figured they seemed nice enough I should give them a chance.
3. Day one of dog walking went like this. I came home to find out my dog was walked an hour and a half later than our set TWO HOUR window of time. I explained to the walker at our meet and greet that my dog needs to be given the bag of food left on the counter everyday, and the bad was still COMPLETELY full. Now I was not happy by any of this, but I told myself it was only the first day. Then I go into the bathroom to wash my hands and MY TOLIET SEAT IS LEFT UP! Now I don’t care if the walker had to use my bathroom, but seriously you are going to leave my toilet seat up?
4. I called Sara to discuss these things at 4:00 — no answer. I left a voice message. At 7:00 she still hadn’t called back. After calling again at 7:30, because I needed to make sure my dog would be walked earlier and actually be fed the next day, she TEXTED me.
5. Day two comes and my dog was walked an hour earlier, was fed, and no toilet seat up, but things still didn’t feel quite right.
6. Day three comes and I get an email form Sara while I am at work saying that they realized I do not fit into their schedule and they are sorry they cannot walk my dog anymore. SERIOUSLY YOU COULD NOT FIGURE OUT YOUR SCHEDULE BEFORE YOU COMMITTED TO WALKING MY DOG??? Now I am at work scrambling to find another walker because even though you said you’d give me a little time to find one, I do not want you walking my dog if you are not able to do it the right way. So much for getting all summer to find a walker.
7. Last but not least, it was a battle to get my keys back from Sara. She wanted to mail them to me, not understanding that I had to give them to my new walker right away. She was incredibly rude on the phone when I tried to explain that I need them for my new walker, and after going back and forth for a while the walker himself dropped off my keys that evening. It was not my fault that I did not fit into her schedule after she committed to walking my dog, the least she could do is get me back my keys and be polite.
All in all, a horrible experience! This is an unorganized business in which the owner of the company has limited communication with her walkers. They are not reliable or professional. I am so happy with my new walker that I am actually so thankful my dog no longer ft into their schedule. There are much better walkers out there! And by the way, after using Unilocal for years, this is the first time I ever gave anyone 1 star.

Sara has been great helping me raise my dog from a puppy. As a single dog owner I never could have done it without her. Nia loves her. Sara takes her for trips when I work a ton. She is tolerant of my erratic schedule. She even picked up Nia in the middle of the night when I went for emergency surgery. She’s more than just a dog walker, she’s practically Nia’s co-​owner!

I started traveling for work which meant I needed to finally decide on a dog walker. Thank goodness for Unilocal for making this an easy decision.
Sara and Steve are a hubby/​wife team that clearly love animals. My handsome but hyper lab, Gordo can now release some energy while being walked by some really great people.
Sara came by my house to meet Gordo and I showed her around the place. Right away, they got along like 2 peas in a pod.
I feel very comfortable having Sara and Steve take care of Gordo. They are the best!!!
Oh and they leave little notes that detail the walk. Cute!
Their prices are reasonable and the offer other services besides just walking like pet sitting. They also have another company called «Dog Country Dog Camp». They take a bunch of dogs to their farm in Indiana to play ALL day. What a brilliant idea! (See Review of Dog Country Dog Camp).

Sometimes the best customer service happens when there is a problem. The mark of a good business is not when the service is problem-​free, which can be attributed to luck; but when a company takes a client’s issue seriously and works to solve the problem? Stellar.
The first walker assigned to us was okay. You know, just okay. I’m sure our dog (Jake) was safe with him, and he seemed happy when we got home from work, but the walker never left notes for us, letting us know he had showed up. We assumed he had, but with past dog walkers, I’d always seen a note to verify they had been there. This became more important as we started working with Jake on some serious separation anxiety and resulting behavior issues. We really wanted to know how Jake was during the day when the walker was around. I finally emailed Sara, the owner of the company, and told her this. She immediately apologized and understood the importance of getting an update on Jake as we worked through his issues, and confirmed that she expected this communication from her walkers, training issues or not. She came to walk him herself while she worked to assign a new walker to us. She then brought the new walker with her once to meet Jake, so Jake didn’t totally freak out when a new person showed up at our house.
Our new walker, Charlie, is the best. Jake seems very happy when I get home from work, and Charlie always leaves us detailed stuff so we know how freaked out or calm Jake was. You can tell he loves dogs and spending time with them.
Lastly, we just moved, and thankfully Raise the Woof was able to service our new address. I’m sure a familiar routine and Charlie’s face will help Jake transition in his new home!

We moved and are no longer in the walking area for Raise the Woof, but we will never forget how wonderful they were to us and our dog Jack for 4 ½ years. They truly love the dogs they help!

We have been using Steve and Sara’s Services for awhile now. They are AWESOME! Our dog, Carmen is a rescue… and has issues barking at other dogs. Steve is wonderful with her. We have really seen an improvement with how she is with other dogs and also with how happy she is when we get home. Having someone come in and play and walk our dog while we are gone really puts us at ease. I do not feel so guilty being gone at work all day. They are super trust worthy and are huge dog lovers. Carmen has spent the night at their house and always has a great time. They are so flexible with our schedules and are super nice. I totally recommend them!

Luckily for me and my husband we both are able to work from home for the most part, but on some days we have to go into work and leave our pup crated for the biggest part of the day. Thankfully we found Sara back in November when we first got our pup to come and give our him a break in the middle of those long days. I love how flexible she is with our schedules. All I have to do is send her a last minute email and she is on it! She is extremely prompt at getting back with me when it comes to any last minute changes.
Sara is so sweet, extremely professional and great with our puppy. I love coming home and reading the detailed notes she leaves about their walks. The notes are a really nice touch that shows she really cares!

Raise the Woof is such a wonderful dog walking service and their rates are not going to burn a hole in your pocket!

Steve and Sara and their other walkers are solid, friendly, professional, and trustworthy. I was a little nervous to get a walker but these guys at Raise the Woof put my nerves to rest. Tucker, my dog, and I are much happier now. Steve always leaves notes how Tuck was happy for the walk, if he went #1 and/​or #2, and how Tuck wears him out in games of tug. This is the right thing to do when a dog is in an apartment by himself all day and with Steve and Sara there are no worries. Thanks Steve A.

We have been very happy with the service that Sara and Ron have provided. We had an unexpected situation come up that required us to get a walker for our dog Ace. Sara was really flexible with the ever changing schedule — even when it was changing day to day. We really appreciate them helping us out — and Ace seemed to love them!

Raise the Woof is a god send. Their professionalism, reliablity, and flexibilty are top notch. I feel completely confident in them with the security of my home, and most importantly the safety of my pet. Our Boston Terrier Iggy, just loves his walker Gerardo. And I love that Gerardo is always available and flexible with my schedule.
And don’t even get me started on their very competitve rates. I haven’t found anyone who comes close to all the service they offer at that price. Five Stars!

My girl Bailey is one of the most important things in my life, so I take decisions regarding those who care for her seriously. That said, Raise the Woof! is the most professional and reliable dog walking business I’ve encountered in Chicago (and I’ve encountered a bit!) Sara runs a great business and is extremely responsive — I always get a text or e-​mail response within a matter of a couple of hours when I need to reschedule or have any issues.
Here’s why the coveted 5-​star rating: CHARLIE, Bailey’s walker! Charlie leaves me a note every day when he sees Bailey telling me about her adventures in Uptown… For example, when Bailey tries to eat the rib bones and Charlie has to stick his hand in her mouth and pull them out! Charlie always lets me know that Bailey has been well-​behaved. I thought he was just being nice, until I spoke with my neighbor who told me that when he sees Bailey walking with Charlie, it’s like she’s a different dog! No pulling, no distractions, just Bailey walking like a good dog with Charlie. I’m convinced that Charlie is a natural with dogs and Bailey truly loves him. She’s a happy dog whenever it’s a Charlie day!
I could not recommend Raise the Woof! enough! Please comment me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sara has been walking my dog for over 2 years now. She comes rain, shine, sleet or snow. She’s more reliable than the US Postal Service.
I walk my dog for an hour every morning, so I just wanted someone ««on call» if you will. And I wanted someone who will board dogs in their home.
I only wanted someone every now and then, just to get my dog used to someone walking in the house. Sara is great. She leaves notes every time she walks my dog. If you need solo walks, she is fine with that and she customizes the walks for your dog. My dog liked her so much, I started using her on a regular basis.
She has been a life saver (or more like a rug saver) on numerous occasions! Sara rides her bike to her clients houses near Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Uptown etc. Her husband drives for the clients who live further away. They are so good at customizing to your dog, that they have one daily doggie client who has separation anxiety. They have him ride in the car all day with Steve. Can you say SPOILED!