Pack Walks

Our Pack Walks are designed to get dogs out of the house and into nature to smell, explore & learn. Each day the dogs get to run, play & have fun, but they'll also learn many important skills along the way. Read more below to find out if Pack Walks could be the right fit for your dog

Structure

Freedom Earnt with Trust

We have a tried and tested system in place for progressing your new dog up in pack walks. They'll be assessed, enrolled, collected & crated independently, let out at base to sniff around first, introduced to each pack member one at a time, acclimated, conditioned to any required training leads & collars (including remote training collars if needed) walked with the pack on a long line initially, then graduated from their long line to off lead freedom when they are ready. Once they have proven social skills they'll share space in the van or ute with the other dogs & can be tethered via stainless steel clip when needed. Some of the skills they'll work on during pack walks include; excitement control, communication, engagement, confidence building, obedience, impulse control, social ettiquette, recall & relaxing/switching off. They'll come home after each pack walk feeling physically & mentally fulfilled.

Travel

Doggy Van & Ute

Our 2 doggy vehicles have been equipped with a custom-built air conditioning system, an industrial strength fan, a ventilation system, individual weight tested & chew proof dog tethers, an XXL crate for new or nervous dogs, custom-built dog steps, rubber non-slip flooring, doggy first aid kit, water, treats & external sign writing for easy identification.

No hot dogs, hanging out of windows.

Just happy pups out for an adventure.

Safety

Risk Mitigation

We recommend that all dogs get pet insurance - especially our pack walk clients. Pack walks are run on a 100 acre privately owned lifestyle farm in Maungatautari, Waipa. While we don't have the worries of sharing public dog areas, we still mitigate risk each day. We carefully navigate all terrain, prey, fencing, bushland, rivers, ponds, streams, gullies, tracks, paddocks & New Zealand countryside. We do have systems & procedures in place in case of accident or injury but we cannot mitigate 100% of the hazards on the farm. We will contact your vet, then you, in case of injury & will drop your dog to the vets for you. Any unexpected vet bills are covered by you, the owner. We will contact you & animal services in case of a bolting/missing dog. These incidents are not common but can still occur so we prefer to have a plan in place for these rare issues. All pack members are required to keep a regular protocol of flea, worm & annual vaccinations.

Dirty Pups

Muddy Dogs are Happy Dogs

We pick up in the Waikato between 8:30am & 11:30am, pack walk for 2-3 hours, then drop to your home between 2pm & 5pm.

We can not promise to drop home a clean dog. We believe in dogs being dogs, getting out there and getting dirty. We encourage river swims, pond paddles & hopping in farm troughs. We do rinse mud, poop & pollen off your pup before they return home, but we do not soap them up each day. Please chat to your veterinarian about prescribing medication for grass allergy treatment if your dog is prone to it. We also recommend checking at home for hidden grass seeds in long coated breeds.

Professional Equipment

Managing behaviours

Not all dogs need tools layered into their training, but if they do we've got them covered. Ezy Dog limited slip collars, Mini Educator remote training collars, Ezy Dog slip leads, Wild Dog NZ & Kinfolk Leather biothane long lines, 250kg load tested stainless steel tethers & high-protein Possyum dog treats. You provide the dog - we'll provide everything else.

Base

Intros, Shade, Water & Chill

Our base of operations is the hub of pack walks. We begin each day here with the dogs - unloading, introducing, socializing, training, staying engaged and having a drink of water before we leave for our walk. We then end each walk at base, under shade, cooling off in our 1000L water trough, relaxing, hydrating & decompressing before home time.

Socialisation

All dogs fair and equal

We believe in building trust between ourselves, the dogs, and each other. We encourage social behaviors, nurture independence, reward neutrality & do not tolerate any bullying, dominating, rude or unfair behaviors on pack walks. Each dog deserves to enjoy pack walks in their own way, unimpeded by others. We have packs with small dogs, large dogs and everything in between - all are welcome, no breed prejudice here! If we feel at any time that your dog is not ready or thriving on pack walks we will communicate this and make a plan together.