QUESTIONS
Dog hiking questions, answered
Everything owners ask us before the first day: where we go, what it costs, how she travels and what happens if it rains. If your question is not here, write to us at info@pawsimperial.com.
THE DAY
What is a dog hiking day with Paws Impérial?
We collect your dog at your door, drive her out of the city in our private shuttle and give her a full day off the leash on forest trails. Then we bring her home the same evening. It is nine hours door to door, about six of them outdoors.
Where do the dogs hike?
In open wild forest: more than 8,000 acres of trails, creeks, ridgelines and meadows, with natural water for swimming and cooling off. The forest sits well outside the pickup zone and less than an hour from your door.
Do the dogs really run off the leash?
Yes, in the wild. We take the dogs to remote country where there are no people, and there they run free, off the leash, for as long as they want. Off the leash, every dog wears a Garmin GPS collar with a radio link: the handler sees her on the map at every moment and can call her back from a distance, so she cannot get lost. You can follow her too. We assess every dog before her first trip.
What time is pickup and drop-off?
Pickups run as a route starting around 7:30 AM, and dogs are home by about 5 PM. Your window depends on where you sit on the route. We confirm your times the evening before and message you when we are ten minutes away.
How will I know how my dog is doing?
Every dog wears a Garmin GPS collar, and her location is shared with you for the whole day. Photos and video reach you the same day, before she is home.
What about food and water?
Clean water is provided all day from the shuttle's onboard supply. Meals, organic food, snacks and supplements can be added by request when you book.
What happens in bad weather?
We may shorten or move a trip when conditions are hazardous. A weather cancellation by either side carries no penalty, and the trip is rescheduled to the next available date at no charge.
WHERE WE GO
Which areas do you pick up from?
Door to door in ten towns along the New Jersey waterfront: Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, West New York, Edgewater, Cliffside Park, Fort Lee, Englewood Cliffs, Tenafly and Alpine. And Manhattan, New York, by waitlist. If you are just outside a route, we agree on a pickup spot a few minutes from you, or you can bring your dog to us yourself.
Do you pick up in Manhattan?
Yes. We run into Manhattan, and weekday places are limited right now, so Manhattan works by waitlist. There is no card and no commitment: places go to the waitlist first, and we write to you the week one opens. Dog hiking from Manhattan.
PRICES AND BOOKING
How much does a dog hiking day cost?
The first day is free. A single trip is $195 for clients we have already met. Plans: 7 trips at $155 per trip ($1,085), 14 trips at $145 ($2,030), 30 trips at $135 ($4,050, Club included). Large dogs from 27 kg are $20 more per trip, and each additional dog from the same household is 15% off. Plans and pricing.
Why does a full day cost more than a three-hour hike?
Because it is twice the time outdoors. A typical dog hike around New York is about three hours on the trail. Ours is about six hours outdoors and nine hours door to door, in open wild forest with water to swim in, with a Garmin GPS collar and photos the same day, and the ride is in her own crash-tested cabin. Per hour outdoors, a plan trip costs less than most short hikes.
Is the first day really free?
Yes. We meet you and your dog, take her out for a full day at no charge and send you the photos. No card, no plan, no commitment. The free day can be booked for the next day.
How often does my dog go?
On the days you choose. A plan is a number of trips, and you schedule them around your dog's routine and your own. Plans are valid for 100 days.
How far ahead do I need to book?
48 hours for new clients and 24 hours for existing clients. The free trial day is the exception: it can be booked for the next day. Same-day requests are taken when there is room.
Can I move or cancel a trip?
A trip can be moved without a fee if you tell us at least 24 hours ahead. Plans are non-refundable and expire 100 days from purchase. The full rules are in our Terms of Service.
SAFETY AND TRUST
How does my dog travel?
In her own crash-tested cabin, anchored to the floor, with an orthopedic mattress. The shuttle has independent cabin air conditioning with a backup fan circuit, temperature and carbon-monoxide monitoring with an alarm in the cab, and a full wash and disinfection after every trip. We will show you the vehicle on a video call before you pay anything.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. USDA licensed for animal transport, $1M/$2M insurance coverage, Pet CPR and First Aid certified, and members of NAPPS.
Which dogs can join?
Dogs who are leash-trained, non-aggressive and comfortable around people and other dogs, with a current rabies vaccination. We assess every dog before the first trip. If she is not a fit for a group day, we will tell you and offer a solo trip instead.
ABOUT US
How is this different from a dog walker or daycare?
A walker gives her twenty to thirty minutes on a leash, on pavement. Daycare is a supervised room indoors. We give her a whole day outdoors, off the leash, in the forest. Many of our clients use a walker too. How we compare.
Do you offer overnight boarding?
Not yet. Today we run day trips, plus summer camp days in season only. Year-round boarding, around the clock, opens with the resort we are building; it is not built yet. See the plan.
Who runs Paws Impérial?
A family business. The people who answer your messages are the same people who load the shuttle in the morning, with no dispatcher and no app in between. Our story.
START HERE
The first day is on us
We meet you and your dog, take her out for a full day, and send you the photos. If it is not right for her, you have lost an afternoon and paid nothing.