Release the Hounds

Love this dog walking business! They are experienced with dogs, and my dog, Molly is beyond excited when the dog walkers come to the door! Lynsey and Cassandra love my dog and my dog is so happy when she sees them! What is wonderful is that they let you know the week before some openings in their dog walking schedule, so you can ‘snag’ some walks if you need some extra walks that week. They work with my crazy schedule, and I find RTH invaluable.

Amazing customer service and right from the introduction the owner came to meet me and went out of his way to help me out with starting the dog walking service quickly. Chris has been so accommodating and I live coming home to notes from Mark telling me how my dog Saki did that day. You guys have gone out of your way to accommodate my private walks and taken great care of my senior girl! Thanks so much for the flexibility too!

We have worked with Chris and his team for almost a year and the care (daily walks) provided to our dog: Mr. Bo has been first rate.
I travel frequently for business and my schedule is somewhat unpredictable but Chris et al always can accommodate which is an important driver and why we continue to go with RTH.
Compared to others, the rate is very competitive given the care and the flexibility of the service.
When in town, Mr. Bo is often found waiting by the door.
The walkers are always friendly and on time.

I have three kids, all of which promised to walk a dog if we got one… so of course I had to hire a dog walker. Release the Hounds is a fantastic find for us. I shopped around and felt that they were best for my needs — and our dog walker is more than fantastic. The company is reliable, trustworthy and very approachable. I can change up my schedule to meet my needs and our dog loves our walker! She goes out of her way to help train, entertain, and exhaust our aussiedoodle. They also board dogs which I know, I will take advantage of in the future!

We’ve been with RTH for about 2.5 years now and from the beginning they have blown me away — completely reliable, professional, safe and utterly customer oriented! And not to mention how much fun my doggie has on his hikes and how tired he is when he comes home! The first time I witnessed Chris picking up my ridgeback (who is the laziest dog in the world!) I got jealous because of the way he got greeted — Shomba never greets me with that much enthusiasm!
In the time we’ve been with RTH, they have grown their company quite a bit, but I wouldn’t have noticed — the service and interactions with them have stayed as prompt and personal as it started out.
What I really appreciate is James’ reaction to anything that goes on in the industry. Remember that horrible dog walker last year who killed 6 dogs by leaving them in a hot truck and then dumped them and claimed they were stolen? James reacted to that news promptly with a special email telling all clients why this would NEVER happen with RTH. Remember how a dog walker’s truck got stolen while he was dropping off a dog and still had another one inside? James let us all know why that could not happen with his vehicles.
And last but not least — they deliver our dog’s raw food and even put it in the freezer for us! It doesn’t get any better than that…
I can’t imagine entrusting my baby to anyone else (when it comes to my dog, it’s safe to say that I’m totally OCD). RTH, you’ll always have a loyal customer here!

This has to be the best company I have dealt with in recent memory!
We originally contacted RTH because we had been signed up for a volleyball league that would prevent us from getting home until late, once a week, and were looking for somebody to get our little pup out of the house on those days. So, true to form, we headed to Unilocal for advice and BOY did it ever pay off here.
We got an extremely quick reply from James who came to our house to meet our dog, Britta, and to get an idea of our and (more importantly) her needs. He was kind, courteous, prompt and absolutely fantastic with her. Immediately we got a good feeling about this company. «Wow, if only the rest of the company is half as good,» we both thought.
Then we got assigned our walker, Merriah. WOW! Our expectations were further blown out of the water. She would leave us notes at least once out of every three walks, sometimes an e-​mail with photos, not that we had requested this but just another example of how these guys go above and beyond.
Then there was the effect on Britta which we have to attribute to Merriah as well; almost immediately we noticed a difference in our dog. She was always tired and happy on RTH days, sure, but within weeks we saw a marked difference around other dogs and her interactions with us as well. She was calmer, more social and more confident when we took her out and she listened better to commands. She was more excited about car rides, more eager to get into her harness, better to return when recalled. Simply astonishing to know that, along with your training efforts, there is someone else helping your pet to grow and learn.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the communication and logistics when dealing with anyone else from the company as well. You’ll get an e-​mail approximately once a week which is polite and to the point (in stark contrast to the spam we all get), letting you know if there are any openings for extra walks (at a discounted rate no-​less) or anything special coming up but, more than that, if you end up in a bind and send an e-​mail, Chris gets back to you incredibly quickly. They will move heaven and earth to make sure your pup is taken care of, even on extremely short notice and every one of them quite obviously cares about their clients both human and canine.
This is a terrific example of how I wish every company behaved and hired.

Patrick went the extra mile for us when we asked Release the Hounds to take care of our pup during my wife’s labour. They were reliable, professional and we could not have been more impressed with the service. Highly recommended.

Winston, my yellow labrador, was introduced to Release the Hounds almost a year ago. We were in desperate need of a K9 service that could help us with all of the extra energy our boy has. Winston is a great dog but he was too much for two local dog daycare owners to handle and was kicked out.
James and the rest of the crew at Release the Hounds were our savior! They are super reliable, trustworthy, friendly and apparently fun to be around. Several times weekly Winston was picked up at our home in Vancouver and taken out for what seemed like a day of fun and exercise. He loved going and when he came back he was exhausted just the way we wanted him to be.
The service they provide not only gave our dog exercise but made him a better dog. He lost weight, which was necessary and because of the other dogs in his daily pack he became a better listener.
I would recommend this service to anyone with a dog, especially if they are full of energy like Winston.

I can’t say enough good things about James and the RTH crew and services.
I never fancied myself one to use such services or felt i needed them but moving to Vancouver, busy work schedule and the special needs of first a sick dog and then a young somewhat anxious dog (in an apartment!) got me thinking that a supplementing the exercise i provided would be a good thing. But who to trust with my best friends? I really don’t consider handing them over lightly… To just anyone…
Then i enquired with a few neighbours in my building who seemed to use a local service. I was able to witness their care, calm demeanour, and control (the dogs respected them!) as well as the contentment of the dogs coming and going. The staff were friendly, polite and professional. THAT’S who i wanted! My queries led me to RTH and James, Chris and Jordana. The other owners had high praise for the walkers, the services and happiness in their pets.
I felt confident in RTH before i even called James. I liked that i had a chance to see them in action without their being a «sale» perceived. For some companies, that affects their behaviour, but when i met James — it was evident that RTH just holds professionalism, courteousness and customer service in high regard and demand it of their whole team. In this day and age? A breath of fresh air!
They were amazingly understanding to my unpredictable life and accommodated my need to change my plan due to my german shepherds sudden onset of cancer and rapidly declining health. I could not ever have left him with anyone else and when he passed, i was so touched by the kindness and care provided. To be offered to help me out if i needed anything in my time of grief?! Amazing. And after only a few walks.
They are no less amazing with my new love: my rescued german shepherd. He adores his walks, the personal notes and even texts or photos are appreciated, and best of all he is content. It has helped me immensely during some busy stressful times and to add a walk last minutes is a savior.
Just as they cared for my first shepherd, they’ve extended their care for me (and i only have two legs!!). I am currently suffering a medical «episode» of pain rendering me unable walk (or should not walk) a very fit and playful young shepherd!!! James has helped me out in ways i never expected a company in this day and age and to take the stress of caring for my boy off my shoulders when i can barely deal with the stress of my own medical issues, indescribable.
I am blown away by the caring, professional, top notch service you provide. Wow.

I discovered Release the Hounds after a random shoulder accident which left one arm in a sling. In the middle of a move, with two large dogs & law school just starting, I needed help & I needed it NOW. I called a few services in a panic. One never called back, one didn’t like dogs that «pulled» and the last was too busy.
Bordering on desperate, I remembered a secret weapon… Unilocal! I found RTH and gave them a call. James (the owner) was amazing. Immediately sympathetic to my plight, he arranged to have a walker come and take my dogs out for an hour every day for the next two weeks. Yes — that meant Saturdays AND Sundays. I knew I’d found a winner.
The entire staff at RTH are tops. My dogs now go on their «private walk» while I’m in class. When I get home (and still need to study) they’re tired and happy. I don’t ever worry about them since I know they’re in good hands. Their current walker, Mark, is an absolute GEM — the dogs love him to bits. My little guy — who used to be scared to leave with a walker — now runs out the door like I don’t exist.
Last minute emergency? Yup you know — the one that happens on the WORST possible day? Had one of those last week… and RTH were there to save the day. While I was trapped in a 10-​hour day, Mark picked up my big girl from the vet, took her home, fed the dogs dinner, rolled back my carpet in case any «accidents» happened, and made sure the two fur-​babies were happy and cared for. Big love, big thanks, you guys ROCK!

My dog and I have been using the services of James and his team at Release the Hounds since March 2012 and they have been a godsend! It’s challenging juggling work, school, family, dog and social life so to have a reliable, responsible service to walk my four-​legger on busy days is a relief. We’ve had Amber, Andrea, Evan and Stef as walkers and it’s wonderful coming home to a tired, happy and socialized dog so I can just relax or get more things done around the house. My pooch has some quirky needs and RTH has been very diligent with making sure everything is done exactly how we need it and each walker is very good about adapting to our routine and obedience commands.
When my family and I went away in August, it was between sending my furkid somewhere to be sat/​kenneled or having someone come into our home. We chose the latter because of the dog’s separation anxiety issues and it also felt safer having the house look ‘lived in’ while we were gone. RTH is also insured and bonded which adds peace-​of-​mind. I was extremely pleased to find my pooch happy and well-​adjusted when I came back after almost a week of being away, and our home in the same condition as when we left. The live-​in house-​sitting cost was higher than that of kenneling or sitting in someone else’s home but the sense of security we got from having someone take good care of our house and a member of our family while we were away (plus the calm and cheerful attitude of our sometimes-​squirrely dog when we returned) convinced us we had made the choice that was right for us. It was very obvious our little beast had received lots of love and attention during our absence :)
The services we’ve received from RTH are: 1 hr group walks, 2 hr group walks, 4hr Saturday hikes and the occasional private walk. James and Kristen (the company’s admin person) are very prompt in responding to emails and texts and always get in touch if anything out of the ordinary happens during a walk, like if they notice my mutt behaving strangely or if they think he may be ill. The walkers are also good about wiping off paws and leaving notes with details of their time with him, or sometimes just to say ‘hi!’ Everyone in the company is friendly and approachable and my dog has greatly benefitted from the socialization during the group walks and the firm but fair guidance of the walkers, all of whom he loves to bits. Sometimes I wonder if he goes along just for the people rather than the dogs…:|
Thanks RTH!

We’ve been with Release the Hounds for at least a year now and everything has been ideal. We signed up with the previous owners and stayed on through the transition to the new ones. The communication and reliability have gone way up since the switch.
Based on our pooches excitement level when she’s getting picked up I’d guess she really enjoys her time with Steph. RTH can keep walking our puppy as long as everyone is able and willing!

Since first sending our doodle Brewster out for twice-​weekly hikes last summer, we’ve been very happy with the service at Release the Hounds. Brewster is a super active dog, so we really appreciate the 2-​hour North Shore excursions, where he has a chance to run fast and play hard. Jordana-​our walker-​always takes care to give us detailed updates about their adventures, and returns Brewster home clean as a whistle every time (a remarkable feat given how much he loves to swim and play in mud!). We’ve received lots of personal attention from James and other staff at RTH and know that we can always reach them with questions, concerns, and special requests.

I started using Release the Hounds back when Niki and Josh were running the establishment but I stayed with them when James took over and I have been never been disappointed with their services. My dog Shadow gets regular private walks as he is older and does not always get along with other dogs. I’ve used other walking companies in the past who did not provide the personalized service that James provides. They are professional, thorough and very accommodating to my schedule. Shadow has loved every one of his walkers and I am a happy client.

We hit the jackpot with Release the Hounds. Having just moved to Vancouver, we really picked them at random. Niki and Josh came over to meet our dogs and we felt comfortable with them right away. We’ve been using their services for almost a year now and are so happy to have reliable people that we can count on to take care of our kids. Our dogs love the 2 hour group hikes! We’ve also boarded our dogs with Release the Hounds, which means that they stay at the home of one of the walkers. It’s nice to have peace of mind when it comes to the care of our furry family members.