I made a Yelp account just to leave this review. It's true. Dogs Deserve It is BEYOND stellar. We (me & my doggo Watson), have been walking clients of DDI for two years, living first in Old Town and then in Rosco Village. The care we have received in both locations (various walkers -- each "zone" of the city is covered by different people, all positive experiences) has never fallen short. In addition, we have also used DDI for in-home dogsitting, which was a wonderful experience. Here are some points of the awesomeness in no particular order -- both general and specific: 1. First, record of every single visit exists through an app, complete with photograph and a brief description of how the walk went. Want to know if your pup had success going to the bathroom? Those details are included. 2. I'm a public school teacher, so weird things happen with my schedule all the time and DDI is SO accommodating (and kind while they're at it). Snow day? Cancellation without issue. Random afterschool meeting added mid-week, need to add a walk for Watson's sanity? No problem. 3. The customer service is authentic and heartfelt -- most of my communication with DDI is done through email, with responses being prompt and clear. On occasions when I do place a phone call, any person spoken to is not only very helpful, but also friendly. Example: one time, my landlord let a utility worker into my apartment without me knowing (fixing a building-wide problem) on the same day that the DDI walker came. When I arrived home I noticed some things in my apartment looked disheveled, so not knowing the utility worker had been present, I called Dogs Deserve It to inquire. GET THIS: the DDI staff member I talked to not only promptly called my walker to ask and then communicated with me quickly (they hadn't noticed changes to the apartment when they had been there, which makes sense given that they'd walked Watson before the utility person had arrived), but then the DDI staff member also FOLLOWED UP later to ensure I had been able to figure out what had happened. When I explained that my landlord had contacted me and it had all been a misunderstanding and that I was sorry for any confusion, the DDI staff member warmly replied with something along the lines of "Oh I'm so glad, it never feels good to be confused about who was in your house." THEY GET IT. Letting a company come into your home to care for your beloved pet is a big act of trust and they do it marvelously. read more

I'm sooo happy I found DDI! Lauren (the owner) came over for a meet and greet with my 4 month old puppy, Milo and answered all of my questions. Milo is the first puppy that I'm responsible for so I had a ton of questions! She explained how everything works and we set up a schedule. Kelsey has been walking Milo for the past few months. She is wonderful! She leaves handwritten messages in addition to the email updates after each walk. She has given me advice on training methods she used with her dog and has even been helping me work on Milo's manners (staying calm around other dogs/people, sitting at alleys and streets, etc). The technology is great! I haven't seen any other dog walking company that offers a similar service. When Kelsey comes in, she scans a bar code magnet located on my fridge which prompts an email to let me know the appointment has started. I also get an email when she leaves with comments about how Milo's walk went. I can also track the route they took on their walk. In addition, it's very easy to set up/change/cancel walks. I don't know what I would do without DDI. I work long hours Monday through Friday and it's a relief to know that Milo is in great hands. They are fairly priced, reliable, extremely easy to work with and to get a hold of, and most importantly, they truly love animals! I highly recommend DDI to anyone in need of pet care!! read more

Look no further than Dogs Deserve It for your pet-care needs. In any competitive marketplace, especially in a city like Chicago, one of the things that's hard to trace when working with a company is their level of passion. I can fully, confidently say, from ownership down, Dogs Deserves It possesses that. These are people who are dog and cat owners and lovers, who genuinely want to see that reflected in their work. I've been familiar with the DDI team for almost 4 years now. I started as an employee (a walker), myself. It was immediately apparent that this was not just a company of logistics and efficiency, but first and foremost of proper care. Details were in place and attention was paid to every client need. As my career and life progressed, I've now been on the other end as a client of DDI for 9 months now. I adopted a dog a bit unexpectedly, when a furry face looking for a home came into my life. I knew exactly where to look for help. As a single dog-parent working in Chicago's advertising realm, schedules change by the minute. The DDI team makes things super flexible and easy, and I know that when I'm working with them there will be someone I trust making sure my pup feels loved. Lauren Pietrocarlo is a paragon of care and conscientiousness, and it's reflected in every person she hires, and in every aspect of her business. Seriously. Look no further. read more

We have been using DDI for almost a year now. There were a couple hiccups in the beginning with two walkers using a training technique that resulted in my dog being treated in a manner which I did not approve. I shared video footage of this with DDI and expressed my concerns. They were very responsive, understanding, and apologetic. They assured me those walkers would not be assigned to us again and that this would become a learning experience to prevent it from happening again. I was very satisfied with how the situation was handled and quickly resolved. Since then I have been extremely pleased with the service we have received. For the past 8 months we have had two regular walkers that come weekly and are absolutely wonderful! My rescue dog has terrible allergies and DDI has worked with me and accommodated all our special needs and requests for my little guy who needs a little extra attention and care. I love our two walkers and could not be more pleased, they always go out of their way to ensure that my special requests/needs are met and that my dog is very well taken care of. I know that when they arrive, he will get plenty of love, attention and a good walk. I am so happy to continue using DDI because I know that they care about the well being of my dog and I trust that my walkers will treat my baby as well as I would when under their care. read more

DDI is the way to go. they're still old school in brick and mortar right here in lincoln Park. so yeah a little extra $$, but they know my dogs. And if there's an issue with anything I'm notified about it right away (I have 2 doodles; those idiots are always giving them new fun little challenges). They must know how anxious their clients are when it comes to their dogs (me). Even a small question, 5 min response time. You should Pay a little extra for that. because I guarantee you something will come up (I think this is called Murphy's law?) With dogs!! and if you're concerned like me it's so nice to know ddis already on it. They are a little strict to their employees but honestly someone has to be. The Walking apps are cheaper than ddI. but I found rover and wag-paw so frustrating, they don't care about my silly needs. that doesn't fly with me. No place is perfect, they've screwed a few mundane things up but it's rare and non-dog related. For instance when we started they would always set my alarm off on accident (it's a basic keyboard not futuristic or anything). but they always refund me even for tiny errors. And they get back to me in a heartbeat which I love..I can't stand when places take forever. certain government offices I work with should watch and take notes!! (from the dog walkers, of all people) on how to communicate properly read more

I cannot say enough about DDI. They are great and very very very accommodating! I would recommend them to anyone(and have too!) First they believe that people have lives and that life happens. So even though you might have a walk scheduled or not scheduled, they are very willing to change their schedule at the last minute. My husband has a very flexible job so he never knows his schedule really and I have never had a compliant or anything from DDI when we have had to change our dogs walk schedule at the very last minute! Also, I love their new technology. They have an online system where the dog walker will scan a barcode at your house when she arrives to get your dog and this then sends you an email letting you know. When the walk is over, the dog walker will scan the barcode again and write a little comment of how the walk went, if your dog went number 1 or 2 and if she/he gave your dog food, water or treat! I love getting these updates during the day while I am at work! The online system also allows you to see where they walked your dog(they have a map that shows their path) and who exactly walked your dog! I would very much recommend DDI. Lauren the owner is super nice too!! She even was nice enough once to bring my husband her set of our house keys when my husband locked himself out!!! read more

DDI definitely has my vote!!! Being a first time fur-mom, having someone watch my fur-baby was a really big decision. I researched everything, talked to others, interviewed other walkers... Nothing spoke to me like DDI did. It was instant - a match made in heaven - both for myself and for my pup. Lauren, the owner, is GREAT! She's so quick to getting back to me whenever I have questions or need to make any adjustments. Awesome customer service! Our walker Fletcher is amazing! He is so funny and leaves the best notes. Here's an example of one: "but he barely even sniffed at anything; just kept his eyes focused on what was right in front of him. Actually, not so much "sniffing" as it was, "comparing the way different plants' textures feel against my face". I think he was a botanist in a past life. Great walk today though :))" The cherry on top with DDI is the online technology they use. I know when the walk starts, the route they're going on and when it ends. I then get an update of how their walk went and what my dog did all while sitting at my desk at work. Overall: incredible service and staff - a treat for me and my pup. There are really no words (other than my review) to describe how happy we are with DDI's service! So in love! Thank you, DDI! read more

Dog's Deserve It has been taking care of my Boxer Bull Dog mix for the past year now. When we first hired Dogs Deserve It, Lauren, the owner, scheduled an appointment to meet my dog and I, as well as to go over their company procedures. My dog really loved Lauren at that meeting! Over the past year, Lauren has done a tremendous job making sure that my dog (who has tons of energy) is always taken care of. They have a pedometer system, where after every walk, the walker leaves the pedometer so I know how long of a walk my dog went on that day, as well as, that he was actually walked. The walker also leaves daily notes regarding anything noteworthy from that day's walk. I could not be happier with the service. Dog's Deserve It also pet sat for my dog when I was away for business last month. I opted to have the pet sitter stay at my home while I was gone so my dog didn't have to stay somewhere he wasn't accustomed. While I was on my trip, they even took my dog to the vet for an appointment (they have a pet taxi service too)! It really worked out well. Next business trip, I plan on using their service again. Overall, I feel as though they have raised the bar in the pet care industry. I strongly recommend their company. read more

I've been a customer of Dogs Deserve It for about a year, and it has been an absolutely perfect experience! From a business perspective, Lauren and her team of walkers are professional, flexible and responsive. They're always willing to accommodate my changing schedule, even at the last minute. Our walker was always on time, and never missed a day. They never cut walks short and always gave our dog their full undivided attention. Neighbors use to stop to tell us how impressed they were by our dog walker's dedication and the amount of time she would spend with our pup. Every walk is tracked two ways. 1. using a step counter 2. behavior progress report. These "little extras" come standard for regular customers, all at a surprisingly affordable fee. Aside from their excellent customer service and reasonable rates, DDI are simply great with dogs! They taught our 3-year old cockapoo to "drop" things she's picked up off the street - a problematic habit we struggled to fix for years. We've tried other dog walking services in Chicago before working with Dogs Deserve It, and we've had some bad experiences. Not the case with DDI. That is why I STRONGLY recommend hiring them as your dog walker or pet sitter! read more

A couple friends referred me to Dogs Deserve It after raving about their own experience with their older dog's walks. I decided to give it a try for my one-year-old puppy, and there's no going back now. Everyone involved with the company has been so professional and nice, accommodating and helpful. When I've had to cancel a walk on the day of, it's been so simple to email DDI, and they've adjusted the schedule without any problem. I look forward to the daily updates from Sam telling me how far my pup has walked (thanks to the pedometer they use), how he performed during the visit, what treats he received, and whether Sam gave him water or had to clean up any messes. Even on cold, rainy or snowy days when my pup didn't want to spend much time outside, Sam let me know they played fetch indoors to get some of that puppy energy out that he didn't use on a longer walk. It gives me such peace of mind to know that my dog is in safe hands and that he gets that daily checkup and interaction (that I'm immediately alerted to). I couldn't be happier with the service. read more

I have never written a Yelp review before, but Dogs Deserve It is such a wonderful company that I felt I just had to. We have been using them ever since I went back to work after the summer for our yellow lab puppy. Let's start with Lauren the owner. We first met her when we set up a meet and greet right before we brought our dog home so she could explain everything to us. She is extremely professional, she could not be more friendly, and her incredibly quick responses to emails are so appreciated! She absolutely knows what she's doing and is on top of her company. Then we have our dog walker Mary who our dog absolutely LOVES! She writes us friendly, funny, in-depth descriptions of her walk, and we both feel 100% comfortable with her coming into our home and taking care of our dog. She also taught our dog how to stop and wait at every stop sign, which is such a great training tool to have for a city dog. I literally can't think of anything I don't like about this company. We are so blessed to have found DDI! read more

Couldn't be happier with Dogs Deserve It! I knew our 5 month old Portuguese water dog would be in good hands from the beginning when Lauren took the time out of her day to come to our home, meet us and our puppy, and explain our walking options and scheduling. On a customer service end, Lauren is so responsive, friendly and professional. More importantly our puppy, loves getting walked with Dogs Deserve it too! It's so nice to know she is taken care of when we are at work. They are always very flexible with adding or removing walks, which is really great for us as our schedules can vary each week. Our walker leaves a detailed note about every walk. The notes are so specific and funny, it's obvious they really know and pay attention to our pup! They also keep a pedometer with us so we can see how far they walk each day. I would recommend Dogs Deserve It to anyone looking for a great dog walking service in the Chicago area. read more

Dogs Deserve it is by far the best dog walking service I have encountered in the city. They have been walking my dog Ruby now for 2 years and I have not had one complaint. They try to keep the walkers consistent to your dog so you get to know the person that is entering your home and taking care of your pooch. They also offer in office field trips which has been great for me, as I work long hours and it gives me peace of mind to know Ruby is surrounded by people that give her ample amounts of attention all day. They are always accommodating to my schedule, whether a walk is needed on a weekend or later in the night. Also due to the ever changing and sometimes brutal weather in Chicago, they know that being outside for too long may not be best, so will spend more time playing inside should it be extremely hot or cold outside. I would recommend Dogs Deserve It to anyone with a dog! read more

This review is long overdue... I would give Lauren and her team at Dogs Deserve It an endless amount of stars if I could! Lauren came to my rescue a little over a year and half ago when my Fiancé and I adopted our first puppy. If you are pet mom or dad you will know that owning a new animal is so stressful the first few months, it takes time to adjust to the new, better, life. DDI helped ease us into this new life by offering services like twice daily puppy walks, pet sitting, and basic leash etiquette. Our pup, Scrappy, loves Angelique, his dog walker, we always come home to the happiest pup! Oh! How could I forget to mention, DDI uses GPS tracking during all their walks so you can see how far and where they go! Scraps, my fiancé and I whole heartily recommend DDI for all your needed pet services. They are simply the greatest! read more

DDI is hands-down THE BEST dog walking company. I've recommended them to numerous people because the service is so incredible. My walker is amazing - so sweet and funny, she captures my dog's personality perfectly in her updates that are sent out at the completion of the appt. The update is sent via email; it includes the mileage they walked, status on potty (#1, #2 or both) and a short description of the visit. It makes my day when I'm at work and receive her updates. I honestly feel like Brady's walker is his best friend. So sweet and caring - it will be a sad day if she leaves. Also, the management is very responsive and accommodating to everything. Needless to say, I would highly recommend DDI to anyone who is looking for a caring, responsible, trust-worthy dog walking service. read more

I can only say positive things about DDI. I recently had such a positive interaction, I have to share again. My dog walker couldn't get my dog off the couch for a walk. While I have a sweet-natured Lab, he is a rescue and can have an off day every once in awhile. My dog walker stayed in my apartment for 30 minutes trying to nicely coax my dog off the couch to go for a walk, even after my dog snarled. Not only was the walker himself so caring towards my dog, I also was on the phone and email with employees in the office alerting me of the situation so we could work together on a solution. My dog is so well cared for by the DDI team and it is something that I will never stop appreciating. My thanks to Lauren and everyone on the team for treating my dog like their own. read more

We LOVE Dogs Deserve It and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a dog walker. First of all, the leash etiquette that our dog (who is big and pulls) makes the walks a better value than other services. We also get a short report after each walk which are fun to read and helpful track how he behaved on his walk. Our dog walker genuinely seems to love dogs and I'd trust her 100% with ours. Lauren is also extremely professional and accommodating with our varying schedule. We've added/canceled walks often at the very last minute without a hitch. This type of flexibility is priceless for my husband and I and anyone with a busy schedule. Overall we, and our dog, love Dogs Deserve It! read more

I'm a picky furbutt mom. My dog is numero uno in my life. So when Lauren popped by to meet me and the little man, I knew I found the dog walking service I was looking for. Lauren was awesome, she talked about her dog with a lot of affection and she asked a lot of great questions about my dog's personality, likes, dislikes etc. The scheduling is online, easy as pie and the Pet Check Technology is incredible. You get an email when your dog walk starts, when it ends and a great little note about that day's walk. The GPS tracker of the walk is super neat too. I know my dog is being take care of and I can rest easy in the office. read more

I had a health issue arise where I could not walk my dog for a while. I needed walks, 3 times a day, 7 days a week. Because of the amounts of walks, my options were limited to only a few service providers. I decided on DDI, and I could not have made a better choice. The principals and support staff were very professional and accommodating. Because of the number of walks I needed, I had a number of different walkers. They were all great. My dog had some behavioral issues, but each walker was well equipt to handle them. They were dependable and all seemed to care about my dog's well being. I highly recommend DDI. read more