I love Smart Paws :') After working from home for two years and never leaving my dog's side, I started a new job requiring me to come into the office 3 days per week. My Boston is beyond attached and has epilepsy requiring a strict medicine regimen throughout the day. Between my anxiety of leaving him for hours without monitoring for his seizures and the anxiety I assume he must have felt with this sudden transition, Smart Paws has truly saved the day. I had tried Dog Camps in Chicago previously, but the absurd prices for rooms far too overfilled with dogs was something I was desperately trying to avoid. Smart Paws is amazing - they are so easy to schedule with on the fly, and the pictures and status updates from the walkers (specifically Abby if she ever reads this!!) each time they visit truly make my day. They administer Figg's medicine, take him on different walks each time allowing him to adventure, and always play with him and fill his water bowl after the walk. This is by far the fairest pricing for dog walking I've found in the city, and the walkers are top notch. I can go to work without a doubt in my mind that Figg is getting the best care despite the new "alone time" in his routine. Thank you Smart Paws!!!! read more

only reason you didn't get a a 5 star is because your give or take an hour on appointments is crazy and not very animal friendly. I don't know about other people's schedule, but i try to set mine up every time with the the can arrive an hour before or after your appointment, really makes scheduling a headache. There really shouldn't be a reason why you should be allowed to arrive up to an hour before a scheduled appointment, that is what throws everything off if they come early. Please in 2020 work on fixing this issue as i'm sure i'm not the only client who has this headache scheduling with you guys. read more

I have been using Smart Paws for two months now with my new pug puppy. When my friend can't take care of my my pup, they are the first ones I call. The Pet Check app they use is great! I know exactly when the walker arrives at my place and exactly when they leave. They always write a detailed summary of their visit, including potty break details and pictures. The customer service is great as well. They are super responsive over email and very friendly, always sending reminders to book before a busy holiday or weekend comes around. As a new dog-mom, they put me totally at ease, and I know I can trust them to go the extra mile and take care of my dog. I will continue to use them and recommend them to my friends! read more

I used Smart Paws a couple years ago when we welcomed a puppy into our household. It's not an easy decision to make when trusting strangers to come into your home to take care of your little loved ones. We had impeccable service before. Extremely pleased! We recently added another puppy to our family and it was a no brainer to start using them again. I went in to see Rebecca Quam, who is the account manager, and she made this process easy. She has personally emailed me with questions she had pertaining to services for both of my pups. You can tell she really has a passion for what she does and the difference this company makes in the lives of those who use them. My older pup has elevator and hallway anxieties, and I was concerned having a caretaker who can handle her around other dogs. I live in a high rise with well over 100 dogs. They handle her and my new addition with expertise, love & care. I receive notifications when the service starts and ends. My walker also send pics of their walks together. There are a bunch of services out there who do what these guys do, but from what I hear from others who also use them, NONE better that Smart Paws. I rarely post reviews... Had to for this company. Well done Smart Paws!!! Thank you! read more

I can not saw enough nice things about the service and everyone involved in the business. I started using Smart Paws to walk my dog during the week while I'm at work after a bad experience with someone else. From the initial meet and grret with my dog I knew this would be a good fit. I always am confident my dog is getting the best care, and wonderful attention. My dog can be difficult and stubborn sometimes, but I still get good reports on him, and he just seems much happier. I can tell he has his favorties, but the dog becomes fast friends with all of the dog walkers that have come to spend time with him. The customer serive in the office is fantastic too. Very responsive and helpful trying to answer all of my questions. read more

I've been using Smart Paws since I adopted my border collie/flatcoat mix in July 2015. We are moving and incredibly sad to be saying goodbye to such an amazing dog walking service! We also had them do cat visits once while we were on vacation so I can also attest to their skilled service with cats. First of all, the product - Smart Paws offered what every other dog walking service I researched didn't - flexibility. Countless times, we had to cancel walks last minute, add walks last minute, and evening visits or multiple visits per day when we were coming home late. This is a must for anyone who wants to be a dog owner and also have a semblance of a social life. Smart Paws is also very tech savvy and of the moment - they are active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Snapchat. I felt like a little bit of a celebrity every time they posted a photo of one of our animals! Additionally, the emails with pictures and reports of every walk really give a neurotic dog owner peace of mind. Second of all, the customer service - from the first "meet and greet" to our farewell, Smart Paws did everything with class, grace, and efficiency. At the beginning, they made sure they knew everything about our pets and where everything was located in our place. Any time I had any changes, they quickly updated my account to reflect them. Every email, every call, every interaction was polite, thoughtful, and understanding. Finally, and most importantly, Smart Paws' problem resolution skills are out of this world. Inevitably something will go wrong when dealing with pets, and Smart Paws was always quick to respond and resolve any problems. This is what really sets them apart for me. We are so sad to be saying goodbye. We only hope we'll like our new service half as much as we liked Smart Paws. read more

I love this service because there have no minimum walks required! My schedule changes every month. Sometimes I need help every week, sometimes I need it once a month. Smart Paws so far, has delivered. I actually had a really hard time finding a dog walking service that could accommodate my needs, I couldn't be happier right now. You can schedule online or on their app. You get a little alert when the walker arrives and when they leave. Once they are done you get a little description of the time they spent with your dog and pictures! How fun! Late cancelations are completely ok. And whatever extra request you have, like "give my dog some cookies", or "please wipe his paws once the walk is done". You can leave it on the comments part of your request, or just leave a note at your home. The only thing I would change, is the fact that I never get the same walker. I think my dog would be happier if it was the same walker more often. But i do understand my schedule changes a lot, and that would be a hard thing to provide. read more

My fiance and I adopted our dog, Cas, at the start of 2016. We've been using Smart Paws from the beginning. We've gone through a few Smart Paws walkers over the years and they have all been great. Scheduling walks is simple and there's no minimum per week. The pictures they send after the service is a nice pick me up while at work. We're going to miss Smart Paws as we're moving out of Lincoln Park into an area which they, unfortunately, do not serve. Thank you Smart Paws! read more

I couldn't be happier with my experience with Smart Paws. The communication is awesome and scheduling with the app makes it super easy. Love the notes and pictures they leave and notifications about check-in and check-out make it even better! read more

I love this service! They have been walking my dog for almost two years now and I can't say enough good things about them. They work hard to train their walkers to make sure they are good with dogs. They are timely in their walks and write cute summaries of their time with your fur baby. They send you adorable pictures of your animal and post funny snap chats about their furry friends. They even do last minute walks which came in really handy when I locked my keys in my car and needed someone to take care of my dog while I waited for AAA. When something goes wrong they handle the issue quickly and professionally. For example, there was a walker who my dog just didn't click with. I could see her behavior change when this walker was assigned to her. There was nothing bad about the walker, in fact one of my neighbor's dogs absolutely loves her. I called Smart Paws and asked if they could avoid assigning this walker to my dog. They reviewed the notes from her walks with my dog and called back to say they could see where I was coming from and would assign someone else. Smart Paws is awesome, plain and simple. read more

Smart Paws is the best dog walking service! We love the professional walkers who take care of our Quincy dog as if she was their very own. They show up on time, walk her to her favorite spot and send pictures and the cutest update via email of their walk. You can view the route they took on your Ap and schedule walks there too! Quincy gives it 5 licks out of 5! read more

We love Smart Paws...they are so easy to deal with, easy to schedule and extremely easy to communicate with. We've used them on a daily basis for several months now and I can't say enough good things about them. We love getting the notifications that they have arrived and always eagerly await the sitter completion email with details on the visit and photos. Being away from our puppies during the day is made a little easier with these emails. The walkers/sitters are also such great people. We really do feel comfortable with them being in our homes and watching over our fur babies. I don't think we'd ever use anyone else for our pet sitting needs. Again, I highly, highly recommend. read more

Absolutely the BEST dog walking service in town! Their walkers are consistently kind and understanding. They pay close attention to our fabulous Leo--and accompany their photos with vivid descriptions of Leo's escapades--saying hello to the neighbors, chasing squirrels through the autumn leaves...Your pet is safe and secure with these folks. They are fine and trustworthy with your sweethearts. read more

Smart Paws is a great company! They are flexible, extremely caring for my pooch and simply do a great job! I highly recommend them for your dog walking needs!! read more

I would highly recommend Smart Paws. I have used them to take care of my two cats while being away for various reasons. They are very dependable. The "walkers" always follow my instructions and some of them even go above and beyond. I've never had an issue with the service and I really enjoy the updates each walker sends out and the cute pictures that come along with it. Definitely a great service. read more

I've tried other walking services and I have to say Smart Paws provides a very easy to use scheduling system and doesn't charge extra for last-minute bookings. Sam, the owner, who is also my walker has a great attitude and leaves the most hilarious notes. My favorite note thus far "Taro seemed very tired today on his walk unlike his usual peppy self, perhaps he should cut back on the late night horror movies." Smart Paws runs an efficient, convenient business and they don't badger me with newsletters about recalled dog treats or write me long emails about their negative opinion of crate-training. Overall I think Smart Paws is a great value for the high quality of services provided, they hire great, trustworthy people, and I'll be sticking with them for all my pet care needs. read more

Hands down best walkers in Chicago! I have been using Smart Paws since I rescued my dog in March. I have always been pleased with their service and on Monday they even exceeded my expectations. My building unexpectedly had carpet cleaners come for our hallways and it really shook up my dog. She never growls at anyone, but she was scared, growling, and would not come out from under the bed for her scheduled walker. He texted me and let me know the situation right away. The owner Sam came to the rescue and let her out shortly after. Since she already knew Sam she felt comfortable enough to go outside. Thank you Smart Paws for being so patient with my girl who had a "case of the Mondays" today. Keep up the good work. read more

LOVE Smart Paws! Thank you to Austin and the whole team for dealing with our not so easy pup. Austin is AMAZING with sophie and she absolutely loves him. We won't use anyone else! read more

We LOVE Smart Paws! Love love love love love love love! After Worthee closed, we were tasked with finding another dog walking service that could cater to sporadic dog walks (my partner and I can work from home, it's only when we need to go to client sites or go on vacation that we need help with our little ones). Boy, it was difficult to find a service that (1) offered non-recurring dog walks and (2) a service we liked. Smart Paws exceeded our expectations! Not only did they offer sporadic dog walks, but their service is phenomenal. I love getting the notes after they check in (via Pet Check Technology) - a lot of the walkers are hilarious! I would so read their Twitter streams! :-p The GPS is also great if you were a nervous Nellie and needed to check in on the length of your walk. The online system you use to book walks is as close to perfection as you can get - scheduling (even a same day appointment), letting the walkers know if you need them to feed your animal or administer meds, tip, payment, even ordering poop bags! They thought of EVERYTHING! One of my dogs is a senior with a medical issue and the other is a high energy puppy. Smart Paws uses the time that we have with them wisely. Sometimes they have to split the walks into two, sometimes we might get a more experienced handler, but our boys are always taken care of! If there was one improvement for Smart Paws? Hmmm. I guess I wish I could request certain walkers? I know that with irregular visits it's difficult and I wouldn't expect anything, but it would still be a super option - plus Smart Paws would know who were the Gods among their rockstar walkers! We would highly, highly, highly, recommend Smart Paws! read more

I've been using Smart Paws on a daily basis during the week for nearly a year and I couldn't be more pleased. From the very beginning the entire staff (including owner Sam) has been extremely accommodating, professional and reliable. They've been really great with my pup, Finn....who marches to the beat of his own drum and can be a little challenging on a leash. When I adopted my dog, I brought him home without having a walker lined up. I didn't have a chance to perform a ton of research when selecting a dog walker/service because I needed someone asap. Smart Paws was the first place I contacted and they were able to come out to my home, assess my pup and get us on-boarded extremely quickly - in fact, the owner came out on a Sunday so we would be ready to go for Monday. In the beginning, I was a little anxious about strangers coming into my building/home, but the walkers have been great and it's typically the same walker each time. I've met a few of them in person on the rare occasion I'm home during the day and they've always been super friendly and have gone above and beyond to care for my pup. They've cleaned up accidents that occur while I'm gone, helped administer medication and gave countless belly rubs and snuggles when my little guy wasn't feeling well. Each walk begins with an email confirmation that the walker has arrived. Once the session has concluded, another email with a details of the walk, whether the pup did a #1 or #2 and two or three pictures from the walk is sent. I actively look forward to receiving these emails each day and the summary of the walk is always fun to read. They really care about your pets and it shows in their email summaries. The office team/Account Managers are very easy to work with and have always been able to accommodate any last minute schedule changes or cancellations. I've had to request evening walks and weekend sessions from time to time and it's been a very easy process and they always come through for me. I honestly don't know what I would have done without Smart Paws. I recommend them to anyone in they city who needs a reliable walker a regular or occasional basis! read more

Switched to them about 6 months ago from a previous walker I was having issues with, and they are awesome. They literally come on time every time, never leaving me with worry about taking my dog out. They take such great care of walking my dog and feeding my cat, and also of my home! Life is life, and even with a few issues that happened at first in having new walkers, their team is extremely responsive and corrects any issue or doubt immediately. They handled al of my concerns with empathy and action, and mistakes have not happened twice. Their website and reviews are true that they really are a great company/service. All of their walkers leave the kindest notes, and I appreciate the details every time they walk my pup. Would recommend them 100% to any other dog, cat, or other pet owner who needs a reliable service and group of people they can trust. read more

We love Smart Paws! Easy to schedule and easy to pay. Friendly staff- both the office & the walkers! I love the email notifications that inform you of the walker's arrival and departure. The "report cards" with attached photographs make me smile every time. Only negative is not being able to schedule weekend walks. However, they have some of the regular dog walkers who will gladly pick up the weekend shifts on the side. Shout out to Owen! We highly recommend Smart Paws. read more

I love Smart Paws Chicago!! Their prices are reasonable, and the walkers and office staff are always friendly, dependable, and responsive. It's easy to set up recurring appointments or schedule one-off walks. I couldn't ask for a better service to care for my dog. read more

I've been using Smart Paws for more than a couple of months now. They have been really great to work with and very responsive/professional. I get little notes from them after walks and it is very reassuring (and entertaining at the same time! The walkers are great at this!). They have an online platform that is relatively new where you an schedule walks. Since it is new there are some kinks but it does go to show how accessible and easy they are trying to make themselves be. I would definitely recommend them. read more

I moved to Chicago in April 2016, and realized I needed some help with my Pup. The wonderful people at Smart Paws have always taken such perfect care of my dog. My dog has his favorites, and they work hard to make sure that's who he sees..SHOUT OUT TO JORIE!!! He's been taken care of with a broken leg, he's allowed off leash to play fetch, and they have even been excellent about last minute week day visits when work makes me stay late and not spend as much time with my pup! I will never stop using smart paws as long as I'm in Chicago!!! read more

AMAZING. So we were going out of town last minute and our vet always charges us for an exam and unnecessary shots, and with limited hours we end up paying for an extra day or two, it just gets too expensive! We were referred to Smart Paws by a co worker who has been using them for quite awhile and had nothing but great things to say about it. After talking to Sam, the owner, right away I felt at ease... it is clear that they love dogs and at the end of the day my dog is my baby so I expect them to see her as that too. The technology they have tracks the walk, and the walkers do WRITE UPS of their experience there. Even better, they post pictures to it too! These little things, are HUGE things for me... it not only made me smile, but it was so calming to know the behavior of what she was doing because I could tell from the notes she was happy and being herself. Most people with dogs would agree on this, whenever my fiance and I have to lave town last minute or just want to do an overnight, our dog can be a deciding factor of it we can do it or not. This will be AWESOME for last minute weekend trips or just to get out of the city for a night. I can not thank you guys enough and look forward to using you from not until forever :) Thank you Amanda and Gina for the pictures, they made my weekend :) read more

I have given this group several chances to change my mind, but they continue to disappoint time and again. I was gone for one night (thankfully!!) and when I got home the door to the litter box bathroom was shut! So naturally, as all animals would, my cats were mad at me and soiled my bed! The sitter didn't even scoop the litter so it's a wonder what he was doing in there anyway. The water bowls were empty. I can't figure out what they did for 45 min if they didn't even fill the water. The first time they sat for my pets, I came home to a filthy apartment. I will never recommend them to anyone. read more

CAT OWNERS be cautious...... I guess Smart Paws is very good for dog owners but not so much for cat owner. First they forgot to store treats so my cats ate the whole big bag which is really bad given one of my cats have health issues. Second time they forgot to store canned food so my cats made a mess on carpet. Then they seem to not pay attention to signs I put. I specifically wrote do not use Genie Cat Litter Disposal system because I retired it already and I don't have bags in it. I put a sign on top the the litter disposal system and told them to use just plastic bags in the cabinet. And guess what? They don't read it and they just dump all the waste in it.. Are you kidding me? I mean anyone with some experience knows how to deal with waste and you just don't dump them in a empty trash can and let it sit there that for days. To be honest, after maybe 3 or 4 times now, I am really disappointed by their cat sitters' performance. I don't even know whether they had previous experience with cats or not.. But I will say their customer service was good. The first time I complaint they credited me a small portion of the fee. However, I am not really into doing it every time I use the service. The cat sitter service just don't hold up to the standard I need. read more

Can't speak highly enough of this service. I just moved to Chicago this summer and it is such a comfort to have such a reliable service. They are so accommodating and take care of my puppy amazingly. It is so nice to get updates of the walk. It is comforting to know that my dog is taken care of while I am away. You get alerts to your phone which includes pictures, the route of the walk, and comments from the walker. Thank you for everything! read more

This is so sad to write, but I feel that anyone who is curious about SmartPaws needs to know. They seem to be having trouble maintaining dog walkers and began sending a different person every day with out informing me. I should have caught it sooner when one email stated my dog was so scared she peed on the rug and began growling. (SHE DOES NOT GROWL EVER). After reaching out to the company in concern (they had NO idea that our dog was having issues, even though it was in the email update) they reported that her usual walker was longer with smartpaws and had a different walker assigned every day. WHICH IS A NIGHTMARE FOR A RESCUE. Our dog is now seeing a behaviorist as she barks, growls and is fearful of anyone that walks through our door. Just a warning when you consider using this company. I really hope they can figure it out for other dogs and their families. read more

I've been using Smart Paws for almost 2 years now and I could not be happier! They are super flexible with my schedule and their cancellation policy can't be beat (you can cancel at anytime - up until they enter your house!). I completely trust them to come into my house, take great care of my rescue dog (who is high maintenance and LOUD), and send me a summary of the visit with pictures! They are a great company and you will NOT be disappointed with their service. read more

I can't say enough good things about Smart Paw Chicago! I am a self-proclaimed crazy dog owner ... and if you saw my 5-lbs poodle you'd know why! Smart Paws' reliable, caring walkers make leaving my little girl at home while I'm at work much easier. The online scheduling is super convenient. Our schedule fluctuates each week so I appreciate that there is not a minimum number of weekly walks. The Doggy Logs are truly the highlight of the days I'm away from my pup. They are incredibly funny and cute. I love seeing the pictures of my pooch - proof the dog walker actually came that day and that the walk was fun. Sam, the owner, could not be more thoughtful and easy to work with. I will recommend Smart Paws to all of my dog-loving friends and neighbors. This is one business that should thrive! WOOF! read more

Looking for a dog walker that didn't require a certain number of walks a week was difficult until I found Smart Paws Chicago. I love that you can schedule your appointment online and then receive an email when it is confirmed, very easy and user friendly. Sam stopped by for the meet and greet and was great, taking a lot of notes about what my pup needed. I knew that you received a post-walk info email but didn't think much of it until my dog's first walk. When my girlfriend and I received the "Doggy Log" we loved it!! There were tons of text updates as well as a couple pictures. It really is a nice feature since you know exactly when your dog is picked up and how far they go. Sam makes everything extremely easy, I will definitely be recommending Smart Paws Chicago to all my other dog-owning friends! read more

Not to sound cliche, but my dog is pretty much my best friend, so I don't take finding someone to take care of her when I can't lightly. After living in the city for several years, I have tried many different companies and can definitely say Smart Paws is the best I have used. I tried Smart Paws for the first time a few months ago and have been hooked ever since. Smart Paws is very reliable and convenient. The website is user-friendly and makes scheduling a walk super easy. Then, when it comes to the walk, there are all sorts of cool features like GPS tracking, photos and updates. It makes me feel at ease knowing my little pup is in good hands. I can't recommend Smart Paws enough for your pet needs - they are the best! read more

We first used Smart Paws Chicago this Thanksgiving weekend; scrambling last minute trying to find a dog walking service that not only would be operating on a holiday, but one that didn't require a minimum number of walks each week. After reading the Yelp reviews (they were amazing-with the exception of 1 review that actually wasn't even for Smart Paws, the reviewer had the wrong Company) I decided to give them a try. I've had my son (yes, I refer to my dog as my son) since he was 3 months old and he's now a striking old man at the age of 8; I'm very skeptical of letting people I don't know take care of him. But after meeting Sam (the owner) those feelings of discomfort slowly disappeared. He met with my boyfriend and I beforehand to find out our dog's needs, any special requests, etc., etc. Come Thanksgiving weekend, sure enough our walker (who happened to be Sam) was at our apartment during the time slot he said he would be; how do I know this? Because Smart Paws Chicago offers this AMAZING feature that will email you a Dog Walking Log once the walk is finished. It includes a break down by time of what your dog did, Sam even includes funny little comments which I thought were great. It tells you what time your walker starts the walk, how long the walk is and when they finish. It even includes a GPS map of your dog's route...and my favorite, pictures of your best friend! Who doesn't want to get pictures of their pup sent to them??! I cannot say enough how happy we were with Smart Paws Chicago's service, in fact we already have them booked for next weekend! It's super easy to do with their online booking service. Thanks Smart Paws for making our furry friend seem like he was your own, we can't wait for our next appointment! read more

What a great service! We used Smart Paws Chicago and met with Sam the owner for our consultation before we scheduled our first 2 walks. From the start, he was very professional, friendly, and got along great with our Dog from the first minute he walked in. The best feature about their service is the technology portion of each walk as we received an email from them right after they finished taking our Dog outside (we got one walk in the evening and one the next morning). The email was very funny as he explained what they did on their walk and he also included several pictures of our dog on his walk! We felt very comfortable with the whole process and will definitely be using their service again! Thanks!! read more

Smart Paws is really, really fantastic. I just adopted my first cat a few months ago and was definitely nervous to have someone else looking after her while I was home for Christmas for 5 days. I got a text each time they arrived to my apartment and a detailed email about the visit with pictures of her after they completed the visit. It gave me such peace of mind, and she seemed very happy and content when I returned home! I had lots of questions when I booked services with them and the owner, Sam, was super patient with me. Thanks, Sam! Smart Paws is wonderful! read more

I am so happy to have found a dog walker through smartpaws. I have a somewhat difficult dog who jumps and barks at people when they walk in the door. Because of thos it was hard to find a walker but smartpaws is wonderful. You get the same walker do they get to know your dog and vice versa. Love the comments they write getting email and text alerts when they arrive and leave. I highly recommend smartpaws! read more

This is the best dog walking service I've ever used! Always receive pictures, thoughtful summaries of the walk, and emails for clear communication on each and every walk :) I highly recommend! read more

We started to use SmartPaws service end of last year when we had to leave town for a family trip overseas. This was our first use of such service with our newly adopted 2 years old pet. We were a bit worry but starting with the registration visit at-home we started to relax. You could tell they love pets. During our trip we slowly got hooked to read the walkers emails (automatically sent to you when they start and end the walk along with pictures) so we knew what happened to our dog. The emails were so funny that this was first thing the kids would ask in the morning. This kept us informed and relaxed knowing all was going well. To be truthful, they had to deal with our dog refusal to be put on a leash but never gave up and day by day things go quickly better. Overall we are very satisfied with the service and will use it again. read more