We frolic through the Yukon wild with a pack of dogs, you must have questions.
FAQs
Can any dog join Fawkestrot?
Unfortunately no, we must ensure that only dogs who are ready for all aspects of FawkesTrot’s program are able to register. This means your pup must be at least approximately 1 year of age (for safety reasons during growth, as well as training completion) We do not expect your dog to be unwaveringly friendly, but we need to ensure that dogs on our hikes are relatively balanced behaviourally, and do not react to new dogs, humans, or circumstances with an inappropriate level of reactivity or aggression. Safety for all is of the utmost importance on our adventures. We require the ability to Recall Reliably. We do not expect prompt perfection, but we do need relative reliability. If you are not able to call your dog in, away from an oncoming person or new dog on a trail in most circumstances, it is likely that your dog is not quite ready for our off leash pack environment. If this is the case, we strongly recommend registering for a class with Top Dog Training Academy. We find that dogs who have graduated at a Level One Advanced level have received thorough and sufficient training for our adventures. We are more than happy to accommodate and appropriately use tools that you have conditioned your dog with for recall such as e collars. If your dog suffers significant anxiety when riding in vehicles, we advise pursuing further training to achieve a calm, confident mindset surrounding vehicles. FawkesTrot must be able to recall a dog and load them into the FawkesWagon following our adventures, and typically this can only happen successfully if the pup is comfortable with vehicles. With new dogs, we use our first hike as an assessment, and if they do not seem quite ready for the program, we will happily refund your hike and recommend next training steps to build your dog’s off-leash skills and reliability.
Can you pick my dog up from outside of town?
Unfortunately, in order to maximize time on trail we cannot pick up outside our service are. In the meantime, if you have friends, family, or another location within our service area that is suitable for drop-off, that might be an option, otherwise we recommend signing up for our Commuter program where you pick up and drop off your pup at our HQ, with optional extra kennel chill time.
Can I drop my dog off early or late?
Unfortunately early or later drop-offs in the morning cannot be accommodated, because in order to stay on schedule, the FawesWagon must leave the station by 8:30AM, the drop off times for our afternoon are more flexible, just check with us!
How do I follow along on their adventure?
All of our pack leaders post photos and videos of each adventure to their respective instagram stories within the day following their outing. Find Britt’s here. Lauren’s here. Rhiannon’s here. Terri’s here.
Do dogs run away or chase wildlife?
Dogs running away, chasing wildlife, or injuring themselves are absolutely risks inherent in off-leash adventures in the Yukon wilderness environment. It is important that you are confident in your dog’s ability to respond well to a handler in this environment, and that you are prepared to assume the risks above. That said, our training and behavioural prerequisites, as well as our biothane long lines and tabs, significantly reduce these risks.
What area do you serve?
We are only able to offer our pick-up and drop-off service in Whitehorse from as North as Crestview to as South as Robert Service Way. Take a look at our Commuter options if this doesn’t work for you and your pup.
My dog doesn’t love being close to other dogs in a vehicle, can they still join?
Yes, fortunately we multiple secure, impact resistant RuffLan kennels within the FawkesWagons to keep your pup in their own safe space while they travel, if they aren’t up for the open shared area.
Are there temperature cut-offs?
We do adjust or cancel hikes depending weather. We have fairly rugged cutoffs, as to be expected in Yukon. Our cutoff base temperature is -33°C, with a cutoff windchill of -36°C. We reduce duration of all adventures, but still run outings below -25°C or above +25°C. Please make sure to dress your dog appropriately for the weather as it suits them.
How do I prepare my dog for their weekly hike?
There are a few things we recommend in preparation for your dogs adventure. Please avoid feeding a morning meal on adventure days (with the exception of medical conditions) to ensure food motivation and reduce likelihood of bloat. Please take your dog out to do their business prior to hikes so that the don’t leave us gifts in the van. For drop offs, do arrive at our HQ on leash and in work mode to make sure we start in a calm collected(ish) state of mind. Dress your dog in proper gear for the conditions, including booties/coats for those in need, and light-up collars etc. during dark morning months! We have some of these items in stock at our store!
How do we pay and what happens if we miss a trot?
We invoice our subscribers using Square online invoicing. This allows you to pay by VISA or e-transfer, immediately online! Invoices are paid at the start of each 8 week subscription period and automatically recur. If you have time away planned, please let us know the week prior to the cancellation in order for us to reimburse you on your next subscription.
Can you take my children as well?
If they get along well with the other dogs and are kennel trained. Get those little trail legs ready.