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Dog Walking & Dog Training in Royal Oak, MI

Walks, Sniffari, Trail Hikes, and in-home force-free training. Triple-certified and vet-endorsed for Royal Oak pet parents since 2014. One household at a time, never a group walk.

Royal Oak pet parents do not need a daycare van. They need a real walker who shows up, reads their dog, and reinforces what their trainer is teaching. Paws Around Motown handles midday walks, Sniffari scent enrichment, Trail Hikes, and in-home force-free training for Royal Oak and the surrounding Oakland County communities. Becky Lea, our founder, holds five professional credentials including CPDT-KA and Certified Shelter Dog Trainer, and every walker on our team is Pet First Aid certified.

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BY BECKY LEA, CPDT-KA · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

Why Royal Oak Pet Parents Are Switching Away From Daycare

We can usually tell, within ten minutes of meeting a dog, whether the family has been doing daycare five days a week. The body shows it. The behavior shows it. The owner usually has not connected the dots yet.

Daycare for eight hours a day, five days a week, keeps the cortisol stress hormone elevated. The dog stops sleeping through the night. Reactivity creeps back. The trainer they hired starts losing ground. The Royal Oak parents we work with figure that out around month three, then call us.

A 30 or 45 minute private midday walk in your Royal Oak neighborhood does the opposite of daycare overload. Bathroom break. Sniff time. Fresh air. Then home to actually rest. We have been doing this across Oakland County since 2014.

Pet Care Services for Royal Oak, MI

Every service is one household at a time. We never combine households on a walk, in a car, or on a trail.

Midday Dog Walks in Royal Oak

30 or 45 minute private walks through your Royal Oak neighborhood. Bathroom break, sniff time, decompression. The hybrid most of our clients land on instead of five daycare days.
Learn more about dog walking

Sniffari Scent Walk

A private 45 to 60 minute scent-enrichment walk. We set up a scent trail with dog-safe oils and let your dog follow their nose, investigate, and win treats. Slow-paced, decompression-focused, one household at a time.
Learn more about Sniffari

Trail Hike

Our private solo hiking adventure. About two hours total with at least an hour of guided, on-leash hiking on a dog-friendly trail matched to your dog’s fitness. One household at a time, never a group hike.
Learn more about Trail Hikes

In-Home Force-Free Training

In-home dog training with no prong collars, no shock collars, no choke chains, no alpha rollovers. Becky Lea is CPDT-KA and Certified Shelter Dog Trainer; Megan, our General Manager and Lead Trainer, is CPDT-KA Dog Trainer.
Learn more about training

Royal Oak Neighborhoods We Walk and Train In

We serve all of Royal Oak and the surrounding Oakland County corridor. Below are the Royal Oak neighborhoods where most of our current clients live. If you do not see your street, ask. We almost certainly cover it.

Downtown Royal Oak

48067

Lincoln / Lafayette

48067

Red Run

48073

Vinsetta Park

48067

Washington Heights

48067 and 48073

48073

Normandy Oaks

Clifford Heights

48067

Northwood

48073

Starr - Jaycee

48073

Trusted Royal Oak, MI Pet Resources

Below are the Royal Oak vets, emergency hospitals, and dog parks our team and clients use most. We are not affiliated with any of these. We list them because we trust them when our own dogs need care.

Royal Oak Animal Hospital
Trusted Vet
Trusted Vet

Royal Oak Animal Hospital

In business since 1956. Full-service. Closed Thursdays but available by phone.

824 S. Main St., Royal Oak, MI 48067
 (248) 542-7330 | royaloakvethospital.com

Hours: Mon–Tue 9am–3pm | Wed 9am–5pm | Thu closed | Fri 7am–5pm | Sat 7am–1pm

Oakland Veterinary Referral Service
24hr Emergency Vet

Oakland Veterinary Referral Services (OVRS)

VECCS Level 1 Critical Care Center. 20+ board-certified specialists. ~15 min from Royal Oak.

1400 S. Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
(248) 334-6877 | ovrs.com
Open 24 hours, 365 days a year

Mark Twain Dog Park Royal Oak MI
Dog Park

Mark Twain Dog Park

Only off-leash dog park in Royal Oak. Fenced. Wooded trails. Requires proof of vaccinations + dog license to join.

4600 N. Campbell Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48073
(248) 246-3050 | romi.gov/1378/Mark-Twain-Dog-Park
Hours: Daily 6am–10pm
Membership required: $40/year residents | $65/year non-residents

Why Royal Oak Pet Parents Trust Paws Around Motown

Triple-certified founder

Becky Lea holds CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer), Certified Shelter Dog Trainer, and Pet First Aid & CPR Instructor credentials. Five professional certifications total.

12 years in Birmingham

Founded in 2014. Over 280 active client households across Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, and Farmington.

Michigan Small Business of the Month

Recognized by the State of Michigan as Small Business of the Month. Ranked among the Top 5 dog walking and training companies in Michigan for multiple years.

Never a group walk

We walk one household’s dog at a time. We never combine households in a car, on a trail, or on a walk. Your dog gets the full attention of their walker.

Your Royal Oak Walkers and Trainers

Every PAM team member who handles a Royal Oak client is Pet First Aid & CPR certified, trained on oral, topical, and injectable medication administration (including insulin), and force-free in every walk and training session.

Becky​ Founder and CEO Paws Around Motown

Becky Lea, CPDT-KA

Founder & Head Trainer

Founded Paws Around Motown in 2014. Holds five professional credentials including CPDT-KA, Certified Shelter Dog Trainer, and Pet First Aid & CPR Instructor. Specializes in reactive and rescue dogs.
Megan – General Manager & Lead Trainer Paws Around Motown

Megan

Lead Trainer

 CPDT-KA Certified obedience trainer. Handles obedience and force-free behavior work alongside Becky. Birmingham resident.

Royal Oak Dog Care Guides

Real answers to the questions Royal Oak pet parents ask us most.

Which Royal Oak Trails Will Actually Tire Your Dog Out?

We can usually tell within ten minutes whether a dog has been doing daycare five days a week. Here is the cortisol math, the behavior signs, and the hybrid most of our Birmingham clients land on.
Read the Article

Is In-Home Dog Training Worth It in Royal Oak?

In-home training costs more per session than a class. Here is when it is worth it, when a group class is enough, and how to tell which your dog actually needs.
Read the Article

Royal Oak, MI Dog Walking & Training FAQ

A typical 30 minute midday walk in Royal Oak runs about $32 to $55 depending on frequency, with discounts for 3–5x weekly schedules. A 45 minute walk runs slightly higher. Sniffari and Trail Hike packages are priced separately because they include drive time and a longer outing. Pricing is on our /services/ page and we confirm the exact rate at your free meet-and-greet.

We walk throughout Royal Oak (Zip Codes: 48067, 48068, 48069, 48071, 48073), including the downtown core, the Farmers Market district, and the residential neighborhoods around it, plus the surrounding Oakland County communities. If you are unsure whether your street is in our walk zone, contact us with your address

A midday walk is 30 or 45 minutes of private, leashed exercise in your own neighborhood. One household, one walker. Daycare is 6–8 hours of group play with rotating handlers and other dogs. Most of our Royal Oak clients switch from daycare to midday walks because their dogs sleep better, settle faster, and react less at home.
A Sniffari is our private 45 to 60 minute scent-enrichment walk. We set up a scent trail with dog-safe oils and let your dog follow their nose, investigate, and win treats. It is slow-paced and decompression-focused, not a distance hike. For dogs who also need to burn real physical energy, our Trail Hike is the longer, two-hour hiking version.
A Trail Hike is our private solo hiking adventure: about two hours total with at least an hour of guided, on-leash hiking on a dog-friendly trail matched to your dog's fitness. We pick up at home and bring them back tired and calm. One household at a time, never a group hike. A Sniffari is shorter (45 to 60 min), slower, and focused on scent enrichment.

Yes. We provide in-home force-free dog training in Royal Oak, MI. No prong collars, no shock collars, no choke chains, no alpha rollovers. Becky Lea, our founder, is CPDT-KA and Certified Shelter Dog Trainer; Megan, our General Manager and Lead Trainer, is CPDT-KA certified dog trainer. Most cases see real progress in four to six sessions.

Yes. Every walker on our team is trained on force-free handling. The body-language reading, trigger management, and reward-based reinforcement Becky teaches in training sessions are the same protocols your walker uses on every walk. That continuity is what makes the training stick.
Yes. We assign three walkers to your household, a primary, a secondary, and a backup so your dog is never left without care if someone’s out. The primary and secondary are the two faces your dog will see most often; the backup stays familiar with your dog and their routine so they can step in seamlessly if needed. Your dog learns three faces, not a rotating cast. We tell you all names at the meet-and-greet.
Yes. Our entire team is trained on oral, topical, and injectable medication administration, including insulin. We coordinate with your vet's protocols and document each dose.
Yes, with judgment. We walk in light rain, snow, and cold with weather-appropriate gear. In severe heat, severe cold, or active thunderstorms, we shorten the visit to a quick bathroom break and indoor enrichment time so your dog still gets relief without the safety risk.
Start with a free 30 minute meet-and-greet. We come to your home in Royal Oak, meet your dog in their own space, walk through your neighborhood, and answer every question. No contract, no pressure, no fee. Book through the contact page or call us.
Start with a free 30 minute discovery call with a certified dog trainer. We'll listen, ask questions, and tell you honestly whether we can help or whether we need to assess your dog in person first. If an in-person training meet and greet is needed, we come to your Royal Oak home for a full, no-commitment evaluation. The evaluation is $150, credited toward your training bundle when you book one. Book your discovery call through the contact page or call us.
We cover Royal Oak plus Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Clawson, Ferndale, Madison Heights, Oak Park, and Troy.

Ready to Meet a Royal Oak Walker?

The free meet-and-greet is 30 minutes, in your home, with no contract or fee. We will meet your dog, walk through your Royal Oak neighborhood, and tell you honestly whether walks, training, a Sniffari, a Trail Hike, or some combination fits.

Schedule a Free Meet-and-Greet