Help & frequently asked questions
The most important answers for dog owners and hosts. Didn't find what you need? Email us at info@dogoasis.ch.
For dog owners
How do I book a dog field?
Use “Find spaces” in the main menu to search by place, date and time, choose a space and book it in whole hours, exclusively for you and your dogs. You don't need an app or a password: your name and email address are enough. After booking, you receive a personal booking link by email that lets you manage everything.
Do I need an account?
No. Every booking works as a guest: your booking link is the key to all the details. With a free account, you can also see all your bookings and invoices in one place and save dog profiles.
Will I really have the field to myself?
Yes. The space is reserved exclusively for you for the booked time. There are no parallel bookings. Appointments can be directly next to each other; we recommend leaving the space about 10 minutes before the end so that dogs from different guests do not meet.
When will I find out the exact address?
The public map only shows the approximate location. As soon as your booking is confirmed, you will find everything in your booking link: exact address, directions, parking and gate instructions. Only an access code, if there is one, appears 2 hours before your appointment and is valid until 2 hours afterwards. After a cancellation, the access details are no longer available. This keeps the hosts' details protected.
How do I pay?
You pay online through DogOasis when you book. Only appointments that the host has arranged with you directly (e.g. by phone or on site) are paid to the host directly, for example in cash or by TWINT. You can find the receipt at any time via your booking link.
Can I cancel a booking?
Yes, directly via your booking link. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start. You will then automatically get back the full amount paid through DogOasis. After that, cancellation through DogOasis is no longer possible; if you cannot come, contact the host directly. If the host cancels, the full amount paid is always refunded. Existing bookings are subject to the conditions shown at the time of booking.
The time I want is taken. What now?
Go to “Book now” anyway and choose your day. If nothing is free for this day and this duration, DogOasis shows you suitable alternatives (other days, other durations) and, below them, a field for the waitlist. If the time becomes free because of a cancellation, we will notify you by email.
What does “Book directly with the host” mean?
These entries point to businesses that are not registered with DogOasis. They are not partners and cannot be booked; only the name, location and official website are shown. You have to enquire and book directly with the business. Where the details come from is explained on the “External listings” page.
Are the reviews genuine?
Yes. Only people who have actually booked and visited can leave a review: one review per booking.
What if it rains?
Dog fields are outdoors: you book the time, not the weather. For most dogs, a fenced field in drizzle is still the best part of the week.
The normal cancellation period applies: up to 24 hours before the start, you can cancel free of charge yourself and get the full amount back.
After that, if the weather is bad, you can still move your booking to another time yourself: once in total, up to one hour before the start at the latest, and with a short reason. Cancelling is then no longer possible.
If that does not help, write to or call the host. Many rebook as a goodwill gesture; there is no entitlement to this.
For hosts
What does DogOasis cost for hosts?
There is no base fee. The calendar, customer management, space management and your own appointments are free. Commission only applies when the payment goes through DogOasis: currently 20 % of the booking amount, at least CHF 3.50 per booking arranged through DogOasis. The rate that applies when the booking is made is recorded for each booking and does not change later. You can find all the details on the “Benefits for hosts” page in the Pricing & commission section.
Which appointments are commission-free?
Appointments that you enter in the calendar yourself and collect payment for yourself: reservations made by phone, regular customers on site, recurring training sessions. No money goes through the platform there, so no commission applies. As soon as your guest pays through DogOasis, the booking is subject to commission, even if they came via your personal link or your QR code. Why the link is still useful: your customers book by themselves, you save on phone calls, and double bookings are ruled out.
When will my space become publicly visible?
Once you have submitted it, the DogOasis team checks your details. Only after this approval do your space and your host profile appear in the public search, and only then do the booking link, QR code and widget work. You can use your calendar before that.
How do I control when bookings can be made?
In the host area you set the opening hours and the longest booking duration for each space, and you can block times at any point. The shortest duration is one hour across the platform and cannot be changed. Only what you have released can be booked, and never twice. Appointments may be directly next to each other; if you need a break in between, enter it as a blocked time.
How do I create a booking?
Tap a free hour in the calendar. A window opens where you enter the duration, customer, payment method and, if needed, a different price. Tapping an existing appointment opens its details instead.
How do I block a time?
In the same window, switch to “Blocked time” at the top. If you enter a later date under “End date”, the block covers several days. With the tick box below, you block whole days; without it, you enter times, and across several days this time is blocked on each day, which is handy for maintenance or mowing. All-day blocks appear in the “All day” band above the timeline. You can remove them in the agenda or list view with “Remove”.
How do I move an appointment?
On a computer, drag the appointment with the mouse to another hour or another day. Without a mouse and on a phone, tap the appointment and choose “Reschedule”. Both ways ask for confirmation before saving. There is no need to cancel and enter it again.
How do I change the length of a booking?
On a computer, drag the appointment by its bottom edge to make it longer or shorter. Without a mouse and on a phone, change the duration in the booking details with the buttons for shorter and longer. Both ways ask for confirmation before saving.
Why doesn't the calendar show all 24 hours?
During the day, the timeline shows the section 08:00–20:00. If an appointment is earlier or later, you expand it with the strips above and below the grid. The strips also show how many appointments are there. Nothing is hidden: if you create a booking or blocked time outside these hours, the calendar opens the matching strip by itself.
How do I subscribe to my calendar?
Open the calendar in the host area and tap “Show calendar link” in the “Calendar subscription (iCal)” card. Copy the link and paste it into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook under “Subscribe to calendar”. Bookings and blocked times will then appear there automatically. The subscription is read-only: you still move and cancel appointments in DogOasis. The link is private. Do not share it; if it gets lost, create a new one in the same card.
Why was a payout that was due held back?
If a guest has an open report about a booking, we hold back the payout of the host's share until the matter is resolved, so that any compensation does not turn into a claim against you. You can see the amount held back under “Payouts”; as soon as the report is closed, it is paid out automatically. Incidents you report yourself (e.g. a no-show) do not delay your payout.
When do I get my money?
7 days after the booking ends, your amount, less the DogOasis commission, is released for payout. Stripe then transfers your balance to your bank account once a week. Under “Payouts” you can see what was transferred and when, and which money is still pending; you can find your revenue under “Statistics”. You confirm outstanding on-site payments yourself in the booking list. That way you keep track.
Do I have to rebook free of charge in bad weather?
No. DogOasis has no weather rule. Rain alone does not entitle the guest to a refund. The normal cancellation period of your space applies: 24 hours before the start.
There is one exception: the guest may move their booking to another time themselves once in total. After the cancellation period has expired, this is only possible by giving the reason “bad weather” and up to one hour before the start at the latest. You see the reason in the booking details and receive an email; the guest can then no longer cancel.
Beyond that, you are always free to be accommodating, and many hosts do well with it: a guest who was able to rebook to another day during constant rain comes back.
In practice: move the appointment directly in the calendar, by dragging it with the mouse or via “Reschedule” in the booking details. At very short notice it is no longer worthwhile: the space was reserved exclusively and can no longer be given to anyone else.
Not a host yet? How DogOasis works for hosts.