TL;DR

In this episode of Tails and Tones, host Mariska Nell speaks with Yvonne Sendin, the founder of Doggie Adventures, about her journey in creating a dog-friendly community in the UAE. They discuss the challenges of dog ownership in the region, the importance of public etiquette, and the exciting initiatives like Leash Explorer and WoofStock that promote responsible pet ownership and community engagement. Yvonne shares her insights on how to make the UAE more dog-friendly and the responsibilities that come with being a dog owner.

Guest Bio:

Yvonne Sendin is a Dutch expat and the founder of Doggie Adventures, the leading dog-friendly directory and community platform in the UAE, established in 2018. After relocating to Dubai with her rescue dog Boefje, Yvonne turned a personal list of dog-friendly cafes into a UAE-wide resource for pet parents. She is also a co-founder of Leash Explorer, an annual UAE-wide dog adventure challenge, and the creator of Woof Stock, a sensory-conscious dog festival designed with dogs' comfort in mind.

During This Episode:

• Introducing Yvonne Sendin, founder of Doggie Adventures, and her 10+ years living in Dubai
• How Boefje, Yvonne's rescue dog from the Netherlands, inspired the whole Doggie Adventures journey
• The contrast between dog-friendly Europe and navigating pet life in the UAE
• How Dubai used to be far more dog-friendly (unrestricted beach access) before rules tightened
• Cold-calling cafes and hotels to build the original dog-friendly places list
• Turning that list into a full UAE-wide dog-friendly directory
• Why irresponsible pet owners (off-leash dogs, uncleaned poop, dogs on tables) are closing dog-friendly venues
• Real examples: dogs running over restaurant furniture off-leash, and a mall poop incident Mariska witnessed firsthand
• The fines and municipality warnings pushing venues to drop dog-friendly status
• Advice for confronting bad pet etiquette in public: Yvonne's direct-but-kind approach
• Doggie Adventures' free consultations helping cafes, restaurants, and hotels train staff to be dog-friendly with confidence
• The origin and growth of Leash Explorer (co-founded with HK9 and Ginger's Way): the annual UAE-wide challenge and seasonal group hikes
• Inclusivity in Leash Explorer: color-coded leash sleeves so reactive or shy dogs can join safely
• The Wadi Dafta hike recommendation for smaller or less active dogs like Piper
• The creation of Woof Stock, a UAE dog festival designed for dogs first (not just entertainment for humans)
• Sensory-conscious festival design: no flashing lights, calm background music, sociability-based leash sleeve assessments
• Advice for making an apartment building, compound, or neighborhood more dog-friendly
• A hint at Doggie Adventures' next community-focused initiative in development

Takeaways:

• Doggie Adventures was founded to create a better life for dogs in the UAE. It started as a simple personal list of dog-friendly cafes for Yvonne's rescue dog, Boefje.
• Public etiquette is crucial for responsible dog ownership. Irresponsible behavior, like off-leash dogs and uncleaned messes, is directly responsible for venues losing their dog-friendly status.
• Leash Explorer offers structured adventures for dogs and their owners. The annual UAE-wide challenge and seasonal group hikes give the community a shared calendar of dog-friendly experiences.
• Woof Stock is a festival designed around dogs' comfort, not just entertainment for people. Calm music, no flashing lights, and sociability-based assessments keep the event genuinely dog-friendly.
• Community engagement is key to making the UAE more dog-friendly overall. Change happens when responsible pet parents set the example for venues considering going dog-friendly.
• Dog owners must respect public spaces and other people's comfort. Not everyone grew up around dogs, and some people are genuinely afraid, so owners need to be considerate of that.
• Education about dog behavior benefits both owners and the wider community. Doggie Adventures offers free consultations to help venue staff feel confident interacting with dogs.
• A directory of dog-friendly places helps pet owners navigate the UAE with confidence. It saves time and reduces the guesswork of where dogs are actually welcome.
• Responsible pet ownership is the foundation everything else builds on. Cleaning up after your dog and keeping them leashed protects access for the whole community.
• New community-focused initiatives are coming from Doggie Adventures. Yvonne teased an upcoming project focused on making dog-friendly discovery easier and more community-driven.

Relevant links mentioned in the episode:

Doggie Adventures (Website, Instagram, Youtube)

Leash Explorer (Website, Instagram)

WoofStock (Website, Instagram)

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

[00:00]- Introduction to Yvonne and Doggie Adventures

[03:23]- The Journey of Doggie Adventures

[06:04]- Challenges of Dog Ownership in the UAE

[08:50]- Public Etiquette and Responsibility of Dog Owners

[11:26]- Community Engagement and Advocacy for Dog-Friendly Spaces

[14:19]- Navigating Dog Etiquette in Public Spaces

[19:36]- Consultations and Community Engagement

[20:22]- Introducing Leash Explorer

[21:51]- The Annual Challenge and Activities

[23:17]- Inclusivity in Dog Activities

[25:29]- Planning Hikes for All Dogs

[27:27]- Creating Wolf Stock: A Dog Festival

[31:48]- Making Communities Dog-Friendly

[35:46]- Future Plans and Community Feedback

[38:16]- The Power of One: Inspiring Change Through Love

[39:07]- Creating Welcoming Spaces for Dogs and Humans

FAQ

Is the UAE dog-friendly?

The UAE has a growing number of dog-friendly cafes, restaurants, hotels, and hiking trails, largely thanks to community efforts like Doggie Adventures, but dog-friendly status can vary by venue and has become more restricted in recent years due to irresponsible pet owner behavior.

Why are dog-friendly places closing in Dubai and the UAE?

Many venues have lost their dog-friendly status because owners let dogs off-leash indoors, failed to clean up after their pets, or allowed dogs on furniture and tables, leading to municipality warnings and fines that push businesses to stop allowing dogs altogether.

What is Leash Explorer?

Leash Explorer is a UAE-wide dog adventure challenge co-founded by Doggie Adventures, HK9, and Ginger's Way, featuring an annual multi-Emirate activation in February and March plus a season of monthly group hikes designed for dogs of all sociability levels.

What is Woof Stock?

Woof Stock is a dog-focused festival created by Doggie Adventures that prioritizes dogs' sensory comfort with calm music, no flashing lights, and color-coded sociability assessments, alongside activities, workshops, adoption opportunities, and vendors for their humans.

How can I find dog-friendly places in the UAE?

The Doggie Adventures directory lists dog-friendly cafes, restaurants, hotels, and hiking trails across the UAE, and can be saved as a Google Maps list for quick access wherever you are.

How do I make my building or neighborhood more dog-friendly?

Start by checking whether your building management allows dogs at all, then ask individual venues directly if they'll accommodate your dog (outdoor seating is more likely to be approved than indoor), and always model responsible pet etiquette to build trust with venues considering going dog-friendly.

What should I do if I see a dog owner behaving irresponsibly in public?

Politely and calmly addressing the behavior directly, or speaking to venue staff or management about training their team to be more assertive, can help. Doggie Adventures also offers free consultations to businesses that want support becoming genuinely dog-friendly.

Are reactive dogs welcome at Leash Explorer events?

Yes. Leash Explorer uses color-coded leash sleeves based on sociability behavior so other dog owners know whether a dog wants to be approached, making the events inclusive for reactive and shy dogs as well as social ones.

About the Author: Mariska Nell

Mariska is the founder of Tails and Tones, a design-led, sustainable dog product brand. She's also the host of the Tails and Tones podcast, where she explores dog health, product design, and intentional pet parenting with experts, veterinarians, and fellow dog parents.

Background: Mariska holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Design, a Bachelor's in Interior Design, and a Postgraduate qualification in Environmental Science. She's spent over 10 years working as a sustainability designer and strategist across the UAE, Australia, South Africa, the UK, and India. Her previous work includes collaborations with brands like Nespresso, Costa Coffee, and Dubai Airport, and she founded Design By Mariska, known for trash-to-treasure art exhibited at Dubai International Airport. She's also the host and founder of Mama Earth Talk, a sustainability podcast with 200+ episodes on zero waste and climate action, featuring guests including Dr. Sylvia Earle and the late Dr. Jane Goodall. She created the free Living Lighter course for practical sustainable living.

Piper: Mariska shares her life and work with Piper, her French Bulldog rescue dog. Piper joined the family in 2021 at 5 months old and has been the Chief Paw-duct Tester for everything Tails and Tones creates. Piper's journey, including cleft palate repair, luxating patella, arthritis risk, and recent mobility challenges, directly shaped the founding mission of Elevé (Tails and Tones' first product: a modular, height-adaptive feeding system).

Mission: We are on a mission to help modern dog parents simplify everyday care and elevate life with their pets, without sacrificing style or sustainability. Tails and Tones exists to build products that show up for dog parents, beautiful, sustainable, and robust enough to support you on the worst days. Not just the easy ones.

You can find Mariska at @tailsandtones on Instagram, or visit tailsandtones.com to learn more about Elevé and the Tails and Tones mission.