5: Dog Boarding, Pet Sitters, or Family? How to Choose the Best Care While You’re Away
TL;DR
In this episode of Tails and Tones, host Mariska discusses the various options for pet care when traveling, emphasizing the importance of safety and comfort for pets. She shares personal experiences and criteria for selecting pet sitters, explores different care options including pet sitting, boarding, and trusted house sitters, and highlights the value of community support among pet parents. The episode concludes with heartwarming pet stories and a spotlight on celebrity pets, reinforcing the bond between pets and their owners.
During This Episode:
- Introduction to pet care dilemmas when traveling
- Navigating the different pet care options available
- Criteria for choosing a pet sitter you can genuinely trust
- Exploring pet sitting and boarding as options
- Understanding trusted house sitters and how the model works
- The role of friends and family in pet care
- Community support for pet parents
- Fetch or Forget: a product review
- Where Tails Meet Hearts: Crusoe the Dachshund
- Paw-lebrity of the Week: Gnocchi the Frenchie
- Final thoughts on pet care while traveling
Takeaways:
- Many pet parents face the dilemma of pet care while traveling. It's a common source of stress and guilt, but there are several legitimate options to choose from.
- It's important to prioritize your pet's safety and comfort. The right choice depends on your individual dog's personality, not on what other people think you should do.
- Judgment from others shouldn't dictate your choices for pet care. What works for one dog parent may not work for another, and that's okay.
- A meet and greet with potential sitters is essential. Watching how your dog reacts to a new person gives you valuable insight before committing to an overnight stay.
- Your pet's needs may change over time, requiring different care solutions. Age, health, and temperament can all shift what type of care setup works best.
- Pet sitting can be flexible and personalized to your pet's routine. Whether at your home or the sitter's, it lets your dog stay close to their normal rhythm.
- Check the legality and insurance of pet sitters in your area. In markets where pet sitting is a grey area, confirming this protects both you and your dog.
- Community support can be invaluable for pet parents. Offering to help a fellow dog parent, or accepting help, can build a genuine safety net for emergencies.
- Trial runs can help ease anxiety for both pets and owners. Starting small, with a short stay before a full holiday, builds trust gradually on both sides.
Relevant links mentioned in the episode:
KONG Signature Small/Petit Ball
Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund
Paw-lebrity of the Week, Gnocchi the Frenchie
Gnocchi's clothing brand - Life of Leisure
Coming in the next episode:
In the next episode, we are digging into things your dog should not be eating.
Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:
[00:00] -Introduction to Pet Care Dilemmas
[02:23] -Navigating Pet Care Options
[05:23] -Criteria for Choosing a Pet Sitter
[08:07] -Exploring Pet Sitting and Boarding
[10:57] -Understanding Trusted House Sitters
[14:00] -The Role of Friends and Family in Pet Care
[16:35] -Community Support for Pet Parents
[19:05] - Fetch or Forget
[19:37] -Where Tails meet hearts - Crusoe The Dachshund
[22:19] -Paw-lebrity of the Week - Gnocchi The Frenchie
[25:19] -Final Thoughts on Pet Care
FAQ
What are the best options for pet care when traveling?
The main options are pet sitting, whether at your home or the sitter's, pet boarding or daycare, trusted house-sitting platforms, and asking friends or family, with the right choice depending on your dog's personality, your budget, and how long you'll be away.
How do I choose a good pet sitter?
Look for a sitter with a clear plan for emergencies and a strong reputation, and confirm your dog reacts well to them during a meet and greet before booking an overnight stay.
Is pet sitting legal everywhere?
Not necessarily. Pet sitting for pay is a grey area in some regions, so it's important to check whether sitters in your area need to be licensed or insured before hiring one.
Should I do a trial run before boarding my dog for a long trip?
Yes, starting with a short stay before a full holiday helps your dog build trust with the sitter or facility and gives you confidence that a longer stay will go smoothly.
What should I look for in a dog boarding facility?
Tour the facility beforehand, ask about emergency procedures and supervision, and see what a typical day looks like, since popular facilities can fill up quickly around holidays.
Is it okay to ask friends or family to look after my dog?
Yes, if your dog already knows and trusts them, but it's still worth treating it professionally by discussing an emergency plan and confirming your dog feels genuinely comfortable with them.
What is a trusted house-sitting platform?
Platforms like Trusted Housesitters connect you with vetted sitters who stay in your home to care for your pet, which means your pet stays in a familiar environment and your home gets looked after too.
How can community support help pet parents who need to travel?
Offering to help a fellow dog parent, or accepting help when it's offered, can build a genuine safety net that makes pet care while traveling feel far less stressful for everyone involved.
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.
