Austin is forming.
We open a region when 30 Cavalier households within 30 minutes of each other have joined. Austin is at 0. Add your name and bring two Cavalier friends, and we'll tell you the day it opens.
CavSwap is a free dog-sitting swap circle where Cavalier owners host each other's dogs instead of paying for boarding. Until Austin opens, nothing else changes — no fees, no bookings, just the count above.
Austin combines real heat with real humidity, which is a harder combination for a Cavalier than dry heat alone — humid air makes panting less effective just when a dog needs it most. Summer here means the same early-and-late walking pattern the Sun Belt runs on, and a host who owns the breed already lives by it.
There's also cedar fever: from roughly December through February, mountain cedar pollen blankets Central Texas, and some dogs react alongside their owners. If yours does, that's a seasonal detail a local sitter will recognise immediately and an out-of-town kennel will not.
Frequently asked questions
- Is CavSwap open in Austin yet?
- Not yet. Austin is a forming region: we open one when 30 Cavalier households within about 30 minutes of each other have added their names. Until then there are no bookings, no fees and nothing to cancel — just the signup count on this page. Everyone who signs up hears from us the day it opens.
- What is cedar fever and does it affect dogs?
- Mountain cedar pollen peaks across Central Texas in roughly December through February and is the region's most notorious seasonal allergen. Dogs can show seasonal allergy signs too, commonly as itching and skin irritation rather than the sneezing people get. If your vet has your Cavalier on a seasonal plan, it belongs in the dog's profile so a host follows it through the whole stay.
- How do Austin summers affect a Cavalier?
- Heat plus humidity is the difficult combination: a Cavalier's shortened muzzle makes cooling by panting less efficient, and humid air reduces that further. Local owners walk early and late, keep midday indoors and watch for a dog slowing down. A sitter who owns the same breed in the same city needs no briefing on any of it.
- How does a sitting swap actually work?
- You host another member's Cavalier, and you earn credits measured in nights. You spend those credits when someone hosts yours. No money changes hands between members at any point, and the core features are free permanently. Every member is personally reviewed before joining, and the two households always meet in person before a first stay is confirmed.
Not in Austin? Tell us your city and we'll count you toward it.