Seattle is forming.
We open a region when 30 Cavalier households within 30 minutes of each other have joined. Seattle 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 Seattle opens, nothing else changes — no fees, no bookings, just the count above.
Seattle's damp is the detail that matters for this breed. A Cavalier's long, low-set, heavily feathered ears trap moisture, and a wet winter is exactly the season ear problems turn up. Owners here tend to already have a drying routine after a rainy walk; a sitter who shares the breed usually has the same one, which is harder to guarantee from a boarding facility working through a full kennel.
The compensation is that the temperate climate makes year-round walking genuinely pleasant for a dog that overheats easily elsewhere. Ballard, Fremont, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, West Seattle and the Eastside all have the density a swap circle needs — the constraint is simply how many Cavalier households find each other first.
Frequently asked questions
- Is CavSwap open in Seattle yet?
- Not yet. Seattle 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.
- Does Seattle's wet weather cause problems for Cavaliers?
- The breed's pendulous, well-feathered ears restrict airflow and hold damp, and ear irritation is a common Cavalier complaint anywhere — a rainy climate simply gives it more opportunities. Most owners here dry ears after wet walks as routine. If your vet has given you a specific ear-care routine, that instruction should travel with your dog; CavSwap records care details in the dog's profile so a host is following your vet's plan rather than improvising.
- Can I swap with someone on the Eastside?
- Once Seattle opens, matching is driven by travel time rather than city limits, so Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond households can absolutely swap with Seattle ones where the drive is reasonable. Adding your name now — and your neighborhood — is what tells us where the circle is actually forming.
- 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 Seattle? Tell us your city and we'll count you toward it.