Our experience with Silvia was unfortunately not what we had hoped for. Before leaving our puppy with her, we had a video call where we explained that Trufa is still very young and learning. We made it clear that occasional accidents are normal for a puppy, and that he uses puppy pads indoors as part of his training in case he doesn't make it outside in time. When we dropped him off, we noticed two toxic plants on the floor inside the apartment. We asked Silvia to move them because toxic plants and a curious puppy are not a good combination. We also checked the balcony and found that it was not fully enclosed as she had previously told us. It was only partially closed, and there were chairs next to the railing, which we felt could be a safety risk, especially on the third floor. During the first 24 hours, we received several messages about Trufa having accidents indoors instead of during his walks or on the balcony. While we understand that this can be frustrating, these were behaviors we had discussed in advance and are part of raising a young puppy. At one point, Trufa also vomited, possibly after eating something he found in the apartment. We were naturally more concerned about how he was feeling than about the small stain left on the sofa, so we would have appreciated more focus on his wellbeing. Because there were several concerns raised in such a short time, we felt that the arrangement was not working well for either Trufa or Silvia. While we were traveling abroad, we decided it would be best to arrange for another sitter to pick him up. The rest of our trip went very smoothly with the new sitter. Trufa settled in quickly, used his puppy pads or went during his walks, and seemed much happier and more relaxed. We believe Silvia may be a better fit for older, fully house-trained dogs. Caring for a young puppy requires extra patience, flexibility, and a puppy-proof environment, and unfortunately we don't feel this stay was the right match for Trufa.

Silvia hat sich ganz toll um meinen Gigi gekümmert, während ich auf Dienstreise war! Sie war sehr flexibel, absolut zuverlässig und geduldig mit meinem doch recht ängstlichen Kater. Gigi hat sich direkt an Silvia gewöhnt und die beiden waren schnell fast unzertrennlich. Bei meinem nächsten Auslandsaufenthalt gerne wieder! :)