About Tails on the Town

Tails on the Town is Maria and Doug, at 3 Gardiner Park in New Paltz. They spent eighteen years caring for dogs in Brooklyn before moving upstate, and the business now runs from a house with a fenced backyard rather than from a kennel. The principle is stated as a philosophy rather than a policy: "We keep our boarding numbers small on purpose. That's not a policy – it's a philosophy. Your dog is not a number on a run sheet. They're houseguests."

What is on offer

The services line is short and specific: "Overnight boarding – Dog training – Pet grief support – NYC-New Paltz transport." The training credential sits behind it: "Maria is a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer with 25 years of experience and a certified Pet Loss Grief Counselor." Ask about the training curriculum and price; the priced part of the business is boarding, at $100 a night, $120 for puppies aged four to ten months, with sibling discounts from twenty-five per cent and reductions for stays of ten nights or more. Transport between Brooklyn or New York City and New Paltz is $45 one way and $90 return, driven in their own car rather than a van of crates.

How a stay runs

Four to five outings a day, in the fenced backyard, on leashed walks along the rail trail, or at local dog parks, with daily photo updates and check-ins. A meet and greet is required before a first stay, and dogs must be vaccinated, house-trained and on flea and tick prevention. They describe having handled "puppies, seniors, reactive dogs, and anxious first-timers" over the years – experience rather than a service, but useful context for an owner with a nervous dog.

Who it suits

New Paltz households and weekending New Yorkers who want a house rather than a kennel, and owners who would rather their boarding was supervised by someone with a training certification. If training is the main thing you need, ask what shape it takes when you book the meet and greet – the boarding side is the part the site describes in detail. Best for: small-scale home boarding with a certified trainer on site, and pet loss support.