Pet Boarding and Daycare Podcast with Dominic Hodgson

Are you focusing heavily on scent, activity, and social play…but overlooking one of the dog’s most powerful senses? Have you ever considered that the bedding, cushioning, and physical comfort inside your facility could be one of the biggest opportunities to improve behaviour, client confidence, and revenue? And what if enrichment didn’t always require more labour…but instead could quietly increase value while using the space you already have? In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, host Dom Hodgson sits down with Fred Silber from Pet Therapeutics to explore one of the fastest-growing areas of enrichment: comfort-driven enrichment — and why the sense of touch is becoming a major differentiator for premium dog daycares and pet resorts. Fred has spent decades working in pet product design and behavioural comfort solutions, helping facilities move beyond basic raised cots and into structured, science-backed comfort environments that reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in boarding dogs. Together, Dom and Fred unpack how luxury-style bedding, pressure-based comfort, and smart enrichment bundling are helping facilities improve dog wellbeing, increase customer retention, and unlock new revenue streams — often with minimal additional labour. In this episode, you’ll discover: Comfort as the Missing Enrichment Pillar – Why touch and pressure-based comfort plays a major role in reducing stress and anxiety. Design for Luxury, Proven for Profit – How premium bedding and comfort upgrades create powerful upsell opportunities. Bundling for Bigger Returns – Why using comfort items as anchor upgrades dramatically increases package value. Near-Zero Labour Enrichment – How comfort-driven upgrades increase perceived value without increasing staffing pressure. Retention Through Experience – Why facilities using luxury comfort environments are holding onto clients longer and defending against competition. Huge hanks to my awesome guest Fred Silber for sharing his knowledge. Find out more about Pet Theraputics by going to PetTheraputics.net Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach?  Discover if you’re a good fit to work with Dom by going to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/audition Canine Labs Testing are the amazing sponsors of this episode. Go to CanineLabsTesting to find out more about their fabulous service that keeps your facility parasite free! Remember, the next big Barkleigh event is the PB & D Expo West which this year is in Phoenix, Arizona! You can register for the event and be the first to find out when tickets go on sale by clicking here now Grab a copy of Dom’s latest book Mission ENRICH by clicking here now Episode Highlights [00:51] – Dom opens the episode with a lesson from The Apprentice, and why business owners must stop confusing activity with achievement. [07:16] – Dom challenges listeners to focus on the high-impact activities that truly move their business forward. [10:21] – Dog News: Westminster Best in Show inspires creative marketing and user-generated content ideas for daycare owners. [12:28] – Meet Fred Silber and the growing concept of comfort-driven enrichment in pet care. [13:12] – Why the sense of touch is often overlooked, and how pressure-based comfort helps reduce fear and anxiety. [14:17] – Luxury bedding bundles, upgrade packages, and the real-world profitability operators are seeing. [17:25] – The science behind leaning, compression, and why dogs naturally seek supported resting environments. [21:17] – Senior dogs, anxious dogs, and creating comfort solutions for different behavioural and physical needs. [25:39] – Near-zero labour enrichment and how comfort upgrades improve guest experience without adding staff workload. [30:30] – Selfie stations, front-desk sales opportunities, and using comfort products to drive client engagement and retention. Huge thanks to our fantastic show sponsors Canine Lab Testing. You can learn more about their fast, reliable parasite testing solutions at: www.caninelabtesting.com