Pet Boarding Guide

Pet boarding is essential for people who need to adjust their work schedule for a while, or simply need to take a break from day-to-day life and enjoy a holiday for a while. For many pet owners finding somewhere that offers dog boarding is one of their top concerns. No pet lover wants to think about their beloved canine or feline family member being miserable while their owner is travelling. What pet owners are normally looking for is a boarding facility where they can be sure that their pet will be well catered for, and happy while they are away on their break.

Finding good quality pet boarding can be a challenge and isn’t something that it is wise to leave to the last minute if you are planning to go away somewhere. Pet boarding is the last thing you want to be worrying about when you have bags to pack, and passports to find. It’s much better to spend some time finding the dog boarding for your pet well in advance of your trip. 

How can you tell if your chosen boarding center is reputable? It’s always a good idea to ask them how they operate and what they will do with your pet when they are staying there. The best dog boarding will not only house your pet but will be happy to play with them during your absence. Ideally, they should only employ animal lovers who actually enjoy looking after your animals, and will provide the stimulation that is so vital to maintaining good canine health. 

One of the best indicators of the quality of the care your pet will receive is to look at what else the boarding home offers. If they also offer obedience classes for pets then you can have confidence that they are staffed by professionals who understand animal behavior and will do everything they can to make sure that your pet is comfortable and well looked after during their stay with them. 

Why Not Combine A Training Course?

Living with an untrained puppy or dog isn’t easy, so when booking puppy boarding residents often take the opportunity to combine it with a training course while they are being boarded. You might be surprised by how much your four-legged friend could learn after only a few weeks. If you find a training center which is associated with a pet boarding service you will be able to see first-hand how well they care for the animals they come into contact with. You will then return from your holiday to find that your pet has not been idle while you were away. They have been trained to respond to commands, and instead of being difficult to handle they are now much more obedient and life has become much simpler for both of you. As most pet-owners have worked out, an obedient dog is usually a happy dog. Dogs are generally much more secure and relaxed when they understand the rules and have an organised structure in place which they can understand, so if your dog has behavioral issues or is getting out of control and tearing up your house then booking them in for a training session could be one of the kindest things that you can do for your canine family member.

Recognizing Perfect Pet Kennels 

Most owners know how important it is to visit the pet kennels they are considering using. They check out the security, the staff and the general surrounding; few think to watch the dogs already housed there carefully. You can tell a lot about a boarding kennel by the behavior of its current residents. When you approach the living and sleeping areas of the pet kennels, it is natural for the dogs to begin to bark, after all, you are a stranger and this is their home, if only temporarily. However, once you move away from the area the barking should begin to calm down and there should be no excessive whining noises from the kennels. 

Dogs are by nature very inquisitive animals, particularly around new people who may just be carrying treats. When you see happy dogs, who are adjusted to their surroundings, they should come up to the front of the kennels and want to know what is going on. There will, of course, be the odd shy pet who won’t, but generally, they should be in the minority. When the dogs do approach the front of the kennels, watch how they greet and interact with the staff member showing you around. Do they seem happy to see them or are they responding aggressively? Again you are looking at the majority as different dogs have different temperaments. If you can see into the kennels from a distance look at how the dogs behave when they are on their own. A happy dog is likely to be relaxing. If dogs are then they may be under stress in their environment.

What You Can Do To Help Your Kennel

The easiest way to help your kennel look after your dog is to be properly prepared, and this starts soon than you may think. Dogs who have never been alone, or have never been parted from you for any real length of time are likely to find kennels hard. You may want to look into generic anti anxiety meds for dogs. Plus another tip to help with this is to start leaving your dog for short periods of time from a very young age. Get them used to the idea that they will be ok without you and that you will come back. Make as little fuss as possible when you leave and then provide lots of praise when you return home. 

If you have never placed your dog in kennels before then take them for a visit and consider leaving them for a few hours, then the whole day and finally an overnight stay. This way they will understand that even in this setting you do come back. Familiar smells help dogs to settle in dog boarding facilities, so include their favorite toy or blanket in their going away kit. Well socialized dogs are also more likely to have a positive experience in dog kennels. Young puppies should be taken to meet other dogs as soon as it is safe to do so; they should also meet other people and be used to being handled, walked and fed by someone other than you. All of these little things can make a vast difference to your dog’s experience and help to give you peace of mind.