Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My family and I are planning a weekend vacation. It's the first time we've gone away for an overnight since we rescued our dog. She is so devoted to me that if I'm out late, she will not come in the house for dinner or sleep, she has to wait outside to see mommy pull in the driveway.
Now we are looking to go to DC for 4 days/3 nights. I've been looking into dog boarding, found several places that do overnight boarding, got recommendations from our vet. How do you choose a dog boarding service? How do I leave her for 4 days? I told my husband I would rather leave one of the kids (okay, they are older teens now) than leave the dog that long.
How does someone do this? How do you choose? How do you KNOW the dog will be safe, happy, and not feel abandoned?
My family and I are planning a weekend vacation. It's the first time we've gone away for an overnight since we rescued our dog. She is so devoted to me that if I'm out late, she will not come in the house for dinner or sleep, she has to wait outside to see mommy pull in the driveway.
Now we are looking to go to DC for 4 days/3 nights. I've been looking into dog boarding, found several places that do overnight boarding, got recommendations from our vet. How do you choose a dog boarding service? How do I leave her for 4 days? I told my husband I would rather leave one of the kids (okay, they are older teens now) than leave the dog that long.
How does someone do this? How do you choose? How do you KNOW the dog will be safe, happy, and not feel abandoned?
Somebody talk me down!
Honestly I suggest someone other than you drop the dog off for the boarding...your anxiety will do nothing positive to help the dog understand that this is no big deal.
You could also just try boarding her overnight one night beforehand at the place you have chosen just to see how she does.
Go to the kennels and ask for a tour. Most will be happy to show you around. Call the local Kennel Club and ask if any of their members run boarding kennels. Since most kennel club or dog training school instructors work with dogs A LOT, I trust the ones who run boarding kennels to know how to handle my dogs.
Funny, my husband and I are also planning a trip to DC for a couple of days. Taking the dogs is not an option. I can't imagine dealing with them in a city like that and we normally do travel with our dogs. Some other options might be a pet sitter that comes to your home. We visited New Orleans once with the dogs and found a doggy day care for the dogs during the day. Any of the kids friends old enough to house sit? Anyone that would take your dog if you promise to help them when they travel? I'm looking into these options too as the people who we use to trade dogs with moved away and one of my dogs can't be kenneled. She is fearful of strange dogs and kenneling would stress her out too much
When I had a houseful ( 4 cats and 2 dogs) I had someone come in the house to take care of them because it was just more cost affective. With this rescue, ( I have only 1 now) I wanted to make sure she was used to going to a kennel so we started early - when she was about 7 months old I left her for overnights at different kennel That way the time away was short and we both got to evaluate the services. You might try doing this if you have time before your long trip or if they offer just a daycare situation take advantage of it to ease her into being in that environment.
That being said we did have some disasters. One of the kennels had a room full of rows of cages - all open - so I bought a soft crate for her to have a den to hide in but she was a nervous wreck. We never went back there.
I would look for a clean kennel - you should not smell anything strong. IMO, a strong chemical smell is almost as bad as a strong feces/urine smell.
The dog should have a sleeping area that affords privacy and a sense of safety - not open on all sides to other dogs.
They also need access to a bathroom area - I don't like the kennels that rely on dogs being walked. Her routine is going to be very different so even if she gets walked at home twice a day for bathroom breaks it will not be the same.
Make sure the kennel has strict vaccination rules. That way you can cut the risk of your being exposed to disease (cuts not
eliminates).
Take a tour of the facility and talk with the people who work the before you leave her. See how they handle the dogs there.
Some kennels offer playtime with other dogs which could be a good thing but I would not agree to this until you know how your dog will react and you fully trust the kennel.
A red flag is a kennel that does not want you to bring personal items with your dog. She NEEDS to have her own food, toys and treats. I also sleep with the blanket she takes with her and I slip a worn tshirt into her bed when we leave her. Smell is a powerful reassurance for them.
Some kennels have websites that you can log onto and see your dog while there. I don't have ability at our favorite kennel but I think that would make me more homesick.
I hope this helps. My dog loves going to the kennel now so I am confident we have found a good place but to be honest, it is never, ever easy to leave her. Have a good vacation.
I hire someone to come and take care of the dogs in their home. Luckily a lot of my son's friends are available, if my son isn't. I offer the same fee as the kennel, but supply food and pop. Since I know these kids and they know the dogs, it is a win/win.
One thing that works well, is to look for kennel that offers more than just boarding. Some kennels also offer doggy day care, or supervised, free running time in a large exercise yard or leash walks, etc.
Boarding plus doggy day care is great as your dog will be out of the kennel run most of the day. If you have a nonsocial dog, then try for someplace where a kennel assistant will play with the dog alone or with one other quiet dog, etc.
Yes, it gets expensive but it does keep the dog more relaxed and less stressed than simply being stuck in a kennel run all day, surrounded by lots of strange barking dogs.
Good boarding kennels will be happy to give you a tour and set up an individualized boarding program for your dog. Make sure wherever you go will let you bring in your own food, plus a dog bed, toys from home. .
Years ago when I had Jazz and Dash , Jazz being part cattle dog had that bond with me that they tend to get as they tend to be one person types When I would board her which I did as yes I love my dogs very much but I do have a life and enjoy travel without them, she would be like a little kid. Dash would walk away with a kennel person thinking Hum maybe they will have some good snacks for me as his #1 love was food but Jazz would jump up and wrap her paws around my legs like a kid clinging to his parents and they would have to drag her away and I would leave feeling horrible ( for a few minutes anyway). The first time I took her out to try a new kennel that was out on a local ranch they worried she would be one of those dogs that refused to eat and moped around and I was going on a 2 week trip! When I got back the owner said OMG I love that Jazz, we decided to give her some food right away and she was eating it as we poured it into her bowl and I knew we would be ok. He told me when he worked out in his garden he took her out with him and they played some fetch and had a great time and he was sorry to see her leave. He told me she is like a kid that wants you to feel guilty about leaving but the minute you are gone she is up to any adventure happy as can be After that if I boarded her there she was always happy when we pulled up on the ranch. When I boarded her at the vets she was less happy and did the cling to my leg bit every time but the kennel worker I loved said she was OK once they got her away from me and she must have been telling me the truth as the woman was always happy to see my dogs come in to board and Jazz was always happy to see her.
With the two I have now I board at my vets as the ranch one has gotten way too expensive. Chaos loves the vets so she acts like we are Disneyland but Dazzle is not so thrilled and I am sure my sweet thin comfort seeking sighthound would much rather be home on my couch or my bed but he does fine. I have used a pet sitter too and loved her but she died suddenly and I think Chaos enjoys people watching at the vets kennel better then being alone at home most of the day and night with visits by the pet sitter. I think we like to believe that our dog will miss us something awful but most adjust to being at the kennel just fine, we suffer more then they do. So relax and have a good trip as your dog will not hate you. If you have ever adopted an adult dog look how quick they tend to bond you and feel at home, not one I have had seemed to be thinking about their past owner so yea dogs are very adaptable.
I would also suggest finding a person who does in-house dogsitting. They treat them like one of the family and it may be less stressful.
+1. My Great Danes have done both the large, impersonal boarding kennel setup and the in home dogsitting service. They do much better staying at a dogsitter's house, and I feel much better about that arrangement as well. I take them to the dogsitter instead of having him/her come to my home. If you are interested in a dogsitter, either at your home or at theirs, Rover is the service I use. They offer a large selection of private sitters, and stays with them are insured. I even found a dogsitter who has a deaf dog as a new friend for my deaf Great Dane
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I would board her which I did as yes I love my dogs very much but I do have a life and enjoy travel without them, she would be like a little kid. Dash would walk away with a kennel person thinking Hum maybe they will have some good snacks for me as his #1 love was food but Jazz would jump up and wrap her paws around my legs like a kid clinging to his parents and they would have to drag her away and I would leave feeling horrible ( for a few minutes anyway). The first time I took her out to try a new kennel that was out on a local ranch they worried she would be one of those dogs that refused to eat and moped around and I was going on a 2 week trip! When I got back the owner said OMG I love that Jazz, we decided to give her some food right away and she was eating it as we poured it into her bowl and I knew we would be ok. He told me when he worked out in his garden he took her out with him and they played some fetch and had a great time and he was sorry to see her leave. He told me she is like a kid that wants you to feel guilty about leaving but the minute you are gone she is up to any adventure happy as can be
After that if I boarded her there she was always happy when we pulled up on the ranch. When I boarded her at the vets she was less happy and did the cling to my leg bit every time but the kennel worker I loved said she was OK once they got her away from me and she must have been telling me the truth as the woman was always happy to see my dogs come in to board and Jazz was always happy to see her. 
