Nervous about boarding dogs...hold my hand?

[BuddyRoo]

I have never boarded my dogs. I’ve always had a friend or colleague able to petsit for me. I had someone lined up for my trip in two weeks but the person has not replied to my recent emails so today, I booked at a boarding facility that is also a vet clinic.

It’s a nice place. But I’m still nervous. My elder dog (11 in July, a lab) has LP so I’m nervous that whomever is the kennel crew won’t be savvy enough to see if my dog is in distress. I will be in Europe so not really able to swoop back in. I have spent about 30k on him in the last 10 years. I am not in a position to do that anymore. I just really need him to be okay.

Younger dog is rather leery of strangers. I am nervous about that too. He did not have the same kind of socialization as a pup. He went to work with me every day or he was home. But he just doesn’t seem cool with strangers.

Nervous. That is the word of the day.

I’ve worked in multiple clinics that did boarding…which is why I have chosen not to for so long. I’ve never worked in a single place where I felt like the care there was comparable to home care.

[jenm]

Have you looked into maybe finding something through Dogvacay.com?

Depending on where you are, there should be multiple options to explore if you really aren’t comfortable with the clinic, including finding someone competent to stay in your home with your dogs.

I know who tough it is to leave a beloved pet in the care of a boarding facility, but if the employees truly care about dogs, there should be nothing to worry about. If the older dog does need medical attention, a clinic is a good choice. Your younger dog may have a rough time initially if he isn’t used to strangers, but keep in mind this place wouldn’t be in business if they weren’t doing something right.

It’s always nerve wracking to leave a pet in the care of others, but if you like this place, I’m sure your guys will be just fine. Be sure and sleep in a t-shirt for a couple of nights so that your dogs will have something with your scent on it in their kennel areas.

[Halt_Near_X]

Have you looked in to professional pet sitters (vs. friends/colleagues)?

If your only option is the boarding kennel, I worked at one for 4+ years that was also attached to a vet clinic. No, it’s not like home. But the staff will care that the dog gets the best experience possible.

Ask for a tour of the facility, and ask them how they will handle situations (e.g. if your younger dog gets very nervous or aggressive, they should have a plan for that. We had special kennels we could use that would allow us to get the dog to/from the exercise room without having to leash them, and that worked very well for very nervous or aggressive dogs who didn’t want strangers near them, for example).

Talk to the boarding manager about your older dog’s health issues. Leave an instruction sheet if you want to so they know what to look for. We took those seriously.

Also, can a friend or two visit the dogs every few days while you are gone? It would give you another set of eyes on them for peace of mind, and might be more feasible for your friends than full-time care. If they can, make sure the boarding kennel has their names down as approved visitors.

And, frankly, call for updates if you want them. We tracked everything for every dog, and I would talk to multiple owners every day about how their dogs were doing.

Your dogs will be ok–it’s likely going to be harder on your than them!

[Laurierace]

How far are you from me? I will take good care of them.

[IndysMom]

I’ve boarded my dogs for years. Find a good SMALL kennel where they’ll get individual attention. The same groomer I use has a small kennel. They get walked 2 times a day, get fed, get treats. They even clean my younger dog’s ear becuase of her chronic ear infection. And, they deal with my blind/deaf old dog-who will bite if startled! I actually prefer it to a dog sitter. I know they are safe.

[alto]

You might drop them off at the boarding place for a trial run of several hours or overnight

[BuddyRoo]

Thanks all! I’m sure it will be fine. Laurierace, that is so sweet of you! Depending on traffic, I’m probably a little more than an hour from you. I really appreciate your offer but I’m sure it will be okay.

I’ve toured several boarding facilities since moving to DC so I’d have an emergency option if I needed to fly home and this is by far the nicest. I took a tour of the place while I was waiting a few weeks ago. Kennels are 10x10 so my guys can be together, 4 walks a day and they have a fenced in agility/yard area where they turn them out (just my two) for 15 min. They’re open 7 days a week so there is a veterinarian there 7am to 8pm daily. Works out well because DH and I are flying in on a Sunday afternoon and hitting the road the following morning (with dogs) to drive back home.

I did look into dogvacay.com. I found/interviewed a few in my area and all of those take dogs into their homes which is fine, but most can only take 1 due to the limit in our county. There is one I have contacted again because I think it would be a good fit. I did look into some professional pet sitter options but they just check in 2-3 times per day. They don’t overnight and are actually more expensive than boarding. I haven’t checked either of those options since Jan/Feb when I started planning this trip because I thought I had this all taken care of. My Plan A gal (used to work with at clinic) got into vet school (yay her!) so she’s moving and my Plan B person (vet tech I used to work with at clinic) is just too busy I think.

I’ll keep looking into the in home options but I felt like I had to get a boarding option in place. I don’t like having loose ends this close to departure.

[independentlyawesome]

I feel more comfortable having my dog at a professional boarding kennel than staying with a friend. She can be a little silly, and I’d worry about her getting loose or whatever if she stayed with a friend. I really like the kennel I leave my dog at - 3 walks a day, and not breaking the bank. Professional staff who are good at handling dogs, and I know that mine is far from the craziest they see.

[jetsmom]

Sometimes vet clinics have vet techs/staff that will do in home petsitting. My friend used that option with her 2 dogs, and was really happy with how they did. Just get references (names/addresses of previous clients, and cross check with your tax office/appraisal district to verify homeowners name, and then google the name and ph # to be sure the reference you got is actually who you are talking to).

[chestnutmarebeware]

If it makes you feel better, I used to board my corgis at my vet’s office when I traveled on business. When I’d show up to bail them out, doc would let them out of their cages sans leash so they could run out to me. They’d race up, give me a lick on the hand, then race right back to the kennel area. Clearly they had more fun there than with me!