To board or not to board, and how best to do it!!!
Yesterday I talked about boarding your pet. It is not an easy decision and it is always difficult to drop your dog off that first time. However, as I mentioned yesterday, there are things you can do to make the boarding experience, safe, fun and uneventful for your dog. Here are some more tips to help with the process.
Although your dog may love his bones and chews at home, you are usually able to watch him in a protected environment to insure he doesn’t choke (or you should be!) Because there are times when your dog will not be observed while he/she is being boarded, you should never send the dog with bones or chews. Also, if your dog decides to bury the bone or chew and it is dug up by another dog, that dog could choke on what should have been a special treat. Leave the treats home and you can share them with your dog as a celebration when you are all home together again.
If your dog requires grooming, such as a daily brushing,(as many long haired dogs do), you should send your dog’s brush to the kennel with the dog and be prepared to pay extra as grooming is not always included in the boarding fees.
As you would with a child, always leave contact information for yourself and someone you give authority to make decisions regarding your pet in case of emergency. Your contact information should include where you are staying, the number there and your cell phone number as well as the contact numbers of those additional persons the kennel can contact. Don’t make a practice of calling the kennel everyday. If everyone did that, the kennel staff would not have the time for the quality care you want your dog to have.
You will miss your dog and your dog will miss you, that is a given. However, if you send your dog with something that contains the scent from home as well as your scent, it will provide your dog with some comfort. Don’t send a piece of clothing of value or expensive bedding as it is not the kennel’s responsibility to maintain all of the items that the dog comes with. Sometimes out of boredom, frustration or anxiety, the dog will chew on their bedding or the clothing. This may happen, even if your dog doesn’t do this at home…so beware and be prepared.
If you missed the last entry with the beginning tips, click here!
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