Boarding vs. strange house?

[Chris Smith]

I need to leave my dog for 6 days next month. Nalu is 7 months old now. He came from a shelter and I got him when he was about 4 months old.

Does anyone have experience with boarding their dogs? Young dogs/puppies in particular? And shelter dogs?

I want this to be as easy and pleasant for him as possible and of course, I don't want the end result to be that he feels like he is being "dumped" again back in a shelter or that he has fears or behaviour problems when I return.

Another option other than boarding him could be to board him for just 2 nights and then he could stay at a friend's house for the rest of the time. Their dog and mine go on the trails together, but Nalu hasn't spent time at their house and has not slept there. I am not sure if staying at a strange house is any better than being boarded (at a well checked out facility).

Also, the place he would be boarded is where he recently started going for day care 2 days a week in the hopes that he would get to know the place and the dogs and be comfortable there by the time I need to leave him.

[Mario Niepel]

Could you stay with your dog in your friends house a few nights (not necessarily in a row) during the next month? That way he could slowly get acquainted with the new environment, without being already stressed out by being boarded for two days.

I have boarded my dogs previously. If you chose the boarding place well, I don't think it's all too bad. I left them with a lady who does not take on more than eight dogs at a time... and the dogs all sleep together in one large area with couches, slumber balls and other cozy dog begs. And they had continuous access to the outside to play or to relieve themselves.

However, other kennels can be quite bad (small cages, hardly any play time). So, research is important.

[aussiesmum]

We are too searching for a baording place for Aussie. I have used them in the past and my rule of thumb has always been when the person comes to take the dog, if the pups get exxcited, then I am happy.

We need to find a place to occassionally keep aussie, so we have done some research. Once we find a place, we will leave her there for just one night before we actually NEED to leaver here there for a weekend.

The research we did included asking the following questions:

Can we bring her own food/bedding/toys, etc?
Not a deal breaker either way, but I suggest leaving an old sweaty t-shirt there if you can so your pup can be comfprted with your scent.

What is the Vet situation? is there a house vet? how far away is he/she? Will you contact our vet?

What sort of (if any) personal attention does my dog get?

What sort of play time (if any) do they get? Is it size and age appropriate? how many dogs play at once? What sort of supervision is there?

What is the size of the space she is kept in? is it indoor/out door? is it heated/cooled?

Can we call to check in at any time?

What type of collar will she wear when she is there (i heard here of someone potentially having probelms with a choke collar. You don't want your pup wearing a collar inside, but when they are being moved, how is it done).

Is there a trainer on site? If yes, what method do they use?
Don't want to leave aussie with a place that uses a trainer who uses negative reinforcement.

What are the vaccinnation/medical requirements?[b/]

[b]MOST IMPORANT: can we come and visit?
This IS a deal breaker. If they say no, just skip them.


Of course there are heaps of other questions and they make you sound like an over protective mother, but darn it, she IS my baby!


There are a number of diffrent types of boarding kennels. I decided not to use the "in home" type because when i saw pictures I saw MANY books at puppy level. I also prefer to use a place where the owners live on site.

But that is all a preference. However, I would suggest what ever method you use, to do a "dry run" before hand, just so that your pup doesn't feel "dumped"

[Maria Juliano]

Hi,

I was going to post a similar thread regarding boarding my puppies versus leaving them at a stranger's ( to them ) house.

Last Friday I went to visit a well known Boarding Kennel, owned by the same Vet clinic/hospital my puppies go to. I was so impressed with the facilities ( very clean and well organized )and the staff. There must of been 40 dogs at the time of my visit...all happy dogs!! :dogrun: I asked a person in the parking lot about her experiences with this Kennel, she told me she drove 25 miles to board her dog. She thinks is the best in our area. I kind of agreed with her. Having visited other kennels in my area, I was very disgusted about the idea of boarding my babies in such a place. Now, I decided I won't leave them with any sitter or friend , but rather board them up at this kennel. One of the reason I prefer this kennel is that they crate them at night in a similar crate as I have at home with pure lamb bedding, I can supply their own food, treats, even water. They have an outdoor run for them ( always supervised. ) , plus the piece of mind if there is an emergency, my babies will be taken to their Vet/clinic right away. Oh, I can select spa treatments : bath, pedicure, daily brushing for a minimal fee as well. :D

Best of luck to you,

[Chris Smith]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions and questions to ask. I have been to numerous boarding places in my area to thoroughly check them out. Some seem pretty awful and others seem quite good (better than my college dorm situation!!). The place I have picked seems quite good and I have started Nalu in day care there so he would feel familiar with the surroundings and the dog handlers by the time I need to leave him overnight.

I have also heard that it can almost be harder on the dog to have him stay in different places while you are gone since he doesn't know what to expect each day. Since my friends can't take him for the whole time, I am leaning towards the boarding place which is a very routine, controlled and supervised environment with lots of attention and lots of play time.

[Amber]

Hi Chris!

I volunteer at a boarding/grooming/shelter facility. Word of advice...unless your dog has a strong stomach, I suggest you bring the food that you feed. It can cause necessary stress for your dog while your gone and you won't be there to calm them! It can cause diarrhea and vomitting.

Also, we tell our clients with the dogs that aren't going to be up front with us, not to bring rawhides for their dogs because it's a choking hazard. We tell them they can bring any type of treat that will relieve boredom or stress as long as it's the kind that crumbs or it's a Kong or something. If your dog has ever had a rawhide, you know that they can chew off little parts and they can get stuck in their throats.

Also, we suggest to whomever the dog is closest to, to wear a shirt or other piece of clothing that you don't mind not having any more, for a couple of days prior to boarding. We put it in with the dog so that they have a "little smell of home" with them at all times. We don't wash it, unless they go to the bathroom on it or get it really disgusting.

These are some things that you should ask your boarding facilily if you can do. These things REALLY help animals that board with us. I've even seen some dogs cuddle up with their mommy's shirts and nightgowns when going to sleep at night!

[Maria Juliano]

Amber,

I liked the "T" shirt idea...I will wear 2 for each of my babies so that they will have a "familiar" smell while they are boarder.