As much as you love and care for your dog, unfortunately, you cannot take him or her everywhere.
But many boarding facilities offer luxuries for dogs that make the owner feel like the dog is on vacation. It is all marketing to the owners the dog really could care less about all the amenities that make a human happy! Keep them clean, dry and in a comfortable temperature with access to the outdoors and your dog is going to be happy!
Boarding your dog
We provide every dog with their own private indoor and outdoor area. This helps keep dogs clean and does not reverse housebreaking routines of going outside to relieve them self. Televisions, fancy furniture or pictures on the walls are just there to make you feel better and to demand more money from you for that human gratification.
In order to help prepare your dog for its stay, here are 5 steps to take when boarding your dog:
Plan ahead by making early reservations
Believe it or not, most dog boarding facilities have more dogs than they do kennels.
Boarding your dog early will give you more time to visit and compare different facilities.
Boarding facilities tend to get busy, especially during the holidays, so don’t hold off until it’s too late to board your dog before your trip.
Facilities with freedom to roam
Some boarding facilities restrict your pet’s ability to run free and mingle with other dogs. this is a good thing as free roaming kennels are dangerous and can result in injury and death of your dog!
When exploring your options for boarding your dog, chances are you will come across kennel-free boarding or cage-free boarding.
Choosing a “free to roam” facility offers your dog more freedom to interact and gives him or her the ability to move around freely with virtually strange dogs. Though this may sound good to you as a human it is not always good for the dog.
Everyday dogs are injured or die as a result of an attack from another dog boarding in free range facilities or Doggie Daycare and Dog Parks. It is impossible to hire enough trained staff to properly manage a group of dogs safely. Any Free range facility that tells you they have never had a situation where a dog is injured or worse is not being totally honest with you! This is much more common then you can imagine!
Kennel or cage free facilities all depend on the temperament of your pet.
If your dog has social anxiety, a free to roam facility may not work for them. Unfortunately most of these types of facilities do a preadmission test that ranges from 15 minutes to a full day visit. The problem with that is most dogs are not going to be comfortable enough to show their true personality in that short of a time frame.
Some can take days weeks and even months to show how they feel about the dogs they are with. Once they are comfortable many dogs will become territorial and show aggression towards other dogs. some regular visiting dogs will become aggressive towards dogs after a number of visits. It all sounds good to most humans that are not knowledgeable in canine behavior but the fact is dogs running loose with strange dogs is a dangerous thing!
Up to date vaccinations
Make sure all your dog’s vaccinations are up to date or you have current titer tests showing they are vaccinated.
Most boarding facilities require you dog to be up to date on their vaccines.
Dog congregations can increase the risk of distemper and upper respiratory infections such as Kennel Cough.
Kennel Cough is highly contagious and can last anywhere from 3-4 weeks.
If the dog is a puppy or a senior, sometimes it can take upwards to 6 weeks. The vaccine for kennel cough is not very effective and only covers three virus strains that can cause kennel cough. There are over 100 viruses and bacteria that can cause kennel cough so even though a dog is vaccinated they still do often times get kennel cough.
Call your veterinarian to ensure your dog is vaccinated to avoid any unnecessary health issues.
Flea and tick regimen preventatives
Before checking him or her into the dog boarding facility, you may want to start a regimen of flea and tick preventatives.
With so many dogs in close proximity, fleas and ticks can be a problem year-round. we do inspect dogs but a flea is very tiny and can be easily overlooked.
Some medications can help prevent fleas and ticks for up to 12 weeks.
Be sure to contact your veterinarian so he or she can help determine which spot-on treatments and oral medications are best for your pet.
Food & emergency contact info
Depending on how long you plan on boarding your dog, a change in his or hers diet can cause an inflammation of the colon and rectum.
We always recommend bringing your own dog food in a small container and labeling it with the serving size.
It’s also important to give the boarding facility any and all emergency contact information, just in case anything happens.
For more information about boarding your dog, contact Landheim K9 Training & Boarding at 219-240-0032.