It might be tricky to choose the best boarding kennel for your pet, and striking the balance between what you can afford in relation to the best boarding facility out there. When going on vacation these are worrying times for pet owners and some people will attempt to take their pets on vacation but this cannot always be the case. Here are few tips to consider when choosing the right boarding kennel for your four legged friend.
1. Choosing the Adequate Boarding Facilities
It is advisable to visit the boarding kennel and confirm if it has an insurance to cover any incident. Importantly, take a look around the boarding facilities to see the conditions of cleanliness and security in place to ensure the fence are high to avoid dogs escaping or being stolen. Find out the vaccination required before boarding your pet as well as cost of vaccination and certificate e.g Distemper, Infectious Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus and Rabies etc. Futhermore, find out if all dogs being boarded need to show proof of vaccination; this will at least give you peace of mind knowing your dog might not contact any diseases. Also, check the space or amount of room available to your dog in the kennel, Inquire how many walk out a day your dog will get. We recommend your dog have access to an exercise area 5 times daily.
2. Can My Dog Eat His Regular Food?
The pooch diet is an integral part of considering the boarding facilities, will your dog eat it’s regular food, will the boarding kennel entertain special food instruction and adhere to the last letter. Note that special instructions will come at a cost, but it is worth paying extra than to deny your dog it’s usual routine. We recommend including treats when sending your dog off for boarding because if your dog does not feed as much as it usually does it could fall sick.
3. Request To Meet The Staff Who Will Be Looking After Your Dog
First impression matters, check for relationship between the person or staff that will be looking after your dog. Find out how many dogs a staff member looks after and if the ratio sounds acceptable to you after you have been taken around to see the boarding kennel and facilities in place. Ask for the emergency plans in case of a fire outbreak; find out how safely dogs will be taken out. Assess and evaluate how often the staff will be interacting with your dog to ensure your dog is not bored due to the new environment, your dog will need human interaction and comforting because if pets are neglected this could lead to depression. Find out what your dog’s itinerary will be like while staying at the boarding kennel. This will put your mind at peace knowing your dog is being cared for while you are on vacation.
This is an ideal time to request for a bit of adjustment in the itinerary.
4. Do You Have An Emergency Vet Available 24/7?
I would try calling the emergency contact to find out if there is a vet available 24/7 in the event your dog falls sick it will be treated immediately. Due to close proximity of dogs in boarding facilities sickness is common. You can book a night for the dog to see if your dog likes it or not. This will allow your dog the opportunity to get acclimated to the boarding facility, and potentially reduce the chance of kennel stress. This will give you an indication of how early you have to book-in your dog, some boarding kennel are fully booked during the dry season or summer season. You may consider requesting to speak with 1 or 2 client’s who have used the boarding facility before. Do not rely solely on reviews.
5. Supervision when dogs are playing
Ask if big and small dogs are allowed to play together, when there is confrontation this can lead to stress and bring out predator part of a dog. Find out what the arrangements are during their socialising time. Ask if staffs are present during the playing time and inquire if the staff are well trained.
