Dog Blog

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More and more people board their dog at a kennel while traveling, due to our increasingly busy schedules. Whenever I leave town, I ask myself who is going to take care of my mutt. Friends and family are a good option, but only if they are reliable enough and they actually want to take my dog for a week. I don’t want to ruin a good relationship by burdening someone with my dog. My friend and I often take care of each other’s dogs while the other is away, but not everyone has that option. For many dog owners, boarding is the best and sometimes the only option. There are a lot of really bad kennels out there. Trust me, I worked at one. But there are also some really good ones. Do your research before boarding your dog anywhere.

1. Tour the facility.
Never leave your dog anywhere without touring the facility. If the staff will not allow you to see where your dog will be, that is a really bad sign. They have something to hide. It might mean the cages are too small, the building is unclean or rundown, or maybe more than one dog is crammed into one kennel. I have seen this happen. Just because a staff member tells you the facility holds 40 dogs, don’t believe it unless you see it. The business owner could be illegally cramming 200 dogs in a small area, just to make more money. If the staff member lists certain hours when tours are given, that is fine. But ideally you should be able to stop by anytime and someone should be happy to show off their great business. By seeing where your dog will be, you will instantly have a feeling of whether or not you are comfortable leaving your dog there. Trust your first reactions. But on your tour, here are some questions to keep in mind:

2. How clean is it?
An area with several dogs in it is never going to smell good, or be totally clean. But are the staff members making an effort to pick up all visible dog poop? Is the ground dry? Are there any abnormal odors, other than what you’d expect?

3. How many dogs are there?
Ask the staff member how many dogs the facility can hold, and then count for yourself how many are actually there. If most or all the kennels hold two or more dogs, you should immediately ask why. The staff member might tell you that dogs from multidog families are boarded together. But they can’t all be from multidog families, right?

4. How the dogs are identified?
The dogs should be identified in some way, maybe with a card and photo on their kennel, or with a labeled collar. You know what your black lab looks like, but with nine other black labs, do you think someone could get her mixed up with another dog? The answer is yes. You don’t want to pay for extra treats or playtime sessions, only to have them go to another dog that looks just like yours. And you don’t want your dog to get sick from eating the wrong food or receiving the wrong medications.

5. Is there a play area?
Don’t believe there is a play area unless you see it. And don’t believe the dogs actually play in it unless you see dogs playing in it. Ask how often the dog will be let out, and if there is any extra cost. The kennel I worked at charged an extra $4 per 15-minute play session. But because of our limited staff, there was no time to actually follow through with these “play sessions.” Guess what? The owners were still charged, and they had no idea their dogs sat in a kennel all week other than to get out to go to the bathroom.

6. How many staff members are on site?
Ideally, you want to have at least one staff member for every 10 dogs or so. If there are less than that, it is not a good sign. It is not possible for one person to properly care for more animals than that. You want your dog to receive as much attention as possible. If a fight were to break out between two or more dogs, it would not be easy for one person to break it up. There should be enough staff members so the place remains clean and the dogs get plenty of exercise and affection.

7. What is the cost per day and what does that include?
If the kennel charges $20 a day, ask what this includes. Most will charge extra for food, baths, playtime and treats. Don’t assume that the fixed rate covers everything or anything extra at all. Ask if you can bring your own food. A good kennel will encourage you to bring your dog’s regular food, to keep her schedule as close to her typical routine as possible. Just make sure you know what you are paying for. The charges add up fast and you don’t want to come home from vacation and receive a kennel bill higher than you expected.

8. What will happen in an emergency situation?
What will happen if your dog gets sick? Will you be contacted? Which vet will see him? Is there a vet on site? Will you be responsible for all the costs? Is there any circumstance where your dog would be euthanized without your approval first?

9. Ask all the questions you can.
If there’s something on your mind, ask it. You have every right to get the answers you want. You are trusting strangers with your pet, and you deserve to know everything you can. You should leave your dog feeling comfortable that she is in a safe place and well taken care of. If you have any doubts, move on to another boarding facility.

10. Tip the kennel staff.
You want your dog to get the best treatment, right? Well, why not slip the staff member an extra $10? This will go a long way. He or she will remember you tipped, and will likely give your dog a little extra attention, whether it’s a few minutes of ear scratching or some extra time in the play area. It wouldn’t hurt to tip them again when you pick up your dog.

Related posts:

1. 10 things to do when boarding your dog
2. 10 reasons to adopt a shelter dog

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 7:00 am and is filed under Dog, boarding, dog daycare, kennel, traveling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.