Boarding Your Dog

[Airn]

Unfortunately I'll have to board Gwen because I'll be out of town for a week. I would have preferred to leave her with my family but they don't want to and it wouldn't be best for her. They did agree to pay for the boarding, though. That's one less stress for me. (I would still like to find a place under $300).

Thoughts on boarding? How do I know if it's a 'good' place? What do I look for? Are the chain ones 'good'? We have a camp Bow Wow around here and it looks really nice. (A bit pricey compared to the others, though.) What about boarding at a vet's? I've never had to board my dog so I'm not sure what to ask and what I should expect.

Another (smaller) concern is if she will be accepted. I know some dog day camps are very strict on the dog's behavior. Gwen isn't big on getting in on the action. At the dog park she tends to stay to herself or pick one dog to play with. If more dogs join in, she leaves and just watches. She doesn't like multiple big dogs coming up to her. She has come a long way but she is still a bit cautious of new people. I haven't left her alone for more than a day. I'm unsure if she'll freak out or refuse to eat or what. When we first got her, we tried to find some calming aids that worked on her. Should I look for some medication or herbs to calm her down or just trust things will work out? I don't want to be that crazy dog 'mom' but I'd hate for all of her hard work to be wiped away in a week.

[JessLough]

We boarded rosey once. She escaped (not the boarding places fault -- they had triple fencjg. She was determined to get out) and ran the hour home whee my cousin found her.

That said, Roseys not dog sociable, so I found a place that would house her away from others and give her free time alone. She ended up in a very normal "kennel place"... link chain runs and then a link chains fence keeping them in when they have free time.

[PWCorgi]

I am in the "have not yet" pack, and we will be finding out how Frodo does with it next Sunday. Frodo, because of his issues, will be going to a splendiforus "special needs" type boarding kennel.

So far, I love the place. People I trust send their special dogs there with no issues. The staff (two people) have made the floor level of their home into a boarding facility. They are amazing when it comes to dog body language and whether dogs are enjoying being in the yards together, they have a working knowledge of how and when to administer Frodo's behavior meds (one is "as needed" which can be tough), the dogs can't see one another in their boarding space, they do stuffed kongs and woods hikes with the dogs. Just awesome!

They even suggested the trial attempt, so this Sunday we will drive down to the facility (it's a good 3 hours from my apartment) and drop Frodo off, then spend the night at a local Bed & Breakfast in case we would need to pick him up during the night. I'm both very excited and very nervous. If he can stay there, that opens up so many more opportunities for Ryan and I to go places, and if he can't stay here then there isn't anywhere he is going to be able to stay!

[Laurelin]

We boarded the shelties quite a lot and I think Beau once? There was one really really bad episode with Trey escaping but it was while we were there checking him in, not while we were gone. We just boarded at the vet.

Now we either get a pet sitter or board the dogs at Summer's breeder's house. It works very nicely.

[milos_mommy]

I voted yes but wouldn't do it again.

Right now my unstable and aggressive dog isn't a candidate for boarding, and the only way I would board if it was a facility I really, really trusted and the dog was incredibly stable and I knew would take it all in stride.

Personally I'd definitely look for an in-home pet sitter (or someone with a small group of dogs that stays with them in their home) or just paying a friend to stay with them. That IMO is far better than boarding.

[sassafras]

In some ways I actually kind of prefer to board. Since I have a couple of places that I trust absolutely, I worry less than if they are with friend/family/neighbor because I know they are professionals who are going to do exactly what I say without any "Wellll, but I'm sure it would be ok if I did abc just this once."

I also have a neighbor who I really trust but really only like to impose one dog at a time on them. Last time we went somewhere, Squash stayed with them. He's the only one who has never boarded so far.

I used to always have house sitters but since the boys are in a rotate situation indoors right now, I just don't really want to put that kind of situation on someone else or end up with a "just this once" kind of mishap.

[monkeys23]

I have boarded them once in an emergency situation at my vet. I would be okay boarding them at my vet in a dire situation again... IF they were okay feeding them our raw food, which I kinda doubt they'd want to do that.

They stay with my mom or go with me. To be honest she's the only person I trust. If two of my close friends still lived right here I would be okay with either of them babysitting because I trust them totally.

I had a close family friend come to my parent's house several times a day to take them off to run in the pasture, feed them, etc. when mom and I went on a trip where we couldn't take them (went to Seattle to visit big bro and their two very old cats who'd never met a dog were still alive then... they aren't really dog people either. Well my bro totally would be, but his wife's family never have and never will be... sad for him!), so it was all around an odd situation. They did great with it. She even brushed them twice for me! I had their food all organized by day in the fridge and left written instructions stuck on the outside with a magnet. Man I love knowing practical people who don't balk at raw and have good common sense/judgement.

[Airn]

My ideal would be to have a friend (possibly relative) stay at the house. We have Gwen and Charlie (the cat) so it would be best to know that the cat and dog are being taken of and together. Charlie doesn't need much attention, but I think it's silly to split them up.

However my dad is very odd about his house and won't allow anyone else here. My friend would probably be more than happy to pet sit and house sit but my dad is being super weird about the whole situation. My grandfather was going to but he wasn't sure he was active enough for Gwen and last time he watched her she whined the whole night.

Boarding isn't my first choice and I hate that this vacation has been sprung on me. I am a planner. I would have had a place picked out months ago for her stay at. But, it's going to be free and since my grandfather offered to pay for her boarding, I'll take the less than ideal situation.

So far I've found two places that do dog day camps. Camp Bow Wow and a local place that looks pretty decent based on their website. (Their price is around $25 a night and they have a $25 reservation fee for the holidays.) There are also a lot of vet's offices but they don't list their prices or services on their sites. I feel weird asking prices when I call a business. I don't want to waste their time if it's over my price range and I'm worried they'll think I'm a crappy owner for not wanting to go over my budget.

I'm going to call the local place tomorrow and see if I can take Gwen to do a test run. I might make a few vet calls too. I just wish they would list their prices and services clearly.


I'm crossing my fingers that Gwen doesn't try to escape or freak out. I really don't know what to expect with her.

When you say Rosey isn't 'dog sociable' what do you mean? Does she get aggressive or fearful? I'm not sure what I would classify Gwen as. At first she was extremely fearful but now she seems to be fairly confident. She's always improving, though.

[darkchild16]

I know one of our members used Camp Bow Wow in Indiana and LOVED them. They have video monitors you can watch the dogs on as well.

[crazedACD]

I've worked at good places and bad places. The good places were good and the bad places bad, though clients wouldn't have a clue about the bad places. I would say definitely make sure they have areas they turn dogs out into, and when you go to visit, make sure there are dogs out there! The one bad place had these nice completely fenced yards, and never put the dogs out in them . I really think it is healthier for the dogs to be getting out of the kennels for walks or put out in yards.

Two kennels I worked at had extra 'playtimes' in a yard (told clients the dogs would go and play ball, hang out with staff, etc), and they did not do those but accepted the money for them. One kennel I worked for DID do the playtimes and the dogs were happier.

The bad kennel I worked at was daycare as well so I don't have a ton of experience with the group daycare thing. I knew someone on forums who worked for Camp Bow Wow and it seemed pretty kosher.

The vets I worked at were just basic care. The dogs were cared for just fine, walked and fed, but really no frills and not a lot of attention.

I would not and will NEVER board at a place that requires you to make an appointment to see the place. I just show up, if they seem surprised or tell me to come back, I run. I never call beforehand. I also like to see the WHOLE facility. Some places show you nice runs and then keep the dogs in crates.

I trust boarding kennels far more than I trust someone coming into my house, though.

Originally Posted by monkeys23

I have boarded them once in an emergency situation at my vet. I would be okay boarding them at my vet in a dire situation again... IF they were okay feeding them our raw food, which I kinda doubt they'd want to do that.

The kennels I worked at had NO problem feeding whatever you brought, as long as the dog eats. There were employees that thought it was silly, but everyone was fine feeding it. People would bring in raw or 'homecooked/frozen' meals.