Boarding Your Dog

I haven't boarded them as of yet, and I don't know if I ever will.

Neither dog would do well in a typical boarding situation. Missy has extreme seperation anxiety from my mom, and would not handle boarding well - we're slowly working on unusual routines/leaving times, and its slow going. I don't know if she'll ever be "cured" enough to be boarded. Jack is reactive to people and a resource guarder, so it would have to be a "special" kennel that I trusted.

However, since I have the cat and the birds too (it would cause them all stress to be moved), its easier to have someone stay at the house. In over two years, there has been only one occasion when my mom and I both had to leave. We took Missy with us, and Lauren (PWCorgi) stayed at my house and watched everyone else.

I would board Finnegan if I had to (he's sociable, does well away from home and I have a few good contacts in town, one of them is a co-worker of mine).

That said, I far prefer when a roommate or friend can watch him in my home. Much easier for all involved.

I prefer to board. I like our place, they listen when we give themall the list of rules regadring our dogs (no mixing with strange dogs, this dog of ours not to mix with these dogs of ours etc) and they listenn. They were great with Harry who was somewhat HR/HA and he adored the staff there.
I just want to know when I drop them off, even if they don'thave an awesome time that they will be locked up and safe when I get back.

I don't know anyone I trust enough to pet sit and Buster wouldn't let anyone into the yard as is.
Quinn I havn't boarded yet though and I don't really want to, I will hopeully soon know enough good dog people to trust her to be left at someone elses place.

I prefer pet-sitters.
Luckily, I work at a dog place that includes pet sitting and my fellow employees are awesome of course since it's through a business it is inherently more professional (pet-sitters have double gates/doors, follow rules very well, only pet-sit one or maybe two dogs at a time, etc..)

Have no reason to need it, always had a queue of people who would dogsit. Not sure about who'll take 2 but sure we'll cope.

I have boarded my dogs and would again. Daisy was boarded at Thanksgiving every year since she was a puppy, so she knows the drill. We used to use kennels but now we use this nice crazy dog lady who boards in her house. She does breed rescue, so she has a lot of collies and basset hounds. Daisy and Rocky get house time where they mingle with her dogs and they get time outside in the yard, and they really seem to like the place.


I work at a vet that also has a boarding kennel, my job is to look after the dogs boarding in the kennel, and the cats in the cat loft upstairs. When we're slow, we give the dogs and cats a lot of attention. When we are absolutely slammed with 70+ dogs and 30+ cats we clean, feed, and walk for 5 minutes each and that is all we have time to do. We watch dogs for any health concerns and if we see something we tell treatment. Some old dogs get extra blankets, some dogs have back problems or other special instructions which we try our best to pay attention to. I'd say I work at a pretty good place.

I won't lie though, a lot of animals stress out in a cage environment. Some bark and jump around, and some get depressed. Most still eat and use the bathroom outside and do ok until they get to go home again because we have a lot of repeat boarders, and they are used to being boarded. And there are some dogs who are repeat boarders and HATE IT every time.
There is a dog named Cagney who is a very sweet lab/gsd mix who ALWAYS refuses to eat when he gets boarded. He always ends up being taken upstairs to treatment so that the vet can figure out how to make him eat something. There is a GSD (I can't remember her name) who has diarrhea everywhere, spills her water continuously, spreads her food across the span of her run, and is generally the messiest creature in existence. The key is to figure out the best way to give your dog the care it needs when you have to go away somewhere. A lot of people don't care or understand how their dog feels, they just want to put their dog somewhere it will get fed and taken out to potty once in a while.

This:
is like where I work. If you bring your own food for the dog, we'll feed it! A note though, dogs don't tend to eat raw when in the kennel. They are too nervous.