It’s a sensible idea to have a boarding kennels for your dog sorted out before you need their services. That way, if an emergency arises you can immediately call on the kennels you and your dog are already familiar with.
To decide which type of boarding kennels is suitable you should first consider your dog because your pet’s age, activity level and exercise requirements will influence the sort of kennels your dog will do well at.
To get a list of premises to put your pet, visit the boarding kennels section of a directory like Pet Guide that not only lists the contact details for kennels but has users reviews for you to use.
Make a shortlist and plan to visit each of the premises. Some kennels may require you to make an appointment to do this. See if your dog can stay for a familiarisation session for half an hour or so. Some premises also offer dog daycare so consider leaving your dog for a half-day of care to see how it manages and help familiarise it with the boarding environment.
When visiting the premises, the typet of things you should look for are:
STAFF
Your initial notion when you arrive will count for a lot. Is there a sense of calm or are there lots of dogs barking and staff yelling? Are kennel staff interacting with the dogs? What sort of education have they had and do they love animals? What is the staff-to-dog ratio?
FACILITIES
Are they clean, dry and well-ventilated, and is there any sort of climate control. Are the separate sleeping areas of a reasonable size? What separates the separate sleeping areas by way of walls? Are they solid, glass, full panels or half panels?
Do they ever “buddy-up”? This is the practice of placing two dogs in the same sleeping area. It is fraught with potential problems and has even resulted in serious injury and death, so you should be assured that the kennels you use do not adopt this practice.
Ask if you can provide your own dog bed because something known like this can help an anxious dog.
EXERCISE
How much exercise and playtime are the dogs given? What happens if it is raining; is there an sheltered area for the dogs to let off steam? Is the exercise area unsoiled and free of dog waste? Is there adequate shelter from the weather such as shade in summer? Is there appropriate drinking water? What about staff management; do they engage with the dogs, groom and pet them? Do they allow off-site walks as well as yard exercise?
FEEDING
It may well be that the kennels you choose feed the same or a very similar sort of food to that which you feed your dog. If the food is vastly different to that which you typically feed, ask if you can bring your dog’s own food? Don’t anticipate a discount if you do bring food as most often this actually creates additional work for the staff.
VACCINATIONS
Boarding kennels have very strict vaccination requirements and you will want to know about these well in advance. They often require extra vaccinations to those your vet would give under common circumstances and there is usually a period post-vaccination (often 10-14 days) before your dog can enter the kennels. Make sure you know precisely what your kennel’s vaccination procedure is.
VETERINARY CARE
Most boarding kennels will employ their own vet in the event of a medical emergency as an owner’s vet can often be some distance away and using them in an emergency would be unrealistic. Be certain to understand and be comfortable with your kennel’s practice.
ACCREDITATION
Is the kennel certified by a body like AsureQuality(in New Zealand)? This signifies that an independent audit has been carried out and that the kennels meet recommended animal welfare standards.
In most cases, boarding your pet is part of a planned activity such as vacation or a business trip but sometimes you may need to board your pet in an emergency. Therefore, it is wise to have chosen in advance on a facility you are happy to use.
