Daycare – Vacation Care for Dogs
Part ONE – long time care
Contrary to cats, you should NOT just leave your dog home alone for a week (or longer), just providing daily walks with a friend or a pet walking service. Your dog will definitely be very distressed, maybe bark non-stop, chew up your furniture, or else.
If you go on vacation and can’t/won’t take your dog with you, check into the possibility of bringing him to a pet sitting service. There is always the option to board him/her at a kennel/veterinarian, but in these facilities the dogs will be kept in a kennel most of the time and only taken out for regular walks. If you prefer for your best friend to be happy while you enjoy your vacation, look for institutions that keep the dogs free, not locked up. There are many pet sitters that operate from their own home, offering space only for a very limited number of dogs, mostly one to three maximum. In these places the dogs are kept together with the family and suffer less from the stress of being separated from you.
A few things need to be absolutely considered if you decide upon these services:
1.) Make sure that they are asking for your dog’s health records and vaccination status. If they ask you, they ask other owners, making sure that the animals are healthy, and in case of a bite, vaccinated against rabies, etc. Are they asking for your phone number of your veterinarian and an emergency contact? Are they asking for flea trestment? What kind of food your dog is used to? (An abrupt change in diet can lead to diarrhea and that is neither convenient for your dog nor for the sitter).
2.) Check out the place! Look where the animals are kept. Is it clean? Is there enough space for them to move around and enjoy some playtime? Where do they sleep? If there is a yard – is it fenced?
3.) When you introduce your dog to the pet sitter, watch how the sitter interacts with your dog. Does the dog tolerate him/her? Your dog does not have to “fall in love” with the sitter immediately, it’s still a stranger, but the dog should not show signs of rejection or even growl at the sitter.
4.) Make your reservation EARLY! Good places are booked quickly, especially during holiday and vacation season. Sitter services that accept reservations within a few minutes – without seeing the dog first – are not very much in demand, otherwise they would not have openings immediately. (An exception is your vet or a kennel).
5.) Get references, if possible. Ask if they have repeat customers, and try to talk with at least one of them. Repeat customers - that means that the owners are satisfied with the service and dogs are taken good care of.
6.) Make sure that if your animal is small it is kept with other small animals, if large, with large ones. Yes, a Rottweiler and a Mini-Poodle will get along, but only if they know and understand each other. It can turn into a disaster when two totally differently sized dogs meet for the first time or a kept together without constant supervision.
If none of this applies, or if you/your dog don’t feel comfortable – please leave in a hurry and check out some other places!
For cat owners - please check our article about Cat Vacation Care
