Boarding

[Silver]

I am going to be borading Ozzy next weekend. He will be where his dog training and Daycare is.

They let the dogs out in a gymnasium type area and all the dogs play under supervision. At night they are in crates.

I was wondering what kind of an effect this might have on him. This is the first time he will be away from the house and us for 3 nights.

He does know the handlers/trainers that supervise the dogs.

Sorry if I sound like a worried Mom. I have never had to deal with this situation before.

[2rotties2luv]

I have a similar situation, where I board my two rotties at the same place they go for occaisional daycare and grooming. I found that since the staff already knows them, they get lots of extra attention. My dogs really like going there.
Last fall, I had to board them for one week and they were fine when I picked them up. The next week, when I brought them back for daycare, they were just as excited to be there as usual. I figure that if the boarding had been a bad experience for the, they wouldn't have been so happy to go back there !
The only thing I've noticed is that when I bring them home after boarding, they're really tired and will sleep for about 24 hours.
If the kennel offers special services, such as one-on-one playtime or walks on a leash, it's well worth the extra cost. I would also suggest a bath before they go home.
I'm sure your guys will do just fine !!

[This message has been edited by 2rotties2luv (edited January 26, 2001).]

[Silver]

Following up on his 1st boarding event:

My husband picked him up and the trainer said that he howled every night and started another dog howling.

When he walked into the house, his ears were real close to his head and down, he went and checked out his toys and sniffed around.

He growled a lot last night for different reasons. Maybe he was tired because he didn't get any sleep because he was howling all weekend.

The trainer said we should board him a least once a month for a little while, to see if he'll get used to it and maybe quiet the howling.

I took him to daycare today (the same place) he seemed ok and that he wanted to go. So I guess that's a good sign.

[zeusdad]

When I board my dogs it is for up to a week at a time. It has had no ill effect on them. They acctually seem to enjoy it. I think a lot of it depends on the kennel. The one I us in Maryland has AC and Heat, and the owner operator live on the site. She has pools for them to play in in the summer and takes excellent care of them. They look forward to their vacation too. She also baths them before I come to get them for no extra cost.

Zeusdad ;)

[Silver]

We usually have a "doggie sitter". My friend who happens to live downstairs, but she was out of town for a week. Hence the boarding. This place is pretty good. And they have a big play area during the day with all the other dogs. I guess it was pretty stressful, being his first time "away from home"

In fact today is the first day he has ever been crated all day long. I'm going now on my lunch hour to give him a break outside and play with him for a bit, until we get back from work.

Thanks for the replies.

[Michele Baxter]

Silver,
I try to use a home sitter. I found all the kennels in my area to be substandard with the exception of one--which is always full (for obvious reasons)! I use friends, family, or a person who works for me that loves my dogs. I take the dogs to work with me occassionally so everyone knows them and they know the people. You would be amazed at the college girls who volunteer so that they have a night away from the dorm or apt. with no roommate!
I've said time and again- a person could make a fortune if they started an in-home sitting service.
This situation works well for me since our dogs have dog doors--they only need company and someone to feed and water them. It's also less stressful on them as they are in their own environment.
It sounds like it wasn't necessarily a bad experience, but stressful.
The Doggie Daycare is a neat idea.

[ February 07, 2001: Message edited by: Michele Baxter ]

[my2rotties]

Funny that this topic should come up. My husband is working about a three hour drive away. I want to join him, but did not know what to do with the dogs. I don't know of any boarding kennels where I know the people personally. I can't drop my three stooges off, and live with myself...

The answer, I am taking them with me. It is difficult to find a hotel that accepts dogs without a surcharge, PLUS an extra $10-$20 PER dog a night. Tonight after many phone calls, I managed to find a hotel that will allow my guys to stay. They do not have to be crated either, and there are no surcharges or extra fees. I am just afraid of what the room will look like, since it is the only room there, that is for pets.

I know some dogs deal with things better or worse then others. I just have a ten year old boy, and always hear these horror stories of older dogs dying in kennels, while the owners are away. I am sure your boy will forgive you soon. I guess when I decided to have dogs, I had to think that I would never travel.

[Michele Baxter]

Just as a side note to my2rotties (and anyone else who travels with their dogs),
We travel very frequently to dog shows, and I usually go to visit my Dad in Atlanta twice a year, so we travel with the dogs a lot. I have found many hotels that will accept dogs. Usually Knights Inn, Days Inn, Motel 6 or Super 8, and some Holiday Inns will accept dogs. I have also invested in folding wire crates (which we use for travel) and soft-crates that are worth their weight in gold. :) They are light-weight mesh crates with PVC piping as the frame. Rottie size run about $100. I can easily carry these in the hotel room and set up without breaking my back carrying in a wire crate.
If I get an iffy answer about accepting the dogs, I ask if I can bring them in to meet the manager or desk person. Usually this helps if they see they are well-behaved. I have actually met some real nice people in our travels! When I explain we are on our way to a dog show or visit with family, etc. I have found the vast majority of people to be understanding and friendly.
Again, the chain hotels I mentioned vary with location, but when we are traveling to a dog show, these are usually the ones that will take us.

[WorkinDogz]

Holidomes are usually VERY dog friendly. :)

We traveled frequently while trialing our dogs and I've found the staff at Holidomes to be AWESOME everywhere we went.

At one; in St. Louis they even allowed the dogs to swim in the pool. (they were draining it for reconditioning the following day) The dogs (all 4 of them) had a BLAST and even drew a crowd for their private game of "Aqua Flyball".

You pay slightly more per night at Holidomes vs. Motel 6's...but....I'm a jacuzzi girl anyway :D