When you leave your dog at a boarding facility, you count on the employees at the facility to take good care of him or her. However, there are also some things that you can do, as a dog owner, to help ensure your dog's health and safety during this stay. Take a look.
1. Have your dog vaccinated
Most reputable boarding facilities will make sure dogs coming in are vaccinated for common diseases. But even if they are lax about checking, you should look over your dog's vaccine records at least a month before his or her stay at the boarding facility. This gives you plenty of time to make an appointment for a booster vaccine if needed. Diseases your dog should be vaccinated for include rabies, distemper, kennel cough, and parvovirus. Your vet may recommend additional vaccines based on your dog's age and lifestyle.
2. Bring food
Many boarding facilities will provide food for the dogs they are boarding if you prefer this approach. But it is healthier to bring your dog's own food along and ask that the kennel feed it. This way, your dog will not have to go through a change in diet when he or she is already a bit stressed about being away from home. This approach will help prevent digestive ailments.
3. Be honest about your dog's personality around others
To help prevent your dog from becoming injured by other dogs, be honest with the kennel employees about your dog's personality around others. If he can sometimes become aggressive, or if he does not get along well with others, tell the boarding facility employees this. They will then know to walk him separately and not let him interact with other dogs unsupervised, which will help prevent injuries.
4. Take them on a visit first
Take your dog to visit the kennel they will be staying at before you drop them off all alone. This way, the space will be more familiar, and they will be less likely to suffer from anxiety and any potentially related health problems during their stay. You can walk them through the kennel, let them meet the employees, and just sit with them a while until they seem comfortable in the space.
With the tips above, you can help ensure your dog's stay at the pet boarding facility is a safe and healthy one. Enjoy your time away; your dog should, too.