If you are planning to go on a vacation, you will probably have to leave your dog under some sort of care service. There are several options to choose from, but you need to know the pros and cons of each to help you make the right choice. Here are the choices you have:
1. Traditional kennels
Pros:
- Traditional kennels have been around for a long period of time and hence have an excellent reputation locally. Hence, if you search the internet or ask people, you can easily get a lot of information to help you choose the best kennel.
- They are affordable to most people, and due to their good reputation, they offer excellent services.
Cons:
- Since these facilities have been there for a long time, they only provide your dog with basic needs, and there may be very few extras e.g. complimentary bathing available for your dog.
- After their closing time, most kennels do not have any people to continue taking care of the dogs. These facilities are ideal for easy going dogs that are not prone to anxiety.
2. Luxury boarding facilities
Pros:
- They are large kennels which have extra plush bedding, stimuli-packed playing areas and lots of care from the staff. Also, these centers have a lot of extras like grooming services, extra cage free times and even web cam so that owners can spy on their dogs.
- Luxury kennels always have a staff member on shift to monitor the dogs at night.
Cons:
- Due to the services they offer, they are typically expensive, and most people may not afford them
- Large luxury facilities provide a lot of cage free time which may increase chances of dog fights or escape. This option is best suited to dogs who require a lot of human attention as well as dogs who are not used to spending daytime alone.
3. Veterinary offices
Pros:
- Boarding your dog with a veterinarian officer can give you the peace of mind needed for your vacation because your dog is in the right hands. In case of any complication, the officer can give medications and prescriptions and hence it is the better choice.
- After spending time with your dog, a veterinary staff can make recommendations on how you can maintain and keep your dog healthier.
Cons:
- Most veterinary offices tend to be noisy and chaotic. However, the staff may monitor your pet closely while still providing regular feeding and walking times but there may not be more extras.
- Pets in these centers spend most of their day/night in cages. Dogs which are elderly or have medical conditions that require consistent care are highly recommended to be under this care.
4. Dog walking services
Pros:
- If you work a lot, you’ve probably hired a person to offer dog walking services to your pet. The same person can take care of your dog with extra duties of feeding and playing with him. The person can also receive your mail in your absence.
- A cage is not necessary unless you recommend it.
Cons:
- You will be leaving your dog under care of only one person! There are pet sitting services which are operated by one person but here, you will have to have an emergency contact for the sitter in case your dog develops problems.
- Your dog will be alone at night. This option best suits dogs who get anxious when taken out to other people’s homes or other centers. Also, dogs which are used to living alone can suit this option because these dogs will have to be aloe most of the nights.
5. In-Home overnight care
Pros:
- If you have community pet sitting and dog walking services, they may also be willing to stay with your dog overnight though at an additional fee.
- Since it is within your locality and same routine, your dog may find it friendly and comfortable. Since the dog will be within your locality, the dog will still be sleeping in its bed.
Cons:
- Allowing someone into your home when you are on vacation may not be a very good idea. You should make sure that the person is licensed, bonded and insured to ensure that they are professional and reliable. Also, ensure there is liability insurance to protect your and the sitter from calamities that would occur in your absence.
- Since the overnight fee may include later hours of the night, the sitter may opt to turn your home into his or hers in your absence!
The kind of dogs who require a lot of human love and attention is best suited in an in-home overnight care. The dogs which have used to having only one pet lover taking care of them are best for this setting.
6. Overnight care in a sitter’s home
Pros:
- Unlike a sitter who has to bring your pet into your home, sitters who stay in their homes continue with their daily chores as planned while still caring for your dog. A sitter who takes care of your dog in your home may have other client’s pets as well as chores to take care of.
- Typically, sitters who open their homes to sit other dogs obviously love dogs! Your dog, therefore, will be well taken care of.
Cons:
- Sitters who open their homes to other pets have other people’s pets as well as their own pets to take care of simultaneously. It is possibly going to be a free cage system and hence you will have to worry about dog fights while on your vacation.
- Some dogs may find it hard to fit in a new home, new routines and a new setting altogether. Playful dogs which are adventurous and love visiting other people’s homes and getting out in public are well suited in an overnight care center.
7. Friend or family
Pros:
- Since your friends or family know how much you love your dog, they will take great care of it to avoid crossing your
- They know your dog well, and probably your dog has interacted with them. This would be a stress reliever to both the sitter and the dog
Cons:
- Friends or family do not take pet sitting as a job because they are doing it as a favor. Even if you are paying them, they won’t be able to take care of your dog as a pro would.
- Having fewer skills in taking care of pets can limit the in recognizing any potential problem. Dogs can stop eating, develop diarrhea or even try to run away due to abrupt changes in their lives. Unlike veterinary officers, kennel staff of pet sitters who may have dealt with these problems, your friend or nana may not have any idea on how to handle your dog.
Shy dogs who cannot mingle with new people can be left with friends or relatives. Whether the dog will stay in your home or will be in your friend’s, familiarity with its sitter may be crucial to your dog.