For the extreme pet-lover, like me, leaving your pet at a kennel could be a traumatic experience. Choosing a kennel to board a pet might follow some of the same investigative standards used when choosing a daycare center for a child. In the pet’s case, you examine the areas where the pet will be caged and exercised. You check the credentials of the owner. You ask about food'”can you bring your pet’s preferred food. Once the dog boarding facility passes your inspection, you schedule a time to drop off your dog. To make the stay as comfortable as possible for your dog, and to ease your anxieties, gather together items to take with you when boarding your dog at a kennel.
Dog kennel paperwork requirements
Reputable dog kennels will request copies of the pet’s medical records. Specifically, the kennel needs to know that the dog’s vaccinations, like rabies and bordetella (kennel cough), are current. Provide the kennel with your phone number. In the event that something happens to you or the kennel cannot get in touch with you, include the phone number of a friend or relative that the kennel can contact. The kennel will also want to know if your dog is taking any medications for illness or for preventative health. For example, my aging a yellow lab is administered a daily nutritional supplement that contains glucosamine chondroitin to help her joints.
Comfort items for the dog
Take along your dog’s bed, which may be a washable cushion or several blankets. Don’t wash the bed; the scent of the dog or the surroundings where the bed resided will provide a touch of home to your dog. Also take along the dog’s favorite toy. The kennel may provide food for the dog. If you prefer to keep your dog on its current brand of dog food, take along zip-lock bags filled with a one day serving of food for each day that you will be gone. Treats can also be packaged for use by the kennel. Place the items in a bag like a washable canvas tote that has the dog’s name written on it (I used a black marker on an inexpensive cloth grocery tote bag).
Relax?
It saddened me tremendously dropping off Emily, my sweetheart of dog. The kennel owner told me I could call to ask about Emily if I wanted to. Clearly, my stress parting with my dog was obvious. The dog was whining and giving that high-pitched yelp that screamed, “Take me with you!” I thought of my dog daily while we were apart and must admit to thinking several times about calling the kennel to see how she was doing. Not that there’s anything wrong with calling, but I felt too silly to do so myself. Sure, the dog will miss you too, but your dog will also have the opportunity to mingle with other dogs even if only through a wire fence. There are all those new things to whiff, which dog appreicates. My theroy is, as long as I take a “home whiff” (the dog bed and toy), my dog will do just fine.
Picking up your dog
If your dog is anything like my Emily, she will be overexcited to see your return. She will dash for the car and may display intense energy. You will know if your dog’s experience at the kennel was pleasant the next time you take your dog back to the same kennel. When it came time for Emily’s next vacation from home (okay, a stay at the kennel), as we approached the kennel, she turned on her excitement. Bounding out the car door to greet the owner, I knew I could endure those whines from the dog (and me) as we parted for a few days.
More from this contributor:
14 Point Checklist: Is Your Dog Spoiled
Three Dog Friendly Campgrounds Near Delaware Beaches
Landscaping a Backyard for a Dog
