I'm feeling guilty....

[DWGal210]

About boarding my dog for the first time this weekend. .

I'm going out of town for the weekend to see a good friend & my dog sitter fell through. I called our vet, who also offers boarding, and was able to get him in for 3 nights.

I LOVE my vet - they are wonderful people & I have no worries about care, safety, etc. But it makes me kind of sad to have him boarded for a weekend. He's never stayed there before & he gets so nervous when we go for check ups. I hate to think he would be really upset & unhappy there.

I knew I wanted to give this a test run, anyway, b/c we might go on a extended family trip next year & I would have to board him, as my "sitters" would be going on the trip, too.

Please help me with my anxiety on this. When you board your pets, do you have feelings of anxiety about it?

Thanks!

 

[NaLisa]

I had a similar situation last year and had to board my sweet Beagle at an unknown kennel. I felt guilty, but she was fine. Turns out they let her out of the kennel every night and she roamed around the shop. She's a very easy-going dog.

Since you know and trust this veterinarian, that should put your mind at ease. I'm sure your dog will miss you, but the vet will take very good care of your four-legged child.

 

[hereyago]

Aww. your pup will be all right. My boarding place isn't the vet, but a doggy day care, dog-well owner training, boarding. so my pup has to be boarded, he gets to go to doggy day care during the day.

Ask the vet if you can leave like a stuff toy or a blanket with your scent on it and have it with your pup.

 

[IhavePDD]

I used to feel so guilty when I would have to drop my dog off to boarded too. Take one of his blankets or a toy so he has something of his from home. Since it the vet's office you know he will be in capable pet loving hands. Find out from them too if you need to provide food for him while he is there as well.

 

[horseshowmom]

Sometimes you just can't help it, and they have to board. I'm sure your sweetie will be fine.

I will add this though. We have wonderful vets, but our pets don't board there well - not sure why, but they don't. We found a great boarding facility that we use now if I can't take them with me. As much as they didn't like boarding at the vet, they LOVED boarding at this place. Huge difference. So if for some reason, this doesn't work out, it doesn't mean that you can't board your pet at all. You just may have to try again.

Good luck!

 

[tomthebarncat]

My dog would get freaked out if I boarded him at our animal hospital. We usually take fatboy with us, when we travel and he has been to 6 european countries so far. Is there any way one of the vet techs could take him home, and you just work out something privately???

 

[DWGal210]

Thanks for the kind words I'll call them in a bit & ask if I can bring a blanket, toys etc with me.

 

[DWGal210]

Well, I don't know if a tech would take him home. I usually have a family member or even sometimes a neighbor, but they have plans.

My dog would get freaked out if I boarded him at our animal hospital. We usually take fatboy with us, when we travel and he has been to 6 european countries so far. Is there any way one of the vet techs could take him home, and you just work out something privately???

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I board my dogs at a kennel. I love that I can ring them up and if they have space they will take them.


The thing you want to do is board consistently, that way the dog gets used to the place.

 

[Art 1]

We board our dog often at a very nice kennel. We drop him off for a few days when his check up and shots are due, to be cleaned,when we travel or have a large formal party at our house. Your dog will be fine.

 

[jaminmd]

Aww, . I had this trouble back in January & we almost cancelled our vacation over our little snowflake. I posted about it here actually & was surprised at how many other people were like me.

You aren't alone with your devotion to your dog & a lot of people despise kenneling their animals. They are our family & it's not easy to leave them behind.

Your pooch will be safe & cared for, so please try to have a good time. We can't stop living our lives for our animals.

 

[FredinFL]

Sorry, but boarding sucks for a dog. Especially big dogs because their cages just usually aren't big enough. I used to work for a vet and the dogs go out to the run and then back in the cage, back and forth. At least he's fed and has a little company. But no one is there at night, and on weekends people come in to feed them and let them out, but no one is there all day like during the week.

The best to be said is he's fed, safe, and warm. I would seriously look into another pet sitter or a place that is actually a kennel facility where they have play time and stuff. They actually would have the "kennel" room rather than just a cage like most vets do. Especially for an extended stay. You have plenty of time to find a good one before your vacation next year. Your dog will thank you.

Then again your vet may have the kennel cages. I don't know. At least you care enough to have your dog taken care of and not just rip open a bag of food and put some paper down.

 

[DWGal210]

This is what I am having a hard time with. He's a little guy (10 lbs) and I hate the thought of him being in a kennel all day.

I am looking for doggy "day cares" that give them more room to run around in, play, etc - but I don't live in a large metro area and we just don't have that around here. I have friends & family but they have plans, can't watch him this weekend, etc - so what other choice do I have, unless I stay home?

Sorry, but boarding sucks for a dog. Especially big dogs because their cages just usually aren't big enough. I used to work for a vet and the dogs go out to the run and then back in the cage, back and forth. At least he's fed and has a little company. But no one is there at night, and on weekends people come in to feed them and let them out, but no one is there all day like during the week.

The best to be said is he's fed, safe, and warm. I would seriously look into another pet sitter or a place that is actually a kennel facility where they have play time and stuff. They actually would have the "kennel" room rather than just a cage like most vets do. Especially for an extended stay. You have plenty of time to find a good one before your vacation next year. Your dog will thank you.

Then again your vet may have the kennel cages. I don't know. At least you care enough to have your dog taken care of and not just rip open a bag of food and put some paper down.

 

[horseshowmom]

This is what I am having a hard time with. He's a little guy (10 lbs) and I hate the thought of him being in a kennel all day.

I am looking for doggy "day cares" that give them more room to run around in, play, etc - but I don't live in a large metro area and we just don't have that around here. I have friends & family but they have plans, can't watch him this weekend, etc - so what other choice do I have, unless I stay home?

Don't stay home. He will be okay. He may not be thrilled, but we all have to do things sometimes that aren't our preferences.

My MinPin is 10 lbs. too, and he absolutely loved staying at PetSmart. While I live in a rural area and don't have one, I sometimes have to go to a city on business that does have one. I just take him with me and leave him there while I'm in meetings (they also have overnight care). The first time I took him, part of my purpose was to work on his nervousness. He was very traumatized when I adopted him (had been abused) and was drawn up into a knot. As time went on, he improved but was still very nervous of strangers. I explained the situation to the workers at PS, and I was absolutely AMAZED at how well he did (he couldn't wait to go back every morning ).

Is it possible that where you're going has a PetSmart Hotel?

 

[minkydog]

Sorry, but boarding sucks for a dog. Especially big dogs because their cages just usually aren't big enough. I used to work for a vet and the dogs go out to the run and then back in the cage, back and forth. At least he's fed and has a little company. But no one is there at night, and on weekends people come in to feed them and let them out, but no one is there all day like during the week.

The best to be said is he's fed, safe, and warm. I would seriously look into another pet sitter or a place that is actually a kennel facility where they have play time and stuff. They actually would have the "kennel" room rather than just a cage like most vets do. Especially for an extended stay. You have plenty of time to find a good one before your vacation next year. Your dog will thank you.

Then again your vet may have the kennel cages. I don't know. At least you care enough to have your dog taken care of and not just rip open a bag of food and put some paper down.

I don't know if this is true for every animal hospital, but I have to say it was true for my Minky. He was a very large Standard Poodle and as he got older, around 7, he developed some separation anxiety. It was exacerbated by being in a cage where he could hear other dogs day and night and couldn't get away from them. We found a lovely groomer who also does doggy daycare and keeps some dogs overnights. It was a match made in heaven, better than leaving him home alone with a sitter coming twice a day. At the doggy daycare he got to play and didn't have to be caged. Minky loved going to the groomer.

OP, I'm not against kenneling dogs. I think you just need to know how they do it. It's a good idea to have a trial run with it, too, because you never know when you might have an emergency and HAVE to kennel the dog.

 

[Evil Genius]

OP I feel your pain. We are boarding our puppy for the first time next week. I am extremely anxious about it. She and our other dog are going to a kennel that my DFi has used for years, which makes it a little better.

 

[Planogirl]

Sorry, but boarding sucks for a dog. Especially big dogs because their cages just usually aren't big enough. I used to work for a vet and the dogs go out to the run and then back in the cage, back and forth. At least he's fed and has a little company. But no one is there at night, and on weekends people come in to feed them and let them out, but no one is there all day like during the week.

The best to be said is he's fed, safe, and warm. I would seriously look into another pet sitter or a place that is actually a kennel facility where they have play time and stuff. They actually would have the "kennel" room rather than just a cage like most vets do. Especially for an extended stay. You have plenty of time to find a good one before your vacation next year. Your dog will thank you.

Then again your vet may have the kennel cages. I don't know. At least you care enough to have your dog taken care of and not just rip open a bag of food and put some paper down.

That depends on the vet. One of ours liked to take our cat with him in his office while he did paperwork. The cat was very sociable and the doctor worried that he would get lonely. Sylvester would sit on the desk and talk to him for a while and then would look out the window at the birds. Some vets will try to be sociable with animals left with them but I agree that not all will be so accomodating though.

 

[DWGal210]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

I'm sure that when he comes home he'll be plotting his puppy revenge - I better put the breakables up high.

I'll look into that PetSmart Hotel - thanks for the tip!!

 

[FredinFL]

LOL, you can also ask your vet or other vets in the area for any pet sitters they know of. Since your vet boards, they may not take cards for other sitters, other vets might tho.

 

[dngnb8]

When you board your pets, do you have feelings of anxiety about it?

Thanks!

You betcha! Ive done it once and I agonized the whole trip.