Boarding 4 month old?

[cscarro]

Hi there,

so, i have a question. I am traveling out of town to Denver and have a very busy schedule friday and saturday once i get there. My hotel accepts dogs but says not to leave them in the room by themselves.

our girl is over 4 months old - i found a doggie boarding/ day care place that i feel really comfortable with, after talking to the owner. She explained the schedule, said our baby will have 7 hours of play a day and they do not crate the animals. she said that because she is young, they would pay her extra special attention and make sure she is comfortable and safe.

we are current on all of our shots and plan to get the bordetella shot today. do you think it would be okay to leave her there Friday and Saturday, picking her up Saturday early evening? Im really nervous about it but the alternative does not look any better (leaving her in a hotel room for hours or trying to find someone to take her out for an hour at a time when i will be gone all day).

please, any advice/ thoughts are welcome.

 

[Caney Creek]

Personally I am one that does not use boarding facilities, don't think I ever would to be honest, as I have worked for a vet that had a boarding facility and I did not like the things that I saw there. However I know that some are better than others, if you really got a good feeling talking with the owner then go and check the place out. I wouldn't make a final decision though until getting a full tour of the place AND meeting a few of the employees since they will be the ones watching your pup all day. Find out where your girl will eat and sleep also.

 

[Althea]

Have you considered a petsitter? It probably will run you close to the same amount -- maybe a little more -- and your pup will be in the comfort of your own home and you don't have to worry about pickup times, sickness, injury, etc. I personally have chosen never to kennel my pets -- but that's just me. However, with one so little, I'd rather have one on one care for a puppy.

Just a thought.

 

[cscarro]

thanks for your responses - yes, we have considered a pet sitter, but the ones I have found all either do overnights (7pm to 7am) and then 1 or 2 hours during the day. I haven't found anyone that will stay with her all weekend long in our house...plus, we will be 4 hours away from our house and I'd hate being that far away!

I would also hate to leave her crated a full day with only a cpl hours out during the day until the sitter got here at 7...we are new to the town we live in so we don't know many people and don't have many options.

i always thought I would be anti-kennel too but I guess you are right. we should go check the place out and if we get a good vibe, we can decide from there. I like that they offer so much play and don't crate...but it still makes me nervous!

 

[Althea]

Maybe you should question the sitters a bit more. Call and explain, and see what they say. When I did overnights, I worked out of the clients house. So yes, I was in and out with other sits, but I always returned "home," rather than going to my own house. And the sitter I currently use takes Suki to her house for the day rather than just stop for a half hour, and would gladly keep her for several days if I needed her to. I know her, her dogs, I've met her family, so I would feel very comfortable leaving my girl with her. They are retired, and she does this for some extra money and because she loves dogs. The sitter I used to work for did the same thing for her clients, and I did the same for my own clients when I ran my own sitter business.

The reason I say this is because when they are so young, I'd be hesitant at a kennel. I guess I've just hear too many stories...Go with your gut, though. You'll figure out the right plan.

 

[Caney Creek]

i always thought I would be anti-kennel too but I guess you are right. we should go check the place out and if we get a good vibe, we can decide from there. I like that they offer so much play and don't crate...but it still makes me nervous!

If they don't crate the dogs, then what do they do with them for the 14 hrs a day that isn't playtime? Surely not put them up in a hotel room

The reason I say this is because when they are so young, I'd be hesitant at a kennel. I guess I've just hear too many stories...Go with your gut, though. You'll figure out the right plan.

I agree, heard so many bad stories... and puppies are SO impressionable, you'd hate for him to have a bad experience.

Another idea -- maybe you could look up doggy daycares in the city you're traveling to, that way you could have your pup with you in the hotel at night and he'd have somewhere to go when you can't be there.

 

[Linda/NJ]

Hi, I think your pup is a bit young for a kennel. Maybe a petsitter would be better this time. We usually wait till our boxer is almost 1 year old b4 putting her in a kennel. Once you find a reputable kennel, you won't want to go anywhere else. We have been using the same one for over 12 years. I would take a tour and talk to the owners and workers. They usually won't take them unless they are up-to-date on their shots and always insist on the bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine too. Good luck - I am sure it will all work out.

 

[cscarro]

thanks so much for all the comments.