I hate to admit it, but I'm a huge petlover.

My fiancee and I are going to leave town and stay in a hotel which doesn't allow pets. Usually I drop him off with my brother, but he's coming down with pneumonia.

So I guess I have to take my pooch to a kennel. I've never done this before and wanted to know if anyone had any advice for me on what to look for.

He's a member of the family, so if I can't find the right place, I may not go this weekend.

 

When we have had to send our dog to "camp" as we call it we have always solicited the experience from other people in the area who have boarded dogs. With that being said I have found that an on-site visit is the best way to see what the quality is and how clean the kennel is maintained. We look for places that have runs that are indoor/out door if possible. We also look for kennels that will take the dog out and let them walk, run, play, etc.
At least here in Texas you will need to ensure your dogs shots are all up to date. This will include kennel cough as it only lasts 6 months.

Hope that helps

Dan

 

Check and see if the Vet that you use has kennel facilities. Also you will want your dog vacinated for "kennel cough" (I can't think of the real name), before putting him in. We generally go out of our way to find pet friendly places to stay. Haven't had any real problems either, just let the hotel staff know. We also like big dogs, as our Starr is now 80# plus and just a bit more than 8 months old.

 

The dog needs to be vaccinated, check with your vet. A good kennel won't even take the dog unless your vet sends papers. Word of mouth is usually the best way to find a kennel. Ask around someone you know must have experience with one. I found a great place that's like 50 miles from my house. It's a huge farm that this couple uses as a kennel. I called for the hours and showed up unannounced to make sure everything was as described to me. The place was immaculate. It had a private indoor and outdoor run so the dog could go get fresh air. They clean the cages twice a day and they take each dog on individual 15 min play times out on the land twice a day.

 

I didn't think about the shots part. I called the vet and she confirmed he was up to date on his shots.

I also took your advices about asking the vet. I'll show up unannounced tonight and take a look.

As you pet lovers know, it's pretty serious about this stuff, even though, "It's just a dog".

I actually had a dream about this last night that the government set up a law where new petowners had to return their pets after owning them for a year.

We scrambled around town looking for him and finally found him.

What a dumb dream.

Thanks again for your feedback.

 

We have a cat & now try to find a "babysitter" for him everytime we leave. Luckily, over the summer it's not that hard with kids being out from school. When we go away in February, I'm having one of my friends from Jersey come down to stay w/ him. My cat may be the only one out there w/ a full time "babysitter" when we go away.

Back to the topic at hand, I'd say definitely ask people who have boarded their dog(s). Then go for a visit. See how the place smells. Sounds silly, but if it's kept clean, you won't walk in & have that knock-you-down smell of urine. Ask about the staff (ie: who's there, how long they've worked there, what their background is as far as working w/ dogs). Be sure to find out what they do in case of an emergency. You can also check out websites for pet-sitters if you'd rather do something in your home. Pet-sitters International

Do you know of any local (or semi-local) S2ki members who wouldn't mind coming over a few times a day to walk/feed/play w/ your dog? Put them to work!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JerseyGirl

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by thunderchicken

 

is it a he or she? Since you wrote BITA, I assumed that meant Bitch In The Ass (female).

 

BITA = PITA, I mistyped that.

I guess what I'm struggling with is that we're planning on going to a casino, but they have a free kennel.

From the one that was recommended, it's going to cost $34 just to keep him there overnight. No one will be there from 7pm to 6am, but they pump in music there, it's climate controlled and so forth.

I don't see how that's much different from the casino, which is going to be offering it for free (except for a tip ofcourse).

I'm not trying to be cheap, I want the best possible, but I don't see how it's different, other than I can take my poocher for a walk every few hours.