Not many will disagree with us if we are to say that a dog is a man’s best friend. Especially if you are a dog owner yourself.
It therefore becomes a great responsibility on your part to give the best treatment to your four-legged best friend, to be the best owner you can be to it.
Which is why making holiday travel plans can be quite the hectic and difficult job as you’ll need to leave your best friend behind. Fortunately, there are dog boarding arrangements that you can take advantage of nowadays, with choices being rather abundant and varied in the market.
There are 5 aspects that you should always consider first though, before choosing a dog boarding centre to go with:
- Vaccination. Many actually forget to check this, but it is an utmost priority to us. A reputable and responsible dog boarding facility will require all dogs to be vaccinated, so make sure yours have done so. Check with the facility what vaccinations they require, and make sure your dog receives them at least a week prior to their boarding date. This is because some dogs may display vaccination symptoms when they receive booster vaccinations (i.e. canine kennel cough/Bordatella), and this may pose problems because most boarding facilities would not accept dogs displaying symptoms of illness. So make sure you do it ahead of time, and double check that you have all vaccination documentation ready in hand.
- Medications. This is another important factor to keep tab at and one that you cannot afford to miss. Especially if your four-legged friend requires special needs, check ahead with your boarding kennel if they are adequately equipped/properly staffed to handle it. You may want to conduct a veterinarian dog check-up prior to boarding your furry friend too if your dog is old, has chronic health problems, has had surgery recently or is undergoing special medication requirements. This will enable you have the right preparation ahead, thus saving you from a lot of worries later while you are on holidays.
- Dietary requirements. Now this is something most dog owners will be aware of, nonetheless, you should check with your dog boarding centre if they are able to accommodate to your dog’s dietary requirements. From feeding time to the food they supply, make sure that they adhere to your dog’s requirements. If you have to provide your own food, make sure you have enough allowance ready. It is always a good idea to have clear, written instructions given to the dog carer, too.
- Emergencies. This is especially to those whose dogs have some sort of medical conditions. You will want to go with a dog boarding centre that has an in-house vet so that immediate and appropriate medications can be provided should there be an emergency. While you are at it, you may want to find out the evacuation and measures the facility has in place should there be an accident or natural disaster occuring.
- Day care. Last but not least, you should go for a boarding facility that offers day care services as well if you have a particularly anxious dog, or if this is its first boarding experience. You would want to bring your dog to visit the facility a couple of times before your reservation too as this helps your dog acclimate to the boarding facility so much better.
To find out more, check out Mr Woofles. They are an excellent dog daycare and dog boarding centre in Melbourne with well-trained and professional staffs that are dedicated to take care of your pet so that you, can go on a well-deserved holiday with ultimate peace of mind.