c a n i n e
Great Expectations Rachel Brix highlights the most important factors to consider when looking for a boarding facility, as well as potential red flags to watch out for
© Ryan Brix
© Ryan Brix
In a boarding facility, it is important for dogs to have other types of enrichment besides social groups
Caretakers at boarding facilities should be versed in canine body language so they understand the guest dogs’ play preferences
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board together, but that’s sometimes not the case. For example, if you’ve got an incredibly young and exuberant dog and a senior mostly chill dog, then it could be stressful to combine them in the same space, especially if those spaces are small: the older dog has no way to escape the boisterousness of the puppy and stress can result. At our facility, we have many housemates who don’t board together for various reasons: sometimes it’s resource guarding, some involve incompatible energy levels, and sometimes it’s arousal levels. For example, we board two young Great Dane males who cohabi tate well together at home but who are not used to wide open spaces to run, romp and play. When seeing the younger one engaged in run ning or playing, the older becomes so aroused he tends to want to sub due the younger one, thus preventing him from exploring and playing. Since we’ve been boarding them separately (although they have adja cent patio space) they have both flourished. We’ve been able to work with the younger dog on boosting confidence and discovering new ac tivities he likes to do, and the older dog has become much less wary of people in general because of our consistent oneonone time and work with him as well. And we’ve discovered a myriad of toys they like, all much to their human’s delight.
epending on the area you are looking in, there may be a variety of boarding facilities to choose from, so it can be a daunting task to try to figure out which one is the best place for your dog to stay. Budget is, of course, always a consideration, but beyond that how do you choose? In my experience, there are a number of factors to think about, and also some red flags to look out for.
Personality: Selecting a boarding facility should be as much about your dog as possible: after all, she’s the one who must spend the time there, so what would she want? A good place to start is by taking inventory of your dog’s personality. What does she like to do for fun? And just as im portant, what doesn’t she like to do? For example, does your dog like to play fetch until she drops? Does she really like playing with the dogs at the dog park, or would she rather be off on her own sniffing everything instead? Does she delight in time spent with humans, or does she prefer the company of other dogs?
Boarding Together: If you have more than one dog to board, should they board together? It would seem dogs who live together should
Selecting a boarding facility should be as much about your dog as possible: after all, she’s the one who must spend the time there, so what would she want? A good place to start is by taking inventory of your dog’s personality. What does she like to do for fun? And just as important, what doesn’t she like to do?
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BARKS from the Guild/July 2021
Individual Needs: It’s a good idea to take note of your dog’s needs for feeding, medication, and comfortable sleep. Make sure they allow for you to bring your dog’s food, as an abrupt switch to a dog’s diet can make for terribly upset tummies. Will the facility refrigerate your home cooked food and feed two meals a day at the times your pooch is used to eating? Give her morning and bedtime snacks on schedule? Does the facility have staff trained to give your dog’s insulin injections? Does the facility provide beds/bedding, or do you need to bring it?