Top 5 Things to Remember When Boarding Your Pup

 

With the holiday season upon us, sometimes our four-legged friends take a back seat to all of the relatives coming to town, food to be made and gifts to be bought. Many people board their dogs to avoid the stress travel can cause not only themselves, but the dogs as well. We recently caught up with Katherine at Fetchers Play & Stay in Olathe, Kansas to ask her the top 5 most important things to remember when you’re planning on boarding your furry friends over the Holidays!

5. Always be sure your dog is up-to-date on Rabies, Parvo, Leptospirosis and any of the other common vaccines your vet may recommend. “You may even want to look into getting your dog a flu shot”, Katherine says. While a flu shot for your dog may sound a little unusual, you can protect your dog AND others by preventing illness in this new environment.

4. Bring something from home your pet feels comfortable with. Just like humans, dogs can get anxious about new places, people and situations, so the best way to remedy that is to send them with a pillow, stuffed animal, toy or any other item that might comfort him or her.

3. Always send your dog with more food than you think you need to. We’ve all been stuck somewhere longer than we planned due to illness, weather, or any other number of issues, so you never want your pup to go hungry if you’re forced to make a sudden change of plans.

2. For ANY big traveling holiday- Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving…- Katherine says you should try to call ASAP to ensure your pup has somewhere to stay. “We’ve been booked out for Christmas since October, so it’s in the dog owner’s best interest to make their boarding arrangements as soon as possible to avoid being turned down or wait-listed.”

1. Katherine says the most important thing to remember when you’re planning on boarding your dogs is that the more information they have, the better they can accommodate everyone. “Keep staff updated as much as possible on any changes… always remember that we love dogs too, so we care about your dogs’ comfort AND your own. Don’t be afraid to call if you have questions or concerns. That’s what we’re here for!”

At PawsAbilities, we love dogs and want to help make sure all pups AND their humans have a joy-filled holiday season. Hopefully, these tips can help you plan ahead for your future travels and answer any questions you might have had about boarding. We hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday and a very happy new year!