Choices to Consider When Boarding Your Pets While You’re on Vacation

Boarding Pets

Many of my readers know that I have a Black Lab Granddog who visits frequently. I’m always on Twitter and chronicle the competition between “The Cat” and “Muttley.”

When I was a child, I grew up in a family that always had cats; so naturally, I’m a cat person. However, the Hubster is a dog fella, and always had dogs. It makes for an interesting combination.

When we were newly married, childless and bought our first (and only) house, an 8-week old German Shepard crossbreed was added to the “family” within 3 days of our moving in. That dog developed Epilepsy, and we were fur-free for awhile. Later we had the companionship of a terrific Black Lab who was with us for 4 years before the kids came along, and lived to be 12.

At the time we were boaters, and were away every weekend, which necessitated the boarding of Fido at what I considered then, astronomical fees.

However, my Charming Son-in-Law is originally from Vermont, and the Granddog is conveniently dropped off at “Grandma & Grandpa’s” each time my daughter and her family goes to visit his family.

As a Baby Boomer, you may find that you’ve built up a lot of vacation time from work or you’ve retired, you may find yourself traveling more and more. For you, this is great! You finally have time to take those trips you’ve wanted to take. For your pooch, this presents a dilemma. Your dog may love being at home, even when you’re not, but if you’re gone often or take long trips he might get very lonely. Of course, you would bring him along if you could, but that’s not always feasible.

Perhaps you don’t have nearby family to deposit your companion for any length of time. What’s your next choice then? The answer may be to board him at a kennel where he can get fresh air and exercise, and be among people and other dogs. Just think, if he’s at a kennel you don’t have to worry that he’s chewing up the leg of your favorite chair or if the neighbor kid is remembering to feed him.

Choosing the right boarding facility for your precious pet means checking it out thoroughly and asking questions.

In Part 2 I’ll talk about what decisions are best in choosing a quality facility to make sure Fido has fun while you’re away.

So, in the meantime, what do you do with your pets when you are away for any length of time?

Related posts:

1. Hit The Open Road This Summer – Take a Volunteer Vacation
2. Vacation Home Safety Tips: Leaving Your House Unattended