Top 10 Considerations When Boarding Your Dog

It may not be your favorite thing to do, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. Boarding your dog is a pet of many pet owners’ lives, and it’s a bit more complicated than just dropping your dog off at a facility. There are certain rules that many facilities have, as well as different procedures and things to keep in mind. We at Prestonwood Kennels, located here in Houston, want to make sure that you are fully prepared when looking to board your dog, whether it is with us or someone else. Let’s go over 10 of the top things to consider when boarding your dog.

Different boarding facilities will have different rules.

Each facility will have its own set of rules that they will follow that may be different from any place you may have boarded your dog before. Get to know those rules.

Things to ask about: Can you bring your own dog food? What are their policies on one-on-one time and walks? Can they administer any medications your dog may need? What items can you bring from home for your dog?

Medical Records.

You will need to be able to provide your dog’s medical records, including up-to-date vaccinations. Providing this will make sure that your dog’s medical needs can be looked after properly by the boarding staff while you are away. You should also make sure that your pet is up to date with their flea and tick treatments.

Be sure to make reservations!

You should always make your boarding reservations in advance, but this is especially crucial around holidays. You wouldn’t just drop off your child at a random person’s house and hope they’ll take care of it, would you (if so, please don’t tell us)?

Check out the facility.

You should always do a tour of the facility you are looking to board at to get an idea of the size, safety, and cleanliness of the place. You can even ask if your dog can do a precursory visit. If a facility is not up to the standard that you are comfortable leaving your dog at, trust your gut and keep looking!

Make sure your dog’s info is up to date.

Please be sure that your dog’s tags are current, as well as their chip if they have one. You will also want to make sure you leave your emergency contact information.

Ask about emergency policies.

This can be done as part of your facility tours but ask what plans and procedures the facility has in place in case of an emergency. If, heaven forbid, something was to happen with your pet, how will they handle that? If there’s some sort of natural disaster (look, things happen in Houston), do they have a plan on how to keep the animals safe?

Be upfront about any behavioral issues.

Look, be honest about any sort of behavioral things relating to your dog. If your dog is a little food aggressive, prone to anxiety, or whatever else is a little quirk of theirs, the facility needs to know beforehand. Some facilities can better handle certain behaviors than others.

Make sure you bring your dog’s food and any medications.

Most boarding kennels won’t provide food, and if they do you can’t guarantee that it will be what your dog is used to. Supply your own food (if the facility allows that) and this will hopefully help keep your dog’s tummy in good shape. Be sure to pack any of their medications they may need, as well, which you should have gone over with the staff before bringing your dog in.

Ask about playtimes and any other optional services.

Ask what their playtime routine consists of! You want to make sure that your dog will be entertained and exercised well while you’re away. You can also see if they have any optional services like a doggy spa, swimming pools, etc.

Have a vet visit before their stay!

Here’s a big one: make sure your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health before you board them! This is for your pet’s safety as well as for the other dogs.

We hope this list has been helpful, and we’ll see you next time here at Prestonwood Kennels!