Is there a best choice when it comes to leaving your pooch while you travel?
We think so. Kennels of all kinds, whether the cages at your vet's office or those places that are popping up all over town purporting to be a Pooch "Hotel" or a luxury dog "Spa" - are all warehousing environments. What we mean is that a lot of dogs are there (20-100), with a couple of humans (if you are lucky to get more than one at any time) to look out for them, give them exercise, make sure they are healthy. This makes for a lot of germs in the urine and feces the group of dogs is making, even with frequent cleaning by kennel staff - and in the common areas, a lot of loud noise from nervous barking dogs, and very little warmth or contact - an essential element for a happy dog. They need one on one love and companionship from human caregivers, they are made that way by design. Also being in the large pack this way contributes to behavior snafus. You can get a once well-behaved dog back with some behavior problems from these kinds of environments.
Some people will have a trusted friend they can ask to come over to their home and sit with the dog(s). This is a great option if you can trust that the friend will spend the night with the dog(s) and spend time with them during the day as well.
There are a myriad of in-home dog boarding services out there as well, especially with the advent of "dog vacay" - which is sort of like the on-line dating scene for dog walkers these days (be as careful with locating a dog care person on that site as you would be locating the love of your life on OK Cupid). If you can find a trustworthy dog sitter who can host your dog in their home - and they are not at work all day leaving your dog alone - and they don't take in more than a couple of dogs at any time - we think this is the most comfortable bet for boarding a dog while you are out of town.
Choose a place that's got an outdoor, secure area with high walls and no way for your dog to escape under fences or through gaps in the gate, etc. If your dog is going to have the anxiety of not seeing you for a period of time, he deserves to have an outdoor play area where he can sunbathe and frolic freely. Make sure that your dog will be allowed to sleep inside with the "pack". Bring his bed and a familiar toy and his food dishes so he has some familiar things to remind him he will see you again.
A few tips for a successful stay: make sure your pup is microchipped, in case of an escape, and make sure he has current flea treatment. Not only will he come home without fleas, but he won't unwittingly bring them into the small group environment.
We invite the community to check us out for small home-based dog "slumber parties" as we like to call them. Our two highly social dogs will host no more than two guests at a time, and tons of fun will be had by all. There is all day outdoor playtime and a lot of snoozing on fluffy beds when playtime is done in the evenings.
We also offer daily dog walks in your neighborhood while you are at work, daycare, and our famous dog hikes. Many satisfied customers from the Culver City area have had a great experience with us walking dogs during the work hours M-F. We love all our dogs.
You can also find reviews of us on Yelp under Culver City and our website is located at www.ladogposse.com
You can email any dog care questions you may have to ladogposse@gmail.com We have over 20 years of experience raising, training and rescuing all kinds of dogs.
Happy Hounding.
