Important Information
About Dog Boarding

Factsheet – Boarding Your Dog

Responsible pet owners are choosing to board their pets at professional pet care facilities rather than choosing alternatives which often prove to be both costly and dangerous. Even so, many pet care facilities still experience calls from people who have been asked to care for a pet, and find that they are unable to do so safely and quite suddenly need the professional pet care facility to come to their rescue.

Understanding Alternatives to Professional Boarding and Their Risks

When planning time away from home, ensuring your dog’s safety and wellbeing is one of the most important considerations. While professional pet resorts and boarding facilities are designed with your pet’s comfort and care in mind, many owners consider alternative options that may appear more convenient or cost-effective at first glance. However, each alternative presents its own set of risks and limitations that may compromise your dog’s health, safety, and happiness.

Below, we explore some of the most common alternatives to professional boarding and the potential concerns associated with each.

Leaving Your Dog at Home with Visitors Checking In

This option may seem appealing, especially for dogs that are most comfortable in their home environment. However, relying on someone to drop by once or twice a day comes with significant risks:

• Security Issues: Visitors might inadvertently leave gates or doors ajar, providing opportunities for escape.
• Lack of Expertise: Casual sitters may miss early signs of illness or distress in your dog.
• Territorial Behaviour: Your dog may not allow the person in the house because they are protecting the property.
• Boredom and Distruction: Dogs left alone for long hours may become anxious or bored, leading to destructive behaviours.
• Escape Attempts: With limited human interaction, your dog may try. to escape out of lonliness. or stress.

Leaving Your Dog with Friends

Leaving your pet with a friend or family member might sound comforting, but unless they’re experienced with dogs, problems can arise:

• Environmental Stress: Your dog may try to escape due to the unfamiliar setting or routines.
• Lack of Pet-Proofing: Homes not used to pets may have unsecured yards or hidden hazards.
• Compatibility Issues: If your friend has small children, other pets or a noisy environment, it may overwhelm your pet.

Boarding at a Veterinary Clinic

Veterinary clinics may offer boarding, particularly for pets with medical needs. However, this solution is not ideal for all pets:

• Stressful Associations: Many animals associate the vet with negative experiences, causing anxiety during their stay.
• Limited Space: Clinics often lack the space and setup for long-term, enriching boarding.
• Unhappy Neighbors: Your dog may be housed near sick or recovering animals, which can be unsettling.

Note: If your dog requires medical supervision or is in poor health, veterinary boarding may be the best and safest option available.

Taking Your Dog on Holiday

Bringing your dog along can be fun, but it often complicates travel plans:

• Accommodation Restrictions: Most hotels and motels either prohibit pets or have strict rules regarding noise and hygiene.
• Legal Limitations: Dogs are not permitted in Australian National Parks.
• Travel Stress and Illness: Dogs can get carsick or overwhelmed by travel, and vet access may be limited in remote areas.
• Activity Restrictions: You may not be able to leave your dog alone in a camper or caravan—and leaving them in a car, even briefly, is illegal.
• Health Risks: New environments can expose pets to parasites and infections.

Why Professional Pet Resorts Are the Superior Choice

When compared to these alternatives, professional boarding facilities offer unmatched peace of mind. Here’s why they are considered the gold standard for pet care when you’re away:

• Experienced Staff: Pet resorts are staffed by trained professionals who understand animal behavior, care, and emergency response.
• Health Protocols: Strict vaccination requirements protect all animals on-site as do check in procedures and pre-boarding health checks.
• Regulated and Licensed: Pet Resorts/Boarding Facilities are licensed with their local Council and must adhere to standards such as maximum pet numbers, proper waste management and noise management procedures
• Hygiene and Cleanliness: Daily cleaning routines and sanitation protocols prevent the spread of illness.
• Consistent Interaction: Pet Resorts/Boarding Facilities will provide the maximum amount of human interaction possible while your pet is away. Unlike other alternatives where a person may attend to your home and pet for 30-60 minutes per day, the great thing about a Pet Resort is that staff are there all day long, and your pet will get plenty of interaction!
• High Security: Secure fencing and entry systems ensure pets stay in, and intruders stay out.
• Formal Agreements: Professional businesses such as Pet Resort / Boarding Facilities are registered businesses that are required to hold public liability insurance as a minimum, which offers protection for the pet and the pet owner. Formal agreements allow customers to clearly understands what is expected and agreed by both parties.

Why Choosing a Pet Boarding Facility Works

The people who run kennels are well trained to look after your pet. Consider this; a Veterinarian may see 2500 pets a year, even a small kennel owner will see around 20,000 pets a year; that is an enormous amount of experience. They will call the vet to any pet they believe is ill and requires attention. Many times, a particular problem, eg blood in urine, or a warning sign that requires attention, will be picked up in a kennel quicker than at home. However, it is not the kennel’s job to diagnose or treat your pet. If your pet requires treatment while it is boarding, you will be responsible for this.

Remember:

• Kennel owners and their staff are passionate about what they do, they have made this their job, not their hobby.
• Business Professionalism is extremely important, and many boarding kennels adhere to a Code of Practice such as those who are Members of the Australia Pet Care Association. All reputable kennels have insurance.
• Fun for your dog! If your dog is assessed as being suitable, he/she will be able to interact and play with other friendly dogs. There is nothing better than watching a dog bursting out their owners car because they know how much fun they are about to have at the pet resort.
• Many kennels keep you up to date on how your pet is going via Facebook, Instagram or email, providing the best peace of mind you can hope for.
• Most kennels offer a certain amount of individual care (playing with, talking to, petting),

Make sure you understand the rate structure for all services and hours of operation. The fee for boarding not only includes the care of your pet but the peace of mind that goes with knowing your pet is with someone you can trust.

Visit your local pet boarding facility, meet the staff, inspect the premises, ask plenty of questions! The more information you can give your chosen pet care facility, the better, as it will help them settle your dog in and know what their insecurities may be.

A Successful Partnership

Boarding your pet is a shared responsibility. There are a few things that you must do before boarding:

• Make sure all vaccinations are current. This must be a minimum C5 for dogs.
• Your pet should be wormed beforehand and not have been exposed to any contagious diseases and have been given their usual flea and tick treatment prior to their holiday.
• Always have control of your pet – for the safety of your dog always ensure that they are on a secure lead upon arrival at the kennel.
• Be sure to inform kennel owners of any special idiosyncrasies or medical problems that are applicable to your pet, for example a fear of thunder, or a food intolerance.
• Puppies usually enjoy boarding. Some kennels offer day care services so that you can leave your dog for a few hours at a time, this is the easy way to introduce your dog to boarding. After a few visits, your dog accepts this as a normal way of life.

Understanding The Kennel Environment

The following outlines a few things that you might notice after your dogs holiday. These things not of any concern, providing your pet is otherwise well:

• They might be tired, this is because at home they spend most of their day sleeping, whereas in the pet care facility they spend a lot more of their day playing and “talking” to their friends.
• They might be a little hoarse. Some dogs like to spend most of their day “talking” to their friends as a result their voice might be like yours after a close game of footy. Don’t worry, it will go back to normal in no time at all.
• Their poop might be a little runny. This is usually due to a change of food, or it also could be that your dog is a little stressed at being away from you. Some owners feed their dogs a huge meal when they get them home, and this can also cause runny poop.
• Weight loss, which is most commonly due to your dog being far more active in the kennel environment and also missing out on those sneaky biscuits he gets at home.

Home Again

When you pick up your dog, they will be very excited to see you (dogs do not have a sense of time – 5 minutes or 5 days, there is no difference). Do not feed them for at least six hours (even though they will act hungry) and be careful not over feed them. Also, excitement will cause him to pant a lot and feel very thirsty. Give him a few ice cubes to tide him over to feed time.

Key Points to Remember:

• Successful boarding depends not only upon the kennel but also on how well the owner prepares his pet for the experience.
• Naturally, a dog that is relaxed about meeting new people and dogs is more likely to board well.
• Food and water can cause problems when your dog is in an excited state, and they should be given plenty of time to greet you and settle in at home before a tummy full!
• Remember your kennel owner and their staff are in this business because they love animals. That goes for your pet too!