Advice for finding boarding?

[centrop67]

We're planning a trip in February, and our regular dog sitter is not available. We thought my mom would be able to sit for us, but I am afraid she'd ruin all the work we've done to get Radar to a decent boy. She plays Grandma, and I am not sure she understands that he can't be spoiled like that. And, she's not keen to Radar's signals, so I'm afraid that could lead to a dangerous situation.

Lisa posted that there's kennels out there that should be able to handle DS's, but I don't know where to even start to look for one.

I'd appreciate any suggestions to find one. Thanks in advance.

[Dutchringgirl]

I did a local search and then called the places. I also went to look a them in person before I boarded. You cant go into the boarding area but you can get a good feel ( or not) from the main area and talking to the people. I have boarded in a few different places and dont have any problems. Most have larger runs that they can go in and there isnt really much that they can mess up with the dog. I dont do the " day care" stuff since Sadie dosnt play well with others, so I just tell them Thalie and Sadie must stay together but not with the general population. I havent had a problem.

What problems are you worried about? Your DS is not the first they have encountered or the first dog that an owner is worried about. They dont really handle them, they put them in a kennel, watch them, feed them, let them out in a larger area if thats available.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

I've checked out Yelp (keeping in mind the reviews can be misleading), done a google search, and visited boarding facilities for H. I've found the majority of it is finding a place with someone on the staff that just gets dogs; especially non-pet quality dogs. If you're a part of any club, ask them where they board their dogs or who they would trust, or if there's a trainer you trust who has recommendations. You can also try them out for a night, see how it goes, and then try longer and longer stays.

[Owly]

Find out where your local PD boards their dogs while the handler is on vacation. A lot of PDs with dogs on the taskforce do not have their own kennels so its up to a boarding facility to take care of the four legged officers while their handlers go on vacation. I would personally inspect each place you're considering. Check their vaccination requirements. Check their schedules and how they handle high energy dogs. I would AVOID places that keep the dogs all in one room with no barrier to separate them. I personally prefer a veterinary practice that offers boarding, just because there are so many things that can go wrong with boarding and it isn't always the establishments fault. Boarding can be very stressful, and stress can lead to stress colitis and in severe cases self inflicted harm (chewing on the bars, digging at the kennel until pads are raw, jumping up and down repeatedly in one spot etc...) If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to ask them!

[centrop67]

What problems are you worried about? Your DS is not the first they have encountered or the first dog that an owner is worried about. They dont really handle them, they put them in a kennel, watch them, feed them, let them out in a larger area if thats available.

My concerns:
1. Radar has a tendency to lick himself sore during times when I am out of the house for extended periods (Separation anxiety I assume). My regular sitter stays at my house, and the dogs are actually alone less when I am gone.
2. Anyone who doesn't understand Radar's signals is in danger of anything from extreme annoyance to a minor bite. I guess this can be taught, however.
3. Leela is skittish. She absolutely hates strangers. She mostly hides, but she has nipped one fearful person..
4. Leela is much stronger than she looks or knows.
5. I dread the thought of the two of them spending most of their time in a kennel.
6. They absolutely cannot be around other dogs.
7. All of the hard work I've put in to make our home Radar friendly could be uprooted in just 1 week.

I really don't want to be tied to my house for the lifetime of my dogs, but they mean enough to me to do so. The reason my sitter is not available is because he is hosting the trip. He is a newly naturalized U.S. citizen from Trinidad, and he finally has an opportunity to go home. He's invited us to join him.

I plan to talk to Radar's original trainer. She knows Radar and does have an in-home service, but she has been so busy lately that I am afraid she'll use a substitute or not be able to give the right amount of time.

I did do a local search, but all that really turned up are fru-fru doggy spas and day cares. I don't have any canine law enforcement contacts to ask, though I keep my eyes open for them.

[Dutchringgirl]

I hear ya and understand. Having dogs though, especially this type of dog is like having kids, they come first. I have sacrificed many trips because of the dogs.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

Sometimes I have to play with the search keywords in Yelp or Google to get what I'm looking for, but there aren't a lot of true kennel places here, just doggy spas and daycares which were fine when H was a pup but not so much now. If she's a good trainer, knows your dogs, then hopefully she will know using a substitute for them isn't a good idea. Good luck with your search - if I hear of any good places around your area I'll pass them along.

[centrop67]

Thanks Lisa and Kira. I hate to stress over a vacation, but my last two were staycations and I still had a great time.