Boarding versus Sitter

W

Wagonracer

Forums Regular
When the time comes and you have to leave your Sheltie(s), how do you go about finding the best boarding place? Or, is getting a sitting service the better way to go. I would never want to leave my sheltie in a kennel, how do you assure your Sheltie will be in good hands? What are some questions to ask? Are pet hotels like PetSmart a good idea, what are peoples experiences?
 
I started out with a pet-sitter. She was great until she brought her boyfriend here to play house while I was gone, they had a fight in the front yard. She also placed the worst virus on my computer I have ever seen by going to a chat room. I checked in the HISTORYwhere she was visiting.

That did it, so I checked with friends and my vet. I have the best kennel ever, and I don't have to worry about what is going on while I am gone.

The kennel is fantastic, of course you have to show all their updated shots, they have play time, give them their treats, and of course feed them. They love the crew that runs the kennel.

They do have a vet for just in case, and he will advise the kennel if a dog is sick. Then they will drive my shelties to my vet and my vet will hold them til I return. I have a great kennel, and the comfort knowing my house is fine when I return, and my computer will work.

Its just like my friend who had a sitter, and she was suppose to stay over night, but some nights she didn't and left. She was also paid to stay. If you have a neighbor you can trust that is a good thing. For my one day trips I use my neighbor, but I help her out also.

Its nice to keep my shelties in their own envirment at home, but it isn't worth it if someone places them in jeopardy either, when you have someone you THINK you can trust. I know they are safe in this kennel, and really taken care of. You really have to do your research to find that right kennel.
 
I've used 4 kennels in my region and one at the beach. The one at the beach was a pure disaster, with Indy returned to me stinking of pee and covered in ticks. They acted all huffy, stating that I was not scheduled to pick him up until the next day. I went NUCLEAR on them and demanded that they bathe Indy and refused to pay. Like it was OK to let other dogs pee on my baby and keep him in a filthy place as long as he was washed and I didn't know when I picked him up. I was there on the scheduled day!!

Anyway, of the 4 local kennels Indy came back from three of them either sick or looking shaken/upset/neurotic/depressed. The fourth kennel is owned by folks who used to raise shelties and they just loved him to pieces. Indy and Emma have stayed there numerous times and returned clean and overjoyed to be back home. With going to 4 shelties; we have had two different people as house/pet sitters. We've been very,very pleased with both sitters and the dogs are very happy with staying in their own environment. One sitter was my son's high school drama teacher; who refused to let us pay him telling us that staying in an air conditioned house with cable, internet, and a washer-dryer and 10 miles closer to work was his "spa" week. The other sitter is my son's ex-girlfriend (girlfriend when we started the summer contract, and now ex but still a friend of the family). We have been very happy with her. There are services that will also provide insured pet/house sitters. You just have to choose wisely. I found that regular cell phone contact is helpful.
 
I think in the end it's about finding people you can trust. We've had good and bad experiences with kennels as well as having sitters.

For Tex we haven't usually boarded because he was just younger. We had a kennel we really trusted with our other dogs. The owner just loved the dogs to death and you could see and feel it. Her kennel was very popular which meant that over time we were priced out of her range eventually. We eventually found another one that we use now which is alright but really feels more like a business vs. otherwise. I won't mention the kennels that haven't worked out in the past.

As for Tex he's mostly stayed with sitters, at their place and not ours. One he stayed with a few times was a local trainer who we trained with. He always had a blast there. Unfortunately her business took her out of town for most of working week now so she's been unavailable for us.

Tex is currently with us on Spring Break but we've boarded him in a kennel in Branson MO. We've checked up on him a couple of times and they seem to pretty focused on his well being vs. just running a business.
 
I used to use professional, bonded pet-sitters. I was extremely pleased with their professionalism and the condition of my kids when I returned. Now I have friends who come when available -- one a young couple, and the other one of my students. We've never had a problem.

We leave very detailed instructions, multiple phone numbers, vet info and a full larder. We also assure the sitter (whom we trust) that we understand that emergencies can crop up and that we will stand behind their decisions.
 
I've always been fortunate to have friends or family to look after my dogs - either in my house or ship them off. Even my ex-husband will look after the pups!

Tomorrow, I leave for Mexico for a week, and my housekeeper who normally comes twice a week is staying over. (She says its going to be HER vacation - a whole week with just her and the dogs!) She's been with me for over 10 years so she knows all the quirks - especially mine. So this is the ideal scenario. I just finished my 3 pages of instructions for her - even though she already knows must of it! :biggrin2:

If you are not so lucky to have someone step in, many breeders will take puppies back for boarding. That's a good option as they have a vested interest in the health & safety of your baby. They bred him, after all.

Beyond that, word of mouth. Talk to people who have boarded and get the good, the bad and the ugly. I would try to find a kennel which is actually not a kennel. There are a couple around here where they keep the dogs in the house and treat them as family pets....not some sterile row of cage upon cage. I shudder when I see the pictures posted so proudly on their websites. I know they walk and play with the pups, but when it comes to bedtime, it seems wrong somehow. :cry:

But I'm a terrible suck when it comes to my babies!
 
I used to board Gabby and for years we were happy with our kennel until she got sick and they didn't take care of her.

Now that we have Alfie, I found a sitter that takes dogs into her home - she was recommended to me by my friend, so I feel comfortable with the idea of leaving Alfie with her. So far I didn't have to, so I don't know how he will react.

I will think twice before I put Alfie in a kennel.
 
I tend to board my dogs. I feel bad, having a sitter come only 1-4 times a day. I expect my dogs to have more human interaction than that. And I don't like that there's no one there overnight, not even to check up on them.

So, with that said, Miko (when I didn't have Koji) would either get boarded or sent to my folks house. In May, Koji will be boarded, and Miko will be sent to my folks house.

I am VERY picky about my boarding and how they work. I will go to one I think is good, and ask for a tour of the facilities, what a typical day is like, is there anyone there overnight, how do they handle emergencies, etc. The place I'd board Miko in, they got huge kennels, with full length doors that are basically room. And it's quieter that way. They nickel and dimed me for everything, so I wanted to find a new place. that place was great, but when it was costing me about $75/day, it's a bit much. I don't think I should have to pay them to feed my dog his own food either.

The above paragraph, is also why I won't board my dogs, when they're in cages (like at vets, PetCo/PetSmart hotel, etc). Not enough room to walk around, no playing, etc.

When we got Koji, I went looking for a boarding facility that has daycare. Koji has a lot of energy. Him being in a kennel all day, everyday, wouldn't be good. So, we went to about 6 different places. It's amazing how many of them smelled like urine and feces. Anyhow, the place we found, the people are great and very attentive. They get daycare for about 11 hours, then sleep in 4x6 kennels. I am still bummed no one is on-site, but I am told they check up on the dogs throughout the night via webcam.

I kenneled Koji and Miko there last year. Miko lost a lot of weight from being so active, and they didn't feed him more food. BIG problem in my eyes, I called, was put on the owner immediately. She apologized profusely and said she'd refund his portion of the stay. They tend to watch their weight because they are so active.

Anyhow. The people at the kennel make up for the lack of overnight supervision and purdy rooms that the other place has. They also don't nickel and dime me. And lastly, because the owner knows is now, and absolutely LOVES Koji, she asked if we'd allow her to take him home at night with her (instead of him being kenneled overnight). Ohmigod. Hello! How great is that? And that is why I love the place.

Whatever you choose, I suggest you do your homework. If you board, go to the place, check it out, ask for a tour, talk about your concerns, if you feel great, maybe do a test stayover. If you don't feel good about it, don't go there. Recommendations are best, but I know everyone is different about how they like their dogs to be boarded. I've heard great things about places I would never board my dog at.

If you do a pet sitter, definitely use them a handful of times before you go on your trip so you can get a better feel about if you like them or not.
i.e. I had a dog walker come twice a week during the week. He left me a message late Sunday night, to tell me he was no longer going to walk my dog (for his Mon/Wed walks). He also gave unsolicited advice, like NOT crating my dog all day (even though we told him how much of a chewer Koji is). He gave that same advice to our neighbors, who took it, adn then had their dog destroy their couch, carpet, and pillows. His service was great, but there were things that I don't like, and he'll probably never get my service again.

Good luck.
 
I as well as some others am lucky to have a house sitter that comes and stays with our dogs, if I did not have her, I guess we would not get to go anywhere. I guess that if you are going to have pets you know going in that your are giving up some of your freedom, but my wife and I do not mind, the dogs are worth what we give up, they give up more than we will ever give up in freedom.
 
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