When you are going on vacation or work-related travel, you may not always be able to take your dog with you.
There are several options for providing care for your dog. They include:
1. Leave your dog at the vet clinic
If you are really short of time and unable to make other arrangements, you can talk to your vet about providing boarding and care for your dog while you are away.
You should use this option as a last resort because the vet clinic caters to sick dogs. It may therefore not be healthy for your dog to face exposure to all the noise from other suffering animals.
There are however certain vet clinics that have separate housing for healthy dogs; try to find one of these.
2. Hire a dog sitter to take care of your dog in your home
Having a pet sitter take care of your dog in your own home is the best option. This is because
Your dog will be in familiar surroundings and is less likely to get agitated.
It is easier for the sitter to maintain the usual routine for the dog.
There are certain comforts in place for your dog within your home. If the dog gets care away from your home, it will have to live without those comforts.
Most homes are burglarized while their owners are away so it’s actually beneficial for you to have your dog at home while you are away.
Be careful about who you let into your home. If you don’t personally know a sitter, get some references from your friends or family members. Otherwise, you can hire from a recognized pet sitter service.
If you choose to get a home dog-sitter, the cost can be quite high so make sure you have factored this in your budget.
3. Leave your dog at your dog-sitter’s home
If you have a dog-walker, you can ask him or her to watch your dog from his or her home while you are gone.
Your dog is already used to your dog walker so it will not be a stressful situation. If you and your sitter have any concerns about how your dog will respond to the change in environment, you can do a test where your dog spends the night at your sitter’s and if no problems present, you can make arrangements for your travel period.
If your dog is the aggressive type, confirm that the sitter will provide separate accommodation from other pets. Otherwise, after your trip, you will receive a bill to cater for injuries and damages caused by your dog.
4. Board your dog in a dog spa
Dog boarding in a professional facility such as PrimpPlay can be quite a rewarding experience for your dog. Your dog will get comfortable living quarters, good grooming, food, games and training.
Your dog will also get to interact with other dogs and have a sort of vacation of its own.
Now that you know about the above options, you can make comfortable arrangements for your dog next time you travel.
About the author
Lindsay Cavendish is a certified veterinarian. She advises the benefits of using dog boarding facilities such as http://www.primpplay.com/ when you travel. Read more on her site.
