Where Should You Take Your Pet when You Go Out of Town

Here is the big question. Where should I take my pet while I'm out of town? Well it all depends on what you're looking for.
Different boarding facilities offer different options and where some might fulfill your needs other might leave you a little uneasy about your pets' stay.

Some offer grooming if you would like your animal to come home beautifully trimmed and clean and maybe even a nail trim. Another thing a pet owner might want to do is call to check on their pets, well some places have a number you can call for that and some also offer you to talk to your pets on the phone, however some facilities may not have someone there 24 hours a day and that's another concern you may have. Some board only dogs and cats where some places even board birds, ferrets, rabbits and reptiles.

Most places require certain shots almost all require the bordetella, however certain places may not but it's best to make sure your pets have all required boarding shots. Calling in ahead to the location and asking them what they require and if you can have your vet fax them the information is always helpful and prevents from trouble boarding.

Now one of the requirements is food, feeding your pet is very important. The diet of your animal keeps it healthy and happy and I'm sure you want to make sure your animal eats the way you would feed them every day. Well some places feed the dogs the same kind of food and do it at certain times a day. Where some facilities offer their food, some also allow you and often encourage you to bring the dogs food from home to keep them happy and healthy. Some places offer brands such as Science Diet and if your dog is already on that the price of the food is included in your stay. A lot of places also offer a treat time which often cost a little extra but you can get them treat bones, maybe a snack kong or in some facilities they offer a non dairy non lactose ice cream.

If your dog is on medications some places offer to administer medications free of charge during certain hours and some others will charge you a small fee and will administer the medication whenever necessary. Usually the places only allow certain medications so you should check with the facility before hand to make sure you can bring it with you, and they also want to make sure you have it in the proper container labeled correctly because most places won't allow them unless they are in the original containers.

Don't you want to know where your dogs will do their "business"? Well some facilities have an outdoor area where they will let the dogs go to do what they need to do. Some other facilities have an indoor relief area that is treated with dog pheromones so that your dog knows it's ok for them to relieve themselves there. Now you might be curious and this is an often asked question, "Will my dog go in the house after they go in there?" and the answer is no. The room is treated with the pheromones just for that reason, unless your house is treated with dog pheromones I don't think this will pose a problem.

Playtime is a big part of your pets stay. For some dogs they just love to play and may never want to stop however older dogs may just like the company of someone for awhile to cuddle on them and just give them a little bit of attention. Places usually offer a pet some special time for a certain price. Some places have a group playtime if your dog likes to play with other dogs. Maybe you would prefer your dog to have individual time? Well some places also have that available. One of my favorite boarding facilities offers a play group from 9am - 5pm with an hour lunch break at noon. This gets the dogs all wore out so when you pick them up they are ready to go home and get a great night sleep.

Do you have a pampered pet? Well some places offer a different variety of options from doggie suites with televisions in their rooms to a microwave meal.

So whatever you choose please choose what makes you and your pet happy. Good luck and I hope you all enjoy that vacation out of town worry free!