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Tips for Boarding Your Pups During the Holidays
As summer comes to an end, you might want to start preparing for holiday travel. Unfortunately, with all the restrictions brought about by COVID-19, airlines have cracked down on the rules regarding pets flying alongside their owners. If you want to go home for the holidays, you may be thinking of boarding your pet while you’re away.
If it’s the first time boarding your pet, we understand your trepidation. We’re here to put your mind at ease and share with you some tips and tricks for boarding your furry BFF.
Plan Ahead
The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for boarding facilities, so it’s not too soon to start planning your pet’s vacation.
Take the time to research the various boarding facilities in your area. Many boarders also offer daycare services, so you can drop your dog off for a day to get a sense of how they’ll react to an extended stay in one place. This also allows you and your pup to get to know the staff and other dogs that frequent the facility and vice versa. You’ll feel more comfortable dropping your dog off somewhere you know they’ll have a phenomenal time.
Additionally, you want to have time to make sure the facility can accommodate any specific needs your dog has. If your dog is on a special diet or takes medication, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that the staff will take care of your pup’s every need just like you would.
Once you find the right place, book your pet’s stay. If you wait too long, the facility may fill up, and you’ll have to take your dog somewhere else.
Dropping Your Doggo Off
It’s natural to get emotional when you’re dropping off your dog to be boarded for the first time. But the best thing you can do for your pup is not to get nervous when you’re dropping them off. Your dog can sense your energy, and if you’re nervous, they’ll be nervous. This is one of the reasons we recommend taking the time to do daycare before you jump to long-term boarding.
Let’s focus on some of the steps you can take to give you and your dog some peace of mind before boarding:
Things to Do to Ease Your Pup’s Boarding Experience
- Bring Their Favorite Toy(s) – If your dog is particularly attached to one or two of their toys, be sure to pack them! Don’t bring the whole toy basket, but even a couple of toys can help your dog feel more at home.
- Pack a Comfort Item – whether it’s a small blanket or a t-shirt, providing your dog with an item that smells like home will help them feel at ease when it’s time to settle down for the night.
- Send Some Treats – Your boarding facility will likely have plenty of treats, but if your dog responds exceptionally well to a specific brand, it can’t hurt to give the staff some of those in case your dog isn’t listening as well as they should.
Things NOT to Do When Boarding Your Dog
- Pack a Lot of Fancy Bedding — You may have an extravagant setup for your dog, but anything you send with Fido will have to be cleaned by the staff. Make sure you send the minimum and that everything is machine washable.
- Send Bowls – It’s one less thing you have to pack, and the facility will have everything your dog needs for eating and drinking.
- Change Your Dog’s Food Right Before Boarding – Sometimes, when a dog is switching to a new food, they can get an upset tummy. Upset tummies mean vomiting and diarrhea, and that’s not something you want to force the staff to deal with if it can be avoided. Change your pet’s food routine well before boarding or wait until after they’re back home.
Ruffgers’ Premier Indoor Dog Boarding Facility
At Ruffgers, we offer three different boarding facilities for the ultimate vacation for your pup. All of our locations have multiple options for your dog’s “hotel suite,” and we can accommodate dogs of all sizes. Additionally, if you have more than one pup and you want them to stay together, we have larger rooms that they can share.
Our staff is composed of expert dog trainers, so your dogs will be in the best hands around the clock. And because we have trainers on staff, you can even opt for a board and train package to teach your puppy the basics or teach your old dog some new tricks!
No matter what, your dog will have a ball playing with the other pups in our facility, and they will feel nothing but love during their stay with us. We also offer daycare at all three of our locations if you want your pup to come meet our staff and spend the day with us prior to boarding!
Explore our Naples campus here or call 239-732-5455
Check out our Bonita Springs campus here or call 239-317-2006
Newest Stuart campus here here or call 772-286-8283