One of the many considerations when welcoming a dog into your life is what to do when you're away, whether at work or for longer stretches of time. The concept of boarding kennels has been around for decades, but doggie day care has become an increasingly popular choice for dog owners. Sending a dog to day care can have a range of benefits, including exercise and socialization for your pet, as well as peace of mind for owners who have to be away for long stretches of the day.
With this surge in popularity has also come an explosion of new pet care providers. New apps can make it easy for anyone to start a dog boarding or day care business and connect with prospective canine clients, but finding the right fit for your fur baby takes more than a clever app. Whether you're looking for someone to care for your pet for a week or just the day, here are some important factors to consider when choosing who will care for your four-legged family.
Is it licensed?
"It's incredibly important to make sure the facility you choose has the right credentials. Apps like rover.com seem great from the outside, but it makes it very easy for unlicensed providers to fly under the radar," said Amy DeRiemacker, co-owner of Kinner Kennels in Pleasant Plains. "You can end up with someone who is well-intentioned but has zero training on canine body language or basic veterinary skills. They may not have protocols for what to do if an animal is ill or lack proper fire protection systems."
DeRiemacker noted, "Licensed facilities like ours require all dogs to be current on vaccines and have the records to back them up, as well as a fire protection system that's linked to the local fire district. Without the proper credentials and licensure, you're just at the mercy of someone's good intentions."
Is it structured?
People are busy and looking for ways to wear their dog out; however, a well-run doggie day care is more than just a furry free-for-all, explained Nate Shephard, owner of Rediscover Your Dog, a dog training and day care facility in Springfield. "When we were developing the day care program, I traveled all around the country and visited different dog day cares, and the ones I liked best were the ones where the staff walked the dogs in and out of the building," said Shephard.
"We always say emotion drives behavior, so if a dog comes in and it's super excited and goes right out into the day care yard, it just becomes a free-for-all. So at RYD, our staff will walk the dog in and wait for them to calm down before proceeding, and then the dogs go into a kennel for a short time to cool off before heading into the yard," he said. "We're very careful to not breed any competition or trigger any predatory drive. They're certainly allowed to play, but we don't throw balls or let them chase one another because then predatory drift kicks in, and then there's a problem. Keeping the dogs moving at the same pace and energy level helps keep them safe."
Is there communication?
Day care or boarding providers need to be able to access owners if there's an issue or a question as well as communicate to them that their dog is settled and comfortable. "Don't be afraid to ask questions and maintain a line of communication with the boarding facility managers," DeRiemacker advises.
"We recommend that clients do a trial boarding before they head out for a longer trip. Your dog will tell you whether or not this is a good fit for them, and the kennel manager should give you usable, honest feedback. We want what's best for people's dogs, and of course we want to keep as many clients as we can, but sometimes it's just not the right fit. Then we can recommend a great pet sitter that will come to your home."
When home is best
Pet sitters are an ideal option when day care or boarding isn't the right fit. Connie Rogers has been pet sitting in people's homes for the past eight years. "I really love the work. We always had pets growing up, and I got started pet sitting after I volunteered at Sangamon County Animal Control a few years ago. I'd often take on walking the bigger dogs that other folks didn't want to deal with," Rogers recalled with a laugh.
She keeps busy with a full calendar of gigs, ranging from just a few nights to several weeks. "It's ideal for anxious pets or dogs who get really stressed during storms," Rogers explained. Plus, in addition to feeding and exercising your pets, sitters like Rogers can pick up mail, water plants and generally keep an eye on your house while you're away.
Ashley Meyer lives in Springfield with her husband, two kids and rambunctious pup, Disco, a Rhodesian mix that she adopted through WILD canine rescue.
