How to Prepare Your Pet for Boarding 10 Steps

Going on vacation is a very exciting time for you. You have been planning and looking forward to this for a while now. Part of your preparations needs to include getting your dog ready to be away from you for a while. Preparing your dog for boarding is essential to ensure their safety, comfort, and well-being while you're away.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you prepare your furry friend:

Boarding or Home Pet Sitter

1.   Decide if you are going to board your dog or if you are going to have a pet sitter come to your house.  Either way, research will need to be done, and planning to prepare for an easy transition for your dog. You will need to research the kennel or person you choose to pet sit. How are they going to treat your dog? How much interaction and play time will they give your dog? What do former customers say about their services?

Socialization

2.  When boarding your dog, you need to keep in mind your dog’s temperament and socialization. Is your dog crate-trained? If your dog has never been in a crate before you will need to start training them to know what it is like. This will alleviate some of their anxiety when being placed in a crate at the boarding facility. Does your dog like other dogs? If they have not had much experience being in close contact with other dogs they will be overwhelmed at a kennel.

Socialization Ideas

3.   You will need to start socializing them before you board them.  You can try things like taking them on walks in the park, going to the dog park, and dog training classes. This way your dog will get used to unfamiliar dogs and it will be less stressful for them when they go to a kennel and there are unfamiliar faces, new sounds, surroundings, and smells.

Visit & Play Beforehand

4.       Most kennels offer packages where your dog can come and play before their stay. This is a great way to get your dog familiar with the kennel in small increments leading up to their stay for your vacation. You can drop them off for play days and maybe an overnight a few times before your trip so they can experience the kennel in small amounts building their temperament to the atmosphere and building positive experiences. This will make you and your pet feel better because you both get to try it out before an extended trip and make sure it is the right decision for both of you.

Get to the Veterinarian

5.       Update vaccinations and health records in advance. Just like people when your pet gets a vaccination it lowers their immune system and can make them more susceptible to getting sick. Talk to your vet about how long you need to wait after vaccinating your dog before the vaccinations take full effect. Allow enough time for that before you board them or start socializing them and getting them ready to board.

Pack Their Luggage

6.       Pack essentials including food, medications, bedding, toys, and comfort items. Label all items with your dog’s name. Pack their food and treats. Make sure you pack a blanket or towel with your scent on it. This will provide comfort to them while you are away.

At-Home Pet Sitter

7.       If you decide to have someone pet sit or stay at your house you will need to make sure you plan for that person to interact with your dog on multiple visits. Your dog will need to be familiar with this person and understand it is okay for this person to be in your home. This will also require the pet sitter to visit multiple times and spend time with your pet so your dog can build a trusting relationship with this person.

Behavior Training

8.     Inform the person or facility about the command words your dog knows and responds to. Also let them know about any quirks, personality traits, and training commands your dog knows. This will help them to keep the same familiarization that they are used to and help the person watching your dog interact with them better.  This is a big change for them and we are not able to verbalize to them that we will be back soon and they will be ok. So, we need to keep as many routines and things as familiar as we can to lessen their anxiety.

Farewell Ritual

9.    When leaving your dog avoid long and emotional goodbyes. Dogs have a limited sense of time and they do not know when you are coming back. Long drawn-out goodbyes only scare them into thinking you are never returning. Keep it simple and cheerful so you are not creating fear for your dog. Dogs respond well to positive reinforcement so if your leaving is a short cheerful experience, they will not have negative annotations associated with it and this will help reduce their stress. Dogs can sense their owners’ emotions and they react to situations based on your emotional state. Staying calm and positive will not only help you but it will reduce the fear and anxiety your dog has. 

Follow up While You are Away  

10. Follow-up communication Stay in touch with the caregiver or boarding facility during your trip. They can provide you comfort and reassurance with updates about your dog’s wellbeing.