The summer holidays are approaching and many of you have already found the solution for looking after your dog (for those who are not traveling with their dog of course!).
Some are still looking and others are wondering whether or not they will go with their companions this summer, whether this will be possible and/or authorized, etc.!
The types of childcare are varied but you must nevertheless plan in advance because these are periods in high demand.
The different types of care
Many of you are used to looking after your dog and even have their own boarder and this generally doesn't pose too many problems!
But many people are discovering or will discover this new organization of finding someone to look after their beloved dog!
Either because they never needed one before because Médor came with them or family/friends looked after him, or because they didn't have a dog to look after but they just got one. adopt one!
As we have just mentioned, the first obvious means of care is to entrust your dog to family members or friends .
Another solution that has existed for a long time is kennel care , which is “ housing for dogs, consisting of a covered shelter and an enclosed outdoor space ” commonly called boxes.
In recent years, the place of dogs has evolved significantly in homes and so have professions around dogs.
The means of care that people particularly like is care in a family boarding facility, that is to say a means of care that is as close as possible to the dog's lifestyle within its own home.
Another possibility is to call on a person who will visit your dog or cat directly at your home .
So many offers that give you plenty of choice, as long as there's still room!
Choose your childcare method
The recommendation I always make is to have an initial telephone contact and if that seems to suit you, my second recommendation is to go there and meet the person who will take care of your dog.
Indeed, it is important to have a good feeling and a good relationship with this person and to see that your dog feels good in contact with them. After all, you are going to entrust your companion to him and this must be done with complete confidence and you can leave with a free and relaxed mind, whether for vacation, for work or otherwise.
Then, it is necessary to make an adaptation to the place of care before any first care of several nights. This will allow your dog to get to grips with the places, the smells, the rhythm of the kennel, the people working there, the other animals living there, etc., so that he is comfortable from the first period of care.
Any professional will suggest this step to you.
However, each type of childcare has its share of advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages/disadvantages
To take them in the order mentioned above, we will start with custody via friends or family .
This represents a certain comfort because we know these people well, your dog does too and he generally knows the place where he will be staying well.
But with this type of care, you are not protected from a last minute cancellation (I hear it very often unfortunately) with no possible solution.
This type of care is actually without guarantee since it is not a professional.
Regarding kennel care , it is of course necessary to accustom the dog beforehand, as we have seen previously. When you have reserved your place, you are guaranteed to have a type of care (except in extreme cases such as bankruptcy or death) and for certain dogs, this represents the type of care that suits them because they cannot be placed in a community. with peers for various reasons or do not allow themselves to be approached by strangers, which excludes care in family boarding or home visits.
Generally, the food is common to all the animals in a kennel, you do not have the choice of kibble and you cannot bring your own food.
For dogs with veterinary or specific kibble due to an illness for example, it will not necessarily be possible to maintain their diet. The same goes for dogs fed BARF.
If there are no walks/walks offered, there are fenced relaxation parks which allow dogs to be taken out so that they can stretch their legs! In any case, you have to make sure!
However, some dogs cannot tolerate staying in kennels, so you need to find a type of care that suits them.
It is not uncommon to now find less “traditional” kennels in which the dogs each have their own little chalet with their own courtyard.
Let's move on to care in family boarding , which generally takes place within the boarder's home.
Some will share their home with the dogs in boarding and others will have rooms dedicated and equipped for the dogs in care.
Your dog must be sociable and comfortable with community life.
When you call on professionals, a contract is generally established and when your place is reserved, you do not fear finding yourself without care at the last moment.
Of course, this comes at a cost.
But the big advantage with this type of care is that your companion spends his stay surrounded by friends and in a family context, close to his usual living environment.
Finally, you also have the option of asking someone to visit your dog at home.
We find the advantages/disadvantages of calling on individuals or professionals.
This solution has advantages when the animal is old and/or sick and it is preferable for its own comfort that it stays in a familiar place and without risk of being disturbed.
This solution is often preferred for cats.
In conclusion , several options are available to you regarding the care of your animal.
The key is to carefully target which one(s) correspond to your dog and find out about the arrangements for welcoming each boarder (what is included in the price, should you bring food or not, if unsterilized dogs are accepted, if females in heat are accepted, if puppies are accepted, etc.)
You know everything !
Laëtitia from Cani’Bonheur
Comments