We love our canine companions and would do anything to spend more time with them. However, many of us lead busy lives that involve travelling or being away from home for extended periods. If you don’t have someone to take care of your pet while you are away, you will likely need to leave them at a dog boarding facility until you return.
There are plenty of dog boarding facilities in Texas who would be glad to take in your pooch. However, you might be wondering how to assess if a particular facility is right for your canine’s needs. In this guide, we have compiled what to look for in a dog boarding facility. So let’s dive into it!
1. Ample Exercise and Recreation Space
Every dog needs exercise to stay happy and healthy. Most dog boarding facilities therefore make it a point to include exercise and recreation spaces inside their facilities to ensure the canines they are keeping can run around and engage in all sorts of activities during the day.
If you visit a dog boarding facility but don’t see an exercise or recreation area, you should speak with the staff and ask why. In some cases, the staff may take the dogs for walks outside the facility. However, it is still best for them to have space on the premises to ensure dogs can move around freely as needed.
2. Access to a Vet 24/7
When you leave your canine at a boarding facility, you are trusting their staff with your pet’s life. Most of these staff members will do their best to care for your precious pooch. However, if a health problem arises, they will need to get your canine to a vet as quickly as possible.
Many dog boarding facilities do have vets on their premises. Some of these vets may be available 24/7 while others may have vets that are available only during the daytime. A seemingly minor health issue could spiral into something serious in a short amount of time so it’s generally better for these boarding facilities to always have a vet available at any given moment. For this reason, you should ask the boarding facility if they have access to a vet around the clock.
3. Staff Training
Taking care of a dog is no easy task. Managing dozens of canines simultaneously can be even more challenging. Any dog boarding facility that takes up this task should have staff that are well trained to handle different scenarios.
After all, you never know when a fight could break out between the pets at the facility or if one of the dogs refuses to follow commands. Such situations must be handled with the utmost care to ensure your canine’s safety at the facility.
So if you intend to leave your pet at a particular dog boarding facility, you should ask about how the staff are trained. This includes how the facility chooses their staff members, what type of training they undergo, and what types of scenarios they are taught to anticipate.
4. Vaccinations
Dog boarding facilities can be a great place for your pooch to meet new canines and socialize. However, exposing them to dozens of new dogs could also be detrimental to their health.
Diseases can spread quickly, especially when many dogs are living within close proximity to each other. Most boarding facilities attempt to minimize disease outbreaks by ensuring each of the dogs they take on have been vaccinated properly. However, others may be a bit more lax about their vaccination policies.
If you’re concerned about your canine being exposed to unvaccinated dogs that could be carrying diseases, you should ensure your chosen dog boarding facility follows a strict vaccination policy.
5. Cleanliness
Any facility that hosts dozens of animals simultaneously is likely to get messy in a relatively short amount of time. The best dog boarding facilities typically combat such issues by having their staff clean all areas regularly. This ensures any mess is cleared up and that bad odors are eliminated before they spread.
When you visit a dog boarding facility for the first time, you should keep an eye out for the facility’s cleanliness level. Some facilities may feel less pushed about keeping their facility clean than others, so you should ensure your chosen facility matches the level of cleanliness you and your pooch prefer at home.
6. Insurance
It’s difficult to predict how things will go after you have left your canine at a dog boarding facility. Accidents can occur at even the best facilities, so you should ensure the facility in question is bonded and insured. So if your dog injures another dog or gets injured themselves, you can rest easy knowing you won’t need to bear any costs from the incident.
7. Comfiness
Your dog may get homesick after being left at the boarding facility for many days or weeks. In such situations, you might not be able to have them sent home. However, you can ensure their stay is comfortable.
Most dog boarding facilities try to make the pets they host as comfortable as possible. This includes lining different areas with pillows and blankets and providing toys. These items can go a long way in helping your pet feel calm and comfortable in a new setting so you should definitely tour the facility and see what comfort-enhancing preparations they have made.
Why Choose Pixee’s Paws Pet Palace?
If you’re looking for the perfect dog boarding facility to leave your pooch at, check out Pixee’s Paws Pet Palace. Our facility in Arlington, Texas, is equipped with plenty of fun spaces to keep your pooch happy and entertained throughout the duration of their stay.
Our staff know how to treat your beloved pet like royalty, so you can be sure they will be in safe hands. Please contact us today to learn more about our facility.