# boarding my timid pup



## lkolobara (Apr 28, 2015)

Hey everybody. This week I have to leave Tulio at a puppy boarding spaw. I know they are very good and trust them. My concern is how much Tulio will hate it. He shook the whole time we took a tour. They do deal with shy and timid dogs but I still feel like a terrible puppy mom for having to put him there.
I have heard people tell me that a dogs first time boarding can be tough but that often they start to come out of their shell soon enough.
Tulio is just so cautious about people and dogs I hope this doesn't make his shyness and skittishness worse. He is such a mamas boy and has never been away from me more than 24 hours.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

a spa would not be my choice. One person who he would be used to would be better.


----------



## lkolobara (Apr 28, 2015)

I wish that could be my choice too. But everyone he knows well enough work 10hour days and he just can't be left alone that long


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

DogVacay and Rover.com are both groups that provide in-home dog care while people are away. I have a private arrangement made with the person who taught Kdoi's puppy kindergarten class, but if I didn't have that connection, I would definitely be looking for another in-home arrangement. I would never leave my dogs at a kennel, no matter how nice it was. Kodi is not the least bit shy, but he is sensitive. I know it would not be good for him. Pixel is too young to be left with anyone, but When the time comes, she'll stay in a home situation too.


----------



## lkolobara (Apr 28, 2015)

Great news everybody. I was asking Tulios breeder for advice and she said she would love to watch him for us! I'm so much happier knowing he will be in great hands with an emviorment he is familiar with


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

That's great news. My guys are senior dogs and I've never boarded them. I hired someone to come to my house. The two websites Karen gave you are great. I also found great dog walkers and sitters on care.com and sitter city


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

lkolobara said:


> Great news everybody. I was asking Tulios breeder for advice and she said she would love to watch him for us! I'm so much happier knowing he will be in great hands with an emviorment he is familiar with


Oh, that's a fantastic option!!! I know my breeder also watches her "older puppies" for people when they go away&#8230; she's just too far away from me for that to be a viable option!!!


----------



## Karen Collins (Mar 21, 2013)

So, glad your breeder will board for you. I have several good in-home options for my dogs on the rare occasion that I can't take them with me.

I normally dislike scare stories, but this is one I know of personally.

A daughter of a close friend of ours worked at a "spa" kennel. It was very clean and designed to look like a home setting. It had wonderful loving employees. But they use shock collars on all their dogs without the owners knowledge. My friend's daughter forgot to remove the collar when she retrieved a clients dog and the owner was livid! As she should have been. The kennel fired my friend's daughter! Of course, I would not have wanted to work there anyway, but a kennel situation is never a good environment for your dog. It's too stressful even in the best situation.


----------



## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Karen Collins said:


> So, glad your breeder will board for you. I have several good in-home options for my dogs on the rare occasion that I can't take them with me.
> 
> I normally dislike scare stories, but this is one I know of personally.
> 
> A daughter of a close friend of ours worked at a "spa" kennel. It was very clean and designed to look like a home setting. It had wonderful loving employees. But they use shock collars on all their dogs without the owners knowledge. My friend's daughter forgot to remove the collar when she retrieved a clients dog and the owner was livid! As she should have been. The kennel fired my friend's daughter! Of course, I would not have wanted to work there anyway, but a kennel situation is never a good environment for your dog. It's too stressful even in the best situation.


That is an upsetting story.


----------



## Amala (Oct 14, 2009)

This thread has been very helpful. My Zama is my service dog so is usually never away from me. But this last year I was in hospital for over 2 weeks. My husband wanted to stay with me in my room. We asked for private room so Zama could be in my room but the hospital denied our request. We were lucky our son was home.
I don't know what I would have done if I was alone in hospital or someone put Zama in kennel. I use to have a neighbor but she went off to,college. So know I am permanently disabled and in and out of hospitals. 
I may use one of the Internet sites suggested on this thread. Zama has never in 5 yrs been in kennel. Also since she is my service dog she is not use to being separated from me. I depend on her and she depends on me ❤
If anyone has any other suggestions please post. I have the forum to be helpful since I first got Zama. Thank all of you for your compassionate wisdom and help.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Amala said:


> This thread has been very helpful. My Zama is my service dog so is usually never away from me. But this last year I was in hospital for over 2 weeks. My husband wanted to stay with me in my room. We asked for private room so Zama could be in my room but the hospital denied our request. We were lucky our son was home.
> I don't know what I would have done if I was alone in hospital or someone put Zama in kennel. I use to have a neighbor but she went off to,college. So know I am permanently disabled and in and out of hospitals.
> I may use one of the Internet sites suggested on this thread. Zama has never in 5 yrs been in kennel. Also since she is my service dog she is not use to being separated from me. I depend on her and she depends on me ❤
> If anyone has any other suggestions please post. I have the forum to be helpful since I first got Zama. Thank all of you for your compassionate wisdom and help.


My best advice is to find someone NOW, when there is no crisis and you are not in any hurry. That way you can get to know them and decide if the home is a good fit for Zama. Also explain your situation, and find out whether they would be able to take her on short notice if you have a medical emergency. When you've found someone you feel comfortable with, the next thing I'd do, especially with a dog who hasn't been away from you much is to arrange a few afternoons where she could stay there, play, and just get used to things. If all goes well, do a couple of "over nights", just to get her used to the whole idea. Then, when you actually NEED them, Zama will already feel comfortable with them, and we won't have to worry about her, while you should be concentrating on getting well!


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Maureen I answered your private message. Let me know what you hear. Hugs Dave.


----------



## civano (Sep 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> My best advice is to find someone NOW, when there is no crisis and you are not in any hurry. That way you can get to know them and decide if the home is a good fit for Zama. Also explain your situation, and find out whether they would be able to take her on short notice if you have a medical emergency. When you've found someone you feel comfortable with, the next thing I'd do, especially with a dog who hasn't been away from you much is to arrange a few afternoons where she could stay there, play, and just get used to things. If all goes well, do a couple of "over nights", just to get her used to the whole idea. Then, when you actually NEED them, Zama will already feel comfortable with them, and we won't have to worry about her, while you should be concentrating on getting well!


This is what I am in the process of doing now. This wee, I've got a few meet-and-greets scheduled for 3 different sitters/daycare providers through Dogvacay. I'm hoping to use one or two of them for this summer. If I like one or two of them, I plan to arrange for some day care dates with them and then an overnight or two before then for all the reasons Karen suggested. I had a couple of sitters in the past but neither were available for the first vacation period I'm looking at.


----------



## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Hospitals should accommodate service dogs in non-sterile environments. Did you ask if your dog could stay with you?


----------



## JoePat (May 2, 2015)

Have never boarded and never will. If one tiny bit of their personallity was hurt it would just kill me. We have used a neighborhood collage age girl who stayed at our house with pups for one week. It worked out great, and pups loved her. I have internet enabled video and would drop in electronically from time to time to check. The cameras are not in any private places and my whole family knows of them as the young lady did as well. We also have an exotic breed cat and he is the one that need watching the most. 

Check around there are some reliable kids / simi grown adults to help that need the cash. We got a motorhome to take our fur kids with us. See my avatar photo, that is them in the motorhome in their beds while camping. Riding they are in soft crates, secured to big bed.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JoePat said:


> Have never boarded and never will. If one tiny bit of their personallity was hurt it would just kill me. We have used a neighborhood collage age girl who stayed at our house with pups for one week. It worked out great, and pups loved her. I have internet enabled video and would drop in electronically from time to time to check. The cameras are not in any private places and my whole family knows of them as the young lady did as well. We also have an exotic breed cat and he is the one that need watching the most.
> 
> Check around there are some reliable kids / simi grown adults to help that need the cash. We got a motorhome to take our fur kids with us. See my avatar photo, that is them in the motorhome in their beds while camping. Riding they are in soft crates, secured to big bed.


We travel with our dogs in our RV too! We love it! But I have to travel out of the country a couple of times a year for business. Since my husband works all day, it just wouldn't be fair to leave the dogs, who are used to pretty much all day companionship, to be alone for that long. So they go to stay with a trainer/friend who loves them and they love it there! (or at least Kodi always has, and I expect that Pixel, who is even MORE out-going, will happily follow her big brother!  )

The added advantage is that they are in full coat, and she knows how to keep their coats in good condition. Left to my husband's tender devices, they would be a matted mess at the end of 3 weeks!  That;s my biggest problem with most well-meaning "pet sitters" they think they can manage the coats, but they really can't. If the dogs are in puppy cuts, it's a whole different story.


----------



## civano (Sep 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> That;s my biggest problem with most well-meaning "pet sitters" they think they can manage the coats, but they really can't. If the dogs are in puppy cuts, it's a whole different story.


Karen, how long do you think a Havanese can go without attention to the coat? That is also a big worry of mine with possible dog sitting. In a kennel, I can pay to get him groomed if he stayed there but I don't really want my very social dog to stay in a kennel.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

civano said:


> Karen, how long do you think a Havanese can go without attention to the coat? That is also a big worry of mine with possible dog sitting. In a kennel, I can pay to get him groomed if he stayed there but I don't really want my very social dog to stay in a kennel.


Well, I wouldn't have much faith in kennel grooming, quite honestly. I've seen some matted messes come out of kennels when the "groomers" (actually staff that has little-no experience with coated dogs) brush over the surface daily, but have no idea how to get down to the skin.

How long they can go depends a great deal on the specific coat, the dog's age and whether they are in full coat or some sort of shorter style. I suspect that puppy cut adult dogs can EASILY go a couple of weeks or more without problems. Kodi has a fairly easy coat now that he is an adult, and as long as he is clean and conditioned, he can go 5 days or more without any grooming (which is what happens when I leave him home with my guys for a few days when I have a speaking engagement) Beyond that, he needs to be in the hands of someone who can groom him properly. Some dogs in full coat might be able to go a little longer than this, MANY couldn't go that long. (especially those with a curl to the coat or a dense undercoat)

The toughest time is while they are blowing coat. (typically sometime between 10-18 months) Kodi needed to the thoroughly combed out twice a day during that period to avoid unmanageable mats. I've heard of many dogs on the forum who mat so quickly that no one can touch them without them matting during that period. So if they are that age, you either have to find a REALLY knowledgeable person, or take the plunge and cut them down BEFORE you go away so that you don't come home to a severely matted dog who needs to be shaved to the skin.


----------

