Pet parents enjoy a lot of love and affection from their little buddies. But when it’s time to go somewhere else and leave these little packets of energy behind, the big search for a decent hostel begins. Many dog hostel advertise themselves as the “best” by industry standards, but the real questions are,
- What are these standards?
- Who is setting them? And
- Are they right for your dog?
Each dog has a different personality, just like humans. Some people like heritage hotels, some others like skyscrapers. Some people are fond of a poolside view and others prefer the mountains. Just like our needs are unique, the requirements of dogs are unique too! There’s no point in putting your dog in a hostel that offers compulsory swimming lessons if your dog is hydrophobic, right?
Chief Things to Look at While Selecting a Dog Boarding Kennel
The ‘Housefull-Ness’ of the Hostel
So, we always assume that something that is popular and frequented by more customers must be a good option. However, whether you should put your dog at a kennel that is full to its maximum potential depends quite a bit on your own dog.
Does your pet enjoy the hustle and bustle or does he prefer the peace and quiet. Is it important for your pet to get personal attention or is it more likely that he or she behaves better in a pack environment? Think about these questions carefully before settling on which is the best option for you.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
This probably should have been the first point. It is of critical significance that your dog lives in clean surroundings. You must ensure that the kennel you have decided to put your dog in is regularly maintained and cleaned.
Basically, at a boarding facility your dog will be living parallely with other dogs. Although dog hostel owners maintain a certain benchmark of cleanliness and hygiene requirement from dogs that they allow within their boarding facility, it is obvious that not all pets like to be groomed frequently. Your dog will be subjected to an environment where in he is much more likely to come in contact with different pathogens. If the kennel itself is clean and maintained hygienically, it will be a much safer and healthier environment for your dog.
Security
Most dogs are Houdini’s in their own rights. They just love trying to escape from the most dangerous and difficult conditions. This is why the security of the hostel is very important. No matter how good the environment of the hostel is, the dogs must get a little confused and miss their owners. This confusion might leave them scared which further motivates them to try and run away. This is why they require special care and attention. In such hostels it is imperative that there is sufficient security that our pooches can get past.
On the whole, one must always be mindful of what the dog really wants. It is best to take the dog to the hostel a couple of times before actually leaving them for a while. It might even be a wise idea to do a one day trial run to make your dog even more comfortable when you actually leave him or her for a longer duration.
