Pet Boarding

Pet Boarding (Hi Ralph!)

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When you decide you want a dog (or cat or pet), it’s for life. You probably love your dog very much if you ended up on this page. So when you fall in love, it would be forever right? What happened to that and why would you need to send your dog to a pet boarder? Turns out, there are tons of reasons why and it is almost never because you don’t love your dog, but you love your dog heaps - so, do not feel guilty in the slightest about turning to a pet boarder.

First we’ll address some possible reasons why you would need to board your dog:

1. Change in Relationship Status

2. Change in Living Arrangement

3. Change in Working Arrangement

4. Discovery of Separation Anxiety

5. Dog Socialization

Change In Relationship Status
These things happen in life. When you get your dog, you could have been single. Then you meet someone and dynamics change. The more complexity you introduce to your life (not necessarily a bad thing), the less time you have. Or if you were in a relationship and things go the other way, responsibilities were split but now they are all yours. Some of these changes can be overwhelming for you. For your dog, who is innocent in this entire change process, will go through a tougher time. Pet Boarding can then come in pretty handy for both your dog and you. It buys you a bit of time while ensuring your dog isn’t neglected in the slightest. This can be in the form of pet sitting or daycare or perhaps even overnight or a couple of days here and there, just to smooth things over and ease the stress for the two of you.

Change in Living Arrangement
This may not be related to relationship status, but it could. This could also mean you’re moving homes, whether you’re upgrading or downgrading, this can affect your relationship with your dog and again - time being the core currency. There are also many other reasons whether it’s moving out on your own, moving to another country, rental of a room in your home, someone else moving out, a sick family member (knock on wood), death of a loved one (knock on wood), and the list goes on. Again, what pet boarding does, is to buy you a little sanity while you get the changes sorted and again, not neglect your dog, who will not understand what brought about the change. This doggy babysitting helps ease your dog into managing the changes much better.

Change in Working Arrangement
This is probably something many people can relate to since 2020 is the year of change. With the sudden push to working from home, in some households, that can be an absolute mad house. Even if there are 2 people who suddenly have to work at home, and with some of our HDB homes (or newer private condominiums for that matter) can be rather tiny for 2 + a dog, let alone any more. Personal space becomes a very hot commodity and with so many more distractions (and they mean more because it’s family and not the workplace), that can crazy very quickly. Some people are more productive at home, some aren’t and the entire arrangement gets turned upside down. The dog - you guessed it. The dog is innocent and won’t know what is going on and may feel neglected or you may find that there is little time to balance everything or at the very least you might just need a break. Pet Daycare to the rescue.

Discovery of Separation Anxiety
The interesting part about separation anxiety for our dogs is, if you’re not at home and you leave them alone at home, you would never really know about the separation anxiety. Some dogs don’t show any signs. That’s where either your security camera or your neighbors come into play. If they are nice, they’ll inform you that your dog has been barking, howling, whining and making a racket while you’re away. Some may lodge complaints without even speaking to you, as uncool as it is, it happens. And then there are signs:

• Urinating and Defecating (and eating their poo)

• Chewing, Digging and Destruction

• Escaping

• Pacing

And some of the reasons for this is actually the previously mentioned changes that your dog and you may have to go through. Well, this certainly gives you some extra work. And no, do not toss your dog to the pet boarder as this will obviously not be a permanent solution but can be a very good temporary one, again to buy you the time you need to make adjustments as well. If your dog has a mild case of separation anxiety, counterconditioning might reduce or resolve the problem. You can work on counterconditioning which means to associate the sight or presence of a feared or disliked person, place, object or situation with something your dog loves. Over time, that conditions your dog to like the separation (hopefully not too much). For example, if you’re working outside the home, then before you leave, you can give some Kuro Snacks to your dog in a slow feeder or a Kong food/treats dispenser. This way, it will take your dog a while to finish them and you’re already away. So it makes them feel rewarded when you’re away. You can also leave behind a used but clean article of clothing that they can seek comfort in. And these are just the basics. You should also make sure you have a good security camera that you can use to witness what happens when you’re not around. But yes, pet boarding can be a temporary solution.

Dog Socialization
So, pet boarding isn’t just for you to buy time. It can be a means to help socialize your dog. Think of it as a bit of a playdate. As pet boarders are always looking after different dogs, this would allow your dog to get accustomed to different species and individuals which would help in the socialization process while keeping them physically and mentally stimulated. This also helps them reduce any aggression issues.

Are you still there? Good!

Choosing a Pet Boarder
Now, if you think a pet boarder is a solution for you, then it’s time to choose one. Whilst many will have different criteria, these are our personal opinions:

1. Go with Reputation
   As long as they are experienced, you know they will be able to take care of and handle your dog when the need arises. The better and more professional ones would encourage you to have a meet and greet session first (usually with the resident dog/s) before beginning the pet boarding process.

2. Good Walking Grounds/Gardens
   It’s not just to do their business but you want to know that there is space to move about and play and get a good walk in and you got to make sure that’s part of the program with the pet boarder. And a safe place is important. It doesn’t matter where this is in Singapore as everything isn’t that far, especially if you drive, or if you need to, there is always Kuro Snacks Taxi Service you can call upon.

3. Optional - Familiarity
   While pet boarding means that they are in a location, that doesn’t mean the dogs are outdoors all the time, when they are resting or chilling indoors, this isn’t totally important, but more of a preference, a home-based one can provide the simulation of a home so that it is a little closer to the environment your dog is used to. This is particularly so if they have a bit of separation anxiety.

Prepping for Pet Boarding
Another list? Why yes, here are some pointers that you may want to consider when getting a dogsitter.

• When you bring your dog to a pet boarder, be sure to also bring along familiar items like a favorite toy or blanket or whatever their necessities might be. It is unlikely you’ll need to bring along pee pads and diapers, but if you have a preference on brands, you should do so.

• Whether you use a collar and leash or a harness, do make sure you don’t forget them. Also ensure you have a dog tag, just in case. If you have any special gear like a GPS Location Tracker, do make sure you explain that to the pet boarder so they know what they are dealing with.

• If your dog has any special diet, like grain free or only obedient with Kuro Snacks, do pack some along either in Pōchi or Kinchaku for Kuro Snacks. If it is a raw diet, then you might want to pack some of those in a cooler bag too. Keep your pet boarder informed of these specifics so that they can help make your dog’s boarding experience comfortable.

• Any other peculiarities of your dog like “will not pee when stared at” or “will only poo on grass”, prepare a list and provide them to your pet boarder so that they can take note and know how to deal with your dog, keeping them safe and sound.