So, you’ve added a canine child to your family and you’re planning a trip out of town. How do you decide who will look after Rover while you’re gone? There are a variety of options to choose from, and the best decision may depend on the size, health, and temperament of your furry companion. The following are questions to ask yourself and others before making a very important decision.
Do you want to take Rover with you? With the proliferation of pet-friendly accommodations across the country, this may be a good option. The main concern of traveling with your best friend is how he will get there. If you’re traveling by plane, smaller pets can travel on the plane with you, as long as they’re comfortable in an under-seat carrier. However, larger dogs may need to travel in the luggage compartments, which is always a concern in extremely hot or cold weather. Travel out of state or out of the country will also require any of a number of veterinary health checks and certificates. Requirements will vary and you will need to check with your airline and perhaps the country you are visiting to make sure everything is in order.
You’ll also want to confirm with the airline that they know your dog will be on board so the baggage compartment is pressurized and temperature controlled. Several airlines have instituted special pet travel programs to ensure that Rover arrives safely and receives proper care en route. If you’re driving, Rover may be quite happy to ride with you, as long as you’re prepared to make frequent stops along the way to stretch and rest.
Whenever you travel with your pet, you should ensure they have up-to-date vaccinations and identification tags, including, if possible, your travel destination and cell phone number in case the Rover is lost. A microchip registered in your name is also a good idea: a chip about the size of a grain of rice, a microchip is implanted under your dog’s skin, between the shoulder blades, and can be scanned by most vets and animal shelters. a lost pet to prove it. Important identification (which, unlike collars and tags, can never be dropped or lost!)
If traveling with your pet(s) is not an option, there are several alternatives: You can leave Rover at home with friends, family or a professional pet sitter, or you can seek boarding at a pet resort or vet. Whether you choose the stay-at-home option or the home-away-from-home option will depend on factors such as your pet’s temperament and health. It will also depend on whether you can find a babysitter you trust!
While friends and family may seem like the next best thing, you should always make sure you know how often they’ll be there and how much instruction they’ll need to properly care for your best friend. Written instructions regarding feeding, medication, exercise, and sleeping arrangements should be provided, along with emergency contact information, such as your veterinarian. Always have an alternate plan! If something happened and your friend couldn’t take care of your pet at the last moment, who will?
Professional pet sitters can also care for your pet in a home environment and may be a good option if your pet is not used to boarding or adjusting well to new people or new situations. You should evaluate a pet sitter the same way you would a sitter. Ideally, they will be affiliated with an organization like the National Association of Pet Sitters and will be bonded and insured.
A reputable pet sitter will want to get to know your pet(s) before agreeing to care for them, to ensure Rover is comfortable with them and they feel they can handle Rover safely. If it’s an agency, she’ll want to know if the same person will care for her pet every day or if her canine friend will be exposed to multiple people. He knows how many times he will visit his sitter each day, what he will do for her pet while she is at her home, and how long she will stay during each visit. Some pet sitting agencies offer overnight stays as part of their services, while others do not, so if this is important to you, make sure your sitter is available for overnight care. Just like when friends or family stay with Rover, you’ll need to provide written instructions and emergency contact information. Always check references before hiring a pet sitter!
Pet resorts and boarding facilities offer an alternative away from home for your furry children. Pets that do well in this environment tend to socialize better with both people and other dogs, and some facilities may better accommodate special needs than others. Tour the facility to make sure you’re comfortable with what’s on offer: Any reputable pet resort should be willing to show you around the facility almost any time during regular business hours. Ask questions regarding staffing (are the staffing levels adequate to care for the number of pets staying there? What hours is the facility open?), food (do they allow their food from home, what brand fed), medications (Can you give the necessary medications and is there an additional fee for doing so?), toileting arrangements (How often do pets go out during the day and for how long?), temperature control and type and size of the enclosure that your pet will inhabit. You’ll also want to learn about additional activity options, such as playtime or doggy daycare and bathing/grooming services. You should find out what procedures they have in case of a veterinary emergency and how they will contact you and care for your pet in the event that it requires medical attention.
Finally, particularly for very young puppies, frail older dogs, or furry children with serious health problems that require monitoring, you may want to consider addressing them with your veterinarian. He or she will be better equipped to catch potential medical problems before they become serious and better able to provide immediate care in the event of a crisis.
All of the options listed in this article provide alternatives for caring for your pet while you are away from home. There are pros and cons to each choice, and you should carefully assess your canine companion(s)’s personality, temperament, and general health, as well as the various facilities and services in your area, before selecting your environment. suitable for your dog.
