With an extended weekend coming up in a couple of weeks’ time (Good Friday and Easter Monday) some of you might be thinking of going on a short trip to unwind yourself. But what about your pooch? Are you planning to take him with you? If the answer is yes; then probably it would make the day of your pet because they would get your undivided attention during the travel days.
But, if that is not the case; then it is very important to ensure that your dog is taken care of during your absence. There are two alternatives with every dog owner when he/she wants to leave their pets behind. One of them is pet sitting services and the other is a boarding kennel. It totally depends on the age, breed, behavioral and medical needs of the dog that make you zero-in on the best pet care services.
Since you had some time to think about the extended holiday coming up; you might have definitely planned ahead to explore the options available. But if you have not given it a thought, don’t worry; we are always there to help you out. This blog will give you an unbiased viewpoint of pet sitting services and kennel boarding services. So why wait? Let us look at the different options up close:
Pet sitting
Pet sitting has always been a popular professional service. It allows your dog to stay at home, which means that they do not have to move to an unfamiliar environment, while you are away holidaying. You can find a professional pet sitter by asking for a reference from your friend, co-workers and your veterinarian. You can even scan the local online business rankings and professional trade groups to get the person to do the job.
Now, before we go any further; it is important to know that there are two different types of pet sitters: Type 1 drops by a couple of times in a day to feed, walk, and play with your pooch, Type II stays overnight. The second option looks much better; and so we have discussed about the pros and cons of the Type II professional pet sitters:
Pros
- The routine of the pet does not get disturbed while you are enjoying your holidays. They will have the regular routine of feeding and bathroom activities.
- Kennels are renowned to provide contagious diseases like kennel cough, intestinal parasites and distemper. But when your pooch is at home, he is not exposed to these diseases.
- If your tyke has special dietary requirements or any kind of emergency then pet sitters are known to look after any health emergencies that might occur. They can even administer flea and tick treatments and de-worming treatments on a regular basis.
- Pet sitters devote their entire time with the pooch by playing and paying special attention to them. But the kennel charges an additional amount for fulfilling these needs.
- Pet sitters can even look after your mails, water plants, and turn the lights on and off so that intruders can be kept away from the house in your absence
Cons
- If your dog is not acquainted with the strangers they may show aggression towards the pet sitters
- The per house visit cost of pet sitters can be more than $10 which can accumulate fast since doggies need to be visited more than twice a day
Boarding
Kennel boarding is cheaper than pet sitter, but the pet care services that you may get will be less than what you will get in pet sitting services. Kennels have all the things that are requisite to meet the basic needs of your pets like food, exercise, bathroom at a cost that will not be too heavy to incur.
Pros
Kennels have fixed billing charges per day with some special offers that you can get for an additional price while in the case of pet sitting agencies they charge per visit which can make the billing amount too expensive.
Cons
- There is risk of a dog catching infectious diseases encompassing distemper, coccidiosis, and giardiasis in kennels. Due to the cramped space in the boarding facilities viruses and parasites can easily infect your pooch. Hence, it is advisable that if you have a growing puppy then do not send them to kennel boarding as they can get seriously ill.
- Due to the presence of a variety of animals in the kennels it is very difficult for the staff to love after the individual needs of each pet. Hence, if you have a dog that needs special attention/special dietary needs that it is better not to keep them in kennel boarding.
- Each and every boarding facility has their fixed timings; for feeding, bathroom breaks and walks. Hence, if your doggy needs to be given things on a timely basis, then boarding facility is not for your furry friend.
At the end of the day, you should evaluate the pros and cons of both the options; and then take the right decision. While pet sitters offer quality pet care services, their charges are on the higher side. While kennels do not have a major effect on your pocket; but they expose contagious diseases in dogs.
If you have a puppy or a doggy with special needs, then pet sitters are the best available option for your dog so that their routine life does not get disturbed. While if you have adult dogs that do not have any specific requirements with no prior difficulties in kennel boarding facilities should be sent to boarding.
So which pet care services are you selecting today for your doggy? Please share your comments below.
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