What to Do with Your Dog When You Go on Holiday
The summer holidays are just around the corner, and you are probably excited to have a break from school and spend some more time with your family – including your dog. However, if you are going away on holiday, there’s a good chance that you can’t take your dog with you. Some hotels and holiday parks do allow pets, but most won’t accept them unless your dog is also a service dog (see our dogs with jobs blog!). This creates an important question. What can you do with your dog when you go on holiday?
Ask friends/family to look after your dog
The most obvious choice is to ask friends or family members to take off your dog while you are away. Your grandparents might be happy to look after your furry pal, or perhaps a good friend and neighbour. However, when you already know that taking care of an animal is a big responsibility. If the people that offer to dog-sit while you are away don’t have a lot of experience taking care of an animal, it is probably better to look at putting your dog into a boarding facility instead.
Dog boarding/kennels
Many owners choose to send their dogs on their own mini holiday to a professional boarding facility when they go away. Also called kennels, they are usually run by people who love dogs or other animals and want to do a great job of taking care of them for their owners when they are apart. Most kennels are designed especially to provide somewhere for your dog to stay for days or even a few weeks at a time. Dogs should have their own space to eat, rest and sleep, but bring them together (if you say it’s ok too!) for walks, games and other exercises.
Benefits of putting your dog in kennels when you go on holiday
There are some reasons why kennels may be the best place to put your dog while you are on holiday.
The staff have lots of experience taking care of dogs which makes them good at understanding what dogs need, even when they can’t use words to tell them.
Kennels are designed to be safe for dogs and give them the space that they need while making sure that they can’t escape or run away.
The staff at kennels know what your dog should eat and how much they should be eating, and they will make sure that your furry pal eats properly while you are apart. This is something that worries lots of pet owners.
They will also play with your dog and give them lots of love and attention so that they don’t get sad or lonely.
If your dog usually needs medicine, the staff at kennels can give this to them and they have the experience needed to make sure they take it properly.
Going on holiday doesn’t have to be stressful for your dog and a good owner will make sure that they are properly taken care of when you are apart. You can find more information about holiday care for pets on the PDSA website. And make sure you are signed up to the Zara Dog Dog Club for more helpful tips and advice!
