Pet Boarding: What You Need to Know

While you want to keep your furry friends with you at all times, sometimes they simply can’t come along. In these cases, you will probably depend on pet boarding at a facility like Doggie Dude Ranch in Ames. Before deciding where to take your dog for dog boarding, be sure to ask some questions.

How Far in Advance Do You Book Stays?

In the busy months, such as during the holidays, there is often a month wait to get into a good kennel. You need to find out the wait time for your chosen facility and ask if they require a deposit as well.

What Vaccinations Are Required For Your Dog to Stay?

Most kennels require all vaccinations to be up to date before they will allow dogs to stay. This is for the safety of all the animals in the facility, to ensure they don’t pass along a disease or get one themselves during their stay. The list of vaccinations often looks like the following, but you will need to get an exact list from your kennel:

• Rabies
• Canine Parvovirus
• Infectious Hepatitis
• Canine Distemper

Remember, it’s a good thing for a kennel to require vaccinations. If the kennel you are considering doesn’t require them, ask them how they quarantine the dogs to prevent the spread of diseases and infections.

How Are The Dogs Housed?

You also want to know how a kennel houses the dogs. The housing area must be well vented and there should be plenty of room for pets to move around.

How Often Are Dogs Allowed to Go Out? Does The Staff Play With The Animals?

Find out how long there is between scheduled potty breaks for the dogs. You also want to ask how long the dogs are allowed to be out. Ask if the staff plays with the animals, and if so, how long.

Do You Need Pet Boarding in Ames?

Before leaving your dog at a kennel, you need answers to the questions above. Thankfully, at Doggie Dude Ranch in Ames, we welcome such questions. Call us today at (515)-382-1444 to find out how we handle all of the issues listed above and to find out more about our boarding services.