Boarding issue...what would you do?

[janeno]

Go with Camp Bow Wow. I left my dog at Camp Bow Wow boarding on several occasions, and she has always been fine and is super excited when we return. During the day, dogs are under supervised play and during the night each of them has their own space and get a little treat at night. I do have to mention that my dog attends doggy day care twice a week so she loves being among other dogs and is very well socialized. In 3 weeks, I am going to Mexico for 8 days and planning to board my dog at Camp Bow Wow. You can also leave them detailed instructions on administering food and meds. The only occasion I might worry leaving your dog at Camp Bow Wow if it's one of those super small yorkies (less than 4 lbs).

The vet option might be a nice option if your dog has serious medical condition and you need someone with medical expertise to supervise or being available to the dog. Otherwise, sitting in a cage for several days sounds miserable. Dogs are social creatures and usually love to socialize with other dogs (unless you dog has behavior issue - camp might not even accept your dog).

People on this forum tend to be more on the overprotective side for their yorkies. But I think that if you have healthy yorkie within normal size range (mine is 6.2 lbs), the dog will be fine and have more fun at the camp.

[Britster]

Ugh I would be stressed over those options too. There are definitely pros and cons to both. Jackson is a very quirky dog though so I could never do either with him. He stayed at the vets one night (for an illness) and I picked him up with a disgusting smelly butt (from leaking anal glands out of being scared), he wouldn't stop panting for the first 30 mins of being home (stress) and I still feel awful I put him through it. But he does not like being handled/touched by strangers at all and is not crate trained. So he would do horrible in either situation. I realize I'm extremely lucky to have trustworthy family that watches him. IF I didn't have them, I would certainly find an in-home pet sitter. We would have to have a few meetings first so he could get used to them, etc, and I'd also leave out detailed instructions (as a pet sitter, I always enjoyed getting the long instruction note, that I could refer back to) and I'd also install nanny cameras.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I would absolutely leave my dog with my son(and have) as he's just as careful a dog owner/guardian as I am and always has been since his teenage years so I totally understand trusting your grand-daughter. But most people seem to use a casual friend, family member, neighbor or someone they work with or find online or by referral as a dogsitter and I just could not ever do that - wouldn't even let most of my family members or friends! hehe I have to know that person and their sense of dog-knowledge and how they think about dogs and if they have a certain sense of dog-paranoia for the small dogs and the extra care they require. Some of them are easily intimidated and anxious and others are sneaky, cagey and potentially in some degree of danger with just a regular dogsitter. My dogsitter has to be just like me - overly cautious and super-vigilant and there aren't many people like that around who are free to dogsit. I often wonder how many tiny dogs actually have escaped while being dogsat(is that even a word?) and are chased, enticed with food and caught or returned by others while their owners are away! Maybe not many but even one - if it's mine - is way too much.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by janeno

Go with Camp Bow Wow. I left my dog at Camp Bow Wow boarding on several occasions, and she has always been fine and is super excited when we return. During the day, dogs are under supervised play and during the night each of them has their own space and get a little treat at night. I do have to mention that my dog attends doggy day care twice a week so she loves being among other dogs and is very well socialized. In 3 weeks, I am going to Mexico for 8 days and planning to board my dog at Camp Bow Wow. You can also leave them detailed instructions on administering food and meds. The only occasion I might worry leaving your dog at Camp Bow Wow if it's one of those super small yorkies (less than 4 lbs).

The vet option might be a nice option if your dog has serious medical condition and you need someone with medical expertise to supervise or being available to the dog. Otherwise, sitting in a cage for several days sounds miserable. Dogs are social creatures and usually love to socialize with other dogs (unless you dog has behavior issue - camp might not even accept your dog).

People on this forum tend to be more on the overprotective side for their yorkies. But I think that if you have healthy yorkie within normal size range (mine is 6.2 lbs), the dog will be fine and have more fun at the camp.

If the vet has kennels and runs, there are other dogs nearby but not available to hurt them or unduly annoy them. Dogs are not children, they accept confinement to pens, single rooms and kennels with a run very well as long as they don't have to live their life that way - that's deplorable to make a dog live in a kennel for its whole life. But for a limited amount of time, most of them do rather well other than the stress of being separated from you, away from home and their routine schedule and having to deal with the new situations of being away from their regular life.

[nanahas3]

I think my biggest worry about leaving mine for more than a day or two with strangers would be them going off their feed. Years ago we went on a 3 week vacation and left our 3 year old pom with my parents. My Dad called me constantly the first week because she would not eat for them. After feeding her, boiled chicken and rice for a week of which he said she ate very little she finally started eating again. I think that is one reason my heart breaks so much for the ones people give up and they have to adjust to rescues and then again to forever homes. Bless their hearts it has to be so tramatic for them.

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by janeno

Go with Camp Bow Wow. I left my dog at Camp Bow Wow boarding on several occasions, and she has always been fine and is super excited when we return. During the day, dogs are under supervised play and during the night each of them has their own space and get a little treat at night. I do have to mention that my dog attends doggy day care twice a week so she loves being among other dogs and is very well socialized. In 3 weeks, I am going to Mexico for 8 days and planning to board my dog at Camp Bow Wow. You can also leave them detailed instructions on administering food and meds. The only occasion I might worry leaving your dog at Camp Bow Wow if it's one of those super small yorkies (less than 4 lbs).

The vet option might be a nice option if your dog has serious medical condition and you need someone with medical expertise to supervise or being available to the dog. Otherwise, sitting in a cage for several days sounds miserable. Dogs are social creatures and usually love to socialize with other dogs (unless you dog has behavior issue - camp might not even accept your dog).

People on this forum tend to be more on the overprotective side for their yorkies. But I think that if you have healthy yorkie within normal size range (mine is 6.2 lbs), the dog will be fine and have more fun at the camp.

I agree that Camp Bow Wow would be more fun for Ian. Ian is very social and loves going to day camp there. Ian weighs 9.5 pounds, very active, and has no medical issues.

[richards6402]

I have the same problem because I don't have family around me or friends that are small dog lovers. I tried a doggy camp like Camp Bow Wow but mine were not happy and did not have a good time. I now leave them at my vets but ask for a run that they use for big dogs instead of putting them in a cage all day. Mine are also not used to being in a cage.

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by richards6402

I have the same problem because I don't have family around me or friends that are small dog lovers. I tried a doggy camp like Camp Bow Wow but mine were not happy and did not have a good time. I now leave them at my vets but ask for a run that they use for big dogs instead of putting them in a cage all day. Mine are also not used to being in a cage.

How many days were they at the vet? Ian's vet has large run for the big guys, but if Ian were placed there, he would be surrounded by large dogs. This is driving me crazy!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Princes mom

How many days were they at the vet? Ian's vet has large run for the big guys, but if Ian were placed there, he would be surrounded by large dogs. This is driving me crazy!

I doubt they would bother him as long as they can't get to him. Most terriers don't know how tiny they are and aren't scared of big dogs' size.

[My Sophie Girl]

Paws down the vet. I had the same issues as you and choose the vet. If she did not eat, they knew what to do.
If ANYTHING were to happen she was in the best care.

[SophieKatesMom]

I only board at my Vet, but that is my choice (she is not caged the entire time and the Vet has kept her since she was 3 month old).

With that said I know a lot of people who have boarded at Camp Bow Wow and they LOVE it. My question to you is what is their protocol for an ill animal? Will they take Ian to his Vet?

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by SophieKatesMom

I only board at my Vet, but that is my choice (she is not caged the entire time and the Vet has kept her since she was 3 month old).

With that said I know a lot of people who have boarded at Camp Bow Wow and they LOVE it. My question to you is what is their protocol for an ill animal? Will they take Ian to his Vet?

Yes, his vet is within range. It's good to hear from you!

When I first started taking Ian there, I met a woman who was picking up her lab who had been boarded for a little over a month.

[richards6402]

Originally Posted by Princes mom

How many days were they at the vet? Ian's vet has large run for the big guys, but if Ian were placed there, he would be surrounded by large dogs. This is driving me crazy!

The longest I have boarded Macy and Molly is 7 days. I don't think being by bigger dogs bothers them. The kennel help put their potty pads, bed, food and water in the bigger run which is 6' x 6'. I request Macy ad Molly are put either beside each other or across from one another and so far it hasn't been a problem meeting my request because I reserve their runs far in advance.
I myself feel better boarding them at the vets, but that is just me.

[Princes mom]

We decided on the vet. At least that way I will know that Ian is in good hands, and I will be able to enjoy our vacation. Thanks everyone for your opinions.

[Wylie's Mom]

Can you clarify...are you saying they're alone, but together as a pack, from 7p-7a? Or do you mean that during that time, they are in individual kennels? If they're not put in individual kennels during that time, then I would be super scared to leave him in a pack of dogs where aggression could occur.

I'm not super scared about them being unsupervised for 12 hours, as long as they'd be kenneled. Even if you had a pet service who stopped in each day at your home, they'd be alone for 12 hours+. So, it's not the time that bothers me, it's whether they'll be safe.

Have you looked into a twice a day stop-in home service? Bc that's usually about the same price as a kennel, or not much different. Might be an option so that he can stay at home.