When you go on vacation, you want to be able to enjoy yourself, not worry about the pet you left behind. This is where dog boarding services can help. According to the U.S. Census in 2017, the pet care services industry totaled $5.8 billion, meaning many dog-owners are taking advantage of the services offered by dog boarding facilities. Picking the right boarding company can be tricky, so here are the top five tips for picking a dog boarding service.

Visit the Dog Boarding Facility

A good way to pick a dog boarding service is to visit their facility so you can see where your dog would be boarded. This will help you rule out any dirty or overcrowded facilities. Since you know your dog the most, you should know within minutes of being in the facility if it is safe, clean, and meets any other expectations you have to feel comfortable leaving your dog with them.

Make Sure a Veterinarian Is on Call

As healthy as you try to keep your dog, it is inevitable they may at one point or another get sick. When you are home and this happens, you have your local trusted veterinarian down the street, but what about when you are on vacation and your dog is at a local dog boarding service? This is why you want to make sure the facility has a relationship with a local veterinary office and has a veterinarian on call. You may also be able to request the dog boarding company contact your specific veterinarian if any problems come up.

Find Out About Other Services They Offer

If you are out on vacation having a great time, shouldn't you want your dog to have a good time as well at a dog hotel? When you are considering a dog boarding service, you want to make sure they offer other services or activities for your dog so they are not kept in a cage all day. Most boarding services offer supervised playtime where your dog will be able to interact and play with other dogs, and some even offer doggie spa treatments!

Ask About Health Requirements

You take good care of your dog and make sure they have all their vaccines, so you don't want them to get sick mixing with unvaccinated dogs at a boarding facility. For this reason, you should always ask about the health requirements to make sure your dog will not be at risk of diseases from unvaccinated dogs while at the facility.

Ask the Staff Any Questions You Have

For most of us, our dogs are like our babies. This means you probably have a lot of questions before leaving your dog with people you don't know. Taking the time to sit down and talk with the staff and get your questions answered will not only make you feel more comfortable and secure trusting the dog sitters with your dog but also opens a line of communication in case you have questions or want to check on your dog after dropping them off.

By following the above tips, you can pick a dog boarding service that your dog will love and that you know is safe and trustworthy. At The Dog Zone, our friendly staff is trained to take care of your dog so you can enjoy a vacation.