Are you often away from home because of your job? Are you planning on going on a trip for a vacation, for work, or for any other reason? Whether you’ll be away for a long time or only for a day, it’s important to ensure that your pet’s needs are met while you’re gone.
If you don’t have the option of hiring a pet sitter or asking a friend or family member to watch your pet while you’re gone, don’t worry. You can opt to take your fur baby to a dog boarding facility or a dog daycare instead.
Typically, you can expect both types of facilities to be fully stocked with tools and supplies that will guarantee a comfortable stay for your pet. Most pet care businesses have a variety of high-quality wholesale dog toys to keep pups entertained, for instance. They also have dog beds to provide pets a good place to sleep as well as and stainless food and water bowls to give their canine guests their scheduled meals.
So, what exactly differentiates one type of pet care business from the other? Here are a few tips to help you compare these two options:
Long-term vs. Short-term Stays
As stated earlier, both a dog boarding service and a dog daycare will treat your pet right, especially if you’ve picked out reliable names in the industry. That being said, dog boarding is typically a longer-term arrangement for pups whose owners are going on extended business trips or vacations.
If you can’t bring your pet with you to your destination, then dog boarding is the way to go. During the time you’re away, you’ll rest assured that your pet is in the hands of professional caretakers who have been certified and trained to deal with all types of pets.
Dog daycares can do the job, too, albeit for a shorter period. You can leave your pet at a dog daycare for a few hours or a full day, at most. It’s the perfect place to leave your pet if you’re just passing by a party at a friend’s place and don’t want your pet to feel lonely while you’re out.
That being said, you can technically leave your pet at a dog daycare for a couple of days a week, if you have to. You just have to drop them off and pick them up every day, which may not be ideal if you’ll be away for a long time. Also, if you fail to pick up your pup on time on a given day, the daycare staff will be forced to stay later than their intended working hours. This means you may be charged extra for the hassle.
Additionally, some dog daycares provide overnight stays for pet parents who can’t make it to the daycare to pick up their pups for whatever reason. But as with late pick-ups, expect overnight stays to come with hefty additional fees.
Personalization vs. One-size-fits-all Solutions
A dog daycare is bound to have a lot of other pets playing and resting in the same area. This allows your dog plenty of time to socialize with other pups. This type of environment typically promotes friendly interaction between pets and keeps them from feeling alone while their owner is away.
Dog boarding, on the other hand, is more about providing a personalized experience for your pet. Since it’s for longer stays, dog boarding facilities typically give each pet their own personal space to stay in—away from other pups—until you come back to get them. A canine guest can also be taken out on walks by pet sitters at a pet parent’s request.
If you’re having a difficult time deciding between the two businesses, ask yourself whether your pet requires interaction with other furry pals or could just use some private hotel-style pampering. While neither of the two pet care businesses necessarily treat alone time and socialization as mutually exclusive features, you can expect each business to provide more of one than the other. So, bring your pet to the establishment that you feel would best suit their specific, present needs.
Choosing Between the Two Types of Pet Care Businesses
Now that we’ve discussed a few of the differences between a dog boarding facility and a dog daycare, it’s time to decide which one to choose for your pet. Essentially, you must figure out which of these pet care services can best address not only your needs, but also those of your fur baby. It’s all a matter of taking into consideration the various factors that will affect your decision: the length of your pup’s stay, your dog’s specific care requirements, and how well your furry friend gets along with other canines.
Rest assured that, whichever one you choose, both businesses are designed, at a minimum, to meet your pet’s basic needs and give them a safe and comfortable environment to stay in. Remember: both dog boarding facilities and dog daycares have certified professionals on board and all the best-quality plush toys, beds, blankets, food and water bowls, treats, and anything else a pup would want. It’s just a matter of picking the service that suits your budget and your schedule in addition to your dog’s personality and their particular care requirements.
