Boarding for the first time

[Toffeesdad]

So we’ve had our 6 yo boy for nearly two years and he’s settled well.  During this time we’ve not left him for longer than an average work day, and haven’t left him anywhere but here at home.  He has the run of our house mostly and we have never crated him. My question is how do we begin getting him use to being left at a kennel overnight with the long term goal of being able to leave for a few days.  We will likely use the vet he goes to regularly as they offer boarding.  Any experience and advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

[MaryJane]

Does the vet have someone there 24x7 - some local vets don't have overnight people and some have a vet tech only if there is a surgery from that day.

[Time4ANap]

12 minutes ago, MaryJane said:

Does the vet have someone there 24x7 - some local vets don't have overnight people and some have a vet tech only if there is a surgery from that day.

This was my first question also.  Many vets have no one onsite overnight even when they do boarding. 

Assuming you decide to use them for boarding, I would start with a short stay of a daytime period and then maybe an overnight so that you can see how he handles it. Many will go back into a crate like it's no big deal, and some want nothing to do with it.  You don't want him injuring himself trying to get out of the crate if he absolutely despises it. Also note that it is not at all unusual for a hound to stop eating for a day or two when boarded or staying somewhere unfamiliar. We've seen it many times. 

We have a small group of other owners now who watch each other's hounds now, so the hounds are always staying in a familiar place with other hounds. You may want to check with your adoption group and see if anyone in the group board other hounds, either for payment or maybe in exchange for watching their hound when they go away. 

If you are anywhere near Indianapolis, I can highly recommend The Greyhound Resort. They board only greyhounds and your hound will not care that you are gone since he will have other hounds to play with at his favorite resort. We boarded Rocket there for years when we lived in IL, and he could have cared less when we left the building after dropping him off. He loved it there. 

Good Luck

[racindog]

Be very careful before you turn your hound over to anyone. Many many times people will send favorite blankets or treats etc to ease the transition and the boarding people will not even bother to give it to your dog. They will tell you they have professional reasons etc. which is bs for what really happens which is they are dumped into a kennel and forgot about until you pick them up.  They just plain don't want to be bothered with accommodating your dog with any frills. They also will not make any significant effort to protect your hound from interaction with other dog aggressive dogs etc because frankly they are very casual about moving dogs(sometimes just turning several loose together) to and fro and they won't know if a particular dog is dog aggressive anyway since they didn't bother to find out and don't really care either. It can be hell for a civilized dog like a greyhound at some of these facilities. They are not run like the nice professional racing kennels are. They are crowded with all manner of 'street dogs' and sometimes unmannered untrained  pets and it can be quite unplesant.And hounds can be quite upset physically and mentally by the time they get back home. Be very sure of who you are trusting your hound too. They are counting on you to protect them. And it really is meaningless to think being boarded at the vet is somehow "safer". It is not. As above poster pointed out a lot of them abandon the dogs from the time they close until the time they open up the next day. If something minor even happens it can turn into a tragedy by the time they are seen the next morning since there is no one there to help the hound no matter how loud they cry. The vet never 'sees' them either. They are generally 'taken care of' by teeny bopper kennel help and/or vet techs that know little if anything about greyhounds and are not known for being too conscientious. And sadly some of them are even abusive. So just be VERY careful!

Edited January 29, 2020 by racindog

[ShebasMom]

Agree the best thing to do is find other nearby greyhound owners and reciprocate sitting services--they take care of yours, you take care of theirs. I found my current sitter (and now very good friend) through our greyhound rescue group back in 2013, and it has worked out fantastically. I travel more than she does, so from time to time I give her some money, but typically we simply take care of each others free of charge. She has two, I have one, and she even stays in my house so my house is taken care of, too.

I found that whenever I used a kennel for my previous breed (great dane), it was not only expensive but the dog was very unhappy. I also previously used a pet-sitting service that didn't work out very well either--showing up twice a day for feeding and short visits was not only expensive but agitated the dog. 

[Toffeesdad]

Thanks for all the helpful advice.  I’m just cautious as Toffey doesn’t adjust as easily as our previous pup (a rescue with a wide gene pool 🤡). We’re considering the vet because he’s familiar with the staff there as they do all his grooming as well.  You’ve given some questions to ask when we discuss boarding and a test run of overnight or while we’re at work one day is a great idea.

[PatricksMom]

3 hours ago, Toffeesdad said:

Thanks for all the helpful advice.  I’m just cautious as Toffey doesn’t adjust as easily as our previous pup (a rescue with a wide gene pool 🤡). We’re considering the vet because he’s familiar with the staff there as they do all his grooming as well.  You’ve given some questions to ask when we discuss boarding and a test run of overnight or while we’re at work one day is a great idea.

I strongly prefer in home boarding with a greyhound parent, which is what we do for long trips, and we have a dog sitter who drops in for the occasional overnight. But if you're going to do actual boarding, I agree about an overnight first, and I would also ask about and ask to see fire suppression systems, particularly if they're not staffed 24/7. I boarded my first dog for a while at his vet, and even though he knew them, and was pretty laid back and bomb proof, and it was a good veterinary practice, he got much better care and was happier "boarding" with a GT family.

[GreyStella]

Stella has been boarded many times and her favorite was a farm setting with a very large fenced play area she could run in with the other boarders. They would post multiple videos daily so I could see her having a good time. It was a family that ran it and they really took good care of her. I think its important to find people whom you feel comfortable with and an environment your dog will enjoy.