Whether you're considering opening a kennel to take dogs while their owners are away, or realizing that you need a place for your own pet, there are lots of things to do, a lot of questions to answer. Do you know what makes a good kennel and will give pets a good experience? Do you have to open a licensed facility - or look for one? Getting the answers before you go into business boarding dogs Houston way, or drop your pet off with strangers, is as important as choosing a daycare for your kids.
In Texas, there is no agency overseeing boarding kennels, so there are no regulations to enforce standards. This makes opening a facility easy for those who have the experience and equipment to do it right. Unfortunately, it's also easy for people who don't really qualify. You, as owner and responsibility-bearer for your pet, have to make sure you choose a reputable, dependable kennel.
For those who run a kennel, it's important to know what owners routinely ask when searching for a place to leave their pets. It's a good practice to put policies in place to reassure potential clients that proper care will be taken 24/7. It's also a good idea to have a policy and a schedule for staff to follow, if you will have employees helping to care for the animals.
Questions are usually about the runs: indoor and/or outdoor, how large, how furnished? Exercise yards: will the dog have a place to run freely at least once a day? Will it be alone or with other dogs? Is there shelter from rain and hot sun? Flea and disease control: are there protections so pets won't come home infested or sick?
It's good for a facility to 'toot it's own horn', but owners need to make sure this isn't false advertising. An owner might want to drop in unexpectedly to see how things are really run, or leave the animal overnight to see how it seems to adjust to being away from you and to the new place and people. This will be reassuring if you need to leave your pet for a longer period.
Owners can ask friends for recommendations, check with their vet's office, or talk to their groomer. This might work better than a brief inspection or relying on advertising. Hopefully, they will know someone who's got a kennel they've been using with for years. A facility might be run very professionally, or it might be a family which will treat your dog like a welcome visitor.
You can always ask for references, if you don't get a recommendation that satisfies you. This lets you know that the kennel has been in business for a while, for example, and that it does have satisfied customers. You might start with the phone book or online sites that list kennels. There is sure to be several in your part of Houston.
Leaving a loved companion is stressful enough without making sure that the 'babysitter' is competent, caring, and reliable. You won't want to come home to a dog that smells like an uncleaned pen, or one who has fleas, or one that seems unhappy with the recent experience. If you do the research, you should find a place both of you can be happy with.
In Texas, there is no agency overseeing boarding kennels, so there are no regulations to enforce standards. This makes opening a facility easy for those who have the experience and equipment to do it right. Unfortunately, it's also easy for people who don't really qualify. You, as owner and responsibility-bearer for your pet, have to make sure you choose a reputable, dependable kennel.
For those who run a kennel, it's important to know what owners routinely ask when searching for a place to leave their pets. It's a good practice to put policies in place to reassure potential clients that proper care will be taken 24/7. It's also a good idea to have a policy and a schedule for staff to follow, if you will have employees helping to care for the animals.
Questions are usually about the runs: indoor and/or outdoor, how large, how furnished? Exercise yards: will the dog have a place to run freely at least once a day? Will it be alone or with other dogs? Is there shelter from rain and hot sun? Flea and disease control: are there protections so pets won't come home infested or sick?
It's good for a facility to 'toot it's own horn', but owners need to make sure this isn't false advertising. An owner might want to drop in unexpectedly to see how things are really run, or leave the animal overnight to see how it seems to adjust to being away from you and to the new place and people. This will be reassuring if you need to leave your pet for a longer period.
Owners can ask friends for recommendations, check with their vet's office, or talk to their groomer. This might work better than a brief inspection or relying on advertising. Hopefully, they will know someone who's got a kennel they've been using with for years. A facility might be run very professionally, or it might be a family which will treat your dog like a welcome visitor.
You can always ask for references, if you don't get a recommendation that satisfies you. This lets you know that the kennel has been in business for a while, for example, and that it does have satisfied customers. You might start with the phone book or online sites that list kennels. There is sure to be several in your part of Houston.
Leaving a loved companion is stressful enough without making sure that the 'babysitter' is competent, caring, and reliable. You won't want to come home to a dog that smells like an uncleaned pen, or one who has fleas, or one that seems unhappy with the recent experience. If you do the research, you should find a place both of you can be happy with.
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