We are going to have to board Daisy for the first time in mid-December. I am also very stressed about it. I toured the "luxury" pet resort that is always rated very highly in all the consumer ratings around here.
It gave me a couple of concerns. First, for the smaller dogs, they have a 2 part kennel that is like two 2ftx2ftx2ft cubes joined together with a small opening between. That is in the sleeping room. It is not joined to the outside in any way, and they are actually stacked vertically 2 or 3 high (they are solid fiberglass, not wire). They have a day-care option where supposedly the dogs are brought out in a small dog only group every hour and a half or so to potty and to play. She explained it that for the day care either the large dog groupis out or the small dogs are out pretty much the whole day on a rotational basis of about 45 minutes each (from 8-5 only). But at the time I was there, neither group was out, which made me kind of wonder whether they really do all they say they do. We then went back in the sleeping room, and the barking was really loud. She said they only bark like that when people come into the room, but I don't know. This option is $40 a day. (Ouch) What do you all think about that setup?
My concern is that if they aren't brought out to potty after 5:00, I guess the dogs are expected to potty in the "other half" of their sleeping kennel (the cube that doesn't contain their bed). THat seems like not a good idea in terms of house training and the smell. They all have a lambs wool to sleep on, which are washed every day. They said that you can bring a bed from home but they don't encourage it and it would have to be launderable daily. I would definitely bring Daisy's own little lamb's wool thing.
My other concern is just her mixing freely with all these dogs I don't know. What if one of them attacks her? You have to sign a waiver releasing them from liability if you choose the daycare option. If you don't choose that option, then they have what is called TLC, where they bring the overnight dogs out of their kennel a couple of times a day and play with them one-on-one, and presumably take them outside to potty. With that option, she would definitely be using the other half of her sleeping kennel as her potty area.
Their other option (about $60 a day!!!) is called the jungle suite and it is a really large about 5x8 kennel with a TV in each kennel and you can bring anything from home that you want at all. Again, it doesn't connect to the outside at all. In there, I worry that she will be lonely, because she can't see people or other dogs from her kennel. What if they forget about her?
The other option is at a vet's office with the concrete indoor-outdoor kennels that are blocked off for each dog. I haven't visited it yet, but a neighbor with a dog told me about it. It is not at my vet.
I just don't know what to do. I guess maybe I'll visit both of them again and try to see which one feels the best. I visited the one I described above before we ever got Daisy to make sure we have a safe and viable place for her to be when we travel.
Sorry so long -- can you tell I'm obsessing?