When selecting a dog boarding facility, safety should be your top priority. After all, you’ll be trusting them with your dog’s well-being while you’re away, so it’s important to make sure the facility you choose will ensure the comfort, happiness, and safety of your beloved pet. In this post, we’ll cover the most essential safety features to look for, including secure facility design, clear sanitization protocols, and appropriate staff training.
Staff Training and Supervision
When dropping your pet off, you want to make sure the people in charge of looking after them are qualified to do so. Adequate staff training will allow for proper supervision, giving you peace of mind that your pet is in the most capable hands. Here’s what to look for:
Certified and Trained Staff
Staff at a boarding facility should have CPR and pet first aid certifications, allowing them to effectively handle emergency situations. The facility should also train staff in following clear protocols for dealing with health emergencies.
If your dog has a health condition or requires medication, make sure the caregivers are capable of accommodating these special needs. Staff should also be trained to quickly spot and handle signs of illness, like coughing and parasites.
Appropriate Dog-to-Staff Ratio
A facility should ensure all dogs are adequately supervised at all times during playtime. Having one staff member for every 10–15 dogs is a good rule of thumb (though more active groups of dogs may require more staff). Having appropriate staff ratios will also provide more engagement and reassurance to pets, giving them more attention from caring human companions while away from home.
Safe Play and Interaction
Playtime is important, but not as critical as making sure your pet is safe while they have they time of their life. Through the following measures, a facility can ensure dogs’ well-being while giving them appropriate chances for interaction:
Dog Temperament Assessments
It’s important to make sure your dog is being kept in good company with other dogs of similar breed, age, and temperament. As such, staff should conduct behavioral evaluations before letting a new dog participate in group play. Many facilities require dogs to come for a trial period (e.g., several hours) before accepting them for a full-length stay. Consider your dog’s emotional state afterward—are they overly stressed or fairly relaxed?
Additionally, staff should assess each dog’s mood every day to ensure that group interaction is a good fit. They should also offer adequate outdoor play time and human interaction or cuddle time for any dogs that can’t be in social groups. Resort for Pets offers a customized experience for every dog we have the privilege of keeping in our care.
Supervised Playgroups
Facilities that offer group play should separate dogs by size and age, with safety and comfort in mind. They could also group dogs by play style. All staff should receive training in dog behavior as well. They should know how to recognize behavioral cues that signal fear, aggression, or stress—and how to respond safely.
Safe Toys and Equipment
Boarding facilities should avoid giving dogs toys that pose choking or injury risks. Further, the facility should steer clear of giving dogs toys in play groups, which could lead to guarding behavior or aggression.
Sanitization and Disease Prevention
Every pet parent knows firsthand how messy their dogs can be. From digging in the mud to munching on questionable “treats” they find outside, dogs have a habit of getting into things they shouldn’t. The right dog boarding facility will get ahead of these messy mishaps through proper sanitization, preventing the spread of germs and disease to keep your dog happy and healthy during their stay and beyond. Below are some of the protective protocols your dog boarding facility should have in place:
Routine Cleaning Protocols
Staff should engage in daily sanitizing of kennels, bedding, toys, and food bowls. Additionally, surfaces should be cleaned with a disinfecting solution to minimize the spread of germs. Moreover, all personnel should continuously clean up dog urine and waste, hosing exterior turf and mopping interior floors. A squeegee can be used to clear away water, helping surfaces dry faster.
Vaccination Requirements
No one wants to pick up their puppy from their boarding facility only to have to take them directly to the vet. A reputable dog boarding facility will require all dogs to be vaccinated for common illnesses, like Rabies, Bordetella, Distemper, Parvo, and K9 Influenza. In fact, proof of vaccination is a requirement in many states. A negative fecal exam for parasites may also be required.
Isolation for Sick Dogs
Even with a careful vaccination screening, sometimes a dog can still get sick. When this happens, your chosen facility should have clear protocols for what to do if your pet becomes sick, injured, or is in heat. Through dedicated quarantine areas and hand-washing protocols, caregivers can prevent the spread of illness and injury.
Secure Facility Design
Keeping your pet safe and secure is the most important thing. You want to have peace of mind that your pet is in an environment that will keep them adequately protected. Proper infrastructure will ensure your dog stays safely contained in the appropriate spaces during their stay. Here are some key features to check for in a boarding facility:
Fencing and Enclosures
The right pet care facility will have the following features to keep dogs safe:
- High, escape-proof fencing around outdoor areas
- A secure foundation around the perimeter that prevents digging
- Secure entryways with locked gates
Additionally, a secure facility should have standard protocols for visitors to ensure only authorized friends and family members have access to your pet. We’ll cover this in more detail in the next section.
Controlled Access
The last thing you want is to have an unwanted guest gain access to your pet. Clear visitor check-in procedures help ensure dogs only leave with their pet parent (or another designated person). A facility should require visitors to stay in a lobby area as they check in and wait for their dog, restricting other areas to staff.
Not only that, but your dog boarding facility should have clear documentation listing all authorized visitors, complete with their full name, address, and contact information to verify their identity at the time of pickup. This will prevent anyone from gaining access to your dog who isn’t approved by you to do so.
Monitoring and Communication
Being away from your beloved pet isn’t just stressful for your dog—it can give humans anxiety as well! Consistent communication will provide peace of mind while you’re away from your pet. Many facilities provide daily reports with photos to reassure pet parents of their dogs’ well-being and share an overview of their daily routine.
Emergency Preparedness
While the right dog boarding facility will strive to keep your pet safe at all times, emergency situations can still arise. Having a clear emergency action plan will help ensure your pet’s safety—even in unpredictable circumstances.
Evacuation Plans
It’s important that your selected dog boarding facility has procedures in place for fire, severe weather, or other emergencies. Plans for evacuation should be outlined in advance, specifying where dogs would be taken and how they would be transported. Having clear communication channels for emergency situations will also help staff to respond smoothly and keep pet parents informed about what’s happening.
On-Site First Aid Supplies
Stocked first aid kits should be accessible at all times to all staff. Kits should be placed in central locations and checked regularly to make sure they contain crucial supplies that are not expired.
Emergency Veterinary Access
A boarding facility should have established relationships with local veterinary clinics and 24-hour hospitals. If an emergency arises at any hour, staff should take the dog to receive appropriate medical care. At Resort for Pets, we’re proud to have an on-site hospital area where dogs can go should they present any signs of illness, being in heat, or other emergency situations that call for immediate medical intervention.
Choosing the Right Dog Boarding Facility for Your Pup
By taking the time to carefully assess a boarding facility, you’ll keep your dog healthy, happy, and secure while you’re away. The best way to do that is by bringing your dog to a facility that takes all of these safety measures to ensure their total well-being during their stay. Keep these points in mind while touring a facility, asking questions about safety policies and protocols. Staff at a reputable facility will be happy to answer these questions, reassuring you that your pup will be in good hands!