Life can be stressful just before you go on vacation. In fact, it can almost be as stressful on your fur-family as it is on you.

As it is, you’ll likely find your dogs hiding under your bed with their paws covering one eye. They’re watching you rush around the house trying to collect your belongings, tripping over each other, so stressed that you’re speaking to each other in three-word sentences.

“Did you get?”
“Do you have?”
“Where is the?”

It’s true, isn’t it? The hours and days before you go on vacation are hard on everyone in the family. You have to make sure your work is finished and the mail is taken care of. You have to pay the bills, and if you have a basement anything like ours, you also need to find someone to make sure your house doesn’t flood while you’re gone.

You’ve explored all your options. A kennel. A dog sitter. A house sitter. You’ve been exploring for months to get the right fit for your pups.

The answer must be a house sitter, right? It makes sense. You can get one of your friends or maybe even your family to look after them while you’re gone. It’ll be perfect.

Except it won’t.

What you need is a professional dog kennel — people who know exactly what to do and what you’ll need.

1. Dog Kennels Have Dedicated Staff

Sometimes you luck out and find a family member who isn’t travelling with you. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you have someone to take care of your pups.

But then again, what happens when they want to go out for dinner? What happens if they’re late from work? Are you sure they know what to do if your dog won’t eat? What happens if your dog accidentally gets into the treats during the day? And are you sure they have the time to come home at noon to walk all three dogs?

A dog kennel has dedicated staff who know what your dogs need in an emergency. They are professional dog people trained to look for issues with your pups and how to deal with an anxious or nervous dog, especially during transitions away from home, which is why preparation matters as outlined in how to help your dog adjust to being away from home.

2. Dog Kennels Operate With Timeliness

I heard a story today about a woman who first chose to use a dog-sitting service. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up with the scheduling and the dogs weren’t cared for for a few days. That’s right — a few days. “Oops” just doesn’t seem to cut it.

When you take your dogs to a dog kennel, you know they’re being cared for on a dedicated schedule. You won’t have to worry about them being forgotten or not fed or walked on time.

3. You Don’t Have to Clean the Dog Kennel

You know what they say about idle hands? Your dog may or may not be a digger, but when you’re gone for too long, they often leave a mess on the floor you don’t want to clean up. What are the chances your dog sitter is going to find all the messes?

On the other hand, when you leave your dogs at a dog kennel, you can return from your trip, whether it’s for pleasure or not, and be able to sit down and enjoy your dog’s company instead of cleaning up their mess.

4. A Dog Kennel Allows Your Pups to Be Social Animals

Dogs are pack animals. That means they need company, so when you’re gone, they’re lonely.

The good news? Dogs don’t have a sense of time, so whether you’re gone for one day or one week, the damage isn’t going to get progressively worse.

The bad news? Anxiety can be dangerous, and a bored dog can be destructive. The question you have to answer is whether your dog sitter is going to keep your dog occupied enough that, on your return, you don’t find your favourite sweater in tatters or the beds spread throughout every room of the house. Structured social exposure and enrichment help prevent boredom spirals, and when done properly, doggie daycare can provide healthy socialization rather than chaotic overstimulation.

5. Enjoy Your Vacation

Did you make sure the back door was locked? Are you sure the dog sitter did?

When you’re on vacation, you don’t want to worry about whether your dogs are well taken care of or whether they will be able to get out the back door at midnight. At a boarding kennel, you know your dogs are taken care of, and the last person that went through your back door was you.

As an added bonus, a good kennel will often send you a picture or two of your dog during their stay. Sit back, have a beer, and relax.

6. Your Dogs Are Always Welcome at a Boarding Kennel

Sometimes your friends or family accept because they genuinely care, but sometimes they do it to appease you. How did you ask them? Did you ask them to do you a favour? Of course they will. Do they like dogs? Perhaps not as much as you do.

There aren’t very many employees at a boarding kennel who don’t like dogs. That means your fur-family is going to receive the love they deserve.

7. You Can Trust the Employees of a Boarding Kennel

Trust is a difficult thing to give. First, you have to trust the new caregiver for your animals, then you have to trust that they won’t play five-finger discount with your jewellery. Even if it’s entirely unfounded, that fear will eat at you while you’re away.

When you leave your dogs with a boarding kennel, no one is in your house. All you have to worry about is getting your dog and her toys back.

There’s no question that asking your friends or family to watch your dogs is your cheapest option. There are, however, other costs that you don’t think about when you leave them at Grandma’s.

You have a few choices when it comes to where you leave your fur-family while you’re away. You can find a sitter, hire a professional dog-watching service, or choose a kennel. Take your time to choose what’s best for you and your dogs. While some dogs can handle a more hands-off approach, often a kennel will be the most appropriate option to ensure your dogs have the best, most comfortable stay possible.