
Pet Sitting vs. Kennel boarding – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Going away and planning for a trip can be overwhelming enough without having to worry about what to do with your pets while you’re gone. If you’re like me, your pets are family. I can’t simply leave them behind with just anyone.
Before going on my trip I must put my mind at ease and feel confident in the care they will get during my absence. Whether to board or hire a Pet Sitter is one of those questions we’ll need to consider. Adding to the mixed feelings of the moment is the idea that we may not know much about either option.
To help you arrive at an informed conclusion I’ve prepared this list of pros and cons. Or what I’m calling, the good and the bad. I’ll leave out the ugly. Hopefully it’s a fair and impartial list, although you probably know which way I’m going to lean. It should serve as a good starting point for anyone wanting to get more details about either choice.
Pet Sitter or Dog Walker
Good
- If you’re leaving town for any period of time the advantage of having a professionally insured and bonded Pet Sitter to visit your house regularly is an added benefit. A good Pet Sitter or dog walker will watch over your house, turn on or off any lights, bring in the mail, and generally ensure that the house looks lived in. This alone can be a big deterrent to possible burglars and a stress reliever for you.
- A Pet Sitter will most likely have general knowledge of many different kinds of pets and not just cats and dogs. I have cared for birds, turtles, hamsters, fishes, and rabbits, to name a few, and have a very good idea on how to care for each.
- Dogs and cats generally feel safer, less anxious, and more secure in a comfortable and familiar environment as opposed to being transferred to a kennel. My choice has always been, and always will be, to leave my dogs in their home.
- Pets can get extra play time and individual attention with a Pet Sitter without the extra charge that is often billed at kennels.
- A Professional Pet Sitter or Dog Walker will be First Aid and CPR certified and qualified to deal with most emergencies as well as be able to administer medication on a regular schedule.
- Certain pets such as puppies, kittens, seniors or disabled dogs, or those on medication may require a more regulated schedule and intense care and supervision. They may also undergo a fair amount of stress in kennel environments.
- A dog who has separation issues or is reactive to other dogs will certainly be better off with a Pet Sitter than in a kennel.
Bad
- A dog that does not take well with other humans, at least initially, will have a difficult time adjusting to a stranger.
- Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers charge by the hour or by 30 to 15 minutes increments of time. This can add up and ultimately become pricier than boarding.
- Pet Sitting is a very easy business to set up with very little restrictions. This means that in the mix with some highly qualified, caring, responsible, care providers you’re also bound to find many unprofessional, uneducated, smooth talkers who are looking to make a quick buck. Do your research
Kennel
Good
- Some of the newer kennels are more like resorts for your pet and operate very differently than the old variety of kennels.
- Some dogs do very well in kennels and love the interaction with other dogs.
Bad
- Some dogs do not take well to a kennel environment. They may not even eat much during their stay since their anxiety can reach a very high level.
- Many kennels are old and in need of major upgrades. Some look no different then dog shelters of 15 to 20 years ago.
- Pets at kennels are open to contracting and being exposed to infections and viruses such as Kennel cough, distemper, and other intestinal parasites.
- While some kennels can be professional operations, many others are not and can go a long way towards worsening any fear or anxiousness or separation issues a dog may already have.
- A busy kennel can be loud and high energy. This can overstimulate your dog and contribute to heightened stress levels.
- Staffs at kennels are not always properly educated in dog behavior and body language making them unable to detect when a dog is giving off signs that indicate stress and anxiety.
- Not every dog or cat gets the attention they require. Some are left alone for extended periods of time in highly stressful environments. In some cases added attention or play time are billed as extras.
- Cats are typically far more stressed at kennels then they are in their own homes.
Ideally you want to select a service which you feel is the best option for your pet. Hopefully, this will be a decision that will not be determined solely based on price, although it is a consideration.
I’ll address the specifics of what makes a good Pet care provider and what to look for during your first meeting and initial consultation in a later post. For now, keep in mind these simple points when making your decision regarding your pets care.
There seem to be an awful lot more pro’s to having a sitter. I think I’ll stick with that. We have other pets anyway that need love too. I hate to leave them alone for more than a day.
I agree Lisa. Sometimes you need to spread the love around.
I have heard really good things about animal boarding places. I bet my dog would get more attention there than he does at home! My family is going on vacation for a few weeks but we are leaving our dog behind so I am looking into different animal boarding options.
As long as you ensure that the facility is run by a well trained and responsible staff you should be fine. Good luck.
I like that you pointed out how some dogs do really well when they interact with other dogs. My dog, Milo, is very social, and I don’t want to leave him with a sitter because he likes a lot of attention. I think a pet boarding service would work well for my dog when I’m away on my vacation.
It might. As long as you research the place. Good luck.
It’s always hard to find places to board pets. My sister has a dog and she usually has to call on family to help. All of the Good and Bad tips are very helpful. I will look for places where it would be more of a resort so that my sister’s dog won’t have so much anxiety.
I’m glad this was helpful Max.
Awesome Article. This is a great information on dogs training. I don’t think that I have read such an amazing writing/blog before. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
Thank you!
Hi,
We purchased the 36” for our 50lb golden retriever. It fit her perfectly and worked well. Except after owning it two weeks our daughter zipped the door shut and left a gap just large enough for our dogs nose to fit. Our dog had her nose through, tried to push the rest of herself through and instead the zipper ripped right off the crate. Totally ruined, the material just shredded apart from the zipper. Granted, the instructions clearly say that it is not meant for a dog who may try to get out. But I felt like as a one time incident where the dog was trying to come through an open area in the zipper….. it should have held up better and been made better. Buying a metal crate for the extra 20$ now
Hope this helps.
It should.
I have a German Shepherd. I cannot board her or hire a sitter. The only place I can take her is my mom’s farm.
She was abused; the farmer I got her from starves and abuses his animals. I have known him since I was a kid.
Anyway, as a result she is very slow to warm up to people. My boyfriend now husband could not walk her for 6 months. She would grip the floor, than start thrashing, and finally aggression. It took 6 months for her to trust him.
When I did kennel her. She stopped eating and drinking. The workers said she acted like a wild animal. She would pace frantically and they couldn’t get her out of the kennel.(That’s kinda why I love her she does act feral.) I had my mom get her, the kennel was worried about her behavior.
A stranger gave her a steak once ( long story not going into details), she would not touch it unless I put my hand on it.
I also own a Doberman, who is chill for the most part, but is very protective of the house. The Sheperd will not walk with strangers. So a house sitter isn’t happening
The Doberman does fine in a kennel.
The Shepherd has to stay with my mom, and even than she will starve herself for 3 days, but eventually she will eat.
Fortunately my mom likes her, she won’t watch my dobie though.
Inspite of her flaws this German Shepherd is the most loyal dog I have ever owned.
She has pulled of some epic Rin tin tin stuff.
Jumping out of two story window and chasing down my car. Lodging herself in a too small doggie door. All because she thought I was leaving her.
I left her with a friend for a weekend. She escaped him. She tracked 15 miles across busy city and suburban streets all the way back home.
This is a dog that would sit at my grave if I died.
It’s hard to explain I am psychically linked to this dog. She knows exactly what I want her to do without saying a word. I could walk her through a busy 6 lane road without a leash. Police have stopped me and asked me if she was professionally trained because she acts like it. Honestly I don’t know anything about dog training.
Even though I have issues with boarding, she is still awesome and I am probably never going to own another dog like this.
You might do well to seek out the help of a behaviorist. I feel you need a deeper understanding of what’s going on with your dog. Your descriptions of situations lead me to different conclusions then what you’re arriving at. For example, I don’t think that what you’re seeing are demonstrations of loyalty.
Thanks so much for sharing such a helpful concept with nice explanation. Really useful post, you mentioned all viable options for this situation. As a professional pet sitter, you would be my ideal client. I can’t tell you how valuable those notes and attention to detail are. I do not take lightly the trust people place in me with their homes and precious animal companions. Thank you for this post.
I’m glad you found value in it. Thanks.
Hi Armando Morales, this article really useful for me. I confused for choosing the dog walker information what would be the best for everything. I have gotten much information by dog walker bad and good. And review this article my confusion has cleared, Thanks.
I’m happy it helped. ??
It got me when you said that there are boarding facilities that are actually like resorts for the pets. With that in mind, I will be looking for this kind of facility to ensure that my dog will have a good time while we are away. We just can’t bring him with us since we are going to a different country for a couple of days, and it can be stressful for him to travel that far.
Boarding can be stressful for some dogs. The environment and humans running it will also play a part in how well a dog takes to the place. Good luck.
I think boarding is better when it’s a pet resort. We had someone watch our dog at home and they lost our dog…the dog escaped and it was a total nightmare for us. Luckily we ended up finding her. We will always choose boarding vs having someone lose our pet.
Sorry about that. Sounds like a horrible experience for you and your dog. Good luck.
My family and I are going on a vacation and we still couldn’t decide whether to leave our pets on pet boarding or consider pet sitting. It’s a great thing that you elaborated further that by leaving them in pet boarding they might have some interaction with the other dogs. I just have to look for a great boarding pet for my babies.
Glad you found it helpful Rachel. Thanks!
It got me when you said that one should consider the kind of activities the boarding perform for the pets. My family and I are going on a vacation and we still couldn’t decide whether to leave our pets on pet boarding or consider pet sitting. We will keep in mind the things you provided when choosing a boarding facility.
I’m glad I could help Ron.
I find it very interesting that leaving a dog in a kennel would give a puppy time to interact with other dogs. My sister got a free puppy from one of her friends but since she’s leaving for Taiwan next month for a week, she’s clueless as to where to leave his her dog while she’s away. I should recommend that she look for a dog boarding place for the puppy.
Wow, I had no idea that a pet sitter can have a general knowledge of a lot of different kinds of pets besides cats and dogs. My cousin recently adopted three kittens and she found out last week that she needs to go on a trip for a week to present at a conference. She asked me if I knew of any pet services in the area and because I do not have animals, I don’t, but I will help her find options.
I found it helpful when you mentioned that some dogs do really well in boarding kennels. My wife and I want to go on vacation soon. We have a very social dog so he would probably do really well in a boarding facility.