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You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Dogs > Dog Boarding/Kenneling > Boarding Chessie
Expert: Lani O'Brian - 10/28/2009
Question
We have an inside Chesapeake Bay retriever, we are travelling to UK on 10th Nov - 5th Dec. The boarding facility my husband wants Ben to go to has outside kennels in Utah. I am paranoid he will be cold, he doesnt have a very thick coat at the moment. He went there last year and really seems to like the trainer who owns the facility. (He gets to work not just play)I sent a nice bed to put in kennel last year, he shredded it! so they put straw inside. What are your thoughts, is straw warm enough, I used to use it for my horses but their stables were inside.
Answer
Hi Wendy,
I have a few suggestions that may help ease the paranoia of boarding Ben in an outdoor facility.
I'm not sure what his eating habits are, if he gets measured amounts, or if he is free fed... but you could increase his food intake before and during his boarding stay. This will help add more fat and protein into his system which could help. If he is on a free feed diet, you could try adding a high performance formula into his regular food. I know pro-plan makes a good working/high energy formula.
Something that you could consider taking along for him to be warmer:
If he has a kennel or pet carrier (the plastic vari-kennel type work best# ask the owner if you could bring that. If he would shred a bed or blanket you may be able to cover the kennel with a blanket, making a more insulated dog house for him. If he isn't used to being kenneled that is ok. If it is open and he is cold... dogs naturally will try and huddle up in a smaller area. I find that in my facility that dogs that will shred a stuffed bed, may not do as much damage to a non-filled item, such as a fleece blanket #of course, those do get ripped up from time to time also).
As long as he is healthy weight he should be comfortable, but I'm sure you are worried with such a long stay. You may want to consider looking for an indoor boarding facility as back up... I would hope the owner of the kennel Ben went to last time would be more concerned with the health and safety of the pets in their care than making a profit... and if there were issues you could arrange to have Ben transferred to a different boarding facility.
Best of luck, I hope that these may have given you some ideas to think over.
Lani
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