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Give Your Pet the Gift of Good Care While You’re Gone

By Brandon Butler

So you’re headed out of town again. Whether it’s business or pleasure, you’ve certainly spent some time looking for a nice place to stay with a soft bed and all the modern conveniences so you can get the rest and relaxation you need. But what about your pet? If they can’t come with you, your four-legged friend should be well cared for at the very least, and there’s no reason you can’t deliver. Here are some of the options available.

Have a Neighbor Check-In

It’s wonderful if there’s someone nearby who loves animals and doesn’t mind popping over to throw some food in the bowl and open the door so your critter can run around the yard a bit. Things will likely go swimmingly if your dog or cat is mild-mannered and free of health problems that require special treatment. After all, they’re in their own element. However, all sorts of problems could arise if your pet is on medication or suffers from separation anxiety as your neighbor will likely do things according to their own schedule rather than your pet’s.

Hire a Pet Sitter

A dog or cat sitter someone who would stay at your home or visit frequently to take care of your pet. There are numerous advantages to this arrangement, say the folks at Wild Things Pet Services. For one thing, your dog or cat would feel less stressed in familiar surroundings where they can keep the same exercise and feeding routines. Also, their risk of catching an illness is greatly reduced. As for the sitters, they’re generally well trained and experienced professionals who know if your pet needs special treatment or medical attention from a veterinarian.

Hand Them Over to a Loved One

They’re likely familiar with your critter and their habits, while your critter knows them by scent. That makes your friend or relative a top candidate to look after your cat or dog while you’re away from home. It’ll most likely be an enjoyable experience if the human doesn’t have an animal of their own to play with but understands the rudiments of pet care. Be sure that you leave clear instructions, especially for feeding, along with all the equipment and medication the critter needs, writes an expert with BarkPost.

Board Them in Style

Though it’s usually cheaper than hiring a sitter, there are some other benefits to dog boarding that you may not have considered. Your pet will get much more physical and social interaction here as there are so many other dogs to play with, often in a large yard or pools just for them. As for the cats, they can flex their feline skills on climbing trees and winding walkways. Chances are it’s more fun than your home, but that doesn’t mean they don’t miss you.

Check In at a Pet Hotel

Now you’re at the luxury end of the market. First off, your pet has much roomier accommodations than a cage — and sometimes even their own room depending on the establishment. Ample playtime with other dogs, while supervised by a trained professional, is a must, as well as a balanced meal plan that includes whole grains and lean meats. As you can probably guess, these services do not come cheap, often rising into the hundreds of dollars.

Your dog or cat may be a little anxious before you leave, and they’ll show it by pacing, making a racket, and urinating or defecating in all the wrong places. You can soothe your pet’s nerves by giving them treats or just wearing them out with exercise. If you’re suffering from anxiety of your own, just remember all the fun you’re going to have together when you get back.

Puppy Classes at Tisol in Vancouver start August 14th!

Increasing the difficulty of any exercise in dog training is based on three variables. First adding longer DURATION, more challenging time or endurance. Second adding DISTANCE and increasing the difficulty by small increments of distance travelled. Third and finally adding DISTRACTIONS to the training to proof it. However, you don’t work all those variables together or you will set the dog up to fail.

The idea is to start with easy wins to build stability!

For instance: first you teach a “sit” in a stationary position with a release word so the pup understands not to release until you say the magic word “okay!” If you do not have a release word choose one!

I use “Break” for one dog and “Free” for my other.

Then you want to add DURATION: Adding more time before you release in an area where there are little or no distractions. A stationary sit is still a sit-stay…but it’s more challenging when we walk away.

Adding DISTANCE: Once the puppy is holding a stay without being asked, I will finally name it “stay!”  Usually, a flat hand toward the dog’s face before I walk away will spatially pressure the dog to not follow me. At this point keep the distance short so you can replace the dog in a sit if it follows you. Always return to the puppy to release it, as not to confuse the pup and encouraging it to come to you. Eventually, you will use this to set your dog up for recalls, but in the beginning you will likely just make your dog anticipate the “come” and break the stay.

Don’t add more distance and more duration simultaneously or you will set the puppy up to fail. You want to get really good successful reps before you start adding distractions to the training.

Once you get a really good sit-stay and you are able to walk away and return, you are ready to start adding DISTRACTIONS: take it to busy environments with noise and lots of movement. I always drop my criteria for distance and duration when I add distractions. So start with a stationary sit-tay in a busy place to assure success and to build stability. Ultimately you can proof your stay by throwing toys or dropping treats and releasing your dog to rewards. You at this point should be ready to do successful down-stays to recalls as well.