Posted on June 08, 2009 by: WayCoolDogs

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Operating a dog boarding kennel or dog sitting are never more popular than during the summer when families are on vacation. Granted, many families take their dogs with them when traveling, but the convenience of dog boarding kennels attract a lot of travelers who choose this time of year as the main “get-away” time or for emergencies that can quickly rise up. Boarding dogs or pet sitting has taken pet businesses to a new high with operating a dog boarding kennel at the top when many other businesses are either shutting down or going bankrupt.

Another reason dog owners board their dogs during the summer months is because of the extreme heat their pets will be in contact with while traveling. Heat stroke or rabies in hot countries becomes a serious matter for dogs who are in strange surroundings with every country having their own set of separate rules and regulations.

SETTING UP A DOG BOARDING KENNEL

Setting up a dog boarding kennel should always start with a business plan on how to operate a dog boarding kennel, something that many of us shudder to think about. Sitting down with someone who is already in the dog sitting or dog boarding business will make it a lot easier, and save the prospective  business owner lots of trial-and-error problems most new owners go through at high expenses and loss of time. Simple things like making sure they are protected from the elements will make major differences for the animal.

The advantages of preparing an operational dog kennel plan for boarding is to see if it will work and how it will be structured.  I call it “learning to think like a dog” while operating like a human! Will the operational boarding kennel for dogs and pets be a commercial viably enterprise and can it be put together in a format based on what your limitations are physically and financially? Not only will the developing dog business  need to be totally supported for the entire year until word gets out about it through paid advertisement and/or word-of-mouth,  but unfortunately unnecessary pitfalls and mistakes will always need to be paid for out of pocket without damaging the business by the new business owner.

Will you be able to care for the dog boarding kennel by yourself and with your wife/husband or will you need to hire employees seven days a week? The only break a professional operational dog kennel owner has is when there are no dogs to care for, which means business is down or poor, or they are paying someone else to do if for them.  And to pay someone else when a dog business is first starting up means you already have capital in pocket to stand up for the year,  or you are using up the daily profits (if there are any) which can be ill-afforded.

PROSPECTIVE RULES & REGULATIONS FOR DOG BOARDING KENNELS

• Many states may require daily paperwork requirements of six separate forms for each dog in a kennel in addition to a state license.

• Daily paperwork may be kept for two years for a record of each dog’s exercising, feeding, watering, sanitizing of water/feed bowls, cleaning/sanitizing the dog’s kennel area, and total sanitizing of the entire kennel.

• Pets should always be brought in on a leash or crate and leave in the same manner.

• Records must be kept of the boarding animal and its up-to-date inoculations. Boosters need to be given ten days in advance of boarding to protect animals already at the dog boarding kennel.

• Dogs need to have current Rabies, Distemper, and Bordetella inoculations with cats current on Rabies and upper respiratory inoculations.

• All runs should be disinfected for fleas after the boarded animal leaves, or before a new animal arrives.

• The boarded animal should always have free access to both indoor and outdoor areas at all times, never locked in crates.

• Inside buildings need to be temperature controlled.

• Outside runs need to be partially covered for shade in the summer and to protect the animals from the elements during other times.

• Larger runs should be available for multi-pet areas of families.

• A high quality food should be fed and clean cool water provided 24 hours, with animals requiring special diets to be provided by the families.

USING A DOG BOARDING KENNEL OR  A VET/SHELTER FOR YOUR PET?

I remember when most people thought nothing about taking their dog to their family vet or to a local shelter to board their pets when going out of town or family emergencies. But today, the shelters are crammed full with unwanted dogs or with pets who have been dropped off by their owners unable to care for them. Operating a dog boarding kennel has taken on an entirely new meaning in today’s times as compared to previous eras when it would have been considered a luxury.

Dog diseases are rampid today on a global basis, with the top 10 diseases being  Distemper, Parvovirus, Rabies, Kennel Cough, Infectious canine hepatitis, Lyme Disease, Coronavirus,  Obesity, and Heartworm. The less your beloved family pet is around stray or unwanted dogs, the less they are apt to be in contact with these dog diseases.  Where do people take their sick dogs? To the vet. Where do stray dogs end up with unknown diseases? Shelters.  For these reasons, even though there is no guarantee your dog–even with vaccinations that are current–will not catch something it is safer to avoid mass contact. This is where the smaller operational dog boarding kennel comes in handy that provides both indoor and outdoor shelter for your pet to be safe.

If you have advice or information on operating a dog boarding kennel please send it through the comment area. We are interested on advice or information about starting a new dog boarding business or for those who have run into unique experiences with the ones they already have.

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