family pet blog

How Long Can You Leave A Dog Alone?

Leaving your pet alone at home takes a whole new dimension, especially when you are planning to go out for a short trip. Your dog is a part of your family, but you can’t stay close to your dog 365 days and 24×7. With several family, friends, and professional responsibilities, you must leave your dog at home.

Normally, it is recommended a dog should not be left alone in the home for more than 4-6 hours. Unfortunately, it does line up with a 9-hour job or when you are planning for a short trip. Your dog needs ample access to fresh water and a place to go to the bathroom, but it does not indicate that your dog loves it.

Age is an important factor that you must think twice before planning to leave your dog home alone. Puppies not older than ten weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. In contrast, dogs between the age of 3 to 6 months should not be left longer than their age in months. (ex: a 6-month-old puppy should not be left alone for more than 6 hours).

Dogs older than six months should not be left alone for more than 4-6 hours. Although, this time frame may change slightly depending on your dog’s breed, age, and size.

Points To Consider Before Leaving Your Dog Home Alone

You must remember that dogs are pack animals. Even if you leave your dog with toys, treats, or at a safe place, they still need a human to feel comfortable and relaxed.

Some important points/things that you must ensure before planning to leave your dog home alone are as follows;

Points to remember before leaving your dog home alone:

  • Health conditions and issues
  • Age
  • Pee and poop breaks
  • Behavior and training
  • Feeding times and intervals
  • Exercise
  • Sleeping time
  • Socialization
  • Other animals in the home

How To Teach Your Dog To Stay Alone?

It’s important to limit the time your dog stays alone, although it doesn’t make sense never to leave your dog alone. It’s quite healthy for your dog to stay alone and away from you, and teaching your dog to stay comfortable alone can help you leave the house without worry.

Initially, start teaching your dog with short periods, such as 15-30 minutes, and gradually increase the schedule to show your dog that you will return. Encourage your dog to relax and sleep while you are not at home.

How To Keep Your Dog Safe When You Are Away?

As a dog owner, you must make sure that your house is completely safe for your dog when you can’t be at home.

  • Keep the doors closed to the rooms you don’t want your dog to enter.
  • Put food items in place which they can easily access.
  • Always put in a lot of fresh water.
  • Set a normal room temperature. In the summer, try leaving a fan on for your dog.
  • Make sure that home products are properly cleaned and chemical free so that there will be no chance your dog will get into them.
  • Don’t Leave Your Pet in the Yard Unsupervised.
choosing a dog boarding facility near me

Choosing A Dog Boarding Facility Near Me

Your dog, your pet, is one of the most precious members of your family. Hence, you are bound to be worried whenever you travel outside for work or even for a vacation. Not all resorts or holiday destinations have dog daycare services. So here comes the biggest question, where do I leave my dog?

Often you would find yourself calling in favors from friends and family to look after your dog, while you are away. But, it does get a little too much if you have to do it every time! Why not look for great dog boarding services and uncomplicated matters at your end?

Important Questions To Ask At Dog Boarding Facility

  1. What Kind Of Kennel Do do They Provide?

The kennel should have a cozy and clean bed and blanket. A temperature controller should be fitted in the kennel and have fences so that dogs cannot flee or escape. Also, there should be ample space so your pet can easily fit in the kennel.

  1. What Will They Feed Your Dog?

Always check with the dog boarding service provider about what brand of food they will provide your pup. If they provide food from another brand, try to provide the food from your side or ask them to provide the same brand of food; otherwise, it will upset your puppy’s stomach. They should provide nutritious and high-quality food.

  1. For How Long Will They Take The Dog For The Walk?

At least once a day, they must take the dog out for a walk to get outdoor exposure.

  1. What Amenities And Activities Will They Do With The Dog?

When dogs exercise and do outdoor activities, they get mental stimulation and even thrive. So the dog boarding facility needs to make them perform different activities to train them.

  1. Is An Emergency Vet Available?

At the time of illness of the dog, make sure that the dog boarding has a vet onsite with skilled care, and they should have proper medication.

  1. How Often Are Kennels Cleaned?

To maintain hygiene and sanity, clean the kennel regularly.

  1. How Many Staff Is Working There?

Make sure that the staff is well-trained and certified. Also, check that your dog receives enough attention and care from the staff. Check that at night, will there be any staff available or not look after your pooch.

Perks Of Keeping Dogs At Boarding Facility

  1. Dog Will Get Proper Nutrition

Dog boarding service provider has experts who provide the correct nutrition and food to the doggies. They have numerous varieties of high-quality wet and dry food available, and they will feed the dog exactly what is needed.

  1. Timely Medication

Be assured that they will provide timely treatment or medication if you leave your dog with the dog boarding. If there is some distortion, then proper medical care is given to your pup.

  1. Socialization

There will be many pups at the boarding station, so your dog will have enough time to socialize. Not only this, but they will also be showered with attention, love, and care by the staff.

Cost

This is also a big deciding factor when determining the right dog kennel services. Although you will not compromise your dog’s safety and comfort, however, there are quite a few boarding services that overcharge as compared to others. Evaluate all the dog kennel rates before deciding on the one you want to choose.

Family Pet is your one-stop solution for high-quality dog boarding services across Spring, Texas. With experienced dog trainers and in-house veterinarians, we care for your dog as our own!

the easiest way to keep your dog clean

The Easiest Way to Keep Your Dog Clean!

There are many people who love pets more than anything else in the world. They dedicate a lot of their time to their pets and try to comfort them in the best way. But keeping pets clean is one of the most important things you should know if you are a pet owner. Their cleanliness affects their health to a great extent and that is why it is necessary to ensure that they are kept hygienically.

In this article, you will get to learn 5 simple tips that are very useful in maintaining the cleanliness of your pet. Go through them nicely and try to incorporate them into your daily life.

  1. Wipe their body nicely every day

It is very important that you wipe the body of your pets every day. This will remove all the dust and dirt that stick to their body hair and they will be free from various diseases caused due to germs. For this, you can use wet wipes as they are handy and very easy to use. You can also carry them with you to any place you are traveling with your pet.

For pets that require special medications and special monitoring, we also provide medical boarding respectively.

  1. Keep a check on their oral health by visiting a pet store

You should clean your pet’s mouth regularly as there might be many germs that lie within. This also prevents bad breath and your pet will have good oral health. Cleaning their mouth regularly will also spread fewer germs in the house as animals tend to lick various things. Ensure have a visit to your nearest pet store services to keep your pet in the healthiest state possible.

  1. Clean all the objects used by them

A pet has a separate plate for eating and many also have toys specially reserved for them. These objects need to be cleaned regularly as they will also help in maintaining the cleanliness of your home. Pets have separate beddings which also need daily cleaning as this will help in maintaining proper hygiene and they will fall sick less.

  1. Keep their ears clean

It is a well-known fact that many germs sit on the ears of animals and breed there. This is why the ears of the pets should be kept completely clean and the cleaning process must be carried out daily. You should be very careful while doing the same as animals have very sensitive ears and they are extremely dependent on what they hear.

  1. Cut their nails in short intervals

The nails of animals grow very fast and they accumulate a lot of dirt. Animals roam around the whole of the house all the time and they dig in various things. This is why their nails become very dirty and they need to be cut in short intervals to prevent dirt from spreading all around the house.