Suggestions for dog boarding
 

We recently moved to the Village of Bonita from upstate NY. We have to go back to NY for a wedding and will need to be away for about 6 days. We have 2 small dogs we need to board them. Any suggestions that aren't too expensive?

Welcome to The Villages and to TOTV. Bonita is a great Village.

We also have two dogs so I understand your need to find a good boarding facility. There have been some recent discussions about pet sitters. You may want to check out the "All About Pets" forum. Lots of good information there from previous posts. (Also, there is a Search button on the blue bar above which you may find very helpful).

I have used a wonderful lady who takes the dogs right into her home and makes them part of the family. If she is not dogsitting anymore Im sure she can recommend someone just as good who is.

Joyce @ 352-259-6957 Good luck, I was very happy with her.

Another lady who dog sits in her home is Yvonne Paradis. She treats the dogs like her own (all sleep with her, etc.). There are a few TOTV members who use her. I know she's going out of town at the end of this month, but she does know of other sitters if she can't do it. You can reach Yvonne at 750-3761.

CHeck out the ad to the left on the TOTV home page.
 

Bed Time Tails Luxury Pet Hotel.
Brand new this year. Very nice facility. We have left our dalmatian there several times and are quite happy with the results. We can see that our dog is not intimidated when we go there....quite the opposite she is ready to go in and see Cathy and what new dogs might be there.

Cathy Coppini is the owner. She and her sister operate the hotel. And CAthy lives on the property.....352-347-7183. It is our dogs home away from home.

Check it out.

btk

This was an old post of mine concerning boarding dogs :

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Before you board your dog in a kennel, listen to see if they ask you for proof of vaccinations and other precautions (like worm tests) are required. Then, ask them how that is enforced and how they keep up-to-date records with their doggie clients.

Find out how many times a day the dog is taken out of the kennel/run and actually taken for a walk outside.

Will the establishment give your dog food that you provide in lieu of feeding their own brand? A change of food can upset a dog's stomach.

If you board your dog at a veterinarian, be sure that the boarding dogs are kept in separate rooms from the other dogs. You don't want your dog in the same room with dogs that are at the vet because they are sick.

Dogs get very bored, frustrated and nervous when they are in a kennel, especially for a long period. They don't understand that you will be returning for them. They are surrounded by other unhappy dogs that bark constantly trying to tell someone to let them out of "jail". Dogs that spend a long time in a kennel will often forget their housebreaking manners, and suffer emotional trauma for a long time after coming home. The emotional trauma could cause vomiting and diarrhea for several days.

It is not good for a dog to be in a kennel for extended periods. That is why rescue groups find foster homes for dogs until a permanent home is found.

If you can find a "cageless" facility with a large play area that would be best. However, when the dogs are loose in a playgroup they must be monitored 100% of the time. Ask the ratio of "monitors" to dogs, it shouldn't be less than one person for 15 dogs. Dogs should be separated into playgroups according to size and temperment. (Old dogs and young puppies, even though the same size, are not good companions, and timid dogs with rambunctious dogs is not ideal, either. And, you never want your little dog in with big dogs -- accidents happen). The dogs should be put in separate kennels for sleeping and eating.

If you choose to keep your dog at home and use a pet sitter, the dog will be very lonely.

Instead, find someone who stays at home (doesn't work full time) and will take your dog into their own home. Before you take him to his new home-away-from-home, let him stay with that new person in their home a couple of times for 4 hour periods each (yes, you will be paying for that). This way, the dog learns that you will be coming back to pick them up, and they also get to know the person that will be caring for them. This way, you can be sure that your dog gets along with the caretaker and any other animals in that household. If your dog is not eager to return to the caretaker after a couple of 4-hour test visits, then find another caretaker.

When you finally leave your dog, take along their own bed and something that is familiar like a favorite toy, or their regular dog dish. Also take something that smells like you, like a t-shirt that hasn't been washed or a sock that needs laundering. Give the caretaker your dog's regular food, but don't just hand over a big bag of food. Separate each meal into small baggies. That way, the caretaker will know how much to feed your dog at mealtime.

Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.

:wave: dhdennie,
Welcome to TV. Welcome to TOTV. You and your doggies are going to love it here.

I agree with K9 and others. Living in TV, you probably will find that there is no need to board your dear dogs as sitters are available.

I highly recommend Yvonne Hosking. Her phone is 352-250-1560. She is experienced and really cares for the dogs. She will keep small ones in her home or stay in your home.

pet care
 

I have had several great experiences with Preppy Pet Suites in Leesburg. They are the best I have found...you can just look them up on the internet or there is a coupon in the Daily Sun for first night free

Bedtime Tails Luxury Pet Hotel
 

My husband and I are going away in November and were concerned as to where we are going to board our silky terrier. She is still a puppy and we didn't want her just put in a cage for a week and someone check on her 1 or 2 times a day, if they even do. I came across Bedtime Tails Luxury Pet Hotel per the ad on the Talk of the Villages. I spoke to the owner Cathy who was very nice on the phone and asked if we could come and check out her place. Well my husband and I were pleasantly surprised. She has designed the pet hotel definitely with the pets in mind. They have really nice suites, NO Cages, outside play areas and on site staff ALL THE TIME. The hotel was clean and didn't smell. Its air conditioned and bright. They also play music for the pets. We spent some time with Cathy and she very pleasant and has years of experience caring for pets. You can really tell she cares for animals. You may pay a bit more but it is well worth it, and YOU DO GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!!

Also look at Village Pet Villas. Its set up like a home with bedrooms and each family gets their own room with beds and stuff. Susan is really sweet and my dogs love her!

Bedtime Tails
 

I strongly recommend Bedtime Tails Luxury Pet Hotel. My 14 year old Westie loves it there! The facilities are excellent and Cathy and her sister are very caring and experienced pet sitters. I do not find the cost unreasonable and I feel good about leaving my old "boy" there for a day or for a week.

Bedtime Tails
 

We recently moved to TV and had to board our dog for a few days. He is healthy but has special needs. After reading posts here, I called Bedtime Tails and then went for a visit. It looked great, and, as it turned out, it was! Our dog was in great shape and I felt like Cathy really did know him when we picked him up. I highly recommend this place.

We have two dogs and an 18 year old cat. Bedtime Tails sounds great, but they separate the cats and dogs. I'm wondering whether Village Pet Villas allows dogs and cats to share a bedroom. Or if anyone knows of a facility that allows "pet families" to stay together.

(I've gotten some great recommendations from this thread. Leaving my furry family at a pet sitter's home is possibly the best alternative. But that usually involves advance planning. Sometimes it's nice to find a boarding facility for those spontaneous trips.)

Village Pet Villas
 

:doggie: My handsome little man, Murphy, has been to the Village Pet Villas several times. He loves it! He's just a bit spoiled so it's a fitting place for him to be when he can't stay at home. Susan is wonderful. From the very beginning I had the feeling that she truly loves what she's doing. I would recommend them any time to anyone.