Your Canine's
Sense of Smell

A much larger part of a dog’s brain is devoted to processing smells than yours. Some search dogs locate people buried under the snow of avalanches, search for evidence in crime, and find people in the water. Cloudy days, mornings, and evenings are the best times for dogs to search. And depending on the conditions, dogs can pick up a scent up to a half a mile away!

Learn more about dog senses, training and agility at this free dog agility teleseminar.

Training & Obedience

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Dog Kennel Boarding

Dropping Off & Picking Up Your Dog From the Boarding Kennel

When you drop your dog off at the kennel, you may be feeling nervous or even upset. It’s normal to feel guilty and worried at leaving your pet, even when you feel confident that the kennel is a fine place to stay. Try to stay calm – you really are doing this for your dog’s benefit! Take him in, hand him over (with a favorite treat if possible), and be very casual about leaving. If you normally talk to your dog when you part, you might say “So long, Rex, I’ll see you later,” or something like that, but for goodness’ sake, don’t hug him or cry or make a fuss: you’ll only

upset him. Be casual, wave goodbye, remind yourself that he’s going to have a lot more adventure than he would shut up alone at home, and get out of there.

Similarly, when you pick him up, hold off on the public demonstrations of affection! No big hugs, no big deal. You don’t want to unwittingly teach him that he has just endured something! Say hi to him, take his leash and whatever stuff your brought with him, and either cram him into his crate or let him in the car. Don’t give him a treat when you pick him up; only when you drop him off. Think of it this way: when you drop him off, a treat helps distract him from your departure, and makes coming to the kennel into something to be anticipated with liver-flavored memories. When you pick him up, your presence is the only treat he’ll need.

Also, when you get him home, give him a couple of hours to re-acclimate before you give him a meal. He might run straight to the kitchen or to his bowl, but stay strong: the excitement of returning often turns dogs’ stomachs delicate. He might be thirsty, but instead of giving him a big bowl of water, just give him a little – maybe a quarter-cup at first, then after fifteen minutes, another quarter-cup. The goal here is to prevent vomiting: dogs tend to gulp when they’re excited, and your dog may suck down a potful of water only to have it come back up again!

Let him get used to being home, and get him right back into your normal routine. Don’t lavish him with attention: wait until your normal play or exercise time, but do make sure he has the opportunity to relieve himself soon after returning home. He may want to check out the house first, but it’s a safe bet that between his stay away and the trip home, he’s had a lot more excitement than usual!

The Big Trip

Once your dog has visited the kennel for a few days and a couple of overnights or weekends, he should be pretty well adjusted to the change. By this time, you should know some of the kennel’s staff members, and in particular, the ones who like and spend time with your dog. Now, you can probably leave him for a week or more without much worry or stress.

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