How to Tell a Good Dog Boarding & Daycare Facility From a Bad One

Several years back I traveled the country for more than a year solely to visit dog boarding and daycare businesses. I toured Lord-knows how many, and what I learned taught me valuable lessons that can benefit pet parents when choosing a facility.

Here’s the cardinal rule: Visit that business IN PERSON. ALWAYS. Even better, visit several so you can see the differences and have some context for knowing which is right for you. 

Before touring facilities in a particular area, I studied all their websites, but when visiting them I was often astonished at how different they were. What appeared online to be a nice, clean, well-maintained facility would turn out to be worn, dirty, loud, stinky, and chaotic. The staff often seemed disinterested in–even bothered by–my being there. Many places had the feel of an animal shelter–loud, chaotic, and stressful. Many reeked of urine or feces. Of course, others were good or great, but the lesson was clear: YOU CANNOT KNOW THIS UNLESS YOU VISIT IN PERSON.

What to look for:

1. How are you treated when you arrive? Are staff happy to see you, or do you seem to be a bother? Do they get to know you and answer all your questions, or hurry you out the door? (They are busy, so don’t be unrealistic with this one.)

2. Will they show you the ENTIRE facility? Or are there areas, especially dog areas, they prevent you from seeing? (Most facilities have various legitimate restrictions including insurance requirements, etc., but almost all can show you around if you follow their protocols.) They may not be hiding anything, but I wouldn’t want to take that chance. If any areas are off-limits, I’d cross that place off my list. 

3. How does the place look, smell, and sound? If they don’t maintain their facility, how well will they care for your pets? If there’s an off-putting odor, how much do they clean? Is the place sanitary? (Dog facilities will smell like dogs–no way around that–but you should not smell urine, feces, or strong chemicals.) And–importantly–how does it sound? If there’s constant, loud barking, your dog will be in a constant state of alert. This is stressful, and for some dogs can lead to high anxiety and illness. Look for a place that feels calm, in control, and relaxed. If you feel stressed, your dog would, too. (Some periodic barking and whining are inevitable, but does the business stay on top of it, and is the place quiet the vast majority of the time?)

4. What does your intuition tell you? Your intuition will, especially if you visit a few places, tell you which is right for you.

Items 1-3 are important, but #4 is your sign. What kind of feeling did the place give you? What does your intuition say? You cannot accurately know this by looking at a website. You must visit in person.