animal care by animal people

<h3>Should I bring toys for my dog when coming to board?</h3><p>Toys are great, and helpful, when dogs are at home because they grab their wild attentions and abate boredom. In boarding though, your pooch has lots of other dog friends to play with and, believe it or not, they end up losing interest in those toys!</p> <p>However, for dogs still interested in their toys when with us, but staying in our Lounge, Feedroom or in one of our offices where all the dogs are in groups and close proximity, there is sometimes the possibility of them getting possessive of their toys, which doesn't help anyone. <img alt="" src="/graphics/ic_smiley3.png" height="15" width="15">  Of course, if your dog has a toy that he's REALLY attached to, and if he's staying in an enclosure by himself, then you can always bring that along.</p>

<h3>Should I be worried if my dog or cat has lost or gained weight during their boarding stay?</h3><p>No and yes, depending.</p> <p>A little bit of weight gain or loss is very common. It doesn't happen to all pets during every stay in a boarding facility, but it does happen. Pet owners, understandably, often immediately feel that this must mean their pet has not been taken care of properly, but in fact it is more important to look at the entire context and the extent of the loss or gain.</p> <p>Commonly, pets staying in a boarding facility are not eating exactly as they do at home. They may or may not be eating exactly the same food (depending on the arrangements you've made with the kennel or cattery), and even if they are, they may not be eating exactly the same amounts because, despite every effort to get it just right, human beings differ and the precise amounts they provide may be a little different than you do when your pet is at home. So, all this small change can lead to weight gain or loss, in and of itself.</p> <p>More important and relevant than this, however, is that pets are generally much more active in a boarding facility than they are at home. Now <em>wait</em>! We're <em>not</em> saying that you aren't taking good care of your pet by not giving him or her lots of activity. No, not at all. It's just that in a boarding facility, especially one that has a good number of staff and lots of other animals around, the whole environment is very stimulating and there is a lot of exercise for dogs and lots of other general interest for both dogs and cats. And this keeps them more active and generally more stimulated, even if they're in their enclosures. And this, in turn, often leads to a bit of weight loss.</p> <p>And one more thing: In many cases, a little bit of weight loss for dogs and cats is a good thing and although we have many customers who do worry about this, we also have a great many who are pleased to see that their pet has lost a little weght in our care because, in fact, they came in to us a little overweight.</p> <p>But of course, everyone has a different perception of this, and if the weight of your pet is not medically bad, one way or the other, then we do try to maintain the weight your pet comes in with.</p> <p>This all said, too much weight gain or loss IS a problem and if you feel there has been too much either way, we truly hope you'll talk to us about this. We monitor this aspect of your pet's health very closely, with a weight check when they first arrive for boarding and then regular checking every week, or more often if we perceive a potential problem. And if there is a problem, we always let you know about it while you're away and take action when required by adjusting feeding or even consulting your vet.</p> <p>If you're interested in more insight about this important subject, take a look at our page, "<a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/weight-loss-or-gain-while-boarding" target="_blank">Weight Loss or Gain While Boarding</a>".</p>

<h3>Are all dogs welcome?</h3><p>You bet! All dogs are welcome at DKC ~ young, old, calm, hyper, quiet, loud... you name 'em, we take 'em. And your dog does <span>not</span> need to be neutered or spayed in order to board with us or come for daycare either.</p> <p>We also do <span>not</span> require a behaviour assessment beforehand for dogs to stay with us ~ believe it or not, we really do have skilled and exhaustively trained handlers who will assess your dog's behaviour and needs "on the job", in real time, and get to know them and manage them appropriately as we go. We will, of course, make sure that intact males and females do not get the chance to be "amorous" with one another, but we'll still make sure that they have lots of opportunity for socializing with other dogs, just as any other dog staying with us would. Take a look here for a little more insight into our ways: <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/love-and-other-stuff-too#Socializing-Dogs" target="_blank">Love.. and other stuff too</a>".</p> <p>We've got the skills AND the (headache) pills for the job!  <img alt="" src="/graphics/ic_wink.png" height="15" width="15"></p>