Please make sure of the following: Country Kennels has received proper documentation of up-to-date vaccinations for each pet prior to your arrival. A Health Care Directive form has been completed for each pet 8+ years old or with health concerns and accompanies your pet at check-in. Your Veterinarian has been notifed of your Health Care Directive wishes for each pet. Emergency contact names and phone numbers are provided at check-in. Allow yourself at least 20-30 minutes for check-in to properly review all necessary information and sign your contract. Don't forget to account for the hustle and bustle during times of peak lodging, (i.e. holidays and summer vacations) You have provided enough pre-packaged and labeled servings of food and treats for the entire stay, if you are choosing to bring your own pet food. Include up to a 2 day extra supply, just in case you are delayed. If your pet is a puppy, senior, or on a special diet, we ask that you bring your own food. All medications are sent with your pet in the original prescription bottles and properly labeled for dispensing, and that the count is adequate for the entire lodging, with a 2 day extra supply. Pack 1 toy and 1 small personal item (labeled with permanent fabric marker) per pet friend to comfort your pet(s) during their stay. These items must be machine washable and of little value, since Country Kennels will not be responsible for lost or damaged items. As a full service facility, we provide all necessary toys, bowls and bedding for the comfort of our guests. No additional items are permitted. You have fully considered the activity capabilities of your pet friends and requested them accordingly. Please don't request Play Time for your geriatric pet who is normally unable to participate in this type of activity. We don't want you to pay for services which your pet does not appreciate. We do offer a Hugs & Kisses session for pets who cannot participate in our play times or just want a little extra love and attention. Other Questions and Helpful Hints for Lodging Pets What are the advantages to lodging my pet and will he/she like it? Today, pet owners have several options for the care of their pets while away from home. The most popular option is lodging in a pet care facility designed primarily for dogs and cats. Trained staff attends to the every need of your pet while monitoring the state of his/her health and well-being. With the hours of on-site observation by the trained staff, amenities, and services provided, lodging your pet continues to be the best value for your dollar. Our manager lives on site and is available 24/7 in case of an emergency. Most guests adapt very quickly once settled into their rooms and become very comfortable with the busy and exciting environment. Lodging offers a positive distraction to your absence while allowing your pet a chance to socialize safely with others. Occasionally (but rarely), a guest may experience some dissatisfaction with his/her situation and this is usually seen with territorial or fear aggression or even tearing up their bedding. This most often occurs in pets who are lodging for the first time, or an older pet with a pre-existing health condition who is more sensitive to environmental changes. Always discuss your concerns with a staff member who is eager to offer helpful information to allow your pet friend a comfortable stay. Now that I have selected a lodging facility, what do I do? As a responsible owner there are a few things you must attend to before lodging your pet friend. After touring and deciding you are comfortable with your lodging selection, make sure to book your pet friend's reservation early. A deposit is usually required, and during peak lodging times spaces fill up well in advance. Please make sure to inform the staff of any special idiosyncrasies or medical problems your pet friend may have (history of epilepsy or fear of thunder, etc.), so that they may partner with you in keeping your pet friend healthy and happy. Pets should be prepared psychologically for lodging away from home and it's best to begin a puppy as soon as the immunization program is completed. Up-to-date vaccinations for DHLPPC, Rabies, and Bordetella are requirements for any services provided for your pet friend at any lodging facility. All immunizations should be current one (1) week in advance for any Lodging, Styling or other services at any facility of your choice. This insures effective response by the immune system, as well as providing a safety net of time to detect any possibility of vaccine reaction that may occur. As well, your pet friend should also be free of internal and external parasites and should not have been exposed to any contagious diseases. Even though your pet friend had a negative fecal exam 2 months prior, he/she could be re-infected just by walking on the neighbors grass. As a precaution, do not feed your pet at least four hours prior to arrival to minimize the possibility of stomach upset. Make sure to inquire with staff prior to arrival if there are any other requirements, restrictions, or additional fees associated with your pet friend's stay. For instance, full service lodging facilities restrict or limit personal items because they provide everything necessary to ensure the comfort of your pet's stay. As well, if you hand feed your pet and this is expected in lodging, usually there is an additional fee. Be prepared to ask all necessary questions to ensure the comfort of your pet even if this requires two tours or visits. Staff is always eager to inform owners about services their facilities can provide, so please do not think any question is too silly. In a partnership, all information is graciously shared to ensure your pet friend has an enjoyable, comfortable, and relaxing lodging stay or visit. Helpful Hints Keep in mind that by nature, dogs prefer "to den". This means when you feel a larger space is needed, it may not be necessary. In fact, dogs feel more secure and less apprehensive in a small den-like area. This is because dogs are inherently protective of their living area in the wild. The less living area there is to protect, the more secure the pet feels in its new area. Similarly, when cats are introduced to new surroundings, they prefer to hide, especially if it is during daylight hours. They believe if they don't see you, you cannot see them. Cats take a little more time with acclimation to their new surroundings and optimal lodging arrangements should include a place to hide until they feel comfortable. However, once acclimated to their environment, they prefer to jump and be perched in a safe place, so multi-leveled accommodations make your feline friend's stay more enjoyable. At home, dogs find ways to alleviate their boredom, especially in times when owners are at work or just running daily errands. One way they do this is by chewing. Too often, owners advise us their Labrador Retrievers chew so aggressively that they consume a large rawhide every day at home. To the contrary, in lodging your pet friend, there is little time to be bored with all the new sights, sounds, and activities they so eagerly want to be part of. It is like taking your pet to Disney World! Therefore, lodging pets chew very little if at all! It is okay to pack a few chew items for your pet , but not necessary to over pack, especially when you might need these items upon your return home. We do not allow rawhide or pig ears to be consumed during their visit with us. These items could lead to intestinal blockages and so we have chosen not to give them to our guests. At home, cats are seldom bored. They always find ways to entertain themselves and value long naps. As for their human friends, every owner knows that they are their cat's servant. This display of superiority and independence is no different when feline guests are lodging and interacting with caretakers at a lodging facility. Importantly, it is necessary for every owner to understand that although they may allow their pet friends to over indulge at home by feeding them a variety of different snacks, treats, and foods, it is not a good idea to change their diets during lodging. Quite often, owners want to switch their pet's diet to the house food, or change to a different brand when they arrive for lodging. This is strongly not recommended! Changing from normal food and treats adds an element of stress which can lead to refusal to eat, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. When this happens, it is hard to assess exactly what may be occurring medically with our guest. We are proud to serve Pedigree foods and treats to our lodging guests. However, transition to this product should be done gradually at home 3 to 4 weeks prior to arrival if you are opting not to bring your own food. One question that is most commonly asked is, "Will my dog need a bath when I pick him/her up?" We can only share some insight of our daily observances with guests and how they react when away from home. Males inherently want to let every other male know that they are the new law in town. Therefore, with their association among large numbers of other males during lodging, they find it necessary to initiate all areas as often as possible. This is usually not a problem during day hours when caretakers are available to respond promptly for clean-ups. However, because it is necessary to allow the pets to rest during their normal sleep cycles at night without interruption, all too often these pets may continue to silently initiate in their rooms and are oblivious to walking through their own initiations. Elderly dogs and spayed females also frequently experience incontinence. Additionally, just as non-smokers realize residual odors on their clothing only after leaving a smoky facility, animals may pick up the natural scents in a boarding facility, no matter how clean the facility is kept. Consequently, we always recommend a departure bath when lodging. A fresh and clean pet is so much nicer to take home! Keep in mind, if you schedule a departure bath or styling service after the 12pm (noon) check-out time (on your pet's departing day) no additional daily lodging fee applies unless the guest is returned to his/her room. What a great value! All pets need an occasional bath, but it is more important to keep your pet combed and brushed, especially if your pet has long hair. Matted hair can easily cause skin problems and unnecessary discomfort for your pet friend, especially if daily sanitary cleaning is required. Regular brushing improves your pet friend's skin tone and circulation, and makes the coat healthier and more attractive. If you know that your pet friend requires a daily sanitary cleaning or regular brushing please inform the staff upon arrival so we may make the necessary arrangements to ensure the comfort of our guest during his/her stay. Make sure to give your pet friend a "business" break at home and in the designated pet relief area prior to arriving in the lobby. Arrival anxiety stimulates a guest's gastro-intestinal system, which can lead to your pet friend's embarrassing accident in the lobby area which is usually full of other pets and their owners. However, if you have covered your bases and there is still an accident, no problem! We will be happy to assist you in cleaning it up. Any personal items left for your pet friend during his/her stay must be labeled and of no-value. Anyone picking-up, keeping track, and doing laundry at home, knows how difficult it can be to keep up with this in the average household of 4 people. Likewise, a pet facility will do daily laundry (on average) for approximately 50-100 guests. Full service lodging facilities are equally equipped with all the toys and fun items needed, so multiple toys from home are unnecessary.