Board 'Em To Fight Boredom: Why Boarding Your Dog Isn't Abandonment
Do you ever get a twinge of guilt when you consider dropping off your dog at a kennel? Well, don't! While it'd be great to spend tons of time with your dog, life happens—but boarding your dog doesn't mean you are abandoning them. There are some nice benefits of dropping them off every once and awhile:
They Get Mental Stimulation
Like humans, dogs can easily get bored if they are home alone a lot, and some even get separation anxiety. And your dog's boredom and anxiety can be taken out on the house, meaning destroyed cages, torn carpets, chewed pillows, scratched doors, and the like.
But boarders are great because instead of leaving your dog home alone while you are working or vacationing, they will be able to play with other dogs, play with new toys, and run outside. Some boarders even offer training, which can again, provide mental stimulation and discourage bad behaviors at home.
They Get to Go Outside and Exercise
The U.S. is one of the fattest countries in the world according to the Gazette Review. Because Americans can be quite sedentary, bad habits can unfortunately rub off onto family pets. Furthermore, some families like to treat their dog too much, which can lead to excess weight. And the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention says that they estimate that more than half of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight. Pet obesity is a form of neglect, so if you don't have the time to help your dog exercise, then boarding them so they can burn off some energy is actually a real blessing.
And if you do a quick Google search, you will find that you dog should be getting about a half hour of hard activity each day--so even if you walk them around the block, that may not be cutting it! Furthermore, if your dog is a working or hunting breed, then he or she may need even more exercise.
They Get Socialization
Although Americans may not walk their dogs due to laziness, the UK Kennel Club published an interesting article that paints a different pictures as to why people aren't walking their dogs. Apparently many owners were embarrassed by their dog's antisocial behavior, such as growling, so they avoided walks. However, many of these dogs hadn't been socialized as puppies, and the UK article says that socialization is important for dogs to not only have positive experiences with other canines, but to adjust to a range of experiences at home, such as dealing with children or loud noises. In short, giving your dog the opportunity to socialize with other dogs isn't going to hurt.
In short, if you've been leaving your pup home alone a lot, you may want to consider taking them to a boarder such as Canine Country Quarters.
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