If you are planning a trip you have probably been thinking about what to do with your pets when you go away. You will be pleased to know that there are plenty of options that you can choose from, including home boarding.
If you have decided that you would like your dog to stay in the home of another Pet Lover while you go away then you probably want to know about the type of people we choose to be hosts for our Home from Home Boarding service.
The 5 Criteria Of A Home From Home Boarding Host.
#1. Animal Lover
It’s obvious that we want someone who LOVES animals to take care of your pets. When we meet with them we want to know all about their love of animals.
Maybe they have had pets in the past or as a child, but they are not quite ready to get a pet of their own full time.
However, they are very experienced in handling animals – that’s a must for us.
If someone is looking after my 2 dogs I want to know that they are strong enough to handle two excitable Pointers. That they have the skills to control them and make sure they are behaving, but that they have endless amounts of hugs and kisses for them – because big dogs need lots of kisses too.
#2. No Pets (or very few) Currently.
There are lots of reasons why an animal lover might not have any pets. Maybe they lost a pet recently and haven’t felt ready to get another pet of their own or maybe they like to travel part of the year and can’t commit to a pet 365-days a year.
Having no pets doesn’t mean they aren’t familiar with them.
While many home boarders have several pets in their home at once, including their own, we have opted to provide a very personal 1 to 1 level of care where there are very few, if any, pets in the boarders home.
This means your pets get:
• 1 to 1 care
• A conflict free home
• A safe environment
#3. Secure Garden
This is extremely important for any home boarder. Their garden MUST be secure, including any fencing, walls and gates. Gates should also have a lock on them.
It also needs to be private, so that no-one else has access to it at any stage.
The garden also needs to be a suitable size for any dogs that might be in it. Ponds need to be covered for safety.
My 2 dogs are escape artists, so I would want to know that they were safe in a host’s garden. Even if they weren’t escape artists, I would still want to know that they couldn’t wander off or get taken from a garden. Security for me would be a main priority.
#4. Maximum 4 hours Away From The Home
To make sure that your pet gets lots of love, cuddles and attention we require that Hosts are not away from the home for more than 4 hours at a time.
Typically, we look for people who
1. Work from home
2. Are a Part Time Worker
3. Are a Home Maker
4. Are Retired
We find that these types of people have more ‘at home’ time where they can be with your pets.
My dogs are used to me being around all the time. They are in the office with me and can come over for some attention and a hug any time they want.
I know if they were in a host’s home and were left for too long they would get lonely and potentially destructive. So, for me, 4 hours would be the maximum I would want them alone.
#5. No Young Children
We made the decision that our hosts should not have young children for the safety of both the child and the pets.
Your pets may be used to your children, but they might not be used to other peoples.
A host can manage your pets care much easier if there are fewer people coming and going from the home.
My 2 dogs don’t really spend a lot of time around children and while they are super friendly, they can be a little bit excitable! I would prefer they were around older children that they couldn’t potentially knock over.
How Can We Help You?
If this sounds like the kind of Home from Home environment you would love for your pets then we would love to hear from you and see if we can match you with one of our hosts.
Complete the Contact Form or call Freephone 1800 30 30 10.
Do You Sound Like The Perfect Host?
Register your interest and we will be in touch for an initial chat.