14 Weird Things Dog Pawrents Brought to Boarding That Actually Worked

One of the hardest parts of being a pawrent is figuring out what to do with your dogs when you go on vacation. If you're anything like us, it's always a struggle. Our doggos are big boys and girls, each weighing around 60 pounds, so we can't take them with us on flights, meaning that we have to leave them behind with either a friend, family, or check them into a boarding facility. If you're lucky, you can use one of the first two options. But, one of our dogs is fear-reactive, so she needs a professional to look after her, meaning that we take her to a professional boarding company every time we leave. But this way, we know there are professional dog trainers around to make sure she can enjoy herself safely while we're not around. 

We are her safety net, and without us, she gets even more anxious. Thankfully, over the years, we've learned some tips and tricks on how to make her stay there more enjoyable, and much less stressful for us, because we know she's having fun. The first thing that helped was to put an old tshirt in her bed before we dropped her off, so she has our smell with us even when we're not there. It's simple and effective! Just don't bring a shirt you can't handle being destroyed. That's tip #2!

There are lots more tips from other doggo dads and moms below, so don't be shy and learn how to make your pup's vacation just as enjoyable as yours!

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Author image for Blake Seidel Blake Seidel
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  • 01
    Dogs in kennels including 'Long after the treats were gone, my dog would roll it to hear, "Butchie, I love you...I'll be back soon!!" over and over.
    via lesliejmorris

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • 02
    Hi, my Cocker Spaniel has been placed in boarding twice and gets loose anxiety after some days. I was thinking of leaving a big cut out of a photo of me and him in his next stay with used clothing so he feels a sense of security. It sounds
    via crabdance39
  • 03
    ridiculous but maybe it'll work? Haha. Has anyone had any success with their own pups or one's you've taken care of that helps the dog while their owners are away? Also I don't want to leave my baby at boarding but I live overseas and have had to go back home due to funeral reasons so I've not choice :'(
    via crabdance39
  • 04
    bickets 21h ago . Grab a clean old towel that you don't care about. Put it in your bed and sleep with it for a couple of nights so that it has your scent. Ask the kennel to put it in with your dog at night. (That stuff can go astray or get damaged, so don't send
    via bickets
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  • 05
    clothes that you actually use.) If the kennel offers extra services such as a 1-on-1 walk or outings, sign him up. I was away for two weeks and I signed my dog up for "camp" each week. It was pricey, but they took a small number of dogs out to the
    via bickets

  • We also paid a bit extra for them to spend extra time with her. It's 100% worth the money. They take her out on private walks through nature, and put in the extra effort to find dogs that she is compatible with so she gets a good amount of playtime during her stay there. When they send us the videos of her all happy and playing with a doggo, it sets our hearts at ease knowing she's having a great time.

  • 06
    woods so it broke up the monotony of the kennel for him. I also know he sleeps like a rock after an outdoor adventure. Send along some extra treats for your dog. Maybe small cans of wet food to mix in with the dry kibble as a topping. He's already out of his routine so throwing in some out of the routine positive things can really help.
    via bickets
  • 07
    Woman in pink holding a dirty shirt
    via RyanKing999

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • 08
    goddessofolympia 20h ago I got a treat puzzle ball with a recording feature (this was Japan). They said that long after the treats were gone, my dog would roll it to hear, "Butchie, I love you...I'll be back soon!!" over and over.
    via goddessofolympia
  • 09
    waywardwhippet 20h ago. • I work at a kennel that boards dogs. I'm begging you to bring a big cut out photo of yourself. I don't think it will help your dog, but myself/all of my coworkers would absolutely love it so I imagine other places would too. I thoroughly enjoy what some owners bring. I love the energy.
    via waywardwhippet
  • 10
    Used clothes/their bed are always helpful in my experience. Don't bring anything that you don't want your dog destroying though.
    via waywardwhippet
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  • We learned this lesson the hard way. The first shirt we sent with her was one our favorite shirts - we bought it probably eight years ago. Surely the older it was, the better the effect would be, right? Well, the answer was yes, but she also got bored and tore it to pieces. 

  • 11
    MaisyinAZ 21h ago I do boarding with the same person every time (probably 3 times a year) The person lives in a calm apartment and has no other pets. I probably pay more than boarding at a big facility but I think the environment makes all the difference. My dog has his dog bed and one of his regular toys and that's enough.
    via MaisyinAZ
  • 12
    soundsceneAloha 21h ago • Haha that's an interesting idea. You may also want to ask your vet about the Proviable Forte probiotic kit that includes probiotic pills that you can open and put on food along with a paste that can be given if your dog has loose stools (it hardens them up). The pill is one-a-day and the paste is only for 2-3 days if there's loose stools. Works well for my dog and I leave it with her when boarding.
    via soundsceneAloha
  • 13
    Dogs waiting
    via chris-mueller

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • 14
    Katharinemaddison 21h ago Used clothing yes. Our poor vets are often being handed a slightly witffy tee shirt. I don't think photos register for dogs really.
    via Katharinemaddison
  • 15
    myCadi 20h ago . imagine showing up with a life size cut out that would be amazing.
    via myCadi
  • 16
    He probably gets anxiety after a coupe of days since your scent is probably gone, Like others said you can probably just used a shirt that has your scent so wear something for a while and have them put it in his kennel. Sometimes that helps reduce some anxiety - nit always buy doesn't hurt to try.
    via myCadi
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  • 17
    Florida1974 · 16h ago The cut out of you will do nothing. My dog has anxiety issues went away from me. I found a teddy bear that would record a short message. We took a vacation one time and I left it behind and
    via Florida1974
  • 18
    that really seemed to help, him being able to hear my voice. And the clothing and order a blanket that you use is an excellent idea. But the photo, dogs can't walk up and see that it's you.
    via Florida1974
  • 19
    1890rafaella • 18h ago . I always took my pups bed, blanket, and toy
    via 1890rafaella
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  • 20
    bananapanqueques • 14h ago Vetality Stop the Runs (for the loose ). Zippered dog bed filled with your worn clothing à la Molly. Mutt for the anxiety.
    via bananapanqueques
  • 21
    . courage_dogs 12h ago We add a probiotic or pumpkin powder to their food while they board. My guys get loose stools over anything exciting or different and that firms it right up.
    via courage_dogs
  • 22
    who-dat24 • 10h ago I send my separation anxiety pup to boarding with two of his favorite toys. They are duplicates of the ones at home so that if they don't make it home he still has his toys.
    via who-dat24
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  • 23
    PlatypusTechnical814 · 6h ago I used to work at a dog kennel when I was 16. Options went from just normal boarding with no play time or anything all (cheapest option) the way to sleeping on the couch in the house every night. None of us cared if you paid for the
    via PlatypusTechnical814
  • 24
    cheapest option... all the dogs got to play together (unless they were aggressive towards other dogs). We wanted it to be fun for all of them
    via PlatypusTechnical814

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