If you like to vacation in exotic countries and want to spare your dog the stress and noise of a flight, you have to think about where to put him during the vacation. For many people, family members or neighbors take care of the pet during the vacation. However, if you cannot fall back on this, you have to look for one of the following alternatives as dog care.
- Dogs are often taken to a boarding house, a dog day care center or a dog hotel while on vacation.
- The dog hotel should not have a strong smell besides the usual dog smell. Bad, musty air is an indication of poor hygiene.
- With dog sitting, strangers take care of the dog for a fee and this care model is very popular.
- In addition to drawing up a contract for the animal keeper, the right insurance is a key issue.
The dog boarding house: optimal dog care by experienced staff
Dogs are often taken to a boarding house, a dog day care center or a dog hotel while on vacation. These facilities are precisely tailored to the needs of our four-legged friends and, in addition to being well-equipped, usually also offer friendly and trained staff who lovingly take care of the animal guests. Often there is even a dog grooming service attached.
To make sure that you choose the right kennel for your darling, a few criteria should be observed. The boarding house should:
- Prescribe worming and vaccination records for their guests;
- provide the dogs with exercise in addition to staying in the kennel;
- keep no more than two dogs per kennel;
- have a certificate of competence according to § 11 of the Animal Welfare Act.
In addition, the dog hotel should not have a strong smell besides the usual dog smell. Bad, musty air is an indication of poor hygiene. But if you can bring your own food, that’s a good sign. This is more likely to be eaten by the dog and he will feel a little more at home in the unfamiliar environment. Also, make sure that the staff asks a lot of questions and how they treat the animals – one or two pats certainly won’t harm your four-legged friend. Last but not least, it is very informative to look at the dogs that are already housed in the kennel. If they make a healthy and satisfied impression, one can assume that the animals are doing well with the carers.
The alternative: the dog sitter
Dog sitting is another option. Strangers take care of the dog for a fee and this care model is very popular. For many people, dog sitting is turning from a hobby into a job that earns them a living. However, the prices of the various dog sitters can vary greatly. As a rule, however, the costs for a dog sitter are still lower than for a boarding house or a dog hotel.
However, when making a choice, you should make sure that the potential walker has some qualifications and experience. The ideal dog sitter should make a serious and conscientious impression and, above all, get on well with the dog. It is a good idea to introduce the dog and his future caretaker to each other before they go on vacation and let them spend some quality time together. In addition to walking and feeding times, any questions that arise can then be clarified directly. In any case, the person in question should be over 16 years of age. Letting children take care of a dog alone is considered negligent in the event of damage – especially with large dogs. In such cases it may be that the dog insurance does not have to pay for the damage.
Of course, the dog sitter must be given the vacation address and the vet’s phone number. What is initially an arrangement for the vacation, then often develops into a long-term agreement from which both dog owners and sitters and above all the dog benefit. With such a solution, the customer is not torn from his familiar environment and is happy about the new company.
The right insurance for dog care
In addition to drawing up a contract for the animal keeper, the right insurance is a key issue. Regardless of whether the dog is given to a boarding house or a dog daycare center or is looked after by a dog sitter, your own dog liability insurance is not liable for damage caused by a third party guardian according to Section 834 of the German Civil Code (BGB )have arisen. Normally, if the dog does something, the dog insurance will cover possible claims for damages. However, since the supervisors are commercially active people, they must take out insurance themselves. You are liable if the dog you care for injures itself, other people or animals and damages their property (including that of the animal keeper himself). For the dog sitter, this means that they have to take out dog sitter insurance. The boarding house must also take out public liability insurance.
However, if you leave your dog to family, friends or neighbors free of charge, you should make sure that your own dog owner’s liability includes the risk of outside guardians. In the last step of the dog insurance comparison, you can check which policies from the various insurers include this. However, there are some providers who do not cover damage that occurs to the third party custodian himself or his home, for example. This important point should be checked when concluding the insurance contract.
