I'm looking for a low cost, pet friendly dog sitter solution for our 3 year old dog while we're on vacation later this month. I don't particularly want a stranger coming to our home to walk and feed her but maybe that's the only option outside of a kennel? Any suggestions?
Thanks-
I apologize for tardiness in getting back to everyone but thanks so much for your responses. I ended up taking our dog to Greenacres K9 Resort in Boring, Oregon -- the folks were great there and simply had "dog people" written all over them. Most important of all, of course, was that she was happy & healthy when we returned. I had also heard from people who offered in-home dog sitting services and also was grateful for those, however, I didn't feel I had time to get those arranged before we left -- but thanks for the offers anyway!
A friend of mine uses a doggy day care in the Tigard area and they do overnight boarding as well. It's called Club K9 and the phone number is ###-###-####.
We love Green Acres K-9 Resort in Boring, Oregon. Google the name and the website will pop up. Our dog has so much fun there, is well taken care of, and its affordable. I was a little worried the first time I dropped him off b/c I didn't see much of the facility but when I picked him up and he was so happy and not clingy or freaked out at all I knew it was the perfect fit. The best part was that he played so hard he slept for four days. Its in the country and the dogs have lots of room to run, play, and swim. Highly recommend it!!
If your dog does well with other dogs, try looking into a doggy daycare that also does overnight boarding. This way the dog gets plenty of exercise and attention during the daytime, and a safe place to sleep at night. Our dog loves to go to "dog camp" and will whine and circle the back of the car when we get near the building. He runs right in (away from us) and just loves it. Most places seem to be within a few dollars of each other per night, so price wasn't really the deciding factor for us. You'll need to fill out an application with your dog's health and personality records and usually get your vet to sign vaccine records - then they usually ask you to bring in your dog for a half day evaluation to make sure he does well with the other dogs (they usually don't allow toy or water bowl aggressive dogs or excessive barkers). We like the daycare boarding option better than traditional kenneling because the dog isn't sitting in a kennel all day with an extra charge to get out and walk around. I don't know what's down in your area, but some to start with to compare against that have overnight boarding a little further away from you include Central Bark, Noah's Arf, and Howladay Inn. Seems you must have a cleaver name:) Once you establish an account with a doggy daycare, it is really easy to call for reservations and drop your dog off for a day, half day, or overnight as your family makes plans for things -- we use the daycare option occasionally if we're planning some type of event at our home to tire out our dog, and the overnight options if we zip out of town sometimes for places that don't take pets. Good luck!
We have a wonderful dog sitter we can recommend if you do not find a kennel. Feel free to email me privately and I will get you her information. She has sat for us and many of our friends and everyone has been very pleased with her. She'll even water your plants while you are away. :)
A.
I have heard of places that kennel your pets but that they have big yards to play and run in. I would google it.
Hi P.,
I live in Tualatin and do a lot of house/pet-sitting. I just finished a job today, while the owner went to Hawaii for a week. I am retired and do this as a supplement to my Social Security. I have several clients that I sit for and can provide you with several references. I love dogs and they all seem to love me.
I realize it's hard to find someone you can trust come into your home and take care of things while you're away and someone you can be sure will be kind to your pet. That's why I would recomend that you follow up on my references if you are interested.
I try to keep your pet pretty much on any schedule that you may have them on, but more than anything I treat your pet like I would want mine treated if the situation was reversed.
I, of course, spend each night in the home with your pet and if I have to leave during the day, I take care of your mail, water your plants, set out your garbage and anything else that you would like to have done while you are gone.
I have talked to people that have boarded out their pets and vow that they will never do it again as they felt their pet was traumatized by the experience. Well, it's for sure they can't give your pet the personal attention and love that I do.
I don't want to put my client's names and numbers on line here, but if this sounds like something you would like to look into you can email me at ____@____.com and I will send you their names and numbers.
I charge 25 dollars a day if you are within 10 miles of me or 30 dollars a day up to 25 miles from my house.
B. Cummins
Hi P.,
Have you tried a local vet's office? We board our very large collie at his vets. It usually runs about $15-30/day. Ours is usually around $25 because our dog requires medicine every day.
I would also suggest looking into Petco or Petsmart, they also have a boarding facility at their new Tualatin store just across from I-5, I think they are a little bit cheaper than a vet's office and they get more attention there.
Those are just a couple of options we do when we go on vacation, I hope they will give you some ideas. Enjoy your vacation coming up :)
http://petsitters.sittercity.com/
I know you said you didn't want a stranger, however this site has gotten a couple awards so maybe that would put your mind at ease. You can post an add and put a price up... you have to pay, but I think your paying because all the people that sign up go through a background history... "I THINK" you'll have to read a little more to find out! I hope that helps.. you could always look on craigslist.com too.. but they don't have background checks.
I know I'm really late on this response but I take my dog to Canine Country in Tualatin. www.caninecountry.us, there is an upfront process but your dog(s) get to be out loose with the other dogs 24/7, they have places to get in out of the weather if they want but my dog loves going to spend time with Shawn. I highly recommend it and the price is inline with all the other kennels.
Maybe a better deal because everywhere else you pay extra for your dog to have free time.
Two kennels that we found were www.4pawsdogdaycare.com and www.windyridge.com. We didn't end up having to use either one, but both facilites seemed decent and prices weren't bad for the services offered. Windy Ridge was completely booked when we tried making a reservation at Christmas, so they must do alright. We had to do a trial date at 4 Paws but our dog loved having the freedom to run around all day. They're worth looking into!
