When Your Chihuahua Can't Come with You
There will be times when your Chihuahua cannot travel with you:business travel, trips to foreign countries (particularly those that require quarantine), or travel to Hawaii (the only state that requires a thirty-day minimum quarantine). You may also not want to travel with your Chihuahua if traveling is traumatic for your Chi.
If you find yourself in this position, you have several choices. You can count on family, friends, or neighbors. This is fine if you are fortunate enough to have extremely reliable people to count on. You must be able to trust that they will not only care for your Chihuahua but will recognize an illness or emergency and seek veterinary care immediately.
Most of us will find ourselves in a position in which we will need to pay for professional care. In addition to budgeting this option into the canine annual fund, finding a pet sitter or boarding kennel is not something that can be done at the last minute. Give yourself at least a month to interview and investigate sitter services and boarding facilities. Keep in mind, too, that holidays and summer are very busy times and book up quickly.
Pet Sitter
A pet sitter is an individual who comes to your home and feeds, plays with, and cares for your Chihuahua while you are gone. Remaining in the home around all that is familiar to her is much more comfortable and less traumatic than sending your Chi to a kennel filled with dogs. In addition to being a good alternative for your Chi, a pet sitter will water your plants, bring in the mail and newspaper, open and close blinds, turn lights on and off, and perform many other individualized duties as agreed upon prior to the visits.
It is important to find a pet sitter with whom both you and your Chihuahua are comfortable. The pet sitter should be bonded and able to explain her liabilities, your liabilities, and precisely what her contract spells out. Ask for references and call these people. Find out what this pet sitter is like and if she's honest and trustworthy and good with dogs.
Boarding Kennels
In order for your Chihuahua to be able to be boarded, she must have a current bordatella vaccine. She must also be at least fourteen to sixteen weeks old and fully vaccinated. A boarding kennel has the potential to transmit too many diseases to risk boarding a young puppy that hasn't built up her immunity to fatal illnesses.
Before making reservations to board your Chihuahua, request a tour of the kennel's facilities. They should be clean and without any strong odors. Look to see how the dogs are kept. Some kennels crate smaller dogs and allow them outside several times a day, while others provide an indoor pen and an outdoor run.
Gather referrals from friends with dogs, your breeder, and your veterinarian as to suggestions for boarding kennels. Also, when visiting the kennel, ask the manager or owner for references. As always, call these people. Ask questions.
Find out how the dogs are exercised. Are they turned out in groups or exercised individually. What additional services do they offer? Boarding kennels vary from offering just the basic services all the way up to very posh, very expensive, full-service kennels. Trust your gut feelings when choosing a kennel. If something doesn't feel right or a person rubs you the wrong way, keep looking. Find the one that best fits your preferences, your Chihuahua's needs, and your budget.
