Same Ol This, Same ol That...Please!
Here at Harmony Farm Kennel And Lamb, Monte Lake, near Kamloops BC, it might surprise you to see the shopping bags full of boutique plush dog beds, (price tags attached) rich foods and expensive, beautifully wrapped dog treats that often accompany dogs vacationing with us. Some people feel so guilty for leaving their pets behind they do what they think their dog's would do, if they were them, so they go shopping!
Next stop...is the meat market where they proceed to purchase yummy smoked and stuffed bones and flavourful 'treats'. Topping it off they pick up some state of the art extra ordinary wet dog food, far beyond their normal budget as well as some beautiful new fluffly bed and great new toys they are sure their dogs will just love. All kinds of extravagance, no spare to the expense...all good intentions to help ease the supposed trauma of spending time apart at a dog boarding kennel right?
It's all good except for a few points.
1) At best your dog, won't go near that new plush bed, you think is beautiful. They knows THAT dog bed isn't theirs and it's a change to them. It smells like the store and factory the fillers came from, not at all like your dog or their house or their owners, nor does it 'fit' them for all the worn in form fitting of their old bed. Either they won't sleep on any bed at all or before morning, they likely paw and tear it to shreds in exasperation!
2) With all that new rich food that your sense of guilt wants them to enjoy, their stomachs will surely revolt – literally, probably all over the new plush bits of blanket that is now strewn all over their kennel! (No charge for cleaning up all that yuk by the way).
3) If there was any stress to be felt with a locational change it usually is emotional (usually more for you than your dog actually). After your voice, your worry and your vehicle have left and your dog has had a nice walkabout hike, almost all dogs settle in nicely deciding that Harmony Farm Kennel is a pretty dog cool place, until ...they proceed to gobble the wonderful rich food, totally new and foreign to their stomach! Now, can you spell STRESS?! New bed, new strange toys, rich new food and treats they've never dreamed of before today...and now your dog is stressed physically with nausea and quite possibly diarhhea as well! More stress than any emotional parting could imagine!
Short version...do us and your dog a great favour and please spare your dog more change! To bring with them their very same smelly, cozy bed, their very same dog food, toys and treats they are used to, and something that smells like you, their cherished family, will be the very best, least stressful gifts you can give your dog while on separate vacations.
Rest assured, we will keep your canine family safe, healthy, comfortable, exercised and entertained with all kinds of fun interesting adventures meanwhile they rest easy, mentally, emotionally and physically with all the 'normal' comforts of home. Yours truly, your ever lovin' dog!
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