Start by arranging a tour of the facility — most will have specific tour times throughout the day. Be leery of any facility that doesn't want you to visit. The dog and cat kennels should be clean, bright, and show signs of care; rusty fences or broken windows are a sign of neglect for the property, which can indicate a similar neglect for the animals.

After an exciting boarding stay at Dogtopia, it’s important to ensure your dog adapts well to being back home. While at Dogtopia, your dog received access to unlimited water in their playroom. However, it is still likely they will seem very thirsty upon returning home. This is a common reaction to the excitement of being back at home with their family. Please withhold water from them for the first 30 minutes that they are home. After they have calmed down from the excitement of being home, you should then give them a small bowl of water and continue to monitor their water consumption for the next few hours. Dogs that drink too much water too quickly may lead to vomiting, or in very serious cases, could lead to bloat.

Dogs don’t think about inside vs. outside the way people do. They view the world around them through smell, sight and sound in a different way. Their nose will be full of new scents to explore as they meet their new BFFFs. They will see many wagging tails and hear excited yips and words of praise for playing excitedly! Because the sights, smells and sounds of our indoor playrooms are different from what they experience at home, you don’t have to worry about it impacting your house training. After 15 years in the business, we can confidently say that open play at Dogtopia does not translate to dogs going potty in the house.

Hello, my name is Shawna, I am a licensed pet sitter, and the founder of Tampaws Pet Care. I am a pet owner and animal lover myself. I have owned a variety of pets in my lifetime, including cats, dogs, guini pigs, iguanas, turtles, birds,snakes, fish, and even a sugar gliders. Not only am I a pet owner, i am also very involved with local rescues in the Tampa Bay area and have been a volunteer/foster mom for Pug Rescue Of Florida for the past three years. This experience has allowed me to foster and care for a variety of pugs and given my first hand knowledge with dogs of all ages and conditions. I have experience with administering basic med ... View Profile

What is the meaning of pet boarding?