Everything You Need to Know in a Pet Boarding Business

Starting a pet boarding business has many considerations. K9Sky provides efficient k9 boarding and grooming software to help every pet boarding business become successful in their ventures.

A pet boarding service is one of the fastest-growing businesses today. With the appropriate tools and k9 boarding kennels system, this business can be maintained and improved in the long run. If you want to venture in pet boarding services, here are a few considerations you must know:

What is a Pet Boarding Business?

A pet boarding business caters to all clients who need to leave their pet with professional supervision while they are away or out of town. Their pet dog stays in a boarding facility to sleep in a k9 dog kennel until their owners return. The pet boarding business staff will take them for a walk and sometimes allow them to run in a small space depending on their request.

How is a Pet Boarding and Grooming Important?

No matter how much of a dog lover a person is, there will always come a time when they have to leave their pets behind for a necessary appointment, a beach outing, or an out of town trip where they cannot bring along their furry friends. K9 boarding and grooming service will take care of your pets. Some people can be so busy that they could not take care of their pets. 

What are the Different Choices of Pet Boarding Amenities?

Pet boarding facilities have significantly improved throughout the years. If dogs are crate-trained, you may offer to place them on typical k9 kennels to make them feel secured and comfortable. But for pets that aren’t used to staying in crates, your clients may opt to pay an extra fee so their pets can enjoy a small outdoor run. You may also offer k9 boarding kennels that fit each dog size and make them move freely despite being inside a cage. Keeping dogs together in a large room is also an option for you, but this comes with a few health risks. In this case, the k9 dog kennel manager must be familiar with different dog sizes and personalities, including their health status upon boarding.

How do Pets Adjust to Boarding?

Several factors affect how pets adjust to boarding. Some dogs may find it okay to spend some days in a k9 boarding and grooming facility, while others long for home. To keep dogs’ overall health and happiness during boarding, be sure to take note of the following:

1. The amount of exercise the pets get at home is how you’ll know whether to keep them in k9 kennels or how long you can keep them there. Some pets grew up with the freedom of running in the garage spaces, so you’ll have to give them a run when boarding, too.
2. The dog diet: make sure that dogs eat their food without any additives. If they like to receive treats from time to time or after a grooming session, make sure to have their favorite treats or let the client bring what they have at home.
3. Dogs may also have their favorite toy or blanket inside k9 boarding kennels; this will help ease their home and owners’ longing.

What are the Health Concerns when Boarding Pets?

Inevitably, dogs will be exposed to other pets once they go to a boarding facility. Before accepting dogs for boarding, make sure that they are completely vaccinated. Some may not feel well during the boarding, so it is essential to place each of them in a separate k9 dog kennel. Preventing animals to acquire fleas and ticks, and other diseases while accommodating many pets will surely make your k9 boarding and grooming business known and well-performing.

How to be the Preferred Boarding Facility?

Clients have different preferences when choosing a pet boarding facility. Making your k9 boarding and grooming business the preferred boarding facility is possible. As a pet business owner, you need to consider some critical points to provide excellent pet boarding facility services:

1. Make sure you have the right k9 kennels considering the size and material for dogs’ comfortability. Some dogs are used to soft and fluffy beds, and others feel relaxed when in a large kennel because they don’t feel jailed.
2. Secure cleaning schedules for k9 boarding kennels. With a clean and sanitized place comes good health for dogs and the shop staff. Assign cleaning tasks during boarding, and ensure proper sanitation whenever a pet checks out in a k9 dog kennel.
3. Register your k9 boarding and grooming facility to the American Boarding Kennel Association (ABKA). ABKA promotes professional standards and proper handling of boarding facilities. Members of this association must agree to their code of ethics and comply with the requirements to operate.
4. Please explain how you manage boarding pets in different k9 kennels in your ad promotions, especially when animals become sick during their boarding period. Once your clients know that you can handle things right, they will keep coming back to sign that they trust their Furbabies’ lives in you.
5. Explain how the billing is done, especially with add-on services such as pick up and drop off or extended days of stay. You can also indicate k9 boarding kennels’ prices according to type and size so clients can decide where to put their pets without worrying about uncertain bills.
6. Your pet boarding business must comply with the requirements for operating. Present complete papers and frame them in your establishments to add trust points to clients. Nobody wants to transact with an illegally-built business, so make sure to obey the pet boarding business rules.

There’s so much more with the pet boarding business than you can imagine. Aside from having a profitable way of taking care of pets, you are also a big help to your clients; they can do whatever they need to accomplish without having to worry about who’s going to look after their dogs.

A Pet Boarding Business is Like Any Other Business

There are always downtimes in running a business, and yours is not an exemption. Especially when you are still new in the industry, clients will not notice you yet, and investments may not return as expected. However, you should not be discouraged. Instead, look for ways to improve your business by looking for an excellent k9 dog kennel management and being in the spotlight.

A Final Note for You

Doing what you love is good, but making money out of your passion is even better. If you want to engage in a pet boarding business, be sure that you are a pet lover. You need to know their needs and wants because, like humans, they have feelings too.

Take this business as a ‘business,’ but NOT ONLY a ‘business.’ Once the pet boarding starts and the owner leaves, their lives lie in your hands. Think of them as your pets, and they might love you in return as their owner. When the owners come back and see that the pets had a wonderful time with you, they will remember you and most likely transact with you again. You must have logical thinking and a compassionate heart for dogs. Otherwise, a pet boarding business may not be suited for you.