Welcoming a dog into your home, especially through a pet boarding network, is a rewarding experience. However, hosting dogs requires special attention and care, particularly when the dogs are in heat, are puppies, or are aged. The idea behind making this SOP is to make all the home boarders more confident when they are dealing with dogs with different personalities and life stages.
Caring for Dogs in Heat
When hosting a female dog in heat, extra precautions and care are sometimes necessary to manage her physical and emotional needs. During heat, certain hormone levels are constantly changing which make the dog behave differently than she usually does. She can be moody, clingy or aggressive sometimes. She may want more food than usual or sometimes less. It is not easy to predict how they are going to behave. But we know that these things are going to happen if they are on heat, so it’s ideal to be prepared. Somethings that you can keep an eye out for, are given below:
1. Monitor and Manage Behaviour:
Supervision: Keep a close watch on the dog, especially during walks. Dogs in heat can be unpredictable and might attract unwanted attention from male dogs. By this, I mean she may want to go to them or multiple male dogs might try to approach her. Sometimes dogs in packs can get aggressive so it’s better to keep distance from them for safety. You can carry a stick with you to shoo the stray male dogs away. The idea is only to shoo them away. Please never hit them with it.
Calming Environment: Maintain a calm and quiet environment to reduce stress and anxiety. Provide a comfortable space with her favourite toys and bedding. You can ask the dog owners if she has any prescription for calming meds for these situations. If yes, you can give her the medicines.
2. Hygiene and Cleanliness:
Protective Gear: Use dog diapers or an extra layer of sheets to manage bleeding and prevent staining furniture and carpets. When my dog was in heat, I basically covered all the beds and sofas with old but clean bedsheets and I would change them everyday for house hygiene. Some people also prefer to keep their dogs in limited areas of the house when they are in heat to avoid staining which I feel is fair.
Regular Cleaning: Ensure her bedding and surrounding area are clean. Change and wash her protective gear frequently. This is to maintain hygiene and prevent any type of disease transmission.
3. Safety Precautions:
Secure Environment: Ensure the house and yard are secure to prevent male dogs from accessing the premises. Also, female dogs might try running away during this time to mate so a secure environment is important for them too.
Avoid Dog Parks: Refrain from visiting dog parks or areas with high dog traffic.
Caring for Puppies
Puppies require intensive care and attention due to their delicate nature and developmental needs.
1. Creating a Safe Environment:
Puppy-Proofing: Ensure the home is safe and free from hazards. Remove small objects and secure cables and wires. Puppies might try and chew wires or swallow smaller objects potentially leading to a crisis. So, puppy-proofing and monitoring them is important.
Designated Space: Provide a designated area for the puppy with a comfortable bed, toys, and access to fresh water.
2. Nutrition and Health:
Appropriate Diet: Feed a balanced, age-appropriate diet. Make sure that you ask the pet parent about the puppy’s diet and follow what they do. Don’t make any changes in the diet as this may lead to an upset stomach and the stress of a new environment can make matters worse. The ideal thing to do is- Keep the diet as similar as possible to their actual daily diet.
3. Play and Exercise:
Supervised Play: Ensure playtime is supervised to prevent accidents or injuries. Ask the pet parents about what rules they like to follow in their own homes, so that you can follow the same with them when they are with you.
Safe Toys: Provide safe, durable toys to keep the puppy entertained and mentally stimulated.
4. Rest and Comfort:
Regular Naps: Puppies need plenty of sleep for healthy development. Ensure they have a quiet place to rest. Remember, puppies at 2-3 months age need almost 16-17 hours of sleep.
Comforting Presence: Spend quality time with the puppy to build trust and provide comfort.
Caring for Aged Dogs
Older dogs have specific needs that require attention to ensure their comfort and well-being.
1. Comfortable Living Space:
Soft Bedding: Provide a soft, supportive bed to ease joint pain and discomfort. Help them get off the bedding if you think there’s a need for it or if they are in pain.
Accessible Space: Ensure food, water, and sleeping areas are easily accessible, minimising the need for the dog to climb stairs or jump.
2. Health and Nutrition:
Special Diet: Feed a diet formulated by the pet parents and don’t experiment with food.
Medication Management: Administer any prescribed medications as directed. Keep a log of medication times and dosages.
3. Gentle Exercise:
Low-Impact Activities: Engage in gentle, low-impact exercises like short walks or light play to maintain mobility.
Regular Breaks: Allow for frequent rest breaks during activities.
4. Emotional Well-Being:
Calm Environment: Maintain a calm, stress-free environment to help the older dog feel secure.
Quality Time: Spend ample quality time with the dog, offering affection and companionship.
Some tips that you should always keep in mind regardless of what type of dog you are hosting:
Take the vet’s number from the pet parent that knows the history of that dog.
If it’s a puppy, ensure that he/she is vaccinated.
Some dogs do have a tendency of running away, so don’t leave them off leash when outside.
Ask the pet parents about the food and follow the same routine.
Ask the pet parent if the dog has any kind of issues around food like food aggression, sensitive stomach, toy aggression, territorial behaviour, etc. This will help you set boundaries with the dog you are hosting and your time will be safe and fun.
Follow the same rules that the pet parents have set for their pets.
Send out regular updates and if anything concerning happens, reach out to the pet parent. They might be able to help you with the issue.
Hosting is a responsibility. Treat the dogs like your own.
As a host in a pet boarding network, your role is crucial in ensuring the well-being of guest dogs, whether they are in heat, puppies, or seniors. By following these tips, you can provide a safe, comfortable, and loving environment for every dog you welcome into your home. Your dedication and attention to their specific needs will make a significant difference in their lives, ensuring they are healthy, happy, and well-cared for during their stay.