Friday, May 17, 2013

Dog Video: When You Board Your Dogs

While looking for a video for Dog Song Saturday tomorrow, I stumbled on this amazing dog lover video.  It touched my heart and I couldn't help but think about my best friends when I've boarded them. 

Since we moved to Missouri, we haven't boarded our dogs.  However, we frequently did when we lived in Virginia.  Luckily, we'd found a wonderful facility about a half an hour from our home.  

Run by a Corgi dog breeder and trainer, we never worried (much) about our dogs there.  Extra large space inside meant that Tucker and Lucy could be together with plenty of room.  Large outside runs.  Plus, at least once a day, the dogs were released into a huge dog yard/park for play and exercise.  In the summer there was even a doggie pool.  Though Lucy pouted and probably did mourn us in our separation, Tucker was thrilled to be there and I doubt his face ever looked much like these dogs.

Over the course of a year, this video recorded the expressions of dogs that came to stay at a boarding kennel where the videographer worked.  These are not shelter dogs.  These are dogs being boarded - temporarily separated from their homes and families.  The music is provided by Kevin MacLeod; the song is called Sanse Morialta.
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.  You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.  You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."

8 comments:

  1. I am not sure that video is the best commercial for that boarding facility. For one thing, those are super small runs. I wouldn't be happy there either.

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    1. I agree. I should have written a real blog post about this video. We haven't boarded out dogs here in MO, but used to frequently in VA. We'd found an excellent facility with indoor space large enough that our two at that time could be together with plenty of room. Very large outdoor runs, plus each day the dogs were able to go out into a huge dog yard/park area to play. Run by a Corgi dog breeder and trainer, we never worried about our dogs there. Tucker LOVED going there and would get excited when we turned off the highway and down the road to the kennel. Thrilled to be there. (While Lucy pouted )

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  2. Toby is being boarded this weekend for the second time - twice in one month :(
    The facility is the doggie daycare next to the vet clinic where my daughter works. He loves it there. I was really worried about him a few weeks ago when he actually spent the night (2 nights) for the first time. But he seemed absolutely fine when we picked him up, just very excited to see us. What we prefer to do is have our daughter dogsit - he goes to daycare while she works, then she brings him home and stays at our house. But this time she's going with us to see her brother graduate from college, so we just have to board him and know that he's well cared for.
    I agree about the size of those runs. I was hoping the video would end with happy scenes of the dogs reuniting with their people...

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  3. Oh, I am so glad Ma just sends me to Grandma's house when she is away. It's kinda like being at home and I can play with Uncle Bailey the Bichon by the pool.
    Oz

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  4. My dogs get to be boarded overnight on a semi-regular basis. They are happy going there and happy going home - which tells me they are treated well in both places :-) A good boarding/day care facility can be an important part of the socialization of a dog. Like the kennel you used in Virginia and the one I use, supervised opportunities to play with other dogs in a big play area, can help a dog be happy and healthy.

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  5. Mom can't bring herself to board us. We have been lucky that she is rarely gone and when she is we stay with family or friends.

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  6. I've seen those faces many times. For 2 years I also worked in the kennel. It was a small practice so we didn't have kennel assistants. I've only had to board Shiner once and I'm sure she hated it!

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  7. This makes me not want to board my dogs. I never did with Sephi because she would have been absolutely miserable at a boarding kennel. Maya has stayed at one that had a doggie day play, which she loved. The place had a web cam set up so I could log in and watch her. She really did enjoy herself.

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Go ahead... bark at us!