Dog Boarding

In this article we will discussing starting a dog boarding business. It is usually easier to buy a licensed boarding kennel or buy into a franchise system than to start from scratch. If you are looking to start from scratch, there are planning permits, with several governmental agencies such as local council, Environmental Health Services, etc. and sometimes there will be objections from neighbors about fears of noise and increased traffic, and environmental and sanitation concerns. All these permits and issues makes starting a boarding business potentially a difficult and drawn out process for first timers, where with buying an existing business or even franchising allows things to be just a bit easier.

When looking to buy an existing dog boarding kennel, you must first be patient because normally there are not that many boarding kennels for sale at any given time in a specific area, here are some tips in choosing a kennel to buy.

1. Find a kennel for sale: There are magazines such as Kennel and Cattery Management, boarding kennel specific brokers such as National Kennel Sales, or the Pet Care Services Association website.  Local realtors also handle kennel properties occasionally.
2. When you find a boarding kennel to view realize that no property will be perfect, and because of likely limited choices you cannot just see what is in front of your eyes but also future possibilities. Make a list of your essentials.
3. Smell: If the animals and the facility are properly cared for there should not be any unpleasant smells in the property you are visiting. It is difficult to get rid of smell which has seeped into unsealed wood or concrete, it is a good idea to cross a kennel off your list it is has an awful smell.  Your noise will tell you a lot, trust it.
4. Construction: What sort of kennel construction has been used? Are the kennels purpose built or converted from other buildings? Are they built of wood, brick or breeze block? Commercial kennels should not be made of wood for many different reasons, and most new kennels will not use this material.
5. Runs: Are the kennels inside with no attached runs? It should be noted that pet owners will likely require that each kennel should have its own attached run to which the dog should have free access. Are there additional fenced exercise areas where the dogs can run free several times a day? Is there a good secure perimeter fence to the whole property? You cannot afford escapes; some dogs can jump 6 feet with ease. Is the perimeter fence a
   ‘jackal’ fence, that is with a top section inclined inwards to the property? Is the accommodation geared to large, powerful breeds or suited only to smaller breeds? Is there a grassed exercise area? This is a necessity as some
   pet dogs will only urinate on grass. Are there any covered runs? Bear in mind there is more than one way of setting up a workable kennel.
6. Kennel Layout: Is there good storage for foodstuffs, equipment and cleaning accessories? What about the boarders’ food preparation area? Is the dog kitchen clean and conveniently placed?
7. The boarders: Look at the boarders themselves. Are they happy?  Are the dogs clean, skinny, bright eyed, fat? What is your general impression? No, you are not conducting a medical examination but trying to get an idea of the care which has been given, and possibly the reputation of the business.

You may also consider buying into a franchise which will already have a successful business model, and processes in place to help you be successful in this type of market. When starting up a franchisor can provide teams of real estate experts, zoning specialists, and years of experience finding the best sites for their brand. They also can provide expert
assistance negotiating leases with landlords. In addition when you are up and running, you have the power of the brand’s national and regional marketing and advertising behind you to promote your business. Here are few popular franchises:

1. Dogtopia (dogdaycare.com): This doggie day-care franchise provides overnight boarding, spa treatments, training classes and an array of retail items for pooches, including stylish sweaters, collars, leashes and bandanas. The company, based in North Bethesda, Md., was founded by Amy Nichols in 2002 and began offering franchises in 2005. Its 23 units are located throughout the country; two more are currently in development. The estimated initial investment to purchase a Dogtopia ranges from $242,900 to $458,300, plus the company’s franchise fee of $40,000. (For veterans only, that fee is $36,000.)
2. Fetch! Pet Care (fetchpetcare.com): This home-based franchise offers consumers an alternative to kennel boarding by providing in-home, overnight or daily care to any kind of pet. Founded by Paul Mann in 2002, the Walnut Creek, Calif., company began franchising two years later and now has 180 units nationwide. It charges a $15,000 franchise fee, and start-up costs average an additional $10,000 to $15,000 for training, equipment, advertising, supplies, insurance and more.
3. Camp Bow Wow(Campbowwowusa.com or campbowwow.ca): Camp Bow Wow and its sister brands, Home Buddies and Bow Wow Behavior Buddies, provide 24-hour care for dogs. This includes large indoor and outdoor play areas, campfire treats, baths and cabins with cots, plus home-care services such as dog walking, waste removal and pet sitting. Founded by Heidi Ganahl in 2000, the Boulder, Colo., company started franchising in 2003 and currently has 275 units in 39 states, plus one in Canada. It charges buyers a $50,000 franchise fee. Initial start-up costs average $150,000 for basics such as, lease negotiations and training. Corrections & Amplifications: The average total start-up costs range from $95,185 to $171,160, which includes the $35,000 franchise fee plus three months’ rent, operating expenses, initial inventory, utilities, equipment, signage, permits, legal fees, training, travel costs, software, marketing support and more. An earlier version of this blog post listed incorrect figures.

Hi All, I stumbled upon a blog which deals with the legal aspects and responsibilities of running a boarding kennel. It is written by a lawyer based in Virginia. Because she is based in Virginia her articles are based upon Virginia law, but I am sure most of it can apply to many other locations. At any rate it is a great read for any boarding kennel owner based anywhere because it definitely gets you thinking about the legal aspects of a boarding kennel.

The following is from one of her articles, entitled, “Who Is Responsible For A Boarded Animal’s Vet Care And Bills?”

In her article she gives a scenario, “A new boarding client comes to you with her sweet, new Labradoodle named Snickers.*  The client is going on vacation for a week, and she asks you to board Snickers for her.  Little did you know that Snickers has severe separation anxiety.  On the first night he’s at your boarding facility, he throws himself against his kennel door to the point that he’s injured and bleeding. ”

Then asks and answers in detail some questions which deal with this scenario, such as, “Are you responsible for getting Snickers to the vet? ” and  “Who pays the vet bills? “.

For people considering becoming a dog boarding kennel owner, it is important that before you start a bit of self-analysis.

• Do I have my health and am I am I capable of physically demanding tasks and long work hours?
• Am I capable of calmly and professionally dealing with increasingly discerning clients who may be difficult and rude? A sympathetic approach to your clients is essential.
• Am I a patient person? A kind, caring and understanding attitude towards animals is a requirement.
• Am I capable of reading a balance sheet? Am I capable of dealing with a budget? Am I capable of maintaing clear records? Do I have basic accounting skills? Accounts must be kept, bookings made, a register of boarders maintained and the business profitably needs to be continued.
• Do I have experience with how to effectively market a business? Marketing is an important aspect of your business, your customers not only need to know you exist but also want to try your services.
• Do I have experience in the demanding schedule of caring for animals?
• Am I capable of getting a bit mucky and working adverse conditions? Dogs who are stressed will vomit, have the runs, so clean up can be a bit messy which you need to be prepared for. Can you tolerate nasty smells? In addition it is lovely to work outside on beautiful days but not every day is fun, but tasks must be done, so be prepared to work outside in the worst weather your area can throw at you.
• Do I understand the great responsibility this occupation? Caring for animals should be taken as seriously as caring for human beings. For many pet owners, their pets are their family members, and mistreatment or neglect of their animals can have severe consequences.
• Do I have any academic or practical training in in dog boarding management?
• Am I organized?
• Will my personal life allow for me to take on a major time commitment?

If the answers to those questions were all YES then it is time to take the next step in your journey to owning a dog boarding kennel. Stay tuned for more postings in this series!

The internet is an extremely powerful tool which has been underutilized by the dog boarding kennel industry in the past. In the last few years however, boarding kennels which have a website is commonplace. In order to attract new clients, an internet presence is absolutely necessary. However, having a website is not good enough, you must make sure that your website is found when your potential clients search for dog boarding services in your area. This has become more difficult, because there is a lot of competition, here are a few ways that your boarding kennel can get found by your clients:

Your Clients are Searching for You on the Web

1 – Add Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to your website. With this tool you’ll be able to see exactly what keywords and phrases visitors are typing in to arrive on your site.

What are some search terms you want to be recognized for? For example if your kennel is located in or near Toronto, a common term your potential clients may search for in Google is “dog boarding Toronto”. You will want to see in Google Analytics that you visitors are entering you site via that search term.

Many books have been written on how increase search rank (Search Engine Optimization, SEO) for keywords as there are many techniques, your best bet is to purchase one. This article does not go into topic.

Installing Google Analytics on a website is very easy, sign up for Google Analytics and you will be asked to put a small piece of code on your webpages, you can do this yourself or if you are not comfortable, get your web designer to do it.

2 – Website Calls to Action

A call to action is one the most important concepts in internet marketing. Without a call to action on your website, all the visitors you may get are wasted.  A call to action directs your visitors to act in some specific, like calling them to book their dog in, or in more sophisticated boarding kennel websites, booking a dog boarding reservation online.

It is an excellent idea to place a nice big call to action at the bottom of your content on every page. This way, when the potential client is navigating through your website, they will constantly see your call to action.

3 – Add More Content To Your Web Pages

Always remember that content is search engine food. This is how Google figures out what is on your page and what services you are offering.

Once it gets a good idea that you are offering dog boarding services to dog owners in [your town], it can begin to put your website in their search results for that term.

So, if you want to attract dog owners, you need to add relevant content to your web pages so that Google and the other search engines can send those users to your page.

Of course you are not just doing this for Google, you are also doing this for your potential clients. Make sure you tell your clients what they want to know about your boarding kennel. Some key things to have on your website are:

• pictures of your facility, make sure the pictures show your kennel as warm and inviting with lots of dogs playing and having a good time.
• where you are, with a map, and address, and even directions. You can place Google maps on your website with GPS coordinates of your kennel if your location is not a regular postal address.
• your rates and any discounts you may offer.
• all the services you offer, which may include extra services like nail trimming, grooming, etc.
• information about yourself and the history of your kennel, so the pet owners might feel they know you a bit better before they entrust the care of their beloved animals to you.

4 – Your Google Places Listing

Register your business and website with Google Places (formerly Google Maps and Google Local). As a local-based service business Google will showcase your services to interested searchers, so get in Google Places now!

5 – Get Listed onto KennelSeek.com

KennelSeek.com is a great tool for you to use, you can be listed for free and your clients can review your dog boarding kennel in it. Thousands of pet owner go to KennelSeek.com to find dog boarding kennels in your area.

Reviews are essential for pet owners to gain confidence in leaving their dog in your care for the first time. Nobody wants to come across your listing and see that no one has said a word about you. That doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence. It’s called social proof. We look for social proof as human beings in everything we do.

A potential client wants to know that YOU are the right choice to make, and if they see others raving about you, it makes their decision that much easier (and this is all before they ever arrived on your website!).

Happy clients are all to pleased to share their wonderful experience with the world.  So KennelSeek.com also provides a free service which sends out welcome home e-mails to your clients. After each new client returns home, KennelSeek will send them a welcome home email that thanks them for choosing your kennel. It also contains a direct request and link to your KennelSeek listing and asks them to share some feedback. They are even enticed to make reviews with donations on their behalf to local pet charities or if they are Canadian, Airmiles Reward Miles.

Stay tuned for more tips…

Two Dogs Sharing a Run

Have you ever used a dog boarding kennel for your pooch and buddied he/she up with another dog in a single run? It is an idea that some pet owners are trying because they don’t want to picture their dog all alone in a dog run, and want to have their dog have a little buddy to play with and pass the time with. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Advantages

• If your dog and their “buddy” get along, then they will have a friend, and maybe not feel so lonely. Dogs are very social creatures and enjoy being in “packs”, just like the wolves who are are in their same family, Canidae.
• Boarding two dogs saves space and thus should cost less, this however should never be a deciding point, it is just a nice perk.
• If you have two dogs (from the same household), then boarding together will provide company and familiarity that is a great stress reliever for both dogs. On a personal note, whenever I take my dogs to a dog boarding kennel I make sure they are put in the same run. My dogs are best friends, they know each other, they are in the same “pack” and I believe they keep each other company and provide each other with familiarity which will reduce stress.

Disadvantages

• If your dog and their “buddy” do not get along, they may fight with each other, and this can happen when someone is around during the day or in the middle of the night, when there is no one to break them up, and stop either from being hurt or even killed. This has has occurred a few times, mainly in “cage-free” boarding kennels where dogs are with several other dogs, all the time, throughout their stay. Cage-Free kennels normally have very strict dog behavioral requirements, and will turn away dogs who are aggressive. In addition, in these type of kennels there should be constant supervision of the dogs just in case a fight does break out, it can be broken up quickly.
• With such close contact,  there is a much greater chance that an illness can be transferred from one dog to another. However, all dogs in a boarding kennels should have their shots, and in many kennels there is group play area’s where all dogs may play together or separately, so illness can be transferred there, which is why making sure your dogs are up to date with their shots before they are boarded is so important.
• Stress can be increased if the two dogs in the same run never become friendly with each other.

Dog in a Pet Carrier Ready to Fly in the Cabin with Pet Owner

You are traveling, but it is not for vacation, or business, you traveling to a location and staying their permanently, so a dog boarding kennel is not exactly an option, you need to take your dog with you. It is an exciting time for you but also a bit stressful, you are moving to an exciting new job, a new home, a new city. Here are some travel tips to follow so that your move is as stress free as possible for both of you:

• Dogs can become frightened and stressed in new places, they may bolt away from you at the sight of open doors, windows, or on potty breaks outside your car. Always keep your pet on a leash when traveling.
• Make sure your dog can be identified if he/she does get away from you. Always have an identification tag on their collar, which includes the pet’s name, your name, the person to contact at the destination, their phone number, a destination address, or that of a friend or relative, in case you want to be reached.  Many pets are micro-chipped these days, which is excellent, if your pet is not, it would be a good idea to do that before your journey.

Air Travel Checklist

• If you decide to ship your dog by air, make reservations and arrangements ahead of time regarding delivery to and pickup from the airports. Carefully schedule boarding and shipping arrangements for your pet to assure that the pet is well cared for until you are able to receive it at your destination.
• Flying with a dog does not always mean they have to be stored as luggage, many airlines will let your dog into the cabin with you if he/she is kept in a carrier under your seat. Inquire with the airline to determine if this is possible and what all the rules and regulations are.
• Get the crate you plan to use for your pet a few weeks in advance. Make sure your dog is familiar with it, make it a happy comfy place, put nice bedding in it, get your pets to eat their chewies or treats in it at first, then get them to sleep in it. This will reduce stress a lot for them while traveling, by making their crate a happy safe place for them.
• Make sure your dog has gone potty as close to flight time as possible, and stay away from he/she drinking water, having the dog needing to go potty mid-flight will not be a good experience. Also make sure you fed them at least six hours before flight time. Most airlines have rules about flight times and pets, but a flight longer then 6 hours will not be fun for you dog, both in the potty department and just in general. If your dog is a puppy, you know how long they can hold it, not a good idea to bring them on a flight.
• Get the dog to the airport in time. Get there 45 minutes in advance if the pet is accompanying you. If shipping the pet, get to the airport two hours in advance of your flight.
• Be certain that names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the persons responsible for the dog at origination and destination are clearly marked on the container and on the pet’s identification tag. Label your pet’s flight kennel with the same information. Add “Live Animal” in big letters and information about any special care requirements.
• Notify the person receiving the pet that it is on the way. Give them the flight and waybill number.
• Pets can usually be picked up within 90 minutes of flight arrival. The air waybill number is useful when inquiring.

Travel By Car Checklist

• If your dog is not used to traveling by car, make short trips with the pet a week or two in advance of the trip to accustom it to motion and to teach he/she how to behave.
• If you are traveling by car, and your dog gets car sick, it is a good idea to talk with your veterinarian concerning nausea medications.
• Dogs should be taught to lie quietly, keep their heads inside, and not annoy the driver or passengers. Don’t let your dog stick his head out the window. It can irritate eyes and cause problems.
• Folding kennels or crates especially designed for station wagons can be most useful for dogs and cats. Accustom your pet to being on a leash and harness. If not in a crate use a pet harness (available at most pet stores) that connects to the car’s seatbelt; it allows the pet some movement while keeping it safely restrained. If you have a hatchback you may want to keep your dog(s) in the trunk, and buy a metal dog barrier so they stay put in the back. Never EVER put your dog in the back of your pick up where they are either leashed or unleashed. If they are leashed they can jump over the side and strangle themselves, if they aren’t they can jump/fall over and be killed. If you have a pickup, get a dog crate and place them in it, and securely tie the crate so it cannot fly out the back under any circumstance.
• If stopping overnight, check in advance to find a motel that will permit your pet to spend the night.
• Be sure that your pet is properly tagged and its rabies tag firmly attached.
• Pet travel kit: pet food, food and water dishes, can opener (if needed), a few treats, a favorite toy, a blanket, comb or brush.
• Also, to be on the safe side: paper towels, spray room deodorant if you will be staying overnight at a hotel or motel, a scooper and plastic bag to clean up after your pet

Is Being a Dog Boarding Kennel Owner Your Dream Job?

As a society in North America we tend to put our money where our hearts are, and this is why since 1994 the amount of money we spend yearly on our pets has more than doubled. When it comes to pampering our dogs and cats we just do not hold back, the vast majority of us buy Christmas presents and birthday gifts for our pets. We refer to our pets as our children, our pets offer us companionship, love, company, and affection, they are precious to us.

Large corporations have seen these trends in the pet care industry and have become major players in the industry which was once solely owned by small business owners. Big business have boarding kennels opening all over the country to compete with locally owned dog boarding kennels. These new kennels are aggressively marketed,  streamlined and are as luxurious as posh human hotels.

Despite the entrance of large corporations into the pet care industry small mom and pop operations are co-existing and thriving also. There is really room for everyone, pet owners want  both types of dog boarding kennels. Just like in the human accommodations, some people prefer locally owned Bed & Biscuits and some people like the big chain boarding kennels, just like some people like Bed & Breakfasts and some like  Hiltons. Both are able to co-exist.

You may be reading this article because you are toying with the idea of starting your own dog boarding kennel or buying an existing one. You are likely not entirely happy in your current corporate job, long commutes, working for someone else, working the nine to five, just not having any passion for what you do for 8 hours of your day. Or maybe you are a stay at home mom/dad and just want something else to do at home. Your dream really is not that far fetched, many of the people now in the industry simply quit their job, and just pounced on their dream and found their passion in life.

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he had imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

-          Henry David Thoreau

For every dog boarding kennel owner the starting point must, in all cases be love of dogs. Everything else is drawn from this one things. It is really not enough to just be professional to clients and their pets, although, professionalism is an absolutely must, it is not enough on its own. This is really where the pet care industry differs from many others except may the child care industry. You must absolutely love the ones you care for, and you must always show it. If you are cranky or indifferent to a dog in front of its owner, you will likely have lost that customer. When it comes to caring for dogs you just cannot fake it.

The next important trait you must have is patience, as with your own dog, sometimes they can get on your nerves, it happens to everyone, and the only important thing is how you deal with it. Remember with a dog boarding kennel, you will be dealing with many dogs, and thus, annoyance from loud barking, or dogs nipping, or even a dog having an extra messy accident in their run, all will be compounded.

Part II to “Is Starting a Dog Boarding Kennel for You?” will be coming soon…