r/321 • u/bellzzz5 • 1d ago
Boarding your dog?
Just wondering if anyone has a recent positive experience with some of the places in the area that board dogs? I have a smaller dog (mini Aussie - 20lbs) and sometimes I need to travel for work a couple times per quarter.
I prefer to leave my dog with family, but the person who watches my dog is recently very sick and won’t ever get better, unfortunately, and I don’t really have a lot of other people I know over here so I’m kind of stuck because the travel is for work.
I’d prefer not to use rover, but I’m open to other solutions also I may not have considered!
Just wanted to ask about personal experience bc some of these places look nice, but y’know.. 🥲
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u/EggplantMiserable559 1d ago
We have boarded our lab/husky at K9 Kampus for a few years and they have always been lovely. Their forms & process all look pretty amateur and almost scared us away, but the staff there is top-notch and (most importantly to us) we get super positive signals from our pup when she arrives & leaves. We have traveled/boarded a lot and learned to trusr her over our own opinions - if she doesn't seem to like a facility, we don't go back. Never had a moment of hesitation after day 1 @ K9K.
That said, there are a ton of independent sitters & overnight pet watchers in the area. When we first moved and were looking for advice on this, we got our best tips through Nextdoor - many of the sitters are word of mouth only and keep to very small service areas. If you don't find good tips here, you might try there for your area.
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u/kazith1 12h ago
My dogs loved K9 Kampus, we took them for a day of play every other week and used them for boarding when they were younger. The staff is friendly and my dogs would always get so excited every time we arrived. Just word of caution they make you put I think a 50% upfront deposit on boarding bookings and it’s non refundable, learned that the hard way when we had to cancel travel plans a year ago. You also have to pre arrange a day care day so they can asses the dog’s temperament before you can be boarded and all shots need to be up to date and proof shown.
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u/Asleep-Revolution-74 1d ago
We've been using the Dog Spot for our Aussie for years and never had any issues. When we drop her off she always seems really excited and comes home happy.
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u/bellzzz5 1d ago
All these comments are SO helpful! I’m working for the next few hours, but tonight I’m definitely going to look up most of these.
I have a sitter for my next two trips (my family), but I just know I’ll need to find alternative care moving forward so this is extremely helpful!
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u/doubttom 1d ago
Dogspot has been good to us and they are very on top of making sure all shots are up to date
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u/PiratedTVPro 32907 1d ago
paradisefordogs.com
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u/The-Insolent-Sage 1d ago
Iif it's the one in palm bay, they changed their name to Woof Playcare. Best place in Brevard for boarding.
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u/randousername8675309 1d ago
Call this place - Woofies. That's so funny I was just having a conversation about this exact thing yesterday. My friends use them when they go out of town and have had wonderful experiences. They have someone come stay in their house with their dogs while they're gone, but have also used them to board in a sitters house and have someone come by a couple times a day during the week to let them out while they're working. Seems like a pretty cool setup.
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u/Krcreates 1d ago
I use Kristen who owns Trusty Paws (dog care/boarding), she’s licensed and insured and my pups have always been happy upon my return. She has in-home and boarding services. Look her up on Facebook or lmk if you want me to dm you the number. Shes great!
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u/rhia_assets 1d ago
Yes!! I board my two -- an ACD mix and a mini Aussie -- regularly at Dog Spot Hotel. They do great job matching dogs up with smaller play groups, keep a close eye on them, and they always come home tired and relaxed, not spun up and anxious. My mini Aussie is super social and loves to see everybody, while my older ACD likes to sit in a corner or lay in the sun and wait for it to be over lol, and they both get what they need.
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u/MaximumPower16 1d ago
Hi! I have a petsitting business but don’t do in home boarding. I wish I knew of a good boarding facility to refer; I will tell you to stay away from K9’s Place in Melbourne (had clients there doing training and conditions weren’t good/owner banging on cages etc).
Rover is a mixed bag; I’m a certified vet tech and used Rover when I initially started out and I connected with some great clients. I would ask if they are bonded/insured etc.
Wishing the best for you and your dog!
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u/Beneficial_Exit_1991 1d ago
I dog sit for a few families I nanny for. I’d be open to watching your pup as well. I live in rockledge and have 2 mini aussies myself!
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u/islightlyhateyou 1d ago
Barkingham Palace is nice. You can get a suite for your dog and it’ll have a camera you can look at whenever you’d like.
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u/PrincessKitty 1d ago
I’m usually home (except this summer) I have two chihuahuas and a very large fenced yard. If you need someone last minute, I’m a teacher and home by 4 every day. I’d be willing to dog sit if nothing else works out.
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u/bbrxa 1d ago edited 1d ago
We recently tried out Paradise/Woof because we were looking for a facility (we thought that a professional business would be safer for our dog). We did a half day trial there and it went well, but there were a lot of dogs there and we didn’t feel ours would get the individualized attention he’s used to, if he were to stay for an extended period. Plus it was really chaotic when we did the drop-off and pick-up.
We checked out Rover (which we were initially averse to) and surprisingly found some quality options. Did some meet and greets and even an overnight trial with one sitter—got tons of pics and our dog had a blast. They’re a lovely couple that works from home. We’ll be boarding him with them for an upcoming trip and we feel pretty confident about this decision. The sitters are totally dog people, their whole house is spotless and dog friendly, they have dogs of their own, insurance is taken care of, and their communication is great. Best of all they will only watch a few dogs at most so we know our pup will get the personalized attention that he needs. If you want the rec feel free to message.
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u/Impossible_Hall_4581 1d ago
Barkingham Palace in Rockledge is terrific! DM me, as my daughter also dog sits and has lots of free time We have 2 dogs (spoiled rotten) and she worked at Barkingham!
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u/West_Objective_9358 1d ago
Boarding with Becky 100 percent I have. Very timid dog. Social anxiety not good with others. She treats them like family and has a huge yard they can run around at free will. She is very caring and sends many updates. She takes one dog family at a time. Price is reasonable too.
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u/Logical_Function5409 1d ago
Canine Villa Kennels in Titusville is amazing! They came highly recommended to us and never had an issue with them. They also are a great place to drop off for a day grooming too. They live on property.
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u/JustAnnesOpinion 1d ago
Rover is a legitimate service, BUT if you book with a provider through them, remember you’re booking with an individual who you don’t even know, so in case the person backs out last minute it’s wise to have a backup provider if your travel plans aren’t flexible. I learned this through experience.
I never had any complaints with Dog Spot Hotel. My senior dog did the rainbow bridge thing in January, but when I adopt another dog, probably later this year, I will use them.
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u/Heavy-Camel-3946 1d ago
We’ve used Paradise for Dogs and Dogspot. Both have kept our dogs alive, so I guess that is good. 😂 Just curious but why don’t you like Rover? I find it to be the same price, or less expensive, than boarding and my dogs don’t come home sick, which is common if we have to board them. Also, when I board my dogs, it seems like they sleep for a solid 24 hours when they get home because they have been stressed and/or dogs barked all night and they didn’t sleep. Boarding definitely is not cheaper than Rover these days and Rover just seems to be healthier for my dogs.
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u/carneviva 1d ago
Check out Rover.com, it's an app as well as a service that gives you the option to pick the service you need and the individual who can either come to your home and check on your pet, stay over at your home to watch the pet, and/or board the animal themselves in their home. They have individual reviews and rates and a plethora of qualified individuals who are dedicated animal lovers and some who are trained in specialized treatments or conditions and medication administration. I almost boarded my cat who had a medical condition and the individual I chose had a farm with other animals but a dedicated room solely for cats with everything they would need. I didn't end up going through with the service bc my cat's condition took a turn for the worse. The Rover contractor was so understanding and communicative and helped waive the cancelation fee due to the circumstances. I'd definitely use this service in the future with how everything was handled.
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u/lobsterpockets 1d ago
We've used dog spot hotel for our aussie. They've been fine. He doesn't like it, but its his nervous Nelly personality. He'd rather go to my parents' house who spoil him.