Another support network has grown up around the need to provide places for keeping dogs when the owner leaves but has to leave the dog behind or the dog needs special care when it is sick or injured, such as kennels and veterinarian clinics and hospitals for dogs.

        Sometimes owners use informal networks of support, such as friends, family members, and neighbors who can take care of the dog during the day, say to feed or walk the dog.  Often such support is provided through a process of exchange, much in the spirit of reciprocal gift giving that has a long history in all cultures.  A personal contact takes care of one's dog as a kind of favor, with no money exchanged, such as to help out a friend or be neighborly.  But down the road, the person giving help may expect some kind of favor in return -- such as you take care of my dog when I'm gone or do something else in return.

       Alternatively, owners who can't or prefer not to make use of such informal services use other options to deal with dog care.   These options range from hiring someone in the neighborhood or a professional dog walking and care service to arranging for dog care at work to boarding the dog at a local kennel for the day.   Such services have become especially critical in urban areas for small households, where the head of the household or both partners are at work during the day and can't take their dog to work.   As such, they are much like babysitting and nursery school services -- except for dogs.  

      The development of such services is part of a trend as pets, particularly dogs, have been seen as more and more companions, as described in a recent Time magazine article ("It's a Dog's Life" by Joel Selvin, May 19, 2003, 60-62).  While a growing number of businesses allow dogs at the office, and some, such as DreamWorks, provide a play space for dogs, some organizations have established day care centers for dogs.   For instance, at Camp Canine in Boca Raton, Florida, owners can pay $22 to have their dogs treated to an exciting day of activities while they are gone, including play with other dogs and watching videos with dog heroes, such as 101 Dalmatians.  

/

       And there are a growing number of overnight places for dogs, some much more than simple kennels, which are more like camps and ranches for dogs, such as Tappen Hill, located in the Napa Valley near San Francisco.   Here, as Selvin describes it: "$36 a night will get a pup access to heated floors, two swimming pools and lots of scheduled activities."

Then, too, if you want to take your dog with you on a trip, but need some extra care for your dog, or want to put up your dog in a hotel while you are out of town. some hotels will provide special facilities, such as the Beverly Hills Hotel, which offers separate rooms for dogs.  Once you check in your dog, a greeter will escort him to his room, which includes a doggie bed, tennis balls for play, and cookies in the shape of a bone with the dog name on it.  

         This growing interest in dog boarding services has, in turn, led to services that will help direct owner to kennels and other boarding facilities in this area, such as: www.kennel-search.com/boarding.  And for those who want to provide such services, there are books on this topic as well, such as this book available through Amazon.com.
 

A growing world of people who
look like their dog--or think so...

What It's All About...