Happy Pet Blog

Going on holiday without your dog can be a trying experience for both parties. It is especially stressful if you have chosen to board them in a kennel. Dogs see their owners as parents and find it difficult to act confidently without them, according to researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. But fear not, you can be with your dog, even while on holiday!

That sounds crazy, yes, but it is true—at least in part. Thanks to modern technology, express postal services, and your dog's insane sense of smell, you and your dog can still interact even if thousands of kilometres separate the two of you.

Skype Can Bring You Face to Face

This seems incredibly simple but many dog owners do forget that their dogs can also benefit from a brief chat on Skype. Since the major reason for a boarded dog's anxiety or distress is the separation from their owner, a Skype video call can do wonders for their wellbeing.

The chance to hear your voice and see your face for a short time each day will fill them with joy. If they had previously been anxious and afraid, unwilling to eat, for example, a Skype call with you may leave them feeling more confident and assured. Of course, you'll need to make sure that your chosen boarding kennel is okay with daily Skype calls.

Fortunately, more and more boarding kennels are seeing the value in allowing dog owners a little quality time on Skype with their dogs.

Send Your Dog the Scent of Your Happiness

Dogs can smell fear, something you have probably heard countless times. But did you know that dogs can smell happiness too? A recent study that was published in the journal, Animal Cognition, discovered that dogs are able to distinguish between the scents of fear and happiness.

The dogs that were used in the research reacted to the scents of fear and happiness by mirroring those emotions. Fear made them agitated. Happiness caused them to become bolder and more willing to interact. Show your dog how happy you are by sending them an item of clothing with your happy scent on it. Incredibly, dogs can also tell how old a scent is too. Send the scent by express post then, and your dog will be reassured that you are okay.

You can even combine these two methods of communication for added effect. For instance, wear a hat while skyping your dog, then send that very same hat by express delivery to your dog. The joy your dog will experience from these two seemingly simple methods of interaction, will give your dog the confidence they need to get by while they await your return.