Best Friends Pet Care question

[ProudSoccerMom]

Mods...if this is in the wrong place, please move it.

Has anyone ever boarded their pet here? We got a Golden Retriever puppy for our son for Christmas. He’ll be 10 months old when we go to WDW in August. He’s already 60 pounds (Dad is an English Golden), so I expect he’ll be just about full grown - 75-90 range - when we travel. We’re trying to find a friend or family member to care for him while we’re away, but not having any luck. I like the idea of bringing him with us, but don’t want to leave him in a strange hotel room alone at WDW for any length of time. I’m already having terrible anxiety over leaving him for 10 days. There are some local boarders we could use, but it would be wonderful have him close by. He’s very high energy and loves to play with other dogs and people, but he’s never been separated from us. He is crate and potty trained. I have to make sure he’s safe and happy. If you have any experiences with this facility that you can share, positive or negative, I’d love to hear them. Thank you!

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

My dogs have only stayed at Best Friends once about five years ago, but I was overall very happy with the care they received. I have two high maintenance Italian Greyhounds (the tiny greyhounds), and one of them is terrified of strangers, both people and dogs. They did great there, and I received daily pictures of them at the facility, (and I think maybe even a video). It was clear from the pictures that they weren't unhappy. They seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

 

[Spridell]

Mods...if this is in the wrong place, please move it.

Has anyone ever boarded their pet here? We got a Golden Retriever puppy for our son for Christmas. He’ll be 10 months old when we go to WDW in August. He’s already 60 pounds (Dad is an English Golden), so I expect he’ll be just about full grown - 75-90 range - when we travel. We’re trying to find a friend or family member to care for him while we’re away, but not having any luck. I like the idea of bringing him with us, but don’t want to leave him in a strange hotel room alone at WDW for any length of time. I’m already having terrible anxiety over leaving him for 10 days. There are some local boarders we could use, but it would be wonderful have him close by. He’s very high energy and loves to play with other dogs and people, but he’s never been separated from us. He is crate and potty trained. I have to make sure he’s safe and happy. If you have any experiences with this facility that you can share, positive or negative, I’d love to hear them. Thank you!

I leave my dog (beagle) there ALL the time. I live in Palm Beach so I go for the day a lot and leave him for the day and I also leave him when I stay over. He has stayed over night there MANY MANY times. I can't say enough about the place. It is TOP NOTCH. Since your dog is so big I would suggest you get him a "vacation villa" he will fit nicely in there. My dog doesn't like being with other dogs so when it comes to play time instead of going to play with the other dogs one of the employees plays one on one with him for half hour. Vacation Villas have webcams u can see him on your phone anytime u want. You can also go visit him anytime you want. They open 1 hour before EMH and close 1 hour after EMH. So most days they are open from 7am-11pm.

Any other questions for me ask away.....

 

[Deb & Bill]

We usually board our dog at our vet. Would that be an option for you? It might make it a more familiar place for your dog.

 

[Marionnette]

Mods...if this is in the wrong place, please move it.

Has anyone ever boarded their pet here? We got a Golden Retriever puppy for our son for Christmas. He’ll be 10 months old when we go to WDW in August. He’s already 60 pounds (Dad is an English Golden), so I expect he’ll be just about full grown - 75-90 range - when we travel. We’re trying to find a friend or family member to care for him while we’re away, but not having any luck. I like the idea of bringing him with us, but don’t want to leave him in a strange hotel room alone at WDW for any length of time. I’m already having terrible anxiety over leaving him for 10 days. There are some local boarders we could use, but it would be wonderful have him close by. He’s very high energy and loves to play with other dogs and people, but he’s never been separated from us. He is crate and potty trained. I have to make sure he’s safe and happy. If you have any experiences with this facility that you can share, positive or negative, I’d love to hear them. Thank you!

I found a great pet sitter at home thru Rover.com . We did a meet and greet with her dog on neutral territory before hand and then did a short 2-night stay to make sure both my dog and I were comfortable with leaving her in the sitter’s care. I got daily photos and reports about my dog and she came home happy. The best thing about it was that she wasn’t kenneled the majority of the time like she would be at the vet. I know that you asked about Best Friends (we have a franchise near us) but the home atmosphere just suited our dog better.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

I leave my dog (beagle) there ALL the time. I live in Palm Beach so I go for the day a lot and leave him for the day and I also leave him when I stay over. He has stayed over night there MANY MANY times. I can't say enough about the place. It is TOP NOTCH. Since your dog is so big I would suggest you get him a "vacation villa" he will fit nicely in there. My dog doesn't like being with other dogs so when it comes to play time instead of going to play with the other dogs one of the employees plays one on one with him for half hour. Vacation Villas have webcams u can see him on your phone anytime u want. You can also go visit him anytime you want. They open 1 hour before EMH and close 1 hour after EMH. So most days they are open from 7am-11pm.

Any other questions for me ask away.....

I think I must've gotten a villa for my two. It's been so long that I really don't remember much about it, other than that I would use them again if I ever needed to. I think when I mentioned a video that it was really streaming, but I do remember getting pictures of the two of them outside during their playtime. I think I requested, because of my female's fear of people, that they just be let out to roam the play yard alone together.

 

[Spridell]

If u board in the VACATION VILLAS or the VIP suites it is streaming audio and video via an app on your phone. U can even talk to your dog through the app.

 

[AngiTN]

I found a great pet sitter at home thru Rover.com . We did a meet and greet with her dog on neutral territory before hand and then did a short 2-night stay to make sure both my dog and I were comfortable with leaving her in the sitter’s care. I got daily photos and reports about my dog and she came home happy. The best thing about it was that she wasn’t kenneled the majority of the time like she would be at the vet. I know that you asked about Best Friends (we have a franchise near us) but the home atmosphere just suited our dog better.

I was going to suggest you download the app too
At least look at what's in your area
See if there is someone to suit your needs
The pup can stay home
Traveling is stressful for them

 

[ProudSoccerMom]

Thank you, everyone!

 

[ProudSoccerMom]

I leave my dog (beagle) there ALL the time. I live in Palm Beach so I go for the day a lot and leave him for the day and I also leave him when I stay over. He has stayed over night there MANY MANY times. I can't say enough about the place. It is TOP NOTCH. Since your dog is so big I would suggest you get him a "vacation villa" he will fit nicely in there. My dog doesn't like being with other dogs so when it comes to play time instead of going to play with the other dogs one of the employees plays one on one with him for half hour. Vacation Villas have webcams u can see him on your phone anytime u want. You can also go visit him anytime you want. They open 1 hour before EMH and close 1 hour after EMH. So most days they are open from 7am-11pm.

Any other questions for me ask away.....

Thank you! Did you have to get any special vaccines for your dog? Also, aside from his time with the employee, was he alone all day?

 

[ProudSoccerMom]

We usually board our dog at our vet. Would that be an option for you? It might make it a more familiar place for your dog.

I wish our vet boarded, but they don’t.

 

[Farro]

Mods...if this is in the wrong place, please move it.

Has anyone ever boarded their pet here? We got a Golden Retriever puppy for our son for Christmas. He’ll be 10 months old when we go to WDW in August. He’s already 60 pounds (Dad is an English Golden), so I expect he’ll be just about full grown - 75-90 range - when we travel. We’re trying to find a friend or family member to care for him while we’re away, but not having any luck. I like the idea of bringing him with us, but don’t want to leave him in a strange hotel room alone at WDW for any length of time. I’m already having terrible anxiety over leaving him for 10 days. There are some local boarders we could use, but it would be wonderful have him close by. He’s very high energy and loves to play with other dogs and people, but he’s never been separated from us. He is crate and potty trained. I have to make sure he’s safe and happy. If you have any experiences with this facility that you can share, positive or negative, I’d love to hear them. Thank you!

Oh this subject. Over the year we've had a number pets. One dog was so anxious to be with ANYONE other than one of us, we practically took separate vacations for 14 years.

We have two cats now, and cats for some reason have a reputation about being boarded. We go on vacations where they are boarded for up to 10/11 nights. They stay with the vet. They share a large cage.
It's not ideal and I'm sure they aren't thrilled, but I know they are safe and being looked after. The techs are there 24 hours and they tell us the let them out of the cage at night and the vets sit with them, hold them and walk around with them. They love them there. Cashew sometimes won't eat right away, so the vet is there to give an appetite stimulant if needed.
It costs a bit, the cats are annoying when we get home, but I have more peace of mind and it's worth it.

All this to say don't feel guilty about boarding your pet at home while you are gone. You can always call and check on your baby!

 

[Buddy40]

We boarded our golden retriever and cairn terrier there about 6 yrs ago, and again our golden retriever 2 yrs ago. Each time we boarded them in a vacation villa. Our golden suffered from separation anxiety. Whenever we boarded him elsewhere, he would rub his nose raw on the door trying to get out. This didn’t happen here. The villas are small rooms with elevated bed platform, tv, ac, and glass doors (check the website or boards for more info). The staff at Best Friends are great. There are indoor play groups and outdoor play area, although the outdoor area was too hot for our golden in the August heat/sun. The boarding fee included 2 walks/day. I forget if the indoor play group was included for the villas or if we paid extra. The are up charges for additional services (additional walks, personal play time, ice cream treats, etc.). Our dogs had special feeding instructions, food prep & meds, which wasn’t an issue. Best benefit, you can visit with your pet anytime from 1 hr before park open to I believe, 1 hr past latest park close.

Costs were comparable to if not less than if we boarded at home (NY metro area).

I can’t say enough positive things about Best Friends. We really felt comfortable leaving our dogs there.

 

[Spridell]

Thank you! Did you have to get any special vaccines for your dog? Also, aside from his time with the employee, was he alone all day?

The "vacation villas" come with 1 potty walk and 1 playgroup. However, you can add as many walks and individual playtime's as you want. I usually pay extra for 3 walks and 2 alone play times.

Like @Buddy40 said, the good thing about the VACATION VILLAS and VIP rooms NO CAGES. It is all glass so no biting on the cages. Also, the VACATION VILLAS have a sort of enclosed outside area for the dogs to go potty. It is hard to explain. They have the room they sleep in and watch tv and then a little door they go out to their own patio and go to the bathroom. The patio IS INDOORS not outside and the patio is their own fenced in. (see the picture i circled the patio doorway)

Here are the vaccines taken from the website

Requirements for Dogs: DHPPv/DA2PPv, Rabies, and Bordetella. Both Canine Influenza vaccines (H3N2 and H3N8) are required for any dogs attending Day Camp and/or any group play. Also, there is a seven-day waiting period after the 2nd booster before they can attend Day Camp or group play. Day Camp must also have a clean fecal check every 6 months.
Requirements for Cats: FVRCP (Feline Rhinotracheitis Virus, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia) and Rabies


https://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/waltdisneyworldresort/faqs/

 

[LoveMyDogTheDoodle]

We have boarded our two dogs (maltipoo and labradoodle) there many times. Excellent experience all around. I recommend you choose the villa that has outdoor access for potty time. My maltipoo needs more frequent breaks so this was ideal for him. Great staff who really love dogs! It is pricier than most places but worth it to me for peace of mind.

 

[AngiTN]

Also worth mentioning, in case you hadn't realized it, this is a national chain, not something Disney runs. There could be one in your local area. So it's possible for you to use one prior to going to Disney to test it out, if there is.

 

[Disneypro1]

My best friend uses it...loves them. Sometimes he does use the vet though as its alot cheaper.
We just have a friends teen kid stay at the house for the week. Pay her like 100 and the dogs get to stay at home.

 

[Spridell]

Also worth mentioning, in case you hadn't realized it, this is a national chain, not something Disney runs. There could be one in your local area. So it's possible for you to use one prior to going to Disney to test it out, if there is.

This is a good point. A lot of people don't know this is NOT owned by Disney. Although, I have spoken to the Manager at the Disney location and he did say Execs from Disney and pet resort management are in very very close contact with even inspections of the facility by Disney Execs. So the pet resort is really up to Disney standards and quality. Just look at all the reviews on Google.

Best Friends resorts are located pretty much up and down the east coast but mainly the majority of them are in the Northeast.

 

[ProudSoccerMom]

The "vacation villas" come with 1 potty walk and 1 playgroup. However, you can add as many walks and individual playtime's as you want. I usually pay extra for 3 walks and 2 alone play times.

Like @Buddy40 said, the good thing about the VACATION VILLAS and VIP rooms NO CAGES. It is all glass so no biting on the cages. Also, the VACATION VILLAS have a sort of enclosed outside area for the dogs to go potty. It is hard to explain. They have the room they sleep in and watch tv and then a little door they go out to their own patio and go to the bathroom. The patio IS INDOORS not outside and the patio is their own fenced in. (see the picture i circled the patio doorway)

Here are the vaccines taken from the website

Requirements for Dogs: DHPPv/DA2PPv, Rabies, and Bordetella. Both Canine Influenza vaccines (H3N2 and H3N8) are required for any dogs attending Day Camp and/or any group play. Also, there is a seven-day waiting period after the 2nd booster before they can attend Day Camp or group play. Day Camp must also have a clean fecal check every 6 months.
Requirements for Cats: FVRCP (Feline Rhinotracheitis Virus, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia) and Rabies


https://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/waltdisneyworldresort/faqs/

This is wonderful. Thank you so much for the pictures. One more question about the group play (if you used it). Do they match up the dogs by age and size? Our Golden will be 10 months in August and most likely around 75-80 pounds. He’s big, but still very young and very sweet. He’s very active and plays hard, but not aggressive at all.

 

[ProudSoccerMom]

Also worth mentioning, in case you hadn't realized it, this is a national chain, not something Disney runs. There could be one in your local area. So it's possible for you to use one prior to going to Disney to test it out, if there is.

No, I didn’t realize this. Thank you!