First Day Jitters, Second Day Snuggles: Oliver's Dog Hotel Story

Oliver's First Day at Dog Hotel

Last weekend, Carrie and I went to Des Moines, Iowa (see post) for the weekend and we decided to try out a new place to have Oliver stay while we were away on our trip. We are lucky to have family that is willing and able to watch Oliver when we cannot take him with us on trips. Joan and Eddie have watched him numerous times, my mom in Lawrence has watched him for extended periods, and we have tapped our friend Brenda to watch him at times too. We had been wanting to try a spot in Topeka in case of emergency or no one is available, so this was the weekend to give it a try.

We selected TLC Pet Nursing Hotel that Carrie and I had checked out about a year ago and did a tour of the facility. We liked what we saw through the walk through and wanted to give it a try with a short trip. We dropped Oliver off around 7 am on Friday, November 15. Gave directions for feeding, what he needed through the day, and confirmed contact information. 

Photo of Oliver at Dog Hotel

Oliver had a nice set up at the dog hotel with his own room, bed, and we could leave things from home with him such as his own bed, blanket, and toys. The staff would walk him a few times throughout the day and then he had a cuddle/play day too on Saturday I believe. For an extra $3 a day, we could have pictures of him shared with us which of course we paid to have available. Overall, it was rather expensive to have him stay at dog hotel and get the pictures, but worth it to know we have it as an option if the need arises.

Oliver Second Day at Dog Hotel

His first day at the dog hotel and he looked nervous in the pictures that were shared which consist of the first two pictures provided thus far. He does not look content and still wondering what is happening. By the second day, he looked a little more at home in the pictures that were shared. He still looked to be wondering what was happening, but a little more receptive to those taking care of him and ready to snuggle in for a night of sleep.

Dog hotel taking Oliver for a walk

Oliver went on walks a few times a day and it showed when we picked him up on Sunday mid-afternoon, he slept the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. I think we all went to bed early that night and he was so ready to head to bed, he ran up to the bed and was sleep by 9. 

Overall, I think it was a good experience for Oliver. They took good care of him at TLC Pet Nursing Hotel. We will keep them in mind for the future, but hoping we can continue to use family and friends to watch our little guy. We so appreciate having Oliver watched by our family/friends and keeping us updated on how he is doing while we are gone.