“Dogs are communicative. If you listen, they will speak. They understand human emotions even better than we humans can comprehend.”
After holding a corporate job for over 25 years, Pune-based Pushpa Yashwant Mohod, 52 called it quits to start a pet hostel “Bow Wow Dog Boarding” with her partner in 2019. She finds time spent with with her furry friends, fun and far more rewarding. In a tete-a-tete with A. Radhakrishnan, she points out to the profitability of the venture but also says it is a work that calls for lot of hard work and commitment. She has some useful tips of preparing pets for life in a kennel.
You were holding a corporate job. What made your start a pet boarding facility?
I worked in a corporate environment for over 25 years, mostly in the field of accounts and finance. I had no experience of playing with dogs, leave alone working with them. As a kid, having been bitten by a dog on two occasions; that fear always lurked. But a time came when I wanted to start my own venture. My colleague (then and partner now) in my last job was an ardent dog lover and a trainer in his younger days, with two pets of his own. Together we decided to start the Bow Wow Dog Boarding facility.
What services do you offer?
We desired a place where these ‘kids’ would enjoy their vacation while their ‘parents’ were away. Bow Wow Dog Boarding is a sprawling 8000 sq. feet home in Hinjewadi Phase 1, Pune for dogs only, housing 20 kennels. We also board pets on a day care basis when the ‘parents’ have guests over.
Our aim being to provide comfort and care to pets, we do offer any extra services. Our fees are primarily for boarding inclusive of daily meals. We also offer transport services for the convenience of our pets and their parents.
What makes a good dog boarding facility? Is it a profitable business?
As a business venture, it is surely profitable but entails a lot of hard work. Most importantly you cannot entrust the administration to your employees, as they cannot deliver what you can.
The kennels should be large with lots of space for the pets to run around and play; pets should be provided with good and timely meals and above all pet owners and those working with the pets need to be compassionate. One has to be patient, loving and caring and understand their needs. A daunting task, but worth all the effort.
Is your team certified to work with pets?
Our core team comprises my partner and me. As mentioned earlier, he is a certified dog trainer. Our support staff comprises maids and helpers for cleaning only. They do not handle pets or take care of any pet needs. Walking the dogs, playing with them, feeding the dogs etc., is taken care of by only the core team.
Do you screen dogs that come and how do you handle aggressive dogs? Do you accommodate dogs with special needs?
We take the basic information about the pet from the parent itself, in terms of whether they are human and pet friendly, their diet, their likes and dislikes etc. While we do get an honest feedback, sometimes the pet parents lie to us about their pet’s behaviour. This is purely because their pet has been refused by other dog boarding facility on grounds of aggression.
In most cases, aggression is purely a self defence mechanism which is easy to handle. It’s just a matter of time that the pet begins to trust us and the aggression is almost gone. The magic is food and the behaviour of the other pets towards us. He observes other pets around him and learns to trust us, at his own pace.
The other aggression is difficult to handle and is mostly seen in senior pets who have never been introduced to many humans. This makes our job difficult and sometimes even dangerous. In such cases, we inform the pet parent that the dog will not be off the leash at all times – inside and outside the kennel. This way it becomes easier for us to handle the pet, if things go south.
We do accommodate pets with special needs. Most kennels refuse to board female dogs during their heat period. Obviously, since the other males in the boarding become restless. We also accommodate old pets, which most kennels refuse, on medical grounds.
How do you prepare the dog for the kennel? The dog’s daily itinerary?
No one can prepare a dog for the kennel stay – not even his owner. Dogs staying for the first time always have a very difficult time to adjust. They are in a new surrounding, with new pets, new people and trust does not come easily. First time pets are like kindergarten kids. They adjust with time.
Dogs boarding with us have their first break between 6.30 and 7.00 am where they relieve themselves. Breakfast is served between 7.30 and 8.30 am. Post their meal they are given a second short break. Between 9.30 am and 6.30 pm, our pets are outside their kennels – either playing with us or their new friends. The ‘not so friendly’ ones, are left alone to explore. Lunch is between 1.30 and 2.30 pm and dinner is served at 7.30 pm. Post dinner, individual pets go for their breaks and then retire into their kennels for the night.
How long does it take for a dog to adjust after boarding? Do dogs change after boarding? What should the owner expect when the dog returns home?
Best part about dogs, is that they adjust to their homes instantaneously. That’s a place they trust; they feel comfortable about. They do change after boarding. A lot depends on their kennel experience. If it has not been a pleasant one, the parents will notice a behavioural change. Some may notice even diet changes – especially in puppies.
Once home, the owner should be prepared to shower more love, affection and attention to his pet. He has to make up for leaving his pet alone with strangers. Some pet parents may notice that their pets are extremely tired and sleep for extended hours. This is because at Bow Wow there is so much activity during the day that the pets do not want to miss on any action and they compromise their sleep.
Do dogs get stressed and lonely when boarded?
As community animals, dogs get extremely scared in new surroundings. They get easily intimidated by other pets especially in strange surroundings. Dogs do feel lonely and stressed as they miss their parents and their siblings. They tend to feel abandoned and don’t know what awaits them. They have their own way of communicating and complaining.
Do dogs remember you after they return home?
Funny as it may sound, but yes they do remember us after they go home. Pets who stay with us for a long time – over 3 – 4 weeks, miss us. We have pet parents making video calls to us, asking us to talk to their pets. We have even had incidents, where the pet after being dropped home jumps back into our car, refusing to go home!
What food do you provide for dogs? How is dog waste managed?
We do not have standardised meals for our pets. Each family has inculcated different eating habits and we try our best to meet those expectations.
Our basic meal is boiled chicken (breast boneless), boiled egg with rice. For our vegetarian kids, we provide boiled vegetables mainly consisting of potatoes, beans, pumpkin (on request), carrots, and sweet potatoes. Lunch during summer months is curd rice / buttermilk/ vanilla ice cream. During winter it’s chicken broth with bhakri. We also provide dry dog food, if the pet has never been introduced to wet food.
A waste disposal van picks up dog waste each morning.
Why are dogs lovable as pets? Do you speak to dogs?
I believe that dogs are communicative. If you listen, they will speak. They understand human emotions even better than we humans can comprehend. They pep you up and ask for attention in the most comic ways. They make you feel special by cuddling into your lap, just licking your face….. they are just so adorable.
We do speak to dogs and all our dogs are English speaking! They understand all our commands and abide by them too. It’s so amazing that a child needs two years to understand and speak a language, but the dog understands your language within a month.
Have you had to face any dangerous situation? How do you deal with an emergency?
In this field of work, an emergency arises within a blink of the eye. Dogs are temperamental and you can never predict how each dog will react to the other during play and suddenly you have a situation on hand. Till we are not sure about the temperament of the pet, we do not socialise them with other pets boarding with us. We have, till date, not faced an emergency or a situation which has been fatal – neither to our pets nor us.
Which are the types of dogs that come to you? Why do dogs dig holes?
Of the many breeds of dogs, the most common ones are Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Lhasa, Shihtzu, Husky, and our very own Indies. The Indies dig holes to hide their food in case of emergency. Some breeds do so in anxiety or extreme happiness. Most dogs dig holes in summer months to keep themselves cool.
Which do you prefer – your old corporate job or caring for dogs and why?
Of course I enjoy working with my furry kids. Corporate work is a thankless job and these kids thank me several times a day, in their own way. Working for them does not feel like a compulsion. With no stress, no work pressure, and no deadlines – it’s pure fun. What more could I ask for?
Contact details:
Whatsapp number: 7757002577
Email id: pymohod71@gmail.com
A.Radhakrishnan is a Pune based freelance journalist, poet and short story writer.