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AAA Pet Resort Best Advice:

How the Pet Calmer can help you! The wind begins to howl, the sky grows dark with clouds, and you see a flash of light come through the window, and BOOM! A thunderclap! Now most of us know these signs of a storm but for many dog owners there is another sign; that sign being that their animals are going absolutely mental. This blog will touch upon how to best save your dogs, and yourself, stress during a storm; and will touch upon simple techniques as well as some technological solutions such as The Pet Calmer.

There are two major sources of stimuli that cause dogs distress during a storm, those being the flash of lightning, and the thunderclap. Now dealing with the flash is relatively easy, and can be done simply putting the dog in a space where all the blinds are up on the windows and there no other ways for light to come in from outside. However, the thunderclap is where the majority of the techniques of this blog will be focused.

One way to try and prevent some stress beforehand is by trying to desensitize your dog to the sound of a thunderstorm. This works on the principle that the more that any creature is exposed to certain stimuli, the less they react to it over time. In the case of desensitizing your dog to thunderstorms, this can be achieved by finding some sort of thunderstorm soundtrack and playing it on a loop throughout your house. Start the track at a low volume so that your dog is not caused undue stress. Increase the volume every few days for about three weeks or so (the exact amount of time may vary depending on the dog). At this point, hopefully, your dog will have gotten used to the sounds of storms enough to where when one occurs naturally they won’t be as afraid. This concept of using sound in order to help relieve the stress of your dog during a storm is also shared by a piece of equipment called The Pet Calmer, which we will get to later.

However what if a storm occurs while you just beginning to desensitize your dog or previous efforts at desensitizing them have failed? Here are a few techniques to counter these scenarios. For mild cases simply putting a thunder jacket on your dog may be enough to calm them down. These jackets replicate the effect of swaddling your dog and can reduce their stress. Another tip is to give your dog access to distractions. This can be as simple as a gentle pet or tossing them a chew toy. Any positive stimulus you can provide to your dog that can distract them from the storm will lessen their stress. Be sure not to yell at them or ignore them during a storm as this will provide another negative stimulus on top of the storm, making the problem severely worse. Another really effective tactic is to try and compete with the sound. This can be accomplished with just a radio or television set playing the in the background. This is especially useful for people with homes without a relatively soundproof room such as a basement. In addition, there are products out there such as The Pet Calmer, which provides dog-calming music and is designed specifically to help your animal as opposed to the previously mentioned radio or TV.

The Pet Calmer is a Bluetooth speaker that has been preloaded with music designed to help calm down dogs, as well as other animals, during stressful situations. The Pet Calmer’s “pet tunes” are set specifically within the range of canine hearing and has been clinically tested to reduce canine stress and calm behavior. The Pet Calmer also comes with the additional benefit that it can be used not just for storms but for any stressful pet situation, such as a vet visit or a long car ride.

For much more severe cases of noise phobia medical options are available. However, this should be seen as a last resort; and only used desensitization and other methods have already failed. Hopefully, these tips will help reduce the amount of stress suffered by both you and your pets the next time a thunderstorm rolls near your home.

All our guests have a great time

Born into the pet care industry, resort owner Michael Avery has owned various pet resorts across the Gold Coast. However, he considers AAA Pet Resort his crowning achievement. Michael’s vision to create a home away from home for Gold Coast pets has been realised, as many happy customers can attest. Our philosophy is simple, yet effective: to ensure all of our guests have a great time, in a loving, protective environment.

All AAA animal carers uphold Michael’s high standards of care and comfort. This is reflected in their compassionate, observant nature when caring for your best friend

We have a 5 star team

Our enthusiastic team of dog lovers is driven to provide you and your pet with the most comfortable, enjoyable pet resort experience, while you enjoy your time away. Each staff member lives up to this philosophy by caring for your dog’s health, happiness, and wellbeing. You can be confident that while having the time of their lives, your best friend is safe and well looked after.

Operating Hours

Our passionate staff will ensure your fur kids feel like part of the family during their stay at AAA Pet Resort.

Weekdays 7:00-11:00 am | 3:00-5:00 pm
Saturday 8:00-10:00 am | 3:00-4:00 pm
Sundays 3:00-5:00 pm

Closed public holidays
Please call for inspection times

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between Twin Share and Private during pet boarding?

Each of our five room options can be booked as either a Twin Share or a Private, so it’s still the same room, the option just depends on if your dog would like to have the room to them self or if they’d prefer to share that room with a friend. With dogs who do not live together at home, we will only board two dogs together at any one time, except under special circumstances, in which case you would be notified about the situation prior to boarding.

How do you match the dogs for Twin Share?

If you have a dog who thoroughly enjoys the company of another dog, the Twin Share option may be suitable. We match dogs in the Twin Share option according to size and temperament, so if you have a small, calm dog, your dog would be matched with another dog who is small, who would like to integrate but not be too over the top during play. If you have a large, playful dog, your dog would be matched to someone who wouldn’t mind playing the day away with your dog. There are endless combinations of pet traits.

Is there always a dog match available at your pet resort?

There are instances where you may book your dog into a Twin Share room, but we may not have a dog boarding with us during that time who is suitable to share the room with your dog (Eg. Dogs got alone but one was much more playful than the other). If this occurs, we will be in touch with you to let you know that we weren’t able to find a match. When dogs are matched up, sometimes the dates that their booking goes for does not align. Your dog may be here for seven days, and their initial match may only be here for the first three days. The introduction process begins again once their first match has left.

What is the introduction process for the dog boarding?

We are very particular about which dogs share with one another, and our introduction process can take up to 3 or 4 hours. It’s most certainly not something we take lightly as we must ensure that both guests will feel comfortable being with one another during their stay. If there are any signs of anti-social behaviour from either dog, the introduction progress is ceased immediately.

If your dog has never boarded with us before, it’s highly recommended to book them a Private room so that you know the room is readily available for them to have them self should they require it. It’s very easy for us to change to a Twin Share, but due to availability, it’s not always easy for us to do it the other way around. Please get in touch with us if you’re unsure about which option is best for your dog.

Why are vaccinations important in Boarding Kennels or Pet Resorts on the Gold Coast?

If you’re looking for cat or dog boarding on the Gold Coast, your pet will be required to have current vaccination records. A good dog hotel on the Gold Coast will always protect all its canine and feline guests by making sure they are all up-to-date on their shots and healthy. Puppies and kittens require three initial vaccinations when they’re very young and then annual booster vaccinations and check-ups for life. Our requirements are C5 in dogs, and F3 in cats, and these vaccinations need to be conducted within the last 12 months, but not within 10 days of the arrival date to our resort. Be sure to ask your vet if you have any questions about your pet’s full protection and contact our friendly team to find out more about the vaccination requirements.

I want to say a big 'thank you' to that looked after my princess, Heidi. Normally, a dog would lose weight while in boarding, but if you send your dog here, he will come back with holiday kilos, as well as be taken care of just as they are at home. Will be bringing Heidi back next time!

Michelle

Just picked up Roxy and Havoc after two weeks overseas. They had a wonderful time, and the feedback I received on my dogs was fabulous. The staff spent a lot of time with them, so there will be a few more holidays for me, knowing my babies are in excellent hands.

Jo

We have taken Mischy there several times now and we can leave her knowing that she will be looked after by some wonderful staff. Sometimes we wonder if she wants to come home or stay with the girls. We would recommend AAA Pet Resort to anyone and everyone.

Robyn

Leaving your pet can be very nerve racking, but AAA Pet Resort were very professional and made it easy to do. They were contactable while we were away and took photos of our gorgeous girl for us to see. When we saw her face we were confident she was being cared for in the right hands.

Renea

Ace and Rose has had three stay's now the latest being the longest. They looked very healthy and happy when we collected them. Thank you AAA Pet Resort for taking fantastic care of our two fur babies!

Darelle