Talk to me about kennels

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

The dog's breeder was going to have her to stay in April when we were going away but very sadly is losing their farm so I need to think of something else. She's coming up for 8 months old, is she too young for kennels ? I hate the idea of them and am hoping I'll be able to find someone to do home boarding but thought I'd better start finding these things out. Many thanks.

No ,not too young Is she spayed? Some kennels won't take bitches in season.

Dogs love going to really good kennels - at least mine do. Ask for recommendations, use the Dogs Trust factsheet for pointers (under Dog A-Z, and B for boarding) but really there is no substitute for going round having a really good thorough look at the ones in your area, and talking to the staff.

My dogs cry with excitement as we pull into the drive of the kennels I use

I've never used a home boarder - partly because, IME, the people who take in home boarders often aren't as knolwedgeable or experienced as good kennel staff

Best of luck.

i'm not an expert but with our dog, people said its best to start them young so they are used to it. she has to have jabs and some places insist on some powder stuff that vets squirt in their nose i think - to stop getting a cough??? good places are in high demand, so you need to get a move on. my dog is used to people around as i work from home - so i've always used people who have dogs and look after an extra few in their houses, rather than kennels (is this home boarding?). got these via word of mouth. i book mine at the same time as the hol - ie for april booked last sept. good luck. with both places i use we did a pracise run for an hour a few days before, so the dog got used to them and knew i'd be back to pick her up. i'd obviously view them first (with your dog) and have a list of things to discuss - eg feeding, walking, meet her other dogs, what areas can she use. you will get a feel if the person knows their stuff or not. you can tell that mine have lived with dogs all their lives

Ha ha, I'm being all precious first pup about this aren't I Very encouraging that yours love going.

Not spayed as hasn't had first season which sodding well might be in April for all I know, b***r

Sorry Dreamingofsun (love the name), I didn't see you there. It's going to be like good childcare isn't it, all booked up in advance.

Other problem is she's had a persistent cough for ages which was thought to be kennel cough but now looks like it is lungworm but if she's still coughing by April I'll be suicidal anyway and going no where.

just read bellas advice. that will confuse you! guess it depends on your dog. i just know mine would be lonely stuck in one of those cages all by herself. she would much rather be with people/other dogs. i know who is looking after my dog, at a kennels i have no control over this- so i don't understand how you know they are experienced. agree about the being in season bit

We use a home boarder too. Kennels I looked at looked like doggy prison to me and ours is around with me all day and a real people dog - and she likes her creature comforts. The people I use came word of mouth from other dog walkers. She has a ball there. Wherever you go - the good places get booked up fast. My rule is book our holiday, book the dog's holiday. Don't leave it until the last minute.

Oh flipping heck. Well can anyone recommend me a holiday where I can take the dog, children and get some time off from both please ?!

i love my dog nearly as much as my children - so know how you feel. yes afraid its a bit like childcare. mine doesn't like going (but she's very attached to us) and she's so excited when we get back - but i feel confident thats she's in good care and i'm not having my hols spoiled by a dog!

being spayed seems contentious issue - 1 vet at our practise said best before 1st season; other said best after. she was done before as likely to come into season whilst we took her camping. hasn't done her any harm.

lungworm doesn't sound great - not that i know anything about it????

Kennels vary enormously.

Good ones look like this:

here

When we had to find accommodation for our previous dog at short notice (MIL usually had him but broke her arm) the vet recommended a kennel which we visited and realised it wouldn't do - dog had a car noise phobia and it was atop the M6 embankment. So we ended up finding Barking Mad in yellow pages, and fortunately that worked out fine for us. Now MIL is too old to have the dog anyway we still use them. Mind you, they are not cheap.

Centre Parcs let you take dogs and will have your children for a few hours too if you get them booked into the childcare zone - maybe that will help?

Centreparcs is an option, still pondering that one.

I've had a look at that picture Bella and I don't think my dog would like it at all unfortunately, she very much likes being around people all the time and I think kennels could really upset her. I'm sure I probably am being all precious first pup but it's hard enough with a teenage dog without upsetting the apple cart at this point.

So I've emailed Barking Mad and asked them about prices and said I don't know when she'll be in season, will wait and see what they say. Thank you for all your help.

Don't put human emotions on dogs they will be fine. They live in the moment and as along as they are not stressed, cold, ill or hungry etc they will be fine.

A big con for a kennel is that usually assuming it is a good boarding kennel, the dog will be safe.

Left with a house sitter they can run off, get into all sorts of problems. But having said that a good house sitter may also water your tomatoes and spoil your dog rotten.

Putting a young dog into kennels is a great way to get them used to it. I would leave him for one night and see how he gets on. They do not miss people like we do and if they have food, are warm and dry and have entertainment like barking at other dogs what more could they need for a short while.

I usually take our dogs with us so have been holidaying in europe and this country but that is because I like doing doggy things on my holidays - long walks, agility etc.

However we have left them in kennels when we went to Australia and also left them with a home sitter as well. I felt happier with them in the kennels.

If you really want a doggy holiday caravan and this country is the way forward! Never mind about the wrecked image!

I'd recommend visiting a handful of kennels to see which one you like best. Only use ones who are keen to show you round and tell you how they do things, and who insist on dogs being up to date with all vaccinations (some are a bit lax about that sort of ting).

My dog hates going to kennels, but I know he's safe and being looked after by a lovely bunch of people who are very competant at what they do. Mine even has the option of web cams so that you can watch your dog and see what he's up to, but I've never actually done it (would make me feel far too guilty).

In the unlikely event of you being anywhere near Herts/Beds I can recommend a very good kennels.

OK, I hear what you are all saying very nicely about me being somewhat precious and you are all right, I am. She is a flipping sociable dog though, as long as she is around people she's fine (apart from the fact she's just turned into Kevin the teenager), the minute she's excluded we flipping know about it. We both work from home so she is used to having us here a lot of the time.

I think I have just come up with the solution to my problem. The ladies who run the training sessions we were going to before the cough started, do doggy day care thing and then board them in their homes overnight. Ddog loves them and they set us on the right path with clicker training for which I'm eternally grateful, and there's the chance she might end up better behaved then she is currently being. I'd completely forgotten they did this as haven't been able to go to training.

She will come with us sometimes but she got car sick and don't fancy trying to deal with that at the moment.