Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Barking mad dog boarding service

42 replies

Notonaschoolnight · 05/06/2013 21:23

I want to find a more homely alternative to kennels as I'm worried the ewok won't like it so I've contacted the local franchise of this business as they've advised;

They come to my house and meet the ewok and if they're happy they register on the barking mad database at a cost of thirty pounds

They don't have your dog, they have host families which you just see pics of you don't get to visit the, see where they live.

The boarding cost are £30 pound transport cost and then £20/day, so if you're away 2 nights, the cost would be 3 days.

I'd love all your thoughts on this especially if any of you have used the service or something run in a similar way, as right now I'm really struggling with the idea of not meeting the people she will be staying with plus the one off fees for reg and transport seem unreasonably high.

On the other hand I suppose you don't meet the kennel staff either.

Oh is sitting there just saying "and now your understanding why I didn't want a dog" which is really helpful.

Really interested to see what you all think

OP posts:
yesbutnobut · 06/06/2013 00:09

It sounds expensive (why £30 transport?) but I can see it could be convenient if for instance you're away quite a bit. I've found someone while out walking my dogs but you could always look on gumtree/your local pet shot or place an advert there. That will mean you're doing a bit more work but at least that way you get to vet the person yourself and you could ask for references.

neepsandtatties · 06/06/2013 08:52

Is there nothing local if you google 'dogsitter' or 'home dog boarding' and your location? I found 3 options in my tiny village that way.

I wouldn't be happy letting my dog stay with someone I have never met!

LegoAcupuncture · 06/06/2013 08:54

Sound too expensive. Where do you live?

LegoAcupuncture · 06/06/2013 08:54

I'd be wanting to meet th actual people who were watching my dog tbh.

Kormachameleon · 06/06/2013 08:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 06/06/2013 09:44

Woah. Very expensive. My luxury home boarder, who has a dog room, an acre enclosed paddock and basically runs a spa for dogs only charges £20-25 a day, there are no 'transport' costs (you drop the dog off yourself) and no 'registration' fee. She's also happy to meet you, have you ask questions and texts pics while you're away. I wouldn't pay out all that money if you can't even meet the host family.

1MitchellMum · 06/06/2013 09:45

We have them locally too. There is no way I'd want my dogs being transported by someone else, to an unknown location and people. We have housesitters, and whenever we have new ones in we usually spend an hour or so going through the house/dogs routine etc. We have a manual as well with everything listed. My dogs are too old for kennels now but we used to use them - I'd prefer them to Barking Mad - at least you get to meet the kennel owner and see where they'll be staying. The only reason B/Mad do what they do is so that you can't book direct with the dogsitters. But I've used housesitters for years and haven't booked direct, though I appreciate why some people would try to bypass the system.

QuietTiger · 06/06/2013 09:59

I do dog boarding in my home. I insist that the dog comes here with the owner for a meet & greet first - this is to see if it gets on with my dogs and other animals and for me to assess the actual behaviour of the dog.

Boraders don't stay with us unless they have had a seperate meet and greet first. Sometimes the dog doesn't "click" with you and the environment, sometimes the owner is not happy with something, so the booking is not made.

There is no way I'd be packing my dog off with what is essentially a stranger, to stay with another stranger that I hadn't met in a place I didn't know. And certainly I wouldn't be paying those prices for it to do so!

Scuttlebutter · 06/06/2013 13:06

Absolutely not. I'd want to check that the home boarder is licensed, has full public liability insurance and secure premises. In addition I'd want to make sure they were close to our preferred vet, and had a good understanding of our dog's requirements, be they medical, dietary, social and behavioural. I'd also expect regular updates, either by text or email. I can't think of any other business where a customer is expected to hand over large sums of money but is not allowed to know who they are buying a service from!

springlamb · 06/06/2013 13:10

Weird.
Any reputable place would welcome being visited - they appreciate that dog owners want to see sleeping arrangements, exercise arrangements, meet any house dogs etc.
This goes for the £15 a day boarding kennels I use, as well as the £8 a day 'in home' dog lady we occasionally use.

Scuttlebutter · 06/06/2013 13:14

Yes, Spring, that's right. Both the boarding kennels we use welcome visitors at any time and you can inspect the accommodation. You can even have a free trial day at both - a great way to have a little taster session.

Original poster
Notonaschoolnight · 06/06/2013 13:35

Hi you all pretty much agree so I'm not being daft thank you. I'm in sunderland.

yes there other home boarders I've found on the Internet but one of them mentioned "your dog would be walked with our pack" I'm not keen on that idea, ideally the ewok would be the only dog there.

Actually looking at another one its a similar idea to barking mad, that dog would be placed with a host family, so there's three out of the window

There's another one where the dog doesn't stay at their home, but their holiday home? How does that work?

I'm struggling to find a conventional " hi this is me, this is my house, I'll mind your dog here as long as we meet up first and we all get on and you drop her off with all her gear and pick her up"

OP posts:
LegoAcupuncture · 06/06/2013 15:19

There is a great one on way to Hexham, but perhaps too far.

You're asking a bit too much with expecting your dog to be the only one as most boarders have their own dogs as well.

QuietTiger · 06/06/2013 15:20

Notonaschoolnight - don't write off the home boarder who walks all the dogs together. We have a couple of dogs who stay with us, who are "only dogs". Because they have met us first, as well as meeting my dogs, the "walking & living as a pack" is usually OK. Having said that, I don't take "dog unfriendly" dogs.

What I do, is at the "meet and greet" I offer for the owner to go for a walk with me, my dogs, their dog and them, so the owner is there while everyone is walking, IYSWIM? Boarding dogs (in this house) are treated as part of the family - we must be doing something right because people are happy to pay the rates we ask and they return every holiday.

Things you need to look for in a home boarding situation are;

Good quality accommodation for the dogs & facilities to separate them from each other.

Happy to feed what you instruct - although I have a blanket rule that I absolutely will not feed "Bakers Complete" to anything and will return the food at the end of the stay if that's what the dog comes with.

Properly Insured.

Public liability Insurance.

Happy to be inspected at any time unannounced - for e.g, I expected an owner to turn up at 7pm to collect her dog. She turned up at 4pm, unannounced - her dog was doing exactly what it would have been doing had she turned up at 7pm, IYSWIM. It was playing with other dogs in my garden having fun charging in and out of our disgusting pond with a ball in its mouth.

We also have a 4 page detailed questionaire that people fill in for their dogs stay. - details of contact numbers, behaviour requirements, vet details, vaccination details etc. I can send an example via PM if it helps.

I also insist of seeing a record of the dogs vaccination history & that all dogs staying here are vaccinated - ANY reputable dog boarding facility should demand that as a basic requirement.

LegoAcupuncture · 06/06/2013 15:23

There is this one but pieces start from £30 a day. Yikes!

LegoAcupuncture · 06/06/2013 15:23

Prices not pieces.

Original poster
Notonaschoolnight · 06/06/2013 16:12

Lego just having an email conversation with that one now, again its another situation where the dog wouldn't stay with them but with a host couple but you would meet the couple and go to the place where they stay etc so its much better so I said I'd arrange a visit during the hols when I'm off work. I have found another call pet patrol so I've emailed them too, just waiting to hear back

Sorry I should have explained better my having other dogs concern was more to do with mine being a very bouncy wheaten terrier puppy that may do the other dogs heads in but then I suppose these dogs are probably used to all kinds of dogs coming to visit.

OP posts:
ihatethecold · 06/06/2013 16:42

Quiettiger,

I have to ask, why won't you feed a dog bakers complete?

I don't use it for my dog, he has BARF but I'm just curious.

QuietTiger · 06/06/2013 18:49

Where do I start? It has 42 different additives, colourants, e-numbers, fillers, several chemicals/additives banned by the USA & other countries in Europe, - think the equivalent of feeding your child blue smarties as their staple diet.

Leads to hyperactivity in dogs, food intolerances, digestive upsets, I can go on and on and on and on... Grin

LegoAcupuncture · 07/06/2013 10:20

This one is used by a few of my friends and we have been to view it as well. It is lovely and the people who run it are so friendly.

ClaimedByMe · 07/06/2013 10:24

ihatethecold our vet told us that feeding bakers complete to your dog for every meal is the equivalent to feeding the children mcdonalds for every meal.

ihatethecold · 07/06/2013 13:12

Ahhh I see,
Thanks.

frostyfingers · 07/06/2013 15:40

We were boarders for Barking Mad for a year - it worked fine from our perspective (although I have to admit that some of the owner's demands for the dogs did raise an eyebrow or two) eg "toast for breakfast, with whatever marmalade you have" - hmmm.

We were "vetted" by the BM agent, they put together a profile and pass it on to prospective dog owners if they think it's a suitable match. Dog then comes to stay with instructions, you write a feedback report at the end and it seemed fine.

We stopped because we took on my mum's dog for a while and didn't feel it fair on her to have strange dogs visiting.

I don't know whether I would do it, for the reasons others have said, but I suppose if you're desperate for your dogs not to go in to kennels and can't find anything else it's ok - pricey though, and we got paid £10 a day.

Muttleyboard · 27/10/2016 20:16

Such a shame that people don't set up their own home-boarding business as we have done. Our clients always visit us with their dogs to ensure that all parties are happy, and we do not charge a registration fee. On completion of our registration forms we require a £25 deposit per dog per week's board and charge £18 per day per dog, £23 per day for dogs under a year old, or £30 for a pair of family dogs. We are inspected yearly and licensed by our local council to ensure that our services are of a good health and safety standard.

Hoppinggreen · 29/10/2016 11:56

I looked into this when I was looking for a home boarder for my dog.
The prices were eye watering - registration and collection and delivery before you even paid for the actual boarding ( which was pricey anyway)
I also couldn't get my head around sending my dog off somewhere and I wouldn't have any idea where he actually was. I would get a profile of the person who had him but that was it, couldn't meet them or even speak to them on the phone.
Found a lovely ex dogs trust behaviourist who has ddog during holidays instead who is happy for me to visit when I want and send me daily updates on him.
Can't understand why anyone would use Barking Mad