Doggie daycare in kennels. 6mo puppy?

[welshgal2]

Been looking for a doggy daycare/dog walker and I'd been looking and found a dog walker for £15 per day, or a doggie day care for £25 per day. Unfortunately the day care was 40 minutes in the complete wrong direction to our jobs so the cost of fuel and daycare itself 4 days a week was just not possible for us at the moment.

DH has come home all proud of himself as he's found a boarding kennels 10 minutes away that charges £10 per day for doggie daycare. I just don't feel good at all about it being a kennels.. their Facebook page looks great lots of photos of dogs on walks and good reviews from owners but it's just the fact when he isn't being walked he'll just be in a kennel on his own. When I imagined doggy daycare I was imagining him curled up on someone's sofa having lots of fuss.. am I being over the top? We were all set to go ahead with the dog walker, but if this is the better option I don't want to make the wrong call because of my preconceptions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated (but please can no one tell me to rehome him this time!)

In case it's relevant he's a 6 month old Cav puppy.

My dog goes to a dog walker who provides daycare for him. He potters about in her house when he isn't on a walk.

I tried a daycare that was more 'industrialised'. Not quite kennels but a converted concrete unit with overall up to 30 dogs in different partitioned areas. He hated every minute of it. Even the staff said he was terrified and hid in a corner.

I have a backup daycare which is similar to my first one with a few more dogs that his usual one but still a home environment. He is still a bit apprehensive but is ok with it (definitely not like the other one).

What I am saying is my dog would be terrified in a kennel environment (too much like being in the vets where he spent many nights). I would rather keep him at home and pay a dog walker to come and walk him twice a day than put him in a daycare kennel environment unless it was an emergency.

Awww our puppies are the same breed and same age! I only use daycare once a week but it is definitely the homely kind. I think the thing he likes best though is spending time with the other dogs. I think the sofa thing is probably more for my reassurance. How much of his day will he be spending out with the other dogs?

@BiteyShark Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately we can't afford two walks a day at £15, but we walk him in the morning and when we get home from work and would have one a day from the dog walker? I want to believe that's sufficient as I'm so against the idea of a kennel but worried it might not be. I've got an interview lined up for a job thats 4 days a week but only 5/6 hours so I'm praying I get it as that'll make his life so much better. I've only been back full time for a couple of days and the guilt is consuming my mind 24/7

@Namechangeforthiscancershit Aw lovely!! I wish I could find a homely one, the only one even sort of local is ages away but it did look perfect. I don't know the exact ins and outs I haven't contacted them yet as I'm just so against the idea of him being alone in a concrete kennel l. I don't know how to speak to them about my concerns without sounding uninformed and even judgey as they are obviously dog lovers and just because I don't like the idea doesn't mean it's necessarily bad so was trying to get some feedback here first.

I use kennels for my large breed dogs when I go on holiday, I think the constant barking that i hear when I'm there would either turn your pup into a barker or leave him terrified.

In your position I'd choose a afternoon dog walker.

On my dogs daycare days I don't walk him at all. He gets two walks at daycare and lots of running about so is suitably shattered at the end of the day.

If your dog is getting three walks that sounds sufficient especially if the one with the dog walker is a group walk. Not sure if your dog is ok off lead but I know mine runs about with his doggy pals on his which is obviously more tiring that walking on lead.

The thing is at the one that was terrible for him the staff were very honest about how he was and I am so glad they were. There was nothing wrong with the staff but the setup just didn't suit him at all. Like MaHeidsGouping said the noise of a 'kennels' environment can terrify some dogs like mine where others are fine.

welshgal actually based on his behaviour this afternoon you can have this one and they can entertain each other I can deliver!

I totally get the guilt and worry. You just want them to be happy and settled while you’re not with them.

Having done some work in a rescue centre which uses kennels to house the dogs, I have seen that there is just no telling which dogs will be 'ok' with it and which will freak out.

At the best end of the scale, the dog just hangs about in the kennel for the day. At the worst end they bark and howl, bite wires, bite themselves, destroy bedding, or just shut down completely. Those that freak out make noise that often upsets the others.

They do better when housed in a home-type environment - i.e. a room with a sofa, rug and door to their own little outdoor garden bit. They also do better with several hours outside the kennel (walks, fuss, etc.)

Only you know what kind of environment it is or how your dog might cope (i.e. does he mind being left alone at home? is he nervous of new things?) but personally I would not use this kind of set up for such a young dog - if at all.

@BiteyShark I think he'll be happy with the amount of walks, glad you agree. The concern with that is although he gets 3 walks he's still alone between 9-1, and roughly 2-5 (I say roughly as the dog walker has to drop him off and pick him up and the walk is in an hour so hopefully he'd be out for about 1.5 hours) and on the other thread some people still believed this was awful and I feel so guilty 

If it's a group walk could you ask the dog walker to pick him up first and drop him back last, then he will be out of the house the maximum time. Whilst some people wouldn't be happy about the dog being in the car mine would see it just as 'different time' and with company.

oh a little 6 month Cav can't go into kennels!!! And I also think it would be awful to leave him alone for that amount of time!!!!

All dogs should be left alone for too long but a little 6 month old Cav will be desolate alone for that long :-(

You bought him - you're responsible for his emotional wellbeing and you need to suck it up and pay the time and money to take him to the nice doggy day care place.

I used to get a bus for an hour each way to take my Cav to a nice home doggy daycare place before I found a nice one near me - so I am only saying you should do what I did!

(Also you need to be careful about how much walking a puppy is doing)

oh sorry and both the day care place I used to use and the one I use now and exactly what you envisaged! he goes on a morning walk and an afternoon walk and they are all settled down to have a nap in between although the dog sitter says that sometimes they play. She is with them the whole time and they are hanging out in her lovely doggy proofed home.

I went to see soooooo many places before I found her. There are so many people who don't provide a good standard of care.

@FFSFFSFFS Trust me if I had the money to do that I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately not everybody has a bottomless pit of money and I'm trying very hard and taking all advice on board to try and figure out what's best for him. The other thread left me in tears so please can I not be had a go at on this one when I'm really trying to do what's best for him. He has a 15 minute walk in the morning and about 40 mins when we get home from work. We haven't started using the dog walker yet but could adjust the other walks accordingly to make sure he isn't being overwalked, we are very careful with it.

@FFSFFSFFS You're very lucky to have lots and lots of places to visit. We've managed to find 2 in an hour radius of our house and one of them is the one I'm mentioning here. It's not a matter of being cheap it's a matter of not being able to spend what we don't have, and not having enough options.

I read your other thread. You are obviously trying to do the best for your dog. Can you visit the place? Find out how much he would actually be in kennels.
Shame you’re not this side of the Severn. I’m sure i said on your last thread I would love a second dog. A part time one would be lovely.

On your other thread I mentioned getting a camera to watch how he is when you are out. Mine streams to my phone and only cost about £40. This means I can watch him when out to see how he is.

Would you or your DH be able to do something like that so you can reassure yourself (or enable you to change things if needed) when he is alone?

@Wolfiefan I've just messaged them asking to give me some more details of how the day runs/how long they are left in the kennels.. if it's very long at all I'm going to rule it out as he's just too little for it. I wish we had more options. In absolute despair where we live there's just nothing around here. Thank you!!

@BiteyShark I meant to thank you for the suggestion, we've ordered one of amazon and are awaiting its arrival. The last few days he's been good as gold and we've come back to no damage or mess inside so he's been coping better than the first couple of days where we had some damage. He hasn't seemed out of character either still his normal loving self when we are here so it does seem he's doing ok but will be great to be able to check in

I do understand - but little Cavvies are so sensitive. I definitely think better for him to be at home than in kennels if he will just be by himself in a kennel.

Can you find a responsible but cheap neighbour (maybe a student) who can come in and hang out with him for a little while after the walker drops him? Do you have someone you can drop him off to? Is there a daycare near your or your OH work?

And it too me ages to find someone. Ages. The one near me I found because we ran into her and her little pack in the forest one day (she only takes little dogs - it is Cavalier day care heaven and I know I am very lucky). As I said the other one was an hours bus ride away - there are some closer but I just didn't trust them.

Are you on Cavalier Facebook pages? If not, join some and put a shout out to see if there are any Cav owners who might want to take on anther pack member for the day near you. In my experience Cav owners are obsessive and always wanting more Cavs and you might find someone who would be thrilled to have a Cav puppy around for the day and not charge too much??

Glad you found the suggestion helpful. My dog has had periods of anxiety, usually after his many trips to the vets, and I found the camera so helpful to see what was bothering him so I could fix it.

Not sure if I mentioned this but I also found having a music channel on low helped (a talk channel sent him into a frenzy as he thought strange humans were in his home).

You are doing your best. Any neighbours or friends lost a dog friend recently? Could your vet recommend anyone? Or post to Glos?!

@FFSFFSFFS We has one growing up, and they were alone for such long days while my parents worked but we did have a westie as well. Part of me wants to get another one to solve this problem but then I'll probably be neglecting 2 dogs due to work so struggling on. Thank you for the suggestions xx

Maybe also ask at your vets? I emailed my vets and they said no one did dog sitting - but then just yesterday I was there and asked one of the nurses who has a bit of a connection with my boy and she said she;d totally be up for night time/weekend sitting. Which doesn't solve your problem - but I think the thing is to ask EVERYONE.

I'm always on the hunt for reliable people to look after my boy!

Cavalier owners are notorious for getting another one. I am currently forcing myself not to get one more.

It might help but also more expense?

Sorry - I didn't mean to sound harsh. Its just that I come across so many people who leave their dogs alone for really long periods of time. And sure the dogs aren't abused etc but I just think for lots of dogs its such a poor quality of life. And Cavvies are just so social.

If it makes you feel better I think my dog thinks its puppy abuse when its just me at home and I'm working and not constantly playing with him. Even when I'm home with him I still feel guilty. It's those Cavvie eyes. They are built to induce guilt.