Kennels

[Corcadail]

I am researching kennels for dog care for two weeks this summer for my two large dogs (Labs). I’ve visited a few and can’t get past the fact the dogs will spend 20-22 hours a day in 2x3m concrete or breeze block room in a barn, even though some offer four walks a day (probably 30 mins max, many on the lead), the pens have heating etc.

Some have access to an outdoor space but this space seems to just be another 2x3m area but with no roof.

They house 40-50 dogs so are noisy and I worry that could also be stressful. I also worry about the dogs picking up bad habits like barking too much - on top of distress.

Am I overthinking it? Are kennels an ok option? If so, for a shorter period of time, not two weeks or more? Does anyone here use kennels? Thanks!

Our experience was the reverse
We were away last week so a few weeks ago left our dog with a dog boarder,who was recommended by another lady who was full last week
She wanted to collect him but I insisted on dropping him off, it was just for a trial overnight stay. The house and grounds were massive and dogs had free run. I was a bit concerned there were no toys or equipment in the garden but the lady was kind and seemed professional.
On checking her calendar she did have a large number of dogs booked in for the week we wanted plus 2 dobermans that were coming in from another country but she assured me they would remain crated.
Anyway she said she would message me/send pics. By 7pm I'd heard nothing so I text her. She replied our dog (aged nearly 2) had snapped at her, I was quite shocked as he never snaps. I wish now I'd brought him home. The next morning while waiting for her to bring him home i just had an awful feeling she wasn't the right person. When she arrived she said he was hard work!!! But she knew how to handle him i was more shocked

Anyway we took him to kennels we used last summer where each dog has little bit of garden attached to their kennel so they can run in and out during the day. They are incredibly clean.
On the day we collected him one of the girls had been playing with him in the paddling pool. Now admittedly he was more than happy to get home but on return from the home boarder he didn't sleep properly for nearly a week

Sounds very strange to me. I can't imagine sending my dog off to a total stranger and leaving them in a property I've never even visited before.

Kennels we use isn't like you describe at all and my dog always comes back.well he is walked daily and is fine in his individual kennel it's concrete but it does have washable flooring and a bed area. You probably are looking for a sitter but I know good ones can be difficult to find.

I have used a sitter for a weekend we knew him the dog knew him, but my dog was unsettled the whole weekend and wasn't right for a few days when he got back.

It is always such a dilemma trying to find good dog care for holidays

It really is you .try and do what's best for them, mine have always been fine in kennels they tend to like "the routine".

I would imagine daycares have regulars on a rhythm. They know the dogs that come on a Thursday for example and they know how best to group them into smaller "packs" for the day based on play styles, sizes, energy levels etc...

new joiners to daycare are usually trialled for a taster half-day or two under closer supervision and then you are told if your dog has been formally accepted (or not!)

This is my dog's daycare anyway.

throwing random dogs with unknown temperaments into the regular mix for one offs can upset the dynamic at best and be risky at worst, and if I ran a daycare I would be mindful of this too.

Our kennels are fab! We have a large breed rescue dog who is “difficult” and no one else can look after him overnight - relatives have him for the day when we work but cannot walk him.

DH family have used these kennels for 30 or more years. And it’s now run by the daughters. It’s a big kennels too.

they bath him and clip is claws on home day

he always is fine when he comes home and no different.

we built him up with a few hours then a day then a short over night so 4pm-8am then a full longer day and night. He comes back very happy.

Previous dog could not tolerate kennels though and would sleep for a days when he got home and Shredded his bed when he stayed only one night. He was stressed and he never went back.

It’s an absolute nightmare and is the biggest obstacle to us getting another dog. The boarding lady we used gets booked up a year in advance. I am thinking I will have to book her before I get a dog!

My dog loves going to kennels - she drags us up the steps into reception and goes off with a staff member (after throwing a fit of joy on saying hello again) without a backward glance. It's a beautiful kennels with really big, kennels (cosy inside space, big outside space for each dog), lots of interaction with staff and play in their huge paddocks - following her recent stay, when she showed great interest in a boomer ball that another dog was playing with, the kennels owner bought our dog one of her own to take home!

We've always taken great care to introduce each, successive dogs to kennels slowly and carefully. We begin with a meet and greet with staff and a play session in one of the paddocks; then a couple of hours during the day a few times; then an overnight; then a weekend - and so on.

We took the decision always to use kennels (and had to say no to our good neighbours who asked if they could care for our dog whenever we're away - because their ability to do so might change at any point and then we can't go away. Using proper kennels means that won't happen) because we wanted the security of knowing our dog is professionally cared for. But you have to choose the kennels carefully and put a bit of work in to settle the dog.

@StrikeForever if you are in the NE can you DM me the kennels please.

Happy to put it on the thread, as they deserve the publicity. It’s Ferry Farm Kennels
https://ferryfarmboardingkennels.com/

We do use kennels for our dog. I think it’s horses for courses.

Ours is a big rescue dog and very few house sitters or boarders will even consider him. When he was younger I would have worried he would chew up their houses although probably not now. He isn’t used to living with other dogs and I am really not sure how he’d be with that. He usually likes other dogs but not sure about in his own space. He is tricky to walk (reactive to cats and motorbikes and big enough to pull you over) It would be a special person who would take him on. None of my family can manage him.

He has no separation anxiety, isn’t a very cuddly dog and actually rather likes lying outside on the patio slabs in all weathers watching the world go by. He isn’t big on creature comforts and doesn’t crave constant company. At home, as long as he gets some good walks and enough food, he lies down all day anyway. He also loves playing with other dogs when we are out and about and that always makes him super happy.

We found a small family run place in the back of beyond in the country where he gets an off lead walk on their land twice a day as well as playtime in their massive paddock with other dogs. They let them out in batches of 5 or so dogs of similar size, test out introducing anyone new and always have staff supervision (or you can specify you don’t want your dog to mix) We get videos daily. The kennel is clean and heated with an outdoor run and we take his own bed. He always seems very happy to go there and on the videos.

I honestly think mine would find living in someone else’s house more stressful than kennels. He has his routine at home and some bad habits that I’m afraid we have allowed (sleeping on the sofa, licking the plates after dinner) and I think he’d be stressed trying to work out what is OK and not OK in someone else’s home. He even gets a little bit stressed going to a holiday cottage with us there. If I could find a perfect house sitter that would be best for him (a big bloke who likes big dogs but isn’t into aversive stuff like that nice beardy geordie guy on Dog Academy) but failing that I think kennels is less stress for him than a house.

Thank you @ThePure that so nice to hear and a good counter balance. The kennels you found sound really nice too - that’s the gold standard I guess!

As I said mine found the pet sitter stressful I wouldn't use them again.