My babies first stay in kennels.

twinklie

Well she went for her afternoon trial yesterday. She was a little timid at first and kept wondering between the inside and outside run. She did let the people pet her though and take her for a walk. And when we picked her up 3 hours later she seemed happy enough. We stood outside the kennels talking to the people and she kept running between them all for some attention. She can be stand offish with people she doesn't like.

So thats totally put our minds at rest now. We both feel much better about it all. She's also getting a doggy xmas dinner!! It's more than she'd get at home and I think she'll love it.

We've had a squitty poo this afternoon which I imagine is the stress of it all. And she's slept A LOT since we got her home which I assume is from the over stimulation. She does however, seem a little more independent today than she usually is and is happy to not keep an eye on every move we make. I'm really proud of her.

elsien

She'll be fine. Too busy getting excited about the other dogs to wonder where you've got to. Mutt always toddles off without a backwards glance, totally ignoring me yelling goodbye at her from behind. And is always knackered when she gets back, (and slightly better behaved around other dogs for several days which unfortunately doesn't last.)
I think she finds it more exciting than being stuck at home with me, boring owner that I am!

twinklie

Yeah, I can see Belle being the same. We are just off to Pets at Home to test the around other dogs theory!

gettingready

Feel for you really...

I do not go away much but when I do - Zara stays at home boardning, not kennels.

The dog walkers I use provide this service and she is at home with one of the girls or another (it is two of them running the dog walking/puppy socialising/dog traning/home boarding) on their sofa/bed/carpet with their dogs and she is happy as anything...

Just a personal thing, I would not leave my babe in kennels - however good they may be.

Anyone in London needs a home boarding for their dog, PM me and I will happily reccomend....

WolfSong2000

My mother used to dogsit for people who didn't want to put their dogs into kennels when they went away, and having seen how much the visiting dogs enjoyed themselves, I'd always aim to do the same in future (when I'm in a position to be able to get a dog) rather than putting them in kennels.

If you home board them with someone, they're part of the household, it's much more relaxed and like their own home, whereas in kennels, yes they get walked, fed, etc, but it's not the same environment.

I remember when some of the "regulars" came to visit my mother for a stay, they'd dash through the door without a backward glance to the owners - I think the owners were more upset at the thought of leaving the dogs than the dogs were of being parted from their owners

Gleek

My babies turned 2 in April and May and in August they went into kennels for 4 days for my brothers wedding. It was awful for us, rang up as soon as they'd got there and made sure they were ok as the little boy is not really a social butterfly, he's very timid usually and is frightened of loud noises.

They LOVED it. We missed them incredibly and they had the times of their lives socialising and running round and playing in the fields and the like.

We rang each day to make sure they were ok and came back on Sunday afternoon and they weren't coming back until 1pm on Monday (we'd taken the extra day incase of any problems with getting back etc) and as it happens we rang and left her a voice mail asking if she would bring them back early for us - they came back at 10am That night without them was awful though.

The bloke who owned the kennels says they get it all the time - they have people in tears saying goodbye from dropping their pets off at least once a day :rotfl:

It'll be fine, honest

hoogervaaner

Mine usually stay with the in laws but I had to put them in kennels last year. I worried the whole time I was away and couldn't wait to pick them up. They were very pleased to see me when I collected them until they spotted their canine carer across the yard who they dashed up to wagging like mad. Disloyal little devils but at least I knew they'd had a good time.

gettingready

Oh - when my Zara stays at home boarding .. I always call to ask if she is crying after me.. she never is... exactly, disloyal little devil LOL

She enjoys her time there a lotttttttttttttttttttttt

We worry about our furry kids a lot, often for no reason - they like a change and enjoy their own holiday away from us LOL