Dog Kennels

Karensteps

The kennels near mine are horrendous! It also takes in strays, but I bet they put them down more often than not. The stink is horrific, I don't think they even clean them everyday.

My nana put her now dead dog into the Kennels, gave them food, some toys, and his blanket (was getting old with athritis and had cancer) I went to pick him up for him, and I ended up shouting at the staff, the kennel he was in was covered in !!!! and carp, his blanket had been stuffed in a bin bag, because he had weed on it (which wasn't hard going by the size of the kennel) he was scared, jittery, looked like he hadn't been fed or walked in those 2 weeks.

Hooooorrrific.

Though I'm sure there are decent ones out there.

MoneySavingStudent_2

That sounds brilliant!
Congrats on the wedding by the way! Its so exciting!
Like i said you've got our email address on the website so just get in contact through there if you need us! And if you need to get in contact with us asap for some reason theres our phone number on there too.
All we ask is that you come and look around first before you book to make sure your happy with where your doggies staying and so your doggie is happy too! And to ensure our doggie gets along with yours etc.
We have certain times when people come to look round because if people just show up we may have a few doggies in our doggie daycare and they all like to greet people together, so you'd be mobbed by a group of them!
Just get in touch if u need us!

(and good luck on the big day! I hope its extra special! )

MoneySavingStudent_2

omg! karensteps! Thats awful! How could u do that to poor little doggies! I dont like hearing about things like that i suppose thats why our house has become a business and a bit of a rescue centre! We rescue all of our animals lol all....erm.. 7 of them!

mutley_muppet

I would always go for a pet sitter or friends if possible.

I used to work in boarding kennels. The owner seemed lovely and kennels near the entrance were nice & modern, but after owners left dogs were placed in a horrible concrete block with no outdoor runs or daylight. They were also kept in dirty conditions and pee stained blankets and then groomed just before owners returned to hide the smell. Other dogs weren't given their special diets & treats which the owner would pocket.
I could go on, but the experience has put me off ever putting my dogs in kennels.

I'm sure there are some nice boarding kennels but I think friends or a pet sitter is best.

MoneySavingStudent_2

mutley muppet, thats awful! Did you do anything to stop it when you worked there? It makes me sick sometimes how people get away with such things! Its awful because theres always a story in the paper about someone abusing an animal, there so helpless and its so upsetting!

tigercub

We've used one in Pudsey many times for our dogs, and they have been fantastic with them. They come and pick them up aswell, the dogs used to get really excited when they got picked up. The kennel hands are really nice, and take them for nice walks and play ball with them. Pm if you want the name, them it doesnt look like im advertising lol. But i cant rate them highly enough. Last summer was the last time we used them.

Ruffles_2

Congratulations on the wedding:beer:. I just wanted to say that all kennels aren't bad. There are genuine ones out there that will bend over backwards to make your pets stay as happy as possible. As a rule of thumb, if you ever consider a kennels again, look for one with an open door policy (obviously within their opening hours) that way, you can turn up whenever you want and you know they've got nothing to hide.

If you've decided a pet sitter is a better option, please make sure that they are licenced (by the local council) and have insurance in place should your pup become ill, escape etc. whilst in their care.

Regarding kennel cough- Not all kennels insist on it. It is a pretty useless vaccine. The vaccine covers 2 strains and there are 26 different known strains. It's pretty much like a common cold although it can be nasty in really young pups and really old dogs. Kennel cough is an airborne virus that dogs can pick up anywhere an infected dog has been, so it's not specific to kennels.

V_Chic_Chick

I would also recommend a pet sitter. I do pet sitting locally, but I go into people's homes, open / shut the curtains, turn lights on / off, water plants etc. to prevent the house being burgled, and I also feed / clear up after any pets. This service seems to be most popular with cat owners, as cats don't need to be fussed over 24/7, but most pet sitters are perfectly happy to cater for dogs. Some will take them into their homes (not practical for us as garden fencing is less than brilliant and we are out all day) which isn't much different as far as your dog is concerned from staying with friends / relatives.

elsien

Don't rule out all kennels on the basis of a few bad reports. My dog quite likes going in - last time i went to pick her up, she tried to go back into the kennels instead! I think she likes being around lots of other dogs - doesn't usually get the chance.
Any good kennel will let you have a proper look all round, not just the "show" bits. Ask how many walks a day, how long they are, and whether dogs are individually walked. Check their insurance certificates, and the arrangements in case your dog gets ill while in their care. What food do they give, and will they feed the dog its usual food if it won't eat theirs? Are the kennels clean, with outside runs, extra heating if it's needed, and a regular supply of fresh water. (You can see that when you look round.) Do they let you take in something familiar for the dog - a blanket or a toy of its own. What training do the staff have, and are you confident that there's someone in charge who knows what they're doing, and can manage any quirks the dog might have.

If it makes you feel happier, book the dog in for a short stay beforehand, so if you're not happy you can look around for alternatives.

Congrats on the wedding, hope you have a great day.

catkins

If I were you I would try and find a pet sitter. My dog does go into kennels but only because he is a large strong dog who does not always get on with other dogs and I would not expect a pet sitter to deal with that.

I put my dog into kennels whilst still a puppy so he could get used to them and he seemed to love it there. Unfortunately that was when I lived in France - the kennels were spotless, they had a massive fenced in field where the dogs could play and the owners obviously loved animals.

Back in England it has been a whole different story. He has stayed in about 6 different kennels. Each stay he is fine the first time but when taken back he has refused to walk in, started shaking, one time even started crying!!! It really did upset me. Luckily I have now found a kennel that he seems to like. He has been there about 8 times and is fine when I take him there. One of the girls there really loves him and I know she goes in with him and makes a fuss. Also they have a fenced in field for him to run.

All the kennels he went to said they walked them at least once a day but since I have spoken to 2 girls who worked at 2 of them and they said the dogs were rarely walked because of lack of time and if it was raining they definitely were not walked because of the dogs getting wet!! Considering my dog is used to 3 hours exercise a day no wonder he did not like them! Also he is used to company almost all of the time (we get our neice to dog sit if we go out in the evening) so I don't think he liked being alone in a kennel for so long (it doesn't help that he is not keen on other dogs - he just wants to be with people). I think the fact that the girl goes in and makes a fuss of him really helps.

Sorry I have rambled a bit there haven't I? Anyway good luck with finding somewhere your dog will be happy and hope all goes well with the wedding.

Lynsey