We haven't had a family holiday abroad since getting Harvey, our first dog four years ago and we would like to have two weeks in Malta next year. I have tried to think of someone who could come and stay at our home and look after the dogs but don't really know of anyone. I don't like the idea of boarding kennels and wondered if their are people who look after other peoples dogs in their own homes (not our house). Unless I find somewhere or somebody that I am extremely comfortable with, I won't be going anywhere as I feel the expense of a holiday would be a complete waste because I wouldn't possibly be able to enjoy it without worrying about Harvey & Alfie. We live in Preston, Lancashire so if anyone can recommend anyone or anywhere that would be great.

Thank you

there are people who will live in your house while your away and look after your dog. they will follow your routine for your dog ie walking feed times etc and are only allowed to leave the house for so long each day.
it's not cheap though, a women in our village has a lady come in for about £30 per day but she'd rather pay that and know her dog is happy and house safe than use a kennels. mind you kennels arn't cheap either these days.
try doing a google search for dog sitters in your area or maybe ask at your vets,they may know someone that other people have used so you know they are reliable.

I would always prefer the security of a well run kennel than to leave my dog in another person's house where someone (a visitor?) may leave a door open. :(

There was a company called animal aunts  they cover the uk and have people who take dogs into their own homes  , dont know wether they are still going but they did have a website if you google them it may come up

Bear, what I mean is - are their people who will look after our dogs in THEIR house :-)

In reply to Westcoast - As a dog boarder with dogs in my home, the only problem I've ever had with doors left open are the dogs that can open doors & the owners not warning me that their dogs can do this! I don't get visitors any more - they can't cope with all the dogs.
I have a gate/fence in my hall to stop the dogs getting to the front door & there is no way out the back. I'm not having a go at you, just pointing out that if you are a licensed boarder, then security is part of the license conditions so just check it all out before you leave your dog anywhere. (I personally prefer to leave my dogs in the safety of kennels as well!)

I found these when I googled - if any use? It looks like these will have your pets in their home.

http://www.dogsit.com/generalinformation.html

Although on closer inspection they are more of a register which you have to pay to use!

Regards

Peregrine1

I am with west coast on this and although kennels are not as free as being in your own home i like that it is a secure environment, its set up that way. I dont worry if the dogs are in kennels but i would if someone was looking after in my house or they went to a house - we have routine at home, know their naughty sides and ability to take full advantage of a door being left open or food left on worktops! I'm not sure people would fully take this on board, my mother in law didnt when she came to stay and looked after the dogs and kids some years ago - she made pastry turned round to get the dish and when she turned round the 2 springers were having a tug of war with her pastry!!!

I always feel guilty about putting them in kennels but think its only for a week or two and they will still love me when i pick them up.

I don't get visitors any more - they can't cope with all the dogs.
Love it! :)

oh sorry, the answer to that is yes. in fact i'm sure their is someone on here that does it but it's finding one near you. asking the local vets may still be worth trying.

I have a gate/fence in my hall to stop the dogs getting to the front door & there is no way out the back. I'm not having a go at you, just pointing out that if you are a licensed boarder, then security is part of the license conditions so just check it all out before you leave your dog anywhere.

It should be but I recently spent an afternoon chasing a very scared doggie up and down dual carriage ways and over round abouts for a couple of hours - I managed to catch her unharmed just very scared, when I got hold of the local dog warden she checked her tag and she was staying with a local dog boarder that had been reliscensed by her a month before - when we got to the the place where the dog was staying there was people running all over saying they had been chasing dogs all aftenoon and nobody had been about for a few hours!  It's not the first bad experience I know of with regards to licensed boarders.  There are some great ones out there but for me there's too much of a risk of error.  I would always, much as I hate it prefer to have the security of a well run kennel with extra security measures in place.

Have you tried ringing the breeder of your dog. Sometimes they will kennel for you.

Find a kennels that you are happy with, get some recommendations from other people and let your dogs go in overnight a couple of times. Having had a couple of dogs who couldn't be kenneled in the past, one due to fear aggression with people and the other because my mum wouldn't put him in kennels,I have always made sure that all of my dogs since are happy to go to kennels. You never know when you may need your dogs looked after and this is by far the easiest option. If my dogs were in someone elses house I would worry that they might escape or be unhappy with other dogs there (and I know that home carers do a great job, its just me :-) ) and I'm not sure that they would accept a stranger in our house when we were not there! Much easier to make sure you have kennels you can rely on and that you and your dogs are happy with.

Thank you all for your replies and I totally understand the issue of security if my dogs are in a sitters house - it's something that I hadn't really thought of so thankyou. Regarding boarding kennels, are you allowed to take your dogs own bed and can two dogs stay together? Is anyone here in the Lancashire area and can you recommend anywhere? I will ask my vets for recommendations too.

The good ones will allow you to take in your own bedding and familiar items - maybe you could pop a couple of fleeces in that you have slept with for a few nights so they have your smell with them.  My girls have only stayed in kennels once due to a stay in hospital a couple of years ago, they both had special needs, medical, diet and behavioural so I wrote them a sheet out and bullet point info so that no mistakes could be made, they were really good about it and appreciated the extra info which they attached to the kennel.  Most that I know of allow dogs to stay in together if you want them to.  Sorry can't recommend one in that area though.

Don't know the area but in the kennels we use the girls go in together and take their own beds and their own food too. Hope you find somewhere good in your area.

Know of a good kennels in Aughton, nr Ormskirk that is exceptionally good.

> The good ones will allow you to take in your own bedding

I disagree with this :) I have used an extremely good kennels for the past 10 years. They used to allow customers own bedding, but it became increasingly difficult to clean (in a kenels environment) some of the bedding ie pet sofas etc. if the dog messed it (which some do). Toys etc are still allowed :)

Daisy

> They used to allow customers own bedding, but it became increasingly difficult to clean (in a kenels environment) some of the bedding ie pet sofas etc. if the dog messed it (which some do).

Your point did cross my mind Daisy but then I wouldn't want my boys to have to sleep in an unfamiliar bed......Oh dear, I'm worring already! I really cant see myself being able to enjoy a holiday knowing that my dogs are in a strange environment & possibly fretting.

I disagree with this  I have used an extremely good kennels for the past 10 years. They used to allow customers own bedding, but it became increasingly difficult to clean (in a kenels environment) some of the bedding ie pet sofas etc. if the dog messed it (which some do). Toys etc are still allowed

Why couldn't the dogs own soft beds go inside the presumably hard plastic beds they use which is what the kennels I used do?  I want to know a boarding kennel will do everything they can to accomodate my dog and will make their stay as stress free as possible which includes them having basic familiarities as well as being clean :-)

You could always ask at the vets for a recommendation .   It is worth looking early as they can get booked up , also it is good to look at a few so you can compare them .
If you can wait another week i am south of Preston and i can ask my neighbour where she sends her dog ( they are away at the moment ). I know they weren't happy with the first place they used but are happy with the new one .

St Domingo, I would really appreciate that, thank you.

Ten years ago , or so , i went to look at this places cattery . The lady wouldn't let me see where my cat would be  staying as she said it ' isn't a zoo '  so obviously i didn't use it .

Obviously personal recommendations are a great start, but if for whatever reason you don't get any, don't completely discount going on hols. We moved into a completely new area nearly 2 years ago now, and knew nobody. So we did some research and made a shortlist of kennels, my OH then went to visit each of them. The one we finally chose, didn't have a set visiting time, to view we could turn up at anytime. Kennels were spotless, and not just because they knew they were getting visitors.

My 3 are kenneled together in the "family" room, medicines etc are administered free of charge, and more importantly the dogs love them. They get so excited when we go there, the beastie even managed to wiggle through the car window in his eagerness to get out and say hello.

You have a year before you're looking to go away, if you start the research now, you could perhaps do a trial run of an overnight stay. My dogs have always loved kennels, it's just me that frets!