I was just wondering if other dog owners are having the same difficulties in finding a good boarding kennels that that ever has a vacancy.I was unable to book my dog in anywhere this summer and have tried to get a booking for the end of september and still they are full up. so i shan't bother this year at all.i am not in a position to book up a year in advance. it seems to me that there is a shortage of kennels in general.are other people findimg this. or is it just me. by the way i am in the uk

I would imagine that it depends where in the UK you live ..you could always Register with us and say what area you are in. I have no problems here in Lincolnshire ...but then we didnt go away for more than a weekend in the Summer Holidays ;)

I am glad I am not the only one who is having this problem. We haven't been able to have a holiday for 2 years. ok so thats our fault for owning dogs but i do think that overall there does appear to be a shortage of kennels. I have found that the kennels with a good reputation are always full. A kennel owner was saying to me herself that they can't cope with the demand nowadays. and are always having to turn dogs away. it probably is worse in some areas than others. it is a problem here in the south anyway.

We are considering opening a luxury kennels in the next couple of years, when we are forced to move through other halfs work, we were worried there might not be a call for it but looks like we might be wrong! :) We are in the South of England

Hayley

If the kennel is a good one it will get booked up early Here although we don't take bookings till the beginning of the year as in 2 Jan, by March/April we are struggling for space for peak holiday times (from Aprilish to end of Sept.). Maybe the kennel shortage is due to the new guidelines that have been introduced by the local environmental health officers to get kennels up to a certain standard. My own licencing officer has refused licences on about 3/4 kennels locally due to the poor standard they are in. AS you know holiday firms do these last minute deals for holidays which is great for them but for pet owners it can be a nightmare and the only places left are the kennels that, what shall I say,are not the best around. May I suggest checking out kennels in your area during the winter months then you will be able to say "Yes" thats the kennel I want for my dog and be able to book in without worry.
Bazza

Being a new dog owner I hadnt thought about booking kennels too far in advance. Judging by this post it is a problem :-( Can anyone recommend when I should be booking for next August??? & how do you go about finding a good kennel??

I would suggest you look now. Go round all the kennels you can, get recommendations from friends etc... Just turn up during their opening hours, if you need an appointment, why? I would be suspicious of that. See the kennels are clean, have access to water, a bed and seem content. See if they ask for vaccinations etc... Importantly see what they ask you about YOUR dog. We would ask about, health, temperament, food, vet details, likes and dislikes etc... everything to ensure a dog will feel comfortable. Ask to see exercise facilities, check they are secure, see if they intend to exercise other peoples dogs with yours, ask if they will be kennelled on their own or are they going to put someone elses dog in with yours. Are they prepared to give medication if your dog needs it, what does the price include, you want to make sure you get insurance included in case there is a problem, otherwise you could face a hefty bill on your return! Thats a bit for starters.
Dawn.

Hi Guest
Where are you in the UK?
If you would like to email me, I may be able to help you out.
gundogswoof@hotmail.com - or click on my profile.

good luck!
steph
:)

i work in kennels and my boss doesnt take on new pple anymore got too many regulars, there isnt many kennels around here so pple struggle, i'm in n/e lincs think the problem is everywhere

Its an absolute nightmare to find a decent kennel around here. like someone has already said decent ones are booked and the ones that may have a vacany you wouldn't want to leave your dog there anyway.and a lot are having to close now as they are not upto standard.I have give up trying to get my dogs booked in anywhere around here now can't even get in for a weekend until mid october at the earliest. too cold to go away then. i'm in the Bedfordshire area and there is definetly not as many kennels here now as there was a few years ago.